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So I'm looking for a game for my group of friends to play during our downtime at school, and cost is a big concern for them. They've told me that they're not interested in spending more than $50 or so on an entire army, and what do you know: the MERC sets look like they have everything you need to play for only $50 or so at the warstore. I'm just wondering about how the game plays, is it fun? Is it something a bunch of college students most with only 40k experience can pick up easily? What are the differences between the MegaCorps?

Mercs is a nice fairly slick game , with nice minis, with a fairly complex ruleset - gets easier each time you play. You might find getting a balance between the factions could be a problem and there is every chance one or two in your group may feel they have been dealt a curve ball.

Our skirmish game of choice at the moment is Malifaux, slightly cheaper buy in , with some of the nicest minis around. Not sure if it will suit though given its backgound not being hard core sci-fi. Nice thing though is that a free pdf of the rules so you can try before you buy.

There's also the issue where the game was designed to play using flat paper terrain sheets and notches in the stat cards for movement.

While not needing terrain or a ruler may be a bonus, it takes some getting used to.

Hi! Yes, I have been playing MERCS since it came out -- solid game, that tends to grow on you; solid sci-fi, but in the not too distant future. I have found the factions (corporations) to be well balanced against each other, but each as a different style and learning curve. The CCC and KemVar are considered the most straightforward, and are usually used to demo the game. The game itself is well designed and supported -- the developers regularly speak up on the forums, which are nicely active for a small/new game.

It is a bit of a steep buy-in at MSRP $70 for a set -- but that includes all minis for that faction so far released (6; you play with 5 at a time), a mini rule book, dice, and cards. The game was designed for 2-D terrain, but is just as easily played on 3-D terrain if you desire (just turn the card on its edge). Games are fairly quick (3 vs 3 or 5 vs 5), and require more in the way of real-world tactics. I highly recommend it!

I am a Henchman for Malifaux (and it is my first love), which does have a slightly cheaper buy in (~$35 for starter box, but you need a rule book ($15) and deck ($12). Malifaux is also steampunk/horror/western.

Cheers!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry... To better answer your original questions, yes MERCS is a game that takes limited time to play, and does not require vast experiences with other miniature games to master. Unlike 40k, there are no lists to build -- you can play head-to-head, or choose a scenario; then pick 5 (or three for a quicker game) of your 6 models and go to town! Each model plays off the strength of its corporation (corp), but is unique (you "can't" choose to take two of the same model) and has its own strengths and weaknesses (e.g., the heavy weapon trooper tends to be quite slow, but has the firepower to make up for it).

Briefly, the corporations are:

CCC: North American; well-rounded jack-of-all-trades
KemVar: South American; all about stealth (think Predator cloaking device)
USCR: Russian; slow, but the most heavily armoured -- largest troop carries twin chain-guns
FCC: World-wide; anarchists with unique abilities (can field other corp models)
sefadu: African; lightly armoured -- all about speed and maneuvering
Keizia Waza: Japan; nuclear-powered armour, carrying a tac nuke!
Texico: Southwest American; think Texas rangers
ISS: Mediterranean; ocean theme with lightning

Check out: http://www.mercsminis.com/

Cheers!

KiltedWolf wrote:

It is a bit of a steep buy-in at MSRP $70 for a set --

Good god man! I've never paid more than $45 for a starter set (with shipping)! Internet = your friend.

 coyotius wrote:

KiltedWolf wrote:

It is a bit of a steep buy-in at MSRP $70 for a set --

Good god man! I've never paid more than $45 for a starter set (with shipping)! Internet = your friend.

That is true, there are many good deals around the Internet, including ebay. That is why I posted MSRP -- didn't want the OP to get the wrong impression, say if they considered buying from their local game store.

Cheers!