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Hello Dakka,

I was hoping to get some candid feedback on the MERCS game. The models looks great and it has a small model count which keeps the costs down, which my wallet needs.

How is the rule set?
Is the game going to make it? (Don't want to invest in an unsupported game)
How does it compare to Infinity? (Seems like the closest game conceptually)

Thanks!

MERCS is not a bad game but I'm not sure it's going anywhere quick. It is a small company and the way the game is set up right now there's not a lot that could be done to advance the game without a big expansion to the rules. They have put out two additional factions since game release and there's artwork for one more faction so there's a little bit of hope there.

My suggestion would be to pick up a discounted rule book and a few packs of cards (you need the cards to do everything in the game), proxy the figs with your favorite 25mm figs and play a few games. One thing to note, each faction only has 6 figs and you'll never field more than 5 in a game. I picked up just a few for their cool factor but they have yet to see the table (I've been using AT-43 figs or 40K.)

One thing I'll point out is that the game is all about building modifiers to do damage. Long range pot shots will make for a very, VERY boring game. Maneuver is very important and I like the snap-to-cover mechanic. Your heavy weapon trooper is made for board control, not Rambo-ing through your opponents. The game does a good job of re-creating real world tactics which does not always make for a great/fun minis experience.

Comparing MERCS to Infinity is like comparing checkers to chess. They both use the same board and are games about maneuver but the complexity levels are miles apart. Infinity at its core is not too complex but there are SOOOOO many special rules that you need almost learn the game in layers to get it all down. It's a brutal game (much more so than MERCS) and does require a lot of terrain to keep it from being an absolute blood bath (if you think you put too much terrain on the table, you didn't.) Fantastic figs, a free rules set and army builder and a strong community make this a game worth checking out though.

I like the miniatures, they do look a lot like Infinity.

I know that they are now in a growing curve, have released boxes and book, recently. They are american and that will aways help to make the game more popular. I guess 2012 will be agood year for MERCS because they have now many armies and starter boxes.



Simple rules, easy to learn, can make their game easy to jump into, the dark side of this is that you could also get bored soon.

I think that this could be a key year for them, to become a competitive company and release some more awesome metal miniatures.

I think that Infinity is their biggest competitor, 'cause they release the most awesome metal sci fi skirmish miniatures. But maybe MERCS can take the USA market more easily and have a better distribution.

I don't think that MERCS will be any competition for Infinity anytime soon, they're development curve is far too slow, and their current rules set is too restictive to be able to compete with Infinity in terms of expandability.

Focusing on MERCS itself. AWESOME game, it's not perfect, I think the armour rules need to be reconsidered! That aside, the MERCS team has created a ruleset that is simply superb. The game is far easier to learn than Infinity, with a good demo you can pick this game up in an afternoon! And the game is so wonderfully tactical that you almost feel like you're taking part in a special ops mission.

One of the things I love about MERCS, killing your opponent is should rarely be the sole objective of any mission, the reason why, MERCS are hard to kill! If you play a six turn game, you may (if you're lucky) take down 1 or 2 MERCS....that's it. I love how they've done this, because it does a good job of simulating real world conflicts. Soldiers, especially SPEC OPS are rarely sent on a simple kill mission (Assassination is different!)

I wouldn't worry about support etc. Even if the guys stopped supporting tomorrow, you could continue to play the game and develop missions far into the future. The game is so complete it doesn't need the kind of babysitting that other more mainstream systems seem to require.

I would recommend getting this game a couple of teams, and just play it and see for yourself! I'm sure you won't regret it!

I like the game, and bought the book and a squad of Sefadu mini's but sadly i'm the only one in my local area who thought it would be good :-( the rule book is worth having just because the quality of it is excellent! I like the background and the concept of the rules, but am going to give them up due to a lack of interest in any other parties, so if you have anyone else to actually play with i'd say go with it!

(and if you need a book and Sefadu mini's..... )

Good luck and I hope you enjoy it!

Nerdfest09

In your situation your best bet would be to get another small starting army and get others to play with you instead of waiting for someone else to buy a squad themselves.

nerdfest09 wrote:I like the game, and bought the book and a squad of Sefadu mini's but sadly i'm the only one in my local area who thought it would be good :-( the rule book is worth having just because the quality of it is excellent! I like the background and the concept of the rules, but am going to give them up due to a lack of interest in any other parties, so if you have anyone else to actually play with i'd say go with it!

(and if you need a book and Sefadu mini's..... )

Good luck and I hope you enjoy it!

Nerdfest09

Yeah, considering the cost (relatively low) I would definately invest in a second squad and run demo games to get people playing it. I found that people really respond well to the game when they have tried a couple of missions. They love the range of the weapons and the cinematic feel of being about to pop out of cover and take a shot at the enemy

The nice thing about MERCS is the small size and cost of an "army" which allows you to buy two or more and set up games without having to rely on a friend buying a set.

I doubt it will ever be a major game or grow much as a system beyond the six factions now available. To me that is a plus point. The game is complete. I can concentrate on making a fantastic terrain set rather than buying new units all the time.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm picking up a rule book from my local score.

Thanks all.

nerdfest09 wrote:I like the game, and bought the book and a squad of Sefadu mini's but sadly i'm the only one in my local area who thought it would be good :-( the rule book is worth having just because the quality of it is excellent! I like the background and the concept of the rules, but am going to give them up due to a lack of interest in any other parties, so if you have anyone else to actually play with i'd say go with it!

(and if you need a book and Sefadu mini's..... )

Good luck and I hope you enjoy it!

Nerdfest09

You are right, the rulebook is stunning. Well worth the money. I'm still digesting the rules and looking forward to my first game.

I've only played 3 games for what it is worth, I don't own any of the minis, I would like to someday but most of my hobby cash is tied up at the moment.

The game is fun, the core rules are simple. There are some situation rules/issues that can be a problem for new players.

The game is relatively fast paced.

Each faction has it's own unique style and the special abilities make tactics a lot more interesting on which 5 minis you want to bring. The 5 mini limit is a great thing and bad thing. Good that it is cheap and can play in a small space. Bad that it is limiting.

The movement system uses a notch in the card which is creative but annoying if you are playing with terrain on the board.

It's a solid skirmish game, I found the rules a lot easier to digest than Infinity in the first read through.

Though some of their fans seems to take any criticism of the game a little too personal.


This guy has a short demo of the basic rules in several videos

here is the first of which I hope you find useful





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Kilkrazy wrote:The nice thing about MERCS is the small size and cost of an "army" which allows you to buy two or more and set up games without having to rely on a friend buying a set.

I doubt it will ever be a major game or grow much as a system beyond the six factions now available. To me that is a plus point. The game is complete. I can concentrate on making a fantastic terrain set rather than buying new units all the time.

Ultimately it's going to be how much money they will get. They have 16 (or is it 12?) factions or MERCS in the works. with different houses in each faction.

the 2 major turnoffs most people seem to have is the 5 unit limit (which to others is a bonus) and the card movement system.

Guess it depends on what tickles your giggle zone.

I agree, the 5 man limit per team can be viewed as a limiting factor, especially if you've come to the game from a company (companies) that encourage you to invest heavily throughout your exposure to their system.

I personally (now) find that quite refreshing, but that's because I'm starting to ramp down my involvement in the wargaming to concentrate more on the creative side of the hobby.

The team at MERCS don't seem in much of a hurry to move MERCS along, either from a fluff or direct gaming perspective. This can give the impression that the game is in a static position, but I think the simple truth is that the game doesn't need much more development....maybe a few scenarios (if you can't be bothered to create your own) and obviously, but certainly not a must, the development of more of the MegaCONS.

In some ways I would liken this game to a board-game, just in terms of its completeness, which from a business perspective is quite bad for the guys at MERCS because once you've bought your teams, and have the rules, well you never need visit their "store" again.

Delephont wrote:I agree, the 5 man limit per team can be viewed as a limiting factor, especially if you've come to the game from a company (companies) that encourage you to invest heavily throughout your exposure to their system.

I personally (now) find that quite refreshing, but that's because I'm starting to ramp down my involvement in the wargaming to concentrate more on the creative side of the hobby.

The team at MERCS don't seem in much of a hurry to move MERCS along, either from a fluff or direct gaming perspective. This can give the impression that the game is in a static position, but I think the simple truth is that the game doesn't need much more development....maybe a few scenarios (if you can't be bothered to create your own) and obviously, but certainly not a must, the development of more of the MegaCONS.

In some ways I would liken this game to a board-game, just in terms of its completeness, which from a business perspective is quite bad for the guys at MERCS because once you've bought your teams, and have the rules, well you never need visit their "store" again.

Agreed.

Mercs "scratches that itch" for small squad battles. I have plenty of other games that requires dozens or hundreds of minis. So a game where I can get painted up in 2 or 3 days and get to playing is a plus from the other games.

It will be interesting to see how they will be using vehicles down the road. They said they won't be having tanks (the small scale does not call for it). Just little dune buggies or jeeps.

Piston Honda - Those vids are very helpful. Thanks!

I've ordered 3 sets of cards from my local store (CCC, FCC & KemVar) and I'm going to proxy until I know which one I like the best. It looks like 40K mins will work fine for a while.

MERCs scratches a definite itch for me that not even Infinity seems to. It is much more deliberately paced than most other games and maneuver and sight lines are incredibly important in it. I often find that the restrictive movement mechanics make each MP spent a real choice. I manages to be both streamlined and incredibly complex at the same time. The team-building "mechanic" is also actually kind of innovative in the face of so many games using a point system. In this each faction is designed to be the equal of the other so long as you plan your teams out to exploit weaknesses or use them very well regardless of squad makeup.

It helps that the minis have this wonderful, bulky Cold War meets Cyberpunk look to them. They feel retro and yet very modern at the same time. It evokes that Future-of-the-70's/80's look rather than going with more modern Shirow-esque aesthetics. I also love their takes on each of the Nations as well. Some are classic cliches (USCR, Texaco), some are non-standard inclusions (Sedafu, you rarely see African factions in games) and others completely avoid the usual stereotypes entirely and spawn something awesome in the process (Keizai Waza, retro sentai-ish nuclear-powered supermen).

I'm very excited about the 7th man additions coming up and I'm looking to pick up a second squad (had my eye on Sedafu since I saw the concepts).

My son and I played our first game the other day. I'm sure we goofed the rules some. My primary take-away is find over. He was playing Kemvar and got caught in the open unsupported a few times. Even with their +1 to cover the results were brutal. Also, using d10s reduced the randomness of the game some which is nice.

Wait a second... MERCS is a d10 based game?

*scrambles for rulebook*

I can't roll a d6 to save my life, but those ten sided wonders loooove me.

Is that... is that a bad reason to be excited about a game? The minis certainly look cool, and I could always use more figs of that 'style'... so I could get mileage out of it even if I don't end up playing a whole lot.

It has a fun look, I'll have to headlock a couple friends and give it a test-run. Won't be able to get some legit models until I get my Infinity stuff painted.

Unless they release Texaco, then I'm going to have to sci-fi cowboy the *ding!* out of people. Gunslingers will always be cool.

The quick start rules are now posted.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/mercs/MERCS_quick_rules.pdf

Oh awesome! Now I have something to read at work.

I'm a little miffed they use the Texico guy on the front cover, they are teasing the crap out of me with that model.


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I just got done reading through the rules, and it seems like it would be a lot of fun on an afternoon with a couple of friends. Is there much more to the game rules-wise? Or do the Quick Start Rules pretty much cover all the bases?

FCC seems broken in the fluff. I mean that in a good way I think. It does really seem silly to me that Corps... *cough* I mean MegaCons would do shady business with a group(s) that exists primarily to bring down all MegaCons.

I also wish they just called them Megacorps. Is that copyrighted somewhere? Every time I type MegaCon I feel like I'm talking about a transformer...

I'm new to the game but it looks like all the major rules are in the QS rules. Most of the special rules are model/Megacon specific.

My understanding is FCC is the most difficult to run since it is critical who you bring from what Megacon. You also need to use the FCC Liaison to get the full benefit of the guest Megacon.

this died fast in my area for a variety of reasons.

Shrapnelsmile wrote:this died fast in my area for a variety of reasons.

It's more of a side game in my area.

It was red hot for a while. But limited number of models really kept it from continuing the new "it" game.

Malifaux seems to slowly knocking off 40k players. Can find a game 4 days a week and there are 20 some players.

I think MERCS is a good game, but somehow, I think their product and its marketing model are out of sync. I think it would do well as a board game to be honest, kind of like DUST. The MERCS team could release expansions as and when they felt ready.

As a table top wargame, in the current market with the current customer target audience, I feel they can't compete in the "I want something new each month, to keep me interested" crowd. People get bored so quick these days.

I just got the rulebook and 2 faction boxed sets. I am interested due to low model count myself. I dont need new models everymonth to keep me occupied. I have a big enough mountian of lead to move. In fact i got the game because the local store had an auction and I got rid of a ton of old stuff and used some of the credit to get this game. I am tempted by the 2d maps. i find that perfect, small amount to paint and no terrain to worry about. Want to get ome of this stuff painted and get a couple of games in soon.

BattleBrotherBob wrote:I just got the rulebook and 2 faction boxed sets. I am interested due to low model count myself. I dont need new models everymonth to keep me occupied. I have a big enough mountian of lead to move. In fact i got the game because the local store had an auction and I got rid of a ton of old stuff and used some of the credit to get this game. I am tempted by the 2d maps. i find that perfect, small amount to paint and no terrain to worry about. Want to get ome of this stuff painted and get a couple of games in soon.

Your mindset is probably in the minority though, proven by GW ongoing business model. I think it comes down to the human urge to collect more than anything else. People consider no new products for months on end as a sign of stagnation. I think this is something that MERCS will simply have to address if they want to compete in the current market of tabletop games.

I'm not saying I agree, although I too am fascinated by monthly offerings of eye candy delight like anyone else.

The other obvious problem they have, and this is probably linked to their pace of new product introduction, is their player base......it's tiny. Which leads me to think they would have more success remarketing this as a board game, and releasing periodical expansions.

I'd love to give the game a try, but it's player base is too small and it's even less populr across the pond. I doubt I'd get a game.

Your mindset is probably in the minority though, proven by GW ongoing business model. I think it comes down to the human urge to collect more than anything else. People consider no new products for months on end as a sign of stagnation. I think this is something that MERCS will simply have to address if they want to compete in the current market of tabletop games.

I'm not saying I agree, although I too am fascinated by monthly offerings of eye candy delight like anyone else.

.

BattleBrotherBob wrote:

Which is sad. What is wrong with a solid, low model count, game. I agree they need to release some new things. to keep the buzz up. But this whole " i need a dozen new models every month or else its a dead system." needs to end.

I am not implying you are part of that mentality or that mentality makes you bad. Im just so sick of it. tired of trying to keep up and be competitave at all times. My time is very limited so I just want to play some games, meet some friends, and have a good time.

Maybe im just getting cranky in my old age.

Sorry for the old man rant.

Ok, well, there are many ways in which a company can maintain "buzz" about their product. They don't necessarily need to churn out miniatures like Corvus Belli et al.

They could diversify and start to generate more fluff, novels or even comic books. They could generate a monthly or bi-monthly online magazine which contains new missions, information about the MEGACONS, etc etc.

The "problem" with MERCS is that generally there is nothing happening. I think this is the reason why people may think it's a dead system. Now, to be fair on the guys who run MERCS, this isn't their full time job. They have families, work, etc all going on at the same time. However, they have an almost fanatical fanbase, small but very devoted......the guys could ask for help and any number of fans would throw themselves at the challenge.

Just to clarify my own stance. I 100% agree with your attitude.

Just to clarify my own stance. I 100% agree with your attitude.

Delephont wrote:I think MERCS is a good game, but somehow, I think their product and its marketing model are out of sync. I think it would do well as a board game to be honest, kind of like DUST. The MERCS team could release expansions as and when they felt ready.

As a table top wargame, in the current market with the current customer target audience, I feel they can't compete in the "I want something new each month, to keep me interested" crowd. People get bored so quick these days.

I love the Dust models.

It's amazing how a game can have such great models but terrible rules (Dust Tactics not Dust Warfare).

It's like playing advanced checkers with dice.