"Pawed" Racing Game with Eureka Bear-o-planes

At last Friday's Hawks meeting, Todd Harland-White hosted a fun game of "Pawed" Racing using Eureka Bear-o-plane figures, and Jamie Davis' great Star Wars Pod Racing rules, "Future Race." The game was based loosely, very loosely, on the famous London to Cape Town airplane race of 1920. While a playtest for a future HAWKs Kids' Table game, we adults had a blast!

Pilots at the start line.  The bear pilots start of running on their feet (which stick out the bottom of the plane). When they gain enough speed, however, they go airborne and are placed on plastic stands to show they are flying.

Each player controlled two planes, and our goal was to be the first to complete the figure eight race course and cross the finish line with one of our planes..  There were many hazards along the way, including angry natives, flying monkeys, and tangled jungle bordering the race course. Attached to each plane was an "R2-Bee2" Bee Hive. The player could use these to either send groups of bees at opposing players, or twice per game drop blobs of sticky honey on the course or launch swarms of bees that created obstacles in the flight path of oncoming planes.

A scrum of bumping planes develops at the second turn as everyone cuts it close to save valuable inches.

My planes started in the poll position and were quick to gain an early lead. Unfortunately though, I misjudged the second turn, and ended up flying into the jungle a distance with one of my planes and obtained some damage. An effective bump from another player, that subsequently stalled the plane, effectively put it out of the game. My second plane flew on though, neck and neck for the lead.

An overview of the table. Half the course was bordered by angry natives who, whenever a face card was drawn, would throw a "spear" at the closest plane. Brave guard bears attempted to keep them at bay.

   Unfortunately, I screwed up  my turn into the gap between the two hills, and had to cross over the jungle strewn hill that bordered it for part of the way, luckily passing most of my pilot checks and only getting light damage. I did however manage to avoid the evil flying monkeys that guarded the gap.

Pilots head into the dreaded valley of the flying monkeys. Like the natives, whenever a face card was drawn, one of the monkeys would attack a random plane in the gap.

  In the end, a bad speed die roll, cause me to drop into second place just as we called the game due to time with only half the course completed.  I had a great time though, and look forward to another chance to play.

Heading into the final stretch.  My plane is on the right.