The Last Drifters hobby update

It’s been a challenging few weeks, battling an illness that has had me out of action for a while, but I’m finally emerging from the clutches of what was obviously “man-flu.” 🤧

Now, with a newfound burst of energy, I’m diving back into my hobby world…

And I have some exciting news—I’m thrilled to share that Fyndoria.Games has secured a spot (hopefully) at Salute 51, set to take place at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in April next year.

While the table booking is pending confirmation, I’m optimistic that we made it in before the show filled up.

So, what game are we bringing to Salute? Drumroll, please… The Last Drifters!

And we won’t just be showcasing it; we’re hosting participation Destruction Derby games throughout the day.

Imagine driving around the arena, smashing or shooting other vehicles to a standstill, all in pursuit of becoming the Champion of the Arena.

Plus, there may be prizes up for grabs!

Rumour has it that some lucky participants might walk away with copies of the game, free PDF rules, or even printed paperback versions.

This marks a first for me—I’m usually on the other side of things as a club member working at the show, but this time I’ll be running a game… the anticipation is real!

Lots of other stuff going on as well, like designing leaflets, posters and hopefully a couple of pull up banners for the end of the table.

So over the next few months I will be posting updates on my progress for the show.

If you are going to the Salute 51 next year make sure you come over to our table and say hello.

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Now, let’s talk hobby prep for the big day.

First on the agenda: designing the arena.

I am not sure what to do for the arena, I was thinking about going with a three-foot round arena with scenery all around the outside to enclose the battle area, but after watching a few videos of actual demolition / destruction derby’s I am usure what to do.

Note: this next bit may upset some readers…

After watching a few videos online I have noticed a marked difference between the UK events and some of the ones across the pond, the UK ones mainly happen on an oval circuit (the ones I saw anyway) and they start like a race and it is fast with ridiculous amounts of damage done to the cars, oh and it is crazy!

The videos I have seen from across the pond are very different, the ones I saw were set in oblong arenas, most were very small and because the areas were small the vehicles didn’t manage to build up much speed so the crashes were a lot “gentler” and sometimes more of a push than a real smash!!

Whichever type I go for I will need to check the size of the arena as there will be five or six players at a time in each game and there needs to be enough room for them all their vehicles to move around.

The different videos also showed that different places had different ways of starting the vehicles, some started back-to-back in the centre of the arena, some started against the outside facing the centre, some started like a normal race, and one or two other ways and all looked like fun options, I just need to decide on which one to use.

The main difference from any of the real destruction derby’s is that in The Last Drifters the vehicles have armour on them and of course weapons!!

It’s fascinating to see how these variations play out in real life, but in The Last Drifters, the action is turned up a notch with armoured vehicles and weapons in play.

I’m still brainstorming what scenery will create the perfect backdrop for The Last Drifters game at the show, new elements are in the works to hopefully enhance the gaming experience.

Lots of old cars to make the arena walls, plus concrete Jersey Barriers and even piles of tyres, anything to keep the craziness inside the arena.

Second thing on the agenda: cars for the games.

I’m turning some ordinary Hotwheels vehicles into formidable destruction machines!

Picture this, armoured vehicles with dozer-blades and mounted guns.

I snagged five nice big vehicles cheap at Sainsbury’s the other week which will be the ones for the show once I have added their upgrades.

Most upgrades will involve simple additions like armour plates, wire grills over windows, and dozer-blades on the front, perhaps I’ll mix it up with some big bumpers on a couple of them.

Thin mesh for wire grills, plastic card for armour plates or even cardboard for flexibility—all on the crafting menu.

Now, the hunt begins for weapons, whether it’s digging through my bits box, buying some or exploring 3D printing options, I’m determined to find the right selection of weapons, heavy machineguns at least!

Individuality is key, so expect added exhausts and a few small extra touches to make each vehicle stand out in the arena.

So stay tuned as I document my progress with photos and How-I-Did-Them write-ups, but for now enjoy a sneak peek into the Fyndoria.Games headquarters and its garages at the rear… and staff getting the vehicles ready!! 😉