March the Month for MERCS! Mmm Mmm Mmmmm…

This month TBS and Tournament Organizer, “Black Ops” in-training David Koske (Lycane) bring you MERCS, a tactical team-based miniature combat game. In MERCS you command a small elite security force that has been issued orders by the corporate entities on high to complete various missions. This may include scenarios where the mission is to secure an  objective, or resolve a border skirmish or perhaps eradicate an existing threat before it’s too late!  The open-ended theme behind MERCS allows for countless exciting game opportunities.

Let’s break it down…

Each faction consists of 6 architypes of which the player selects the best 5 to suit their own preferences and tactics. Combat is resolved using a d10 system that is simple enough to understand yet still develops the interactions well between the miniatures.  In the end, this makes gameplay effective without being too complex.  The game is played on a 3′ long by 2′ wide gamespace where the terrain elements are crucial to planning a successful strategy.  This is because MERCS incorporates a snap-to-cover system that allows you to use the terrain in various ways. You can use it to boost forward a bit, or move into a slightly better line of sight position for your next turn. You can also “snap” to claim cover to protect yourself from taking fire, or claim a pieceof cover to negate the effects your enemies would otherwise get. The snap-to-cover system is a uniquely fun game mechanism and single-handedly sold store owner Jared Brodeur (DaBrode) on the game when engaging in a demonstration at Templecon this year.

Once you have the rules down, and the terrain setup, gameplay lasts only 30-45 minutes.  This makes for quick matches with the potential for multiple rounds and therefore several opportunities for varying outcomes.   A very exciting prospect to say the least. There are already 8 players for MERCS at The Battle Standard and we are just getting around to officially announcing it’s arrival today.  In conclusion, MERCS is a very affordable, easy-to-learn, quickly-played game and we’re very pleased to have it in stock at The Battle Standard.

Play MERCS on Thursday nights at The Battle Standard or get a free demo with our Tournament Organizer David Koske on Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons.