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1.0 Preface 

Welcome to the AVA 1977 Handbook. In this manual you'll be able to find resources on most topics Vigilantes would want to know. There's strategy, tips, eatery information, motel ideas, and many more things to help you on your way.  

You can also find listings of the price list, available cars, weapons, and garages to repair your cars. There are many different designs out there, and since it's a new year, we've taken some of the better ones and ideas for designing and put them up on a design section, just for you Vigilantes that like to get the most out of their designs. 

If you need any help with designing, editing, testing, or other things, just drop on by the Fort or send me some mail. Thanks a bunch and I hope you enjoy this manual. 

Drive Offensively! - Bandit 

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1.1 What's New? 

This manual is an updated version of the ones published in 1971-1976, and contain vital information for your survival. Each year we do an update, to try and single in on the more common of AVA designs and how to combat against the popular car setups. Other sections, including Tyler-Barnett and such have been added too. Enjoy! 

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2.0 Designing Vehicles 

Designing vehicles can be a snap for most Vigilantes, so here we'll discuss options and variant ideas so that you can beat the most commonly used weapon configurations. Consider this sort of a 'cheat sheet' that'll teach you the basics of vehicular design.  

Your first impression when you enter an AVA game would probably be you seeing mortar gods flinging huge shells across the screen. There are several ways to defeat these pesky vermin, the first being you building your car well.  

I suggest building a car that carries lots of armor [ Stag, Royale, Courchelle, etc...] and putting a variety of weapons on it. For example, an aim nein, firedropper, and turret would keep the creeper's engine off, target his forward and front sides, and burn him for the .45 shots. Before I design anything, I must consider my style. I use a Coupe mostly, and so speed is my armor, not metal. For you it may be different. Perhaps you like to just ram, bash, and get into the fights more? Perfect, you'll be a great Mortarman.  

As for the competition, you might want to check up on your friend's style, and see what he / she is hindered to. Neins may freak 'im out, maybe mortars, but it's up to you to size them up too, so you can design a car that takes advantage of these weaknesses. 

In conclusion, before you start designing, be sure to consider the following:  

• Your opponents style and weaknesses
• Your weaknesses and style
• What weapons work best for the arena you'll be fighting in. i.e. salt flats = neins

How long you'd like to live, survivability

Missles: Aim Neins are about the most effective. They track with the engine off, eat up chassis, and are fairly cheap. Dr. Radar's auto-track if your engine is on. So keep those engine's off!  

Rockets: FFARs, or Folding Fin Aerial Rockets, are powerful if used in numbers, and take lots of aiming skill to use correctly. I tend to lean towards these if there's close-in fighting. Use sparingly though, there's only 66 ammo and eats up 3 a shot. 

Droppers: Dropped weapons can be considerably useful for keeping an enemy away. Although regarded as less useful than a mortar at times, they can make a person skid, burn through their car, and overall be not a nice thing to have your car run into. Oil slick is the most commonly used with mortars these days, because of it's cheaper cost and availability. It also can stage an opponent for a rapid mortar assault, by slicking him so he spins out of control and nabbing him with mortars then. It's a little underhanded, 
but works pretty well. As for the Firedropper, it'll get through to the chassis in one blow, making the car red and ready for .45 shots. It also tends to pop tires and go invisible after a while, so keep an eye out where it was. Caltrops cause tired damage, and pop tires. 'Nuff said. Mines and Blox Droppers cause damage to your chassis, and slow you down quite a bit. (because the blox stop you and mines blow ya into air) 

Equipment: Suspension, Brakes, Engines, and Tires fall into this category. Each car you build will have different driving attributes, so on some you may need better suspension, brakes, tires, or bigger engines. Most of all, you must choose from your knowledge of the terrain you'll be fighting on. Will it be slippery? Bring better tires. Will it be bumpy? Get a better suspension. 

All of these attributed change car performance, and for good suspension and brakes you'll need to trade weapons in. These things are special utilities to help you drive better, and most AVA players have everything stock but wheels, to help with the handling of the car's turning radius. Ask most D15 enthusiasts, and you'll get, "Yeah, suspensions stock, brakes are disc, and this engine barely hauls." because of the Inline 6 most use. Know your equipment, it can be a life saver if you're ever caught up in a situation where it comes in handy. Ace AVA duelists will know when to kill you on bumpy terrain if you have stock suspension, will know when to knock your crappy 13 inch tires out from under you while you're not looking, and have a nasty tendancy to prey on your un-armored up chassis.- 

My advice? Take it easy. Learn what everything does, including the illustrious specials.

Specials: What more can I say? They're special. Here's what they do: Cup Holders: 10% less likely to get hit by weapons. Heated Seats: 10% more ammo on each weapon. Curb Feelers: Help keep you upright. Structo-Bumper TM: Double the chassis armor on front / back of car. Blower: 10% speed boost to your engine. Nitrous Oxide: 25% speed boost to your car, 3 charges. 

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2.2 Available Vehicles 

At many fine dealers, you can fine custom modified vehicles for use in tandem with weapons. Although, to run these weapons, you will need Tyler-Barnett's 1976 or 1977 limited edition auto-vigilante suite. This comes by mail-order when you enter AVA. Anyways, onto the Vehicles.  

A Vigilante must choose his ride with great care, and must perfect it into his own death-suite. Fine quality cars are available from ABX, Courcheval, DPC (Dover-Picard Corporation), Phaedra, Moth, Jefferson, Glenn, and other companies. To use the cars effectively, you have to know your strategies. Fast or slow, armor or little armor, you decide. 

Most Popular AVA Vehicles: So far some of the most popular AVA vheicles have been those with armor and speed. The DPC Lightning is one of them. It combines firepower, armor (60 each side) and blazing speed. On the other hand, the Courcheval Courchelle suffers from a little speed loss and handling to give it cheaper pricing. 

The Courchy also has 60aps and that's always good to know. Van's have been popular in division 20 and up matches, because they have better speed for an Inline 6 than a Stag or a Clydesdale has. The problem is, you're a huge .45 target and you better watch your ass when it comes to firedroppers. For lighter cars, I've seen the 'rahna and the Palomino used a lot. They've got good speed and good weapons points. Also, the AMZ tends to work well for dueling, for it has a rear mounted weapons mount, dropper, and a top mount for a turret. (ed. note: contact SuiCyco for info) 

Test Drive: Before you commit to a new car be sure to test-drive it first. See what you like about the car, and make sure if you're having a duel that it has speed AND armor so you don't have to spend the whole time dodging mortars in a Pony or a scenario like that. You should also test drive cars with certain configurations, because a Royale with twin 7.62's and a 50cal would definately not be as effective as a Royale with twin 7.62's and a WP Mortar.  

Play around with the configurations, and be sure to choose a car not many others use. You wanna have that image of the guy that drives only that car don't ya? If you stick with a vehicle long enough it becomes known as yours and not many other people will use it (or at least it's paint) because they would not want to offend you by taking your car away. Be sure to take a look at the weapons & equipment section, cause you'll want to know when to trade in armor for better suspension. 

For newbies: I suggest to start out with car that have a default of 60 armor / chassis all around. The best one for the job I can think of is the Courcheval Courchelle. It's got nice balance, lower price then the DPC Lightning, and has good weapon placement. One side, one top, one back, one drop. Good for a wide range of skills that're just developing.  

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3.0 Tyler-Barnett 

Ever since the first Vigilante or Creeper ever showed up there's been the Tyler-Barnett Weapons Company there to serve us. They make Machineguns, Cannons, and FireRite Rockets. They've also produced the '76 Vigilante Suite and the '77 Vigilante Suite. TB's sponsored many an AVA event and will keep sponsoring in to the next few years, until things've settled down again. But to make thing's breif, there's a new *limited edition* version of the standard Vigilante Suite. It has many new features, like a radar with longer tracking distance, a turret camera that views the enemy from the radar display, and other useful items. I suggets getting this kit now, since it's limited edition and you'll never find it again at $350.00 street price. What ya waiting for boy? Go now! 

Tyler-Barnett Weapons Systems 
78 Saguaro Dr 
Hell, NM 666

Bar-D The Bar-D is a great place for new Auto-Vigilantes or Creepers to hang out at. There's lots of discussion, and also lots of food and beer to go around. It used to be abandoned, but ever since Malachio's been done-in it's reopened for the general automotive public.

Spanner's Truck Stop This is the best place to get gas at. Many truck drivers and Vigilantes will stop in here to get food, gas, and maybe catch a nap in the diner. It's also a great place to get reloads on ammo, armor repair, and bodywork. Tell 'em Bandit sent ya.

Mondo Burger Well, this place is all over the United States, cause it's a fast food chain. They've got lots of fast food selections, including thier famous "Mondo Deluxe" that includes a free .45 Handgun after you buy your 100th one!

Wagon Wheel This is one of the remaining "Family" restaurants left out here in the west. They've got some delicious burgers and have a parts bin out back that contain bargain prices on all sorts of parts. Other than that, they also own the Chicken Stand chain, which sell lots of chicken.

Ace's Motel If you're on long trips away from the shack or fort or wherever you live in, this place has armored walls and reinforced internal wiring. It's the perfect place for an overnight stay in a town you might visit.

Foxy Cat The Foxy Cat Strip Club gives us a chance to relax and check out the latest "fashions" in the SW. Go check it if it's a lonely night.

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4.0 Credits 

AVA Leaders: 
-----The Jaff  *Route 66ers* 
-----SuiCyco *Team Intercept* 

Original Ruleset:  
-----Chase 'Bob Bitchin' Dahl 

Handbook Creator: 
-----Bandit *Hell's Finest* (creeper) 

AVA Website: 
-----Bozzer *Team Intercept* 

And a special thanks to:  

• Bandit's Dog, for helping him through those long nights...

• All the dudes who made AVA possible, that means YOU, Zaphod, SoS, Hubris, Vic, Scrat, Glieb, etc...the long timers who keep the flow goin in the blood of AVA.