Europa 2015 - Place your bets!

[Lint]

Welcome to the official thread for the 3rd historical Europa 2015 Grand Tour! If you've been paying attention, you'll know that seven brave racers will be participating in the race this year, including two Decepticons to promote good will and sports therapy. Let's see some racer profiles so you good folk can do some educated betting.


Sideswipe
Model: Cybetronian Race Car
Description: Sideswipe just can't keep away from this competition, but this year he's sporting a Cybertronian mode and some serious race mods.
Special ability: Racing stripes: Sideswipe has a guaranteed speed of 4 on straight legs and +1 speed on corners.


Bumblebee
Model: Modified Chevrolet Camaro
Description: This is Bumblebee's first Europa. He don't talk much but he's going to let his boosters do the talking.
Special ability: Nitro Boost: If Bumblbee rolls a 3 he gets a speed of 7 for that leg.


Arcee
Model: Cybertronian Touring Cabriolet
Description: Oh my god they let a FEMME in the race?!? Arcee sports the latest in Cybertronian road vehicle technology.
Special ability: Lightweight: New age composite materials and a revolutionary engine means Arcee rolls within a range of 3-7. However it also means she takes double damage from attacks.


Darksteel
Model: Corvette Stingray
Description: Darksteel intends to strike quickly and win this race.
Special ability: Quickstrike: Darksteel will attack the racer/s directly ahead of him each leg, halving their speed gain. If he overtakes that racer as a result he will attack the next racer ahead in that same leg.


Tracks
Model: Tuner modified Corvette
Description: Tracks want this to be a clean race. Although he could technically fly to victory he's going to show the other racers the meaning of good sportsmanship.
Special ability: Turbo Boost: Tracks will have a guaranteed speed of 6 on the first leg, hopefully getting a good lead in front of all the mayhem. Also +1 speed on Corners



Breakdown
Model: Lamborgini Countach
Description: A Stunticon in the race? Breakdown is guaranteed to cause trouble.
Special ability: Reverb: All racers directly in front, behind and adjacent suffer a -1 speed penalty.


Jazz
Model: Cybertronian Supercar
Description: A Europa veteran and last year's winner, Jazz is ready for anything the grand tour will bring.
Special ability: Commando: Extensive combat and race experience means Jazz is effectively immune to all attacks.

2015 Course
Leg 1: Mount Hood National Forest (Curve)
Leg 2: Snake Way (Curve)
Leg 3: Autobot City (Straight)
Leg 4: Lookout Mountain (Curve)
Leg 5: Paprika Plain (Straight)
Leg 6: Carbombya City (Curve)
Leg 7: Galata Valley (Curve)
Leg 8: Rascal Flats(Straight)

Unfortunately the new race model was (yet again) not completed in time, so we are reusing last year's game mechanics.

So who do you think will win? Each new or broke member has 50 credits they can use to bet on the race. Betting will close when the actual Melbourne Cup race starts. Race results will be posted sometime after cup day.


CURRENT PAYOUT ODDS
NOTE: Payout odds subject the change before race time. All punters are entitled to change their betting up until the actual Melbourne Cup race time.

Win/Place Odds Based on results from 10 time trials dated 2/11/2015
Sideswipe: 1:3 / 1:1
Bumblebee: 1:3 / 1:2
Arcee: 1:12 / 1:8
Darksteel: 1:4/ 1:1
Tracks: 1:5/ 1:3
Breakdown: 1:10 / 1:6
Jazz: 1:6 / 1:2

Trifecta: 1:50 (No payouts for draws)
Quinella: 1:20
First 4: 1:50 (No payouts for draws)


The following board members have either carryover credits from 2014 and/or have won credits from this year's teaser game and are either not eligible, or have already had their 50 free credits applied. Balances are shown below:

Sky Shadow: 100 credits
STL: 512 credits
Ultra Marginal: 75 credits
Bartrim: 100 credits
Deonasis: 325 credits
Ravagecat: 100 credits
Trent: 175 credits
Sinnertwin: 100 credits
TinyJazz: 100 credits
Golden Phoenix: 100 credits

[UltimateGalvatron]

15 for Tracks to place, 10 for Breakdown to place
25 on Tracks,Breakdown, Arcee Trifecta

[Lint]

More time trials were run today with surprising results. See the updated betting odds below.

Win/Place Odds Based on results from 10 time trials dated 2/11/2015
Sideswipe: 1:3 / 1:1
Bumblebee: 1:3 / 1:2
Arcee: 1:11 / 1:8
Darksteel: 1:4/ 1:1
Tracks: 1:5/ 1:3
Breakdown: 1:10 / 1:5
Jazz: 1:6 / 1:2

Arcee has also had an engine tuneup resulting in a slight improvement of her abilities. If you have already placed your bets you still have until Melbourne Cup race time (3:00PM EST) to revise them!

[Seraphim Prime]

20 on a Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Darksteel Trifecta

10 on Tracks to win

10 on Darksteel to win

10 on Breakdown to place

[Golden Phoenix]

100 on Sideswipe to win.

Everyone knows Red is the fastest

[tinyJazz]

100 on Jazz... to win!

[UltraMarginal]

20 on jazz to win (my emotional bet)

20 on sideswipe to win (based on special ability descriptions)
20 on trifecta sideswipe bumblebee, darksteel (based on time trials)
15 on arcee to win (darkhorse)


Thanks for running this again, I think I get more enjoyment out of this than I get out of the actual Melbourne cup.

[UltimateGalvatron]

Thanks for running this again, I think I get more enjoyment out of this than I get out of the actual Melbourne cup.

Wait, people watch the Melbourne Cup?
Seriously though, the actual cup came to my school a few months ago, and the people encouraged you to to give money to your parents to bet on the races for you!

Anyway, I await the Europa race.

[Deonasis]

Oh no!
$75 on Sideswipe
$300 for a trifecta of Sideswipe, Jazz, Quickstrike

If too late i will reinvest next year.

[Lint]

The Europa 2015



Ace Caller: Welcome everyone to the Europa 2014 cross country race! It's a beautiful day here in the Mount Hood National Forest, the starting point on this 8 leg race. My name is Ace Caller and this is my guest co-presenter, the Autobot Wheeljack!
Wheeljack: Great ter be here son. It's nice to be just spectatin this year. Even though I am a pretty good racer myself.
Ace Caller: Haha thats right Wheeljack. Let's cross over to the starting line. This year we have seven racers are revved and ready to go. Sideswipe has returned for a third year in a row and in yet another alt mode. Will it be third time lucky? A complete contrast is Bumblebee who is participating in his first Europa tour. The next entrant is the lovely Arcee, also a Europa virgin. We also have two Decepticons this year. The Stunticon Breakdown and the venomous Darksteel. They are sure to bring some kind of surprise to the competition. Lastly we have Jazz and Tracks. Jazz won last year however he has elected to go Cybertronian this time around. Not sure if that will make a difference.
Wheeljack: Cybertronian modes are often regarded superior but on Earth anything co----
Ace Caller: Hold that thought Wheeljack;the countdown has begun. Five, four , three , two, one AND THEY'RE OFF!



LEG 1: Mount Hood National Forest
Ace Caller: Tracks and Arcee are off to great start, surging ahead of the competition.
Wheeljack: Now heres the thing, I did work on both their engines, Arcee's in particular is a cutting ed----
Ace Caller: Darksteel has had a frustratingly slow start. He unleashes his Quickstrike darts which put Sideswipe into a spin while Breakdown roars past, knocking him to a standstill whist rattling both Darksteel and Bumblebee. At the end of the first leg its Tracks and Arcee in equal first, Bumblebee second, Darksteel, Jazz and Sideswipe well and truly behind.

LEG 2: Snake Way
Ace Caller: The racers now enter Snake Way, an elevated paved roadway restored from medieval times. Not unlike the Great Wall of China.
Wheeljack: Yer know, Snake Way is a marvel of human engineering. Did you know that in order to build a stone wall on this terrai---
Ace Caller: Darksteel opens fire Sideswipe again! This is almost a complete repeat of Leg 1 with Breakdown rattling the rear order (with the exception of Jazz). Tracks inches ahead of Arcee with both the leading racers putting a serious distance between them and the rest of the pack. Its Tracks and Arcee first, followed by everyone else behind!

LEG 3: Autobot City
Ace Caller: Now the race enters the well lit streets of Autobot City, the very home of the Autobots on Earth. Say Wheeljack, what can you tell us of the Autobot home away from home?
Wheeljack: It's a slaggy place to die.
Ace Caller: O-kay, if you say so Jackie. The ever persistent Darksteel sticks it into Sideswipe again, sending him careening into a lightpost! He finally manages to overtake the Red racer and fires off a shot at Breakdown too, taking him down a notch. A well timed Nitro boost puts Bumblebee in third place however he and Darksteel feel the effects of Breakdown's reverberating engine, hampering their potential in this leg.

LEG 4: Lookout Mountain
Ace Caller: The racers are now leaving the city limits and heading up Lookout Mountain! Tracks is loving the terrain and has pulled well ahead of Arcee. Bumblebee and Sideswipe are also making good gains but look out! Darksteel hits Sideswipe again, putting them both in equal last. Every other racer is having a decidedly average leg. Jazz spares Sideswipe and Darksteel the effects of Breakdown's engine but Bumblebee is still subject to the nuisance.
Wheeljack: The interesting thing about Breakdown's engine is that it is actually made of a rare harmonic metal wrought by Shockwave into a sonic weapon. The Stunticons actually stole it during a raid on one of his laboratories back in----
Ace Caller: That's great Wheeljack. At the end of the fourth leg its Tracks first, Arcee second, Bumblebee a close third followed by Breakdown, Jazz and Sideswipe/Darksteel straggling together in last place.

LEG 5: Paprika Plain
[B]Ace Caller[B]: We're back on the flat grounds of Paprika Plain. Sideswipe should be at home here. It looks like Tracks is suffering from a bit of agoraphobia. He's slowed down to a crawl. The other racers have also slowed somewhat, perhaps fatigue is settling in over the racers?
Wheeljack: We don't really need to sleep Ace. A more rational explanation is that the racers are low on Energ---
Ace Caller: Watch out! Darksteel is using the lull to creep up on Sideswipe. Sideswipe notices but really can't do much and he is hit my a barrage of Quickstrike darts. Darksteel pulls ahead and fires at Breakdown. It's a minor hit that is not enough for him to overtake. Breakdown retaliates, making only Darksteel suffer. It's con on con in this race. Where is the spirit of cooperation?

LEG 6: Carbomya City
Ace Caller: We now enter the winding streets of Carbombya City, the only refuel stop in this leg.
Wheeljack: Fun fact about Carbombya. You are actually allowed to trade Camels for a wife
Ace Caller: Wait, MY wife is from Carbombya! This isn't true at all!
Wheeljack: I figured yer wouldn't let me finish what I was saying so I just made something up... came out pretty poorly.
Ace Caller: Poorly? This is an outrage.
Wheeljack: Calm down will yer? We have a race to call and all. The sand is making it awful hard to see whats going on.
Ace Caller: You're complaining about the sand now?
Wheeljack: Well it is kinda everywhere in this country.
TAce Caller: The producers are going to let you continue to sit in this slagbox and let this air?!? That's it i'm leaving!!!!
Wheeljack: Hey now, you do realise you're calling ME a slagbox right? I thought these plush racing seats are pretty primo.
Ace Caller: Unlock the doors Wheeljack. NOW.
Wheeljack: Alright, alright. Cool yer jets!
*SLAM*
Wheeljack:Geez he stomped off like a teenage dinobot. Anyway uh, lets see. Tracks isn't lovin the sand. Arcee and Bumblebee have overtaken him for 1st place. Darksteel whacks Sideswipe again propelling himself into 6th place and takes a shot at Breakdown again. Breakdown retailiates, pushing Darksteel back in equal last with Sideswipe. Jazz just cruises through the mayhem. The order is Bumblebee & Arcee, followed closely by Tracks, then Jazz, Breakdown and Darksteel n Sideswipe.

LEG 7: Galata Valley
Wheeljack: Ah the Galata Valley. This is where the legendary Pearl of Bahoudin was found buried by Professor Ternova. When it's not the scene of a pitched battle between Autobots, Decepticons and a weather controlling superweapon its actually a pretty nice drive.
Wheeljack: Looks like Bumblebee is still suffering PTSD from being a kite, driving really slowly indeed. Arcee siezes the moment to take the lead followed by Tracks and Jazz. The three stooges at the rear are rinsing and repeating their old routine. Darksteel having a poke and both Sideswipe and Breakdown before being shut down by the latter.

LEG 8: Rascal Flats
Wheeljack: Well kids, we're up to the final leg. Who will win? Probably not poor Sideswipe. Nor that buckethead Darksteel and same goes for Breakdown.
Wheeljack: We're coming up to the finish line. Who will make the first move? Arcee kicks her new engine into overdrive and neither Bumblebee nor Tracks can stop her! It's Arcee first, Tracks second, Bumblebee third, Jazz fourth, Breakdown fifth and Sideswipe and Darksteel equal last.
Wheeljack: Well that brings the Europa 2015 to an end. Kinda underwhelming if you ask me. It woulda be a helluva better race if I was in it. Like last year! Now excuse me I gotta go fix some stuff.




Summary of Results

1st: Arcee
2nd: Tracks (+6)
3rd: Bumblebee (+8)
4th: Jazz (+12)
5th: Breakdown (+24)
6th: Sideswipe & Darksteel (+26)






Well thats it for the Europa 2015 folks! The payouts are as below:

UltraMarginal: WINS 165 credits! (tidy profit of 95 credits)
UltimateGalvatron: WINS 45 credits! (tiny loss of 5 credits)

Every other punter... kind of lucked out! Arcee was a massive upset. She managed to get ahead of the two damage dealers and the two of them put themselves into a death spiral dragging Sideswipe with them.