The Penny Whistle

I am solo running a season of F1 using MotorChamp by AZA-Spiele e.K..

The game is printed in German and I have a translation into English from Boardgamegeek.com.

The game has fantastic components and comes with a game board map printed on three cardboard panels that are reversible and interchangeable to create 12 different maps or race circuits.

The first session for this solo season was to figure out the rules and mechanics of the game and to get some of my family and friends involved via FaceBook. The above paddock of drivers raced in my inaugural session for the Grand Prix of Australia.

The game uses D6 with a special average die that rolls 1, 2, or 3.

Pole position for the Australian Grand Prix and it's "Lights OUT!"

The circuit using boards A1, B2, C2.

I spruced up the board a tad with some wargames scenics and a few signs. I did a pop up of the garages and pit row.

The race start uses just 1D6 and there is no out of action until the L is passed for the opening turn. Once this mark is reached all following turns are at driver choice upon which die to roll. The choices are based on shading of the grey space- light, medium grey, dark grey. Three die on Light grey, Two die on medium grey and only one die on dark grey spaces. This is further modified in that one of the die only rolls 1-3.

If you exceed the speed marked for the space you will spin off if over by 1 pip and you will crash out of race if over by two pips.

This poor driver has spun out and crashed. "6" is two points over the safe speed.

Track position is also governed by this "overage" if you cannot move all of your spaces rolled then you will spin off if over by one and crash if over by two.

Racing along.

The red car rolled too many pips and crashed into the back of the blue vehicle. There is no way around as you cannot cross solid lines.

#17 Paige Van Pelt (wife) rolling across the start finish. Can she maintain this race lead for 6 laps?

Interval between first and second in lap one of the race. Green #1 is Ted C.

The game includes pins that are color coded and push into the top of the metal car. This yellow pin that you see in the image marks lap one as complete. The interval has shrunk considerably as the head into turn one. Up ahead you can see a Red Bull car that ha spun off and is awaiting two cars to pass so that it may rejoin the race.

Here we see Chris W. in the Ferrari #12 exceeding the sage speed.

The Ferrari is moved the amount rolled on the die and then placed off course awaiting two cars to pass it and then it will rejoin the race.

On car passed and it will face forward. When the second car passes it will be placed back on the track. Chris will go on to finish the race so it isn't all bad to drive a bit aggressively.

Our speed champion is Rick Krebbs Racing, sponsoring a driver named Mark Donahue. On the light grey spaces you may roll 3D6 and #3 for Mercedes has rolled 14. This is about the highest you can roll and only on the front straight is it even possible to have the necessary die combination. Blistering speed 217 MPH. I saw online that each space is equivalent to a 15-20 Kilometers so we will use the formula that each pip is 15.5 MPH. 14x15.5= 217

That's 'im down the way after 217 MPH shot!

ZOOM!

Race traffic as we see the Mercedes team holding together.

Pitstop for Ted C. in the racing green of Alfa Romeo.

In a pit stop you need to roll two D6 and score 4+. If in doing so you may use the balance pips to move off. Here we see Ted is off somewhere racing along.

There he is exiting pit road.

You get a rear bumper tab once you pit. Yellow means you pitted successfully in laps 2-4. Red if you fail to pit in this time span.

Race leader pitting. Made a good stop.

Interval between first and second would open and close throughout the race. Blue is race leader and Green is second place. The Mercedes is not on the lead lap.

The only failed pit stop in the game. Ryan C. rolled into pit land and then on his activation had this unlucky roll. The crew must have had a hard time with one of the tires.

I believe that is team McLaren in the inside as the race leader passes lapped traffic.

Coming in to the final lap of the race we see the #17 blue Williams car driven by Mrs. VP in heavy lap traffic and the challenger to this point going into turn one.

Racing!

Team Ferrari and the #12 car of Chris W. is making a play for second!

This final die roll will cary Paige over the finish line and if you are seeing this on blogger go ahead and play the next few images by clicking on the picture to make it bigger and then scroll on across the finish line. Yeah!