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Well, didn't see any other posts about this, but... MERCS is back, the IP was bought from Megacon Games, and there is a new Facebook page and website for the game selling old stock minis purchased from Megacon. Big bits of news from the Facebook post:

-Teams testing an "Edition 2.5", which will be the 3rd edition coming out later this year.
-The two IP owners have been in the gaming industry around a combined 50 years.
-They themselves stated that the PVC minis Megacon Games moved to were lacking in detail, and while they are selling old stock to generate funds they are looking into more modern production methods.
-Looking to get the game into local stores-New factions.

Now, I am excited as heck about this. I missed out on this game the first time around, and cannot wait to see where they take the game. They have a simple website up right now to sell the older product they purchased from Megacon Games to generate funds to make new master sculpts and molds, and work on new factions.

New website:

https://mercsminiatures.com/

I enjoyed those pvc minis. I’ll have to see how much they are going for now.

Will they be keeping the same artist? MERCS had a very distinctive style.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
I enjoyed those pvc minis. I’ll have to see how much they are going for now.

Will they be keeping the same artist? MERCS had a very distinctive style.

It is $5 per mini, and $20 for 5 of the 10(11) models per faction. At $40 for 10 or so models it isn't terrible, I picked up 6 factions worth myself tonight to drum up interest with demo games once they release the 2.0 rules for download while they work on 2.5/3.0.

So, it’s about the same price as it was when I bought most of them. There are still a few I need to get...

I was always pretty fond of the MERCS style. I didn’t realise it had gone although I haven’t looked for a long time. There’s quite a few more factions there than I remember!

Was it MERCS that had the card movement system where you placed the cut out on the card against the base and moved it to a different cut out on the card?

 ImAGeek wrote:
I was always pretty fond of the MERCS style. I didn’t realise it had gone although I haven’t looked for a long time. There’s quite a few more factions there than I remember!

Was it MERCS that had the card movement system where you placed the cut out on the card against the base and moved it to a different cut out on the card?

Yup, that is MERCS. Although the second edition gave you the option to use a tape measure, (going off of memory) the card templates were still used for things like blasts, Behemoth's cannons, ect.

Were the models always PVC?

No, they started off metal, and the Kemvar had a stealth clear... PVC? Resin? option to represent their camo fields being active.

Bit of a blast from the past. I remember BeastsOfWar covering these when they came out. Some really cool models that were pretty distinctive.

The PVC wasn't the problem, the super-rushed sculpts to fill the KS was the problem.

Some of the older stuff transitioned to PVC was decent, but some of it was just awful no matter what medium. I didn't even use most of the NPCs for the Recon boardgame (used repainted and rebased Heroclix for all the workers and scientists etc), but a lot of the actual MERCS teams were fairly decent in plastic.

It's good that these are available again and handed off to somebody that cares, Megacon basically wrote the game off completely when 2.0 failed to gain traction (a lot of people were still pissed at the mediocre Recon KS)

Only collected the original metals, any other material does not interest me to be honest.

While I prefer the original metals, gotta say... the PVC plastics aren't anywhere near as bad as people made them out to be.

The details are sure as heck more clear than the Privateer Press PVC minis, and the plastic far harder, closer to HIPS rigidity.

Are these models just leftovers from the MERCS Recon KS or did they make a new and improved batch? I got a majority of the range through that KS and the quality and scale across the range and even within the Megacon teams is infuriatingly inconsistent and disappointing.

 NH Gunsmith wrote:
While I prefer the original metals, gotta say... the PVC plastics aren't anywhere near as bad as people made them out to be.

The details are sure as heck more clear than the Privateer Press PVC minis, and the plastic far harder, closer to HIPS rigidity.

The same way I stopped buying confrontation, Warmachine/Hordes, Finecast and other companies that charge premium for one 28mm mini I will not support PVC or subpar materials in a wargame setting, specially a skirmish one.
Ask a coin collector if he would like to collect PVC coins and that is where I stand. I do not support any company that goes that route.

Prestor Jon wrote:
Are these models just leftovers from the MERCS Recon KS or did they make a new and improved batch? I got a majority of the range through that KS and the quality and scale across the range and even within the Megacon teams is infuriatingly inconsistent and disappointing.

These are leftovers for now. They are selling them to fund new master molds in a better material/nee sculpts.

I don’t see $5 per mini as “charging a premium”. They’re slightly more expensive than Reaper Bones minis. That seems a fair price for most of the ones I have. More than fair for the really snazzy ones.