Back in January of this year (2025 if you’re from the future), a few good folk from Australia’s growing indie Wargaming scene put on a little counter-con called CAN’T CON. This of course ran on the same weekend as Cancon and was inspired by a number of things - a lack of free/open gaming space at the afore mentioned big event, the growing need for creative expression and collaboration among a community of narrative minded gamers and in no small part, the success of Under the Dice Fest and IRWT on the East Coast of America.
Many other far more qualified and articulate legends have shared at length about the event, so I’ll keep my thoughts to a minimum. The main thing to remember is.. I couldn’t go! Living on the west coast of Australia means that travel can be prohibitive at the best of times, coupling that with family commitments meant the timing was off. However, I did send along a little miniature avatar with hobby bf Grombatmole so that I could still participate vicariously in some games with my mates.
Grombatmole and Hollowbodies were running a game called Gamble Planet Death Match, an outrageous mix of Wanted! Reward: 10000cc and Skirmosh (I think?). After spending a while trying to kitbash a suitable bounty hunter, I was walking past the TV and saw Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman. I knew I had to replicate the famous celebrity bounty hunter in miniature sci-fi form and here’s the result.. cryogenically frozen and mysteriously transported to the world of Xorillia Daapus to apprehend some intergalactic scum!
He didn’t fare too well if I remember correctly and was left stranded as everyone else escaped the city that was rigged to blow. However, the bomb was diffused and Dog would endure, his fate uncertain..
Dog’s average performance aside, In the wake of his exploits at Can’t Con his cult status grew to such heady heights that he now lays claim to his own church. The Cult of Duane Chapman, a bounty hunting gang of fringe dwellers and waste-rats now prowl the rad-soaked deserts of Xorillia Daapus on the eternal hunt for their (maybe?) living deity, wreaking havoc along the way.
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| Dog & his stat card. He was cryo-frozen for his intergalactic trip to Zorillia Daapus.. now I can't actually get him out. D'oh! |
Enter Gamble Planet Death RACE, a fast moving and intuitive game designed by Grombatmole. Heavily inspired by Mad Max, it can be played on a rolling road or as an arena style death match, whereby desperate gangs riding cars, bikes and trucks fight to the death across the scorched desert of Zorillia Daapus' wasteland. GPDR will be one of several participation games being run at POX, an upcoming Counter-Con in Melbourne, and this time I'll be making the trip east to play in my friend's game and meet a bunch of other mates!
Anyway, introducing the Cult who will be joining me out on the wastes..
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| The gang. |
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| Our fearless leader, the Abracadaver. |
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| Gangers Jeff & Clutch riding, call sign Shake. |
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| The Big Trike, Bake. Crewed by Jervis, Fran & Seymour. |
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| Crew are removable and magnetised for gameplay & casualties. |
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| The distant hum of engines grows.. |
