Mech Command RTS Learn to Play and Campaign Book by badcrowgames

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learn to play & Campaign Book MECH COMMAND RTS

learn to play

Introduction Mankind is tenacious. After centuries of war the remnants of mankind rebuilt their civilization in the shadow of vast atmospheric storms and corrosive environments. Clinging to the remaining hospitable pockets of the planet they have flourished; growing into densely populated cities.

12 Double Hex Buildings

But mankind’s thirst for war is also tenacious. As the threat of extinction fades, conflicts over resources increase. The dense urban environments separated by toxic wastelands encourages the more powerful factions to resurrect production of ancient battle platforms known as MECHS. These giant mechanized combat systems are well suited to the political and urban terrain of these times and able to survive for longer periods in the hostile wastelands. Up until now the MECHS have been used to project power in the cities and for surgical strikes outside them. But the vast manufacturing and energy requirements of MECH production are only increasing the need for more resources and thus the conflict escalates...

Game Overview In MECH COMMAND RTS 2-4 players take part in a pivotal chapter of mankind’s future by taking command of an elite squad of mechs and support units. Players form teams that will oppose the other faction’s goals of power. The teams play multiple missions over the course of the campaign, growing in power as they expand their armory of mechs and weaponry. Eventually facing off in a final mission to determine who will control this era.

MECH COMMAND RTS

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10 Customizable Mechs

12 Player Trucks

40 Weapon Arms

1 x Double Sided Board

4 LED Bases with Adhesive Metal Plates & Batteries

18 Double Sided Mech Boards

175 Acrylic Blocks

180 Item Cards

Campaign Tracking Pad

Barriers with Stands

60 Jumbo Energy Gems

Rules and Campaign Books 43 Objective Tokens & Sand Timer 20 Adhesive Magnetic Discs MECH COMMAND RTS

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Game Setup Before teaching new players MCRTS, we recommend reviewing the tutorial first or the Quick Rule-Set found in the Rules Reference Guide.

TEAM ONE

FIRST TIME ASSEMBLY. See ‘First Time Assembly’ in the Rules Reference Guide to see diagrams for rubber cementing mech torsos to legs and weapon arms to torsos, (they are all interchange-able). The adhesive metal plates attach to the LED bases and self adhesive magnets to the bottom of the mechs.

Seating Chart Player’s should decide which team they will be on; team 1 or team 2. It will affect where they sit and what color of components to use. For most table types team 1 sits on the left side of the board facing each other while Team 2 is on the right side. We recommend that team 1 uses green and yellow components and team 2 uses red and blue but this color distribution is not mandatory. 2 & 3 PLAYER VARIANTS. Begin with only 1 mech per player for the tutorial and then review the 2-3 Player Variant section of the Rules Reference Guide after you have setup. In 2 player games the players should sit on opposite corners.

issue Each Player: JAX Starting Mech Board

TEAM ONE

Damage Dish in their color

Matching Damage Cubes

8 Energy Gems

Matching LED Base

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One Bi-Pedal and Reverse Jointed Model per Team

Each team begins with the bi-pedal model and a reverse jointed model. For the first couple missions they are both used to represent the JAX starting mech. One team uses grey models while the other uses tan. Begin with the pistol and laser rifle arms. (Use rubber cement to attach them.)

TEAM TWO

Place Buildings as Shown The center building is a triple stacked building.

TEAM TWO

Four Starting Items per Mech

One Set of Cards per Team

One set of cards is labeled for team 1 and the other for team 2; keep them in separate tray dividers. For now, only pull out the 4 black-backed starting items for each mech. (It is also advised to set

Each mech recieves, a Starting Pulse Pistol, Energy Blaster, Booster and Shield Generator. Place them to the side of each mech for now.

apart all â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;basicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cards as well for the tutorial. These say basic above their price.)

MECH COMMAND RTS

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TEACHING THE Game MECH COMMAND RTS is different than other board games in that it requires specific physical motions to keep everything running smooth and organized. It will only take a few minutes for new players to become comfortable with these physical motions and the steps required for every action; but it’s important that players learn the RTS system carefully in the beginning. Thus this tutorial is designed to be read out loud to clearly introduce the necessary concepts in the correct order and with some slight redundancy to develop good habits. It is advised for the designated player (also referred to as the primary player) running the tutorial to familiarize themselves with it before taking new players through. (See the Rules Reference Guide for more info on the Designated Player.) Once you have set everything up, read all of the following text out loud to the players. Italic colored sections like this one are instructions just for you and do not need to be read out loud.

tutorial Script MECH Board and Item Cards Are you all ready? First I will explain your starting components. This is your starting mech board, a light bi-pedal mech called the Jax. Below your mech are 8 energy gems that make up your energy pool. You will pay to move and fire weapons from this pool and at the end of each round energy will return to your pool. A mech’s energy pool is determined by their energy stat located in the mech’s information box.

Player Components Each player has one LED base, its matching color damage dish, damge cubes and a large colored player token as well as a mech model. You also have four starting item cards, keep these to the side for now. We will attach as them we go along.

pILOT tRAINING Let’s begin your pilot training. First you need to learn basic movement. Mech command is a different type of board game because its a real time action game, which is different from any other board game out there. It uses a set of procedures to keep the game organized even though everyone will be moving at

MECH COMMAND RTS

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the same time. These procedures are fairly simple but very important to follow and they require a little muscle memory and training in the beginning so that they do not become unraveled in the heat of battle. So bear with me while I drill you on the hand movements and steps to operate your mechs. This tutorial is just four interactive pages and then we’ll have you up and running. Also, some beginners find that MECH Command RTS is easier to play while standing up, so feel free to stand up now or when necessary.

Movement First, regular movement. Place one of your hands behind your back or in your pocket (later on you can just place it on your lap.) With your remaining hand, move one and only one of your energy gems from your energy pool onto the bottom of of your mech board. You have just paid for a movement. Now you can move your mech one hex, in any direction. Go ahead and do that. Good. Now repeat that process. Pay one gem, move one hex. You can also rotate your mech freely without paying any energy. Just remember you can only ever pay for and take one action at a time. Now repeating this method spend your remaining energy moving around the map. Watch the players to ensure that they are: 1. Using one hand. 2. Paying one gem at a time and upfront. 3. Moving only one hex at a time. Gently point out any mistakes. You got it. After a mission or two this will become second nature, which will be important in the heat of battle. Remember you must always pay before you do anything in Mech Command. If you don’t pay for a movement first, or for example move two hexes in a row any player can call a MALFUNCTION on you. This will cause you to lose an energy gem by having to place it on the respawn track. Multiple malfunctions can tie up energy for several rounds. (See Malfunctions in the Rules Reference Guide.) For the purposes of training reset your spent gems now by moving them back to your energy pool. This would normally not happen until the end of the round.

weapons training Pick up your Starting Energy Blaster and examine it. Item cards share four basic stats. The upper left number is the cost. That is how much energy you must move onto the card in order to fire it. The upper right number is the amount of damage it does. The bottom right number is the overheat level which is the maximum amount of energy you can ever have on the item card. The bottom left number is the recharge rate which is the amount of energy that will go back to your energy pool at the end of the round. We will cover these stats more as we go. This is a light weapon signified by its grey white border. You can attach it to any white slot on your mech board by placing it adjacent to the colored strip. Each colored slot on your mech board determines the type of item you can attach to it. Attach your light weapons now.

LINE OF SIGHT and Calling hits Pass your empty damage dish to your opponents’ side of the board and vice versa. You want your enemy’s damage dish close by your team so you can easily drop damage cubes into it. Turn on your LED base light, if its not already turned on. To fire at a target you must first have line of sight, which means your LED light can hit some part of the mech or its base. Remember you can always rotate your mech freely. Rotate your light onto one of the player’s mechs; paying for regular movement if necessary. To fire a weapon you must call out the color that is firing and the color you are targeting, for example Blues hits Green. [Call a hit now using the correct colors.] Once you have called a hit, then and only then, can you pay for a weapon and place its damage. Pay for your Starting Energy Blaster and then place three damage cubes in your target’s damage dish. Pay for a weapon by moving gems from your energy pool onto the item card. The Starting Energy Blaster costs 2 energy and does 3 damage so I moved 2 gems onto the weapon card and three of my colored cubes into the target’s damage dish. You cause damage with your own color cubes so everyone will know where the damage came from. MECH COMMAND RTS

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Say It, Pay It, Do It. So first you need to see the target before you call a hit. Then you pay for damage. To help remember the order its: Say it, Pay it, Do it. Starting with you [point to an opposing player] weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take turns. Fire either of your weapons. First get line of sight. Then call the shot. [wait until they do so] Then pay the cost of a weapon and put its damage into the targetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dish.

Watch and correct as necessary. Make sure they only use one hand and pay the correct amount. Okay very good, now you fire. [point to the next

player]

Once they have done so have any remaining players also target and fire on a mech. This will become second nature after a single mission, but for now the order is very important. One more thing about calling a hit, it does not matter if your target subsequently breaks lines of sight or moves behind a building, you still finish paying and placing the damage as long as the hit was valid when you called it.

free fire exercise 1 If you fired your Energy Blaster already then you will see it cannot be fired again this round because it has already reached its overheat level, the number in the lower right corner. If firing a weapon would place more gems on the card than the overheat level it cannot be fired. Next, when I say go, all of you are going to fire your remaining weapons all at the same time. Primary Player: do not make any shots until after the other players so you can watch them to ensure they are calling, paying, then moving the damage cubes correctly and with one hand. When you do make your shots, do so very clearly and slowly. Remember to first say it, pay it, then do it. GO! Watch for a moment before making your own hits. Be sure to drop your damage blocks into the right dish, this is the most common malfunction performed by new pilots. If you notice doing this, just correct it right away. If you wait, there will be penalties later. When you are done moving and firing turn off your light. As soon as all the lights are off the action phase is immediately over. Next is the damage phase, where you will shield and assign damage.

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free fire exercise 2 But for the purposes of training, if you will be patient with me just a little longer, let’s go through our firing exercise just one more time to really get used to the process and hand movements. Go ahead and empty the damage dishes and return all your gems to your energy pool. For this firing exercise just move and shoot an opponent. Remember to take it slow and easy, especially in the beginning. Mech Command is actually not about lightning fast movement, but rather tactical careful choices. It should not be frantic, and you will find that advanced players are often the slowest and most careful at the table. In the beginning it is more important to make sure you are doing everything correctly, and in order, rather than fast, or you risk having a malfunction called on you which we will cover later. (See Malfunctions) We start rounds by waiting until everyone has turned on their light. Go ahead and do so. The primary player, in this case me, flips the sand timer. Then I check that everyone is ready. Then I call go. Flip the sand timer.

ready? Go! When everyone is done remind them to turn off their lights. Then move on to the damage phase.

Questions on Line of Sight This section answers some of the questions that may arise about line of sight. It is not recommended to read it out loud unless a specific question arises. Confirming Line of Sight

If you have a shot called on you and you do not think they have line of sight, just call pause and everyone will stop what they are doing while you double check. If you are unable to tell, make sure all units are centered in their hex, then rotate the light back and forth onto the target. If you can not see the light on some part of the target’s base or miniature you cannot hit them. If there is still some debate or if there is only the tiniest sliver of light intermittently hitting the base, the attacker should let it go. In a real life situation a target so deep behind cover would be very difficult to hit. Mech Command RTS is about moving through missions quickly and players are encouraged to be generous with each other in order to keep play moving. I Moved Before They Called “Hit!”

It is rare but sometimes a hit is called right as another player is moving, the defending player is also encouraged to not nit-pick. If there was a chance that the attacker called the hit while you were still partially in the hex, or while you were still handling the mech we encourage you to let it happen; as long as the attacker can actually hit the hex you were in the process of leaving. A good rule of thumb is if your hand was still on the mech when they called the hit they probably got you.

Damage Damage PHase Once everyone has turned off their light it becomes the damage phase. First pass your opponent’s damage dishes back to them. Taking turns, each player calls out how much damage they took total and how much they are shielding. So lets learn about shields. Pull out your blue shield card and attach it to the blue tab on your mech board. Blue tabs are for general equipment; usually shield generators. Shields are activated during the damage phase using unspent energy. Activate them the same way as other items; by calling out what you are doing then paying for it. Place any shielded damage cubes next to your shield card to show how much you blocked. Most of you probably do not have any energy left for shields. In future action phases you will have to decide whether to save energy for your shields, especially if you are being hit a lot. Now you assign the remaining damage to your mech board by placing it on the armor point circles. Each circle represents one point of armor. You can place damage on any open armor point, blue or green. MECH COMMAND RTS

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Losing Limbs

Notice that some armor points are connected to an item slot by lines. Once all the armor points connected to a slot are damaged the attached item is flipped over and can no longer be used. Any energy that was on the card is returned. Legs have their own assigned armor points as well. Once you lose a single leg your movement costs +1 energy. Once you lose both legs you cannot move at all but you can still fire and rotate. Legs are not usually attached to item slots.

mech destruction and respawn

Once your last green core armor slot is gone your mech is destroyed. In most missions that means you will have to wait to respawn. This is done by immediately placing the destroyed mech on the respawn track according to its weight class. Then later at the end of the recharge phase everything on the respawn track will move down one space. When you are done assigning damage give your damage dish back to your opponents and any shielded damage cubes. It is best to return these separately so the damage is not accidentally left in your dish for next round. Last is the recharge phase. Notice that each round is always divided into three phases: the action phase, the damage phase and the recharge phase.

Once all the armor points connected to an item slot are damaged the attached weapon cannot be used. When all green points are damaged the mech is destroyed.

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RECHARGE recharge phase During the recharge phase you get to return all the energy gems from your mech board to your energy pool. The energy on your cards, however, returns according the cardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recharge rate. The recharge rate is the number in the lower left corner. So your blaster only recharges 1 gem and will take another recharge phase before you can fire again. Your pulse pistol recharges both energy gems. It is best to perform the recharge phase in turns so that everyone can see if you are recharging correctly; especially in the beginning. Advanced players can begin to do this simultaneously but may want to keep an eye on what the other players are doing. At the end of the recharge phase we collect and track objective points, check for victory conditions, and then finally move destroyed units one space down the respawn track (the numbered tracks on the sides of the board), this includes the first round they were placed there during the damage phase. If this moves them back onto the base they can spawn on any base hex fully repaired and

MECH COMMAND RTS

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BOOSTERS

Before we start our practice mission lets train on your final piece of starting equipment. Attach your booster card to your green slot. Boosters add dramatic movement to the game. You activate them just like weapons; say it, pay it, do it. When activating boosters just yell out that your color is boosting. Perform these steps while reading the following out loud. “[My Color] Boosting!” Pay for the booster, then quickly move your mech up to the amount of the boost, counting each hex out loud. So, 1,2,3 then call out “End boost!” Starting with you, [point to any player] perform a boost now. Watch and correct as necessary. Players need to call their specific color when boosting, pay for the booster, count their movement out loud and then call end boost. It’s important to count out each hex of the boost clearly and then call out end boost. There are two reasons for this. While you are boosting you cannot have shots called on you. Other players need to know when you are invulnerable so they do not call hits on you. Also more advanced boosters have much longer ranges so counting each hex keeps an 8 hex boost more organized and clear for everyone.

Boosters win ties If someone calls a hit the same time as someone calls boost, the boosting player always wins the tie. The attacking player’s hit is negated but they do not lose any energy; they should simply move on to another action. Because you are invulnerable while boosting you cannot stall or deliberate. Players should not spend more than 5-7 seconds in boost.

ROOFTOPS You can also move up onto buildings as if they were a normal hex while boosting. The rest of you boost onto a nearby building if you are close enough. It does not matter how high a building is, it only counts as one hex to move onto it while you are boosting. Have the rest of the players perform a boost onto a rooftop Weapons cannot fire from one level to another. So to fire at a target on a rooftop you must be on a rooftop at the same elevation. The same goes for targets on the ground, they can only fire at each other. A mech on a double stack building cannot fire at a mech on a single stack building.

Dropping Elevations You do not have to use a boost to go down elevations, although you can if you wish. Going down can always be done by paying for a regular movement. Boosters can also go over other units including enemies, hazards, sink holes, objective tokens and other spaces that you cannot normally land on. Reset your booster’s energy and lets start the full practice mission MECH COMMAND RTS

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PRACTICE Mission Let’s put everything we’ve learned together for a full practice mission. The objective is to destroy a single mech on the other team. Team-mates are allied so you cannot fire on each other or cause damage to each other. Make sure all damage dishes are in front of their opponents. When you are ready, turn on your light. Remember to take this slow, call clear shots, pay for everything, and place damage into the correct target’s dish. Most importantly just take your time.

Action Phase [Flip the Sand Timer] READY? GO! When every one has turned off their lights, the action phase is over and we move to the damage phase.

damage phase Pass the damage dishes back to their owner. Count out how much damage you took, and then announce how much you are shielding and how much you are assigning. Assign your damage. Then pass back your damage dish and any shielded damage.

recharge phase Now recharge the energy from your mech board and item cards according to their recharge rate. Starting items all recharge completely except for the Starting Energy Blaster. At this time we check for a victory condition which in this case is the destruction of a single enemy mech. If a mech has not been destroyed then we play another full round until the victory condition has been met. If a mech is not destroyed then have the players pass their damage dishes to the other side, turn on their lights and get ready for another action phase. Keep playing rounds until at least one mech is destroyed.

Well done, you have successfully passed your Mech Pilot Training. At the end of a mission you normally write down which team gained a Victory point on your campaign sheet plus any rewards or cash you received, but this was just training. Actually this type of training is not cheap so technically you owe us. But that’s alright, we will give you plenty of opportunities to pay us back through loyal service Commander. In fact, if this latest dispatch is correct, then you should be reporting to the briefing room ASAP.

MECH COMMAND RTS

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Core Campaign

ACT

This does not need to be read out loud to players.

Greetings Nephew,

These massive tunnels and transport systems under and through the capital were built over the course of hundreds of years when mankind huddled under the earth for survival. Now they are often used to deploy mechs quickly and covertly. So essential are these networks that whole clandestine departments of the factions spent much of their time discovering, sabotaging and usurping an opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mech tunnel sytem. From tunnel rats assaying possible access points to political agents exchanging morsels of intel at the highest levels, the Tunnel Game as it was called, was being played by the high and low. With the vast cash payouts for critical sabotage or highly profitable raids on tech sites; it kept the intelligence services extremely sharp and busy. Although now the game feels like it has changed, with 3rd-party data brokers consolidating our intelligence assets, co-opting our agents and choosing what to sell back to us. Perhaps we allowed the intelligence services to become too friendly with each other. Or perhaps it just became too chaotic for us to control. Regardless, these days it feels like our intelligence services are playing a game together, where we, their employers, do not know the rules. But I digress and like many old men, pine for the past when we understood the world... This tunnel appears as a mass freight transit line, far too small for most mechs, but it will carry your Light JAX Bi-Pedal into the Capital easily and without suspicion. The JAX Light Bi-Pedal will serve you well during your first few missions. It was one of my first designs from many years ago. Load up its light weapon slots, obtain a better shield and perhaps an improved booster, and it will carry you far! Always your Ally -Song Abriel X - LxTech Manufacturing Corp

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Data Hunt

mission 1 x

Starting Base

Retrieval

+ x

mines

3 Retrieval and 5 Mines begin face down.

Starting Base

4 Retrieval tokens begin revealed.

Mission 1 briefing

See the mission 1 tutorial for setup. Once setup is complete, if this is the first time reading the tutorial, consider flipping back to the inside front cover and reading the short setting introduction to the players before reading the briefing. Good Evening Commanders, congratulations on your recent graduation. We need your team to go out immediately. We have learned that our largest rival faction has discovered the existence of military technology data-cached during the last great war. A leap in technology could greatly upset the balance of power. The opposing organizations have shown the importance of this data by overtly deploying their mechs into the capital for the first time in decades. Thus we must deploy ours to stop them and if possible secure the data for ourselves. The cold war is over.

Mission objectives

Rewards

Data Hunt: Return 4 retrieval tokens to your base. Victory Point, 5 Credits.

Suppression:

Destroy one enemy mech.

Scout, Light Reverse-Jointed Chassis.

Suppression:

Destroy each enemy mech.

Sustained Thrust Booster. Deployment Pay: 25 Credits (5-6 Players: 30)

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Mission one Tutorial

Mission Objectives

SETUP: First place the buildings as shown. Use the greyed out hexes, the center lines and the center building as reference for placement.

Once a team has completed a Victory objective the mission will automatically end after the recharge phase; even if the winning team would prefer to continue.

STEP 2: Mix 3 retrieval tokens randomly with 5 mine tokens and place them face down on the specific [?] points marked on the map. STEP 3: Place 4 more retrieval face up as shown. Remember the grey-ed out hex spaces on the board and mini map are just to help with placement. STEP 4: Missions can have a lot of info; you will find it easier to first setup the board, read the briefing but then skip the objective summary as those will be covered in the tutorial. When you are done reading the tutorial script, review the mission objectives.

Retrieval tokens

Our first mission requires us to head into the city and retrieve objectives and return them to our forward operating base. Loading and unloading objectives ONLY occurs at the end of the round during the recharge phase. This means picking up an item usually requires stopping next to the token and waiting until the end of the round. You cannot pick up items in the middle of the action phase and then keep moving. To pick up an item during the recharge phase you must first control it, which just means you must have more units adjacent to it than the enemy. You cannot end a movement on top of an objective token. But as with all obstacles on the map you can boost over it. When you pick up a retrieval token place it on your mech board to show that you are carrying it. Your mech can only carry one retrieval token at a time.

Mines Some retrieval items have been mined. If you are adjacent to a hidden objective token that you control, reveal it at the very beginning of the damage phase to see if it is a mine. Place mines in your damage dish where it will be treated like regular damage. These mines cause 3 damage.

UNLOADING RETRIEVAL TOKENS Retrieval tokens may be dropped off during the recharge phase on any adjacent unoccupied hex. Drop the token onto a base hex to count it towards the objective. If a unit is destroyed it drops any token it was carrying onto the hex it occupied.

secondary objectives Most missions will have optional secondary objectives that provide powerful upgrades to mechs and items. Players will often be faced with the choice of pursuing Victory points to win the strategic Campaign or tactical upgrades for more immediate advantages. In this mission the secondary objective is to destroy at least one of the enemy mechs. Your team will gain the Scout Light Mech as a reward. Killing every enemy mech at least once will also outfit the Scout with an improved booster. This is an important upgrade because the Scout’s primary advantage is that it can equip two boosters. It may prove useful.

tracking Objective Progress When a mech is destroyed place its color cube onto the ‘Mech Kills’ bar at the bottom of the map. Place each retrieval token you sucessfully return onto your Primary Objective bar. Objective progress should be transparent to the other team.

TEAM BASES The large corner sections of the map are your base. Both team members must start and respawn your units anywhere within that colored area. By default, units within a base cannot be targeted or damaged in anyway. (i.e. No spawn camping.) Nor can they cause harm to others in anyway. The other, smaller, corner sections are not bases nor provide any protection.

SELF Destruction Sometimes your mech will be disabled and unable to move or be too weak to engage in combat. Consider activating your self destruct to initiate a respawn. To self destruct simply announce it at any time during the action phase, (the damage phase is too late) and replace your mech with your player token showing the 3. Put your mech in respawn. At the beginning of the damage phase your token will cause 3 damage to all adjacent units; allied and enemy (and in later missions buildings). Self destructing will count as a kill for the enemy team however.

It is advised to be lenient with Malfunction fees if this is the first time for the players. Be sure to still pause and point out malfunctions to explain them. It is the role of the primary player to spend some time watching the other players throughout the mission to double check their timing, hand-operation and call outs (even though it may put her or him at risk :) See the Malfunction entry in the rules reference guide for more details. MECH COMMAND RTS

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POST MISSION TUTORIAL Mission victories, credits and inventory are tracked on your team’s campaign sheet. Each team has their own sheet.

When purchasing items note that blue equipment items may also be attached to weapon slots! Lighter weapons may be attached to heavier weapon slots.

1. Mark an X in the victory box if you completed the victory condition. This is the most important accomplishment since collecting victories is what allows you to win the campaign. Earning six victories automatically triggers the final mission giving the leading team the opportunity for a domination victory.

Scrapping Items

2. The victorious team then records the amount of credits earned for completing the victory objective on the first line of the rewards section. (For mission 1 its 5 Credits.)

For the tutorial, however, new players may apply the full purchase price of basic items towards other basic items to give them the opportunity to experiment with different weapons. These items have the word Basic printed above the price. So you do not have to worry about being stuck with something you don’t want for your first few purchases.

3. Then both teams fill in their deployment bonus, (for mission 1 its 25 credits). Then any rewards from secondary objectives like the Scout mech.

You can sell the items and mech boards you purchase for a small percentage of their price by crossing off the item and adding the credits to the Scrap line. See Item Scrapping in the Rules Reference Guide for the scrap values. (5-20 Credits)

4. Write down any items or mechs gained in the inventory section below. This section will track everything your team owns over the course of the campaign.

Purchasing and Upgrading Now you may purchase items and mechs. The amount of items and mech boards available to each team are split equally into two identical decks which forms their store. Teams may only purchase items from their own store, and may only purchase nonelite items unless otherwise specified. Store these decks separately. In order to purchase items write its cost in the purchase rows; then write the name of the item in the inventory section below. Once both teams are done purchasing they should reveal their campaign sheet to the other team for them to double check and discuss what new items were bought.

Special Rules & Attributes

Some weapons have special attributes or requirements. For example, you can now afford a Light Energy Stiletto which is a melee weapon. Melee weapons are more energy efficient than regular weapons but require an adjacent target and a unique call out: “green blade-strikes red!” (instead of “hits”). They also require being attached to an arm slot. Read the melee section in the Rules Reference Guide if a melee weapon is purchased. Always refer to the Rules Reference Guide about any special keywords or attributes.

Assist new players by separating out and presenting only basic items for now. (These cards say “basic” above the price.) This will simplify their purchase choices for now. If a special weapon or term comes into play before being introduced in the tutorial just read its entry in the Rules Reference Guide. The following are the basic tutorial items. Explain their differences as necessary. Boosters (per Team) Sustained Thrust Booster x 2 Pulse & Burst Boosters x 4

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Blue Equipment (per Team) Sustained Shield Generator x 2 Pulse & Boost Shield Generators Improved Power Core x 1 Light Armor Plating x 1

Weapons (per Team) Light Laser Pistol x 2 Light Energy Cannon x 2 Light Energy Stilleto (Melee) x 2

Victory points are accrued over the course of the campaign and determine the winner of the war. The ultimate method is to achieve 6 victories to initiate the final mission [Mission 10: Showdown”], and win it to gain the title “Hegemon”. Other victory types are possible as well depending on each teams’ number of Victory points.

Victories Rewards Tally

Purchases & Sales

Current Inventory

MECH COMMAND RTS

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Mission two briefing Winner of Mission 1: The intel you retrieved is more than we expected. There appears to be vast amounts of data contained within a highly encrypted storage architecture we have never seen before. We will need access to all of the capital’s computing power to crack the data before the other factions. Secure the central uplink centers and defend them while our support units perform the decryption. Trailing Team: An information broker has sold us a partial data set recovered by our opponents. Its given us a second chance. What the enemy has found could destabilize everything. The enemy is moving troops into the capital to further decrypt this intel; beat them to it. Both Teams Secondary Objective Briefing: Attempt to avoid production costs by keeping your mechs alive while we transition to a war-time economy. The more you can save, the more new weapons and mechs we will be able to supply you. Use the base and corner repair depots to keep your units alive or at least partially repaired. Trailing Team Advanced Play (not recommended for the tutorial): The info broker that sold us a copy of the enemy’s data is willing to assist us further if we will upload a small data cube of his own. At the end of a round that we sucessfully controlled and operated an Uplink point we can activate his hack to deactivate any Uplink point of our choice for the next recharge phase. The hack will cost 5 Currency from our deployment pay, but will work twice on any two separate rounds. We will let you decide whether to buy this service. If you choose to use the hack at some point, at the end of a round place a mine token face down under the Uplink building you want deactivated, and a retrieval token face down under the others as decoys. The choice is hidden until the following recharge phase. This can be performed two times; does not need to be on consecutive rounds.

Mission 2 Tutorial Setup: reposition the buildings as shown on the map on the next page. Place the uplink tokens on the three double-stacked buildings as marked.

Mission Summary This mission is about getting your support units to the three double stacked uplink buildings. During the recharge phase you will gain a maximum of one point for each uplink building you control and operate. You control objective locations by having more adjacent units than the enemy does. You can only operate an objective location if at least one of your team’s adjacent units is a support unit. You only receive one point per buidling regardless of how many support units you have adjacent to it.

support units Support units are a key aspect of Mech Command RTS and work in tandem to mechs. While the mechs do the fighting it is the support units that often complete mission objectives. Each color will have access to two support units during this mission. These spawn anywhere in your base alongside your mechs. Only one unit may ever occupy a hex at a time.

Moving Support Units. Support units move up to 4 spaces per round. Once they have stopped moving they are done for the round, whether they have used their max movement or not. Once a support unit has moved, place one of your player cubes into its truck bed or onto its hex space to signify it has moved that round. This is important. Remove these during the recharge phase. Support units can move through but not stop on allied units. They cannot move through enemy units. MECH COMMAND RTS

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Destroying Support Units. Support units use cloak technology and the tactical environment to avoid targeting by distant mechs. Thus a mech must be adjacent to a support unit in order to attack it. Support units also represent multiple groups and vehicles. No matter how much damage an attack normally does, support units only take 1 damage cube. To call a hit on a support unit simply call “Hit on ‘Blue’ Truck”. Then pay to activate a weapon as normal. Then place a single damage cube into the truck bed of the support unit. When a support unit has two enemy damage blocks they will be destroyed during the damage phase and placed on the respawn track starting on the 0 space. If both of a color’s support units are destroyed, place the second destroyed support on the next space up the respawn track. (Thus losing both in a round will delay the respawn of one.) So in summary, to kill a support unit you must be adjacent to it. You must call a hit, and pay for a weapon as normal, but regardless of the weapon’s damage you only place one damage cube on the truck. You will need to hit it at least two times to destroy it. Support units with two damage blocks are sent to respawn during the damage phase. Tracking Uplink Progress. Place a player token or cube on your primary objective space for each uplink point you receive. Repair and Reload During the Recharge Phase. Unlike the first mission, ‘Decryption’ rewards players for keeping mechs alive rather than destroying enemies. All units can repair 2 damage and reload 2 ammo, when they are located in either of the small colored corners of the map or their base during the recharge phase. (See Repair and Reload)

decryption

mission 2 x

Uplinks Place on the Double Stack Buildings.

support units

2 per color. (3 in twomech games.)

Mission objectives Decryption: Gain a minimum of 7 Uplink Points AND have more than the opposing team. Conservation 1:

Keep one of your mechs alive.

Rewards Victory Point. 5 Credits. (5-6 Players: 9 Uplink Points) Testudo, Light Tank Chassis.

Conservation 2: Keep all of your mechs alive.

Light Kinetic Cannon.

Conservation 3*: Repair 6 (9) points of damage.

*Light Tank Chassis or Light Kinetic Cannon.

Mission FAQ

Deployment Pay: 25 Credits. (5-6 Players: 30)

Units with arial boosters may end their movement on uplink buildings. These hexes count towards control. Each color begins with 2 support units. 2 player games with only 1 mech each, start with 3 support units. Tracking Repair: Use the secondary objective bars on the board to track repairs.*Conservation 3 can only be rewarded if the team did not complete Conservation 2. When the mission is over refer back to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;End of Mission Tutorialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the previous page to guide players through the process one more time. MECH COMMAND RTS

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Mission three briefing Winner of Mission 2: The data is a treasure trove Commander. Our technicians are still performing decryptions but what we have extracted so far points to vast storehouses of resources hidden in the wastelands. Formulas and schematics in the data highlight new materials to survive the corrosive storms that rage outside the capital; but it will take resources to implement this new tech. Your orders are to lay waste to the outskirts of the capital and salvage all possible resources. Other Team: The enemy is stripping all available resources from the outer districts to boost their production. This is not a sustainable strategy so the data must have been important enough that they are willing to undermine the capital’s long term survivability. Until we know more we must deploy our salvage teams to do the same. Protect our support units, Commander, and attempt to interfere with the enemy’s operations. Secondary Objectives: The outskirts of the capital are home to dissident factions that will never join us. Due to an ancient feud, the Aurora Corporation will pay handsomely if we destroy the dissident bases while engaged with the enemy. Both teams earn rewards for destroying a dissident base if they contribute any damage to it before it is destroyed. If a team has zero victories: :::Transmission decrypted::: Despite my assistance, your opponents’ now have the precise locations of ancient stockpiles of armaments and technology and are stripping the capital of resources in order to reach them. My moles will attempt to access more details but you must control the salvage efforts in order to buy my agents time. I have tricked the local dissidents into preparing the nearest salvage point to give you an edge. Catch up Commander. - Data Broker XY :::Transmission end::: Begin the mission with any standard building of your choice destroyed and salvage tokens placed in its hexes.

Mission 3 Tutorial In this mission we need to destroy buildings to create salvage tokens, then return 5 of those salvage tokens to our base to win. Destroying the dissident’s corner buildings provides additional rewards. Destroying Buildings. By default buildings have 15 health. Both hexes of a structure are considered the same building. Buildings are damaged the same way as any other target, i.e. gain line of sight then: say it, pay it, do it. The difference is buildings must be hit from short range, which is 3 hexes. If a building has 15 or more damage on it during the damage phase it is removed. If a unit is on top of the building when it is removed it takes 3 falling damage. Remember you must be within 3 hexes to call a hit on a building. Misson 3 Special Parameters. When a building is destroyed place a salvage token face up on each hex it occupied. On this map double stack buildings have 20 health (in most missions they have infinite). Salvage tokens are identical to retrieval tokens except they can only be picked up by support units. They are also only loaded and unloaded onto adjacent hexes during the recharge phase and like all objectives you must first control the token by having more units adjacent to it than the opposing team. When you pick up a salvage token, place it under the adjacent support unit that is picking it up. Units may only carry one objective token at a time.

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TANK MECHS You only need to read this if a tank is owned. Tank Movement Penalty. Tanks are powerful but slow. Regular movement costs an additional energy gem. This penalty is cumulative with other movement penalties like losing a leg. Tanks can only boost along the ground; they cannot arial boost over enemy units or onto higher elevations. Tank Ability: Over-Run. While boosting tanks can move through enemy units and buildings causing 3 damage to each. Each hex they over-run in this way causes 1 damage to the tank mech. Tanks can boost through their own allies, objective tokens or empty hexes without causing an over-run. To over-run during a boost simply announce “overrun” on each enemy unit or building hex as you move through them. After the tank’s boost is finished, place 3 damage onto buildings or into applicable damage dishes. As usual, support units only take a single damage cube from each attack or over-run. Self Damage from Over-run. Place 1 damage for each hex that was over-run into the tank’s damage dish. Teams may want to call pause at the conclusion of a tank over-run in order to place damage correctly. Over-running multiple building hexes. Each hex of a building that was over-run causes 3 damage to the building because each hex that is over-run is a separate damage event. For example, over-running two hexes of a building would cause 6 damage to the building and 2 damage to the tank mech.

Cannibalize

mission 3 x

Salvage

Destroyed buildings create 2 salvage tokens (1 per hex).

support units 2 per color. (x3 for two-mech games.)

building health

Rewards

Mission objectives

Victory Point. 5 Credits. (5-6 Players: 7 Salvage)

Cannibalize: Return 5 salvage to base. Return more in the case of ties. Evict Dissidents 1: Destroy a corner building.

Evict Dissidents 2: Destroy two corner buildings.

Skoda, Light Tetrapod Chassis. Light Plasma Mortar. Deployment Pay: 30 Credits. (5-6 Players: 35)

Mission FAQ: Building health = 15 / Center Skyscrapers have 20 health. In the case of ties, keep playing until a team has returned more salvage than their opponents. Destroyed dissident buildings also create salvage. Corner hexes still serve as repair and reload stations. If you run out of active salvage tokens use retrieval tokens instead (but they are considered salvage). MECH COMMAND RTS

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seize the capital

mission 4

Before reading the briefing, setup the map as shown on the next page spread.

Mission four briefing There are not many resources left in the Capital since it became a war zone but some remain. We are almost finished upgrading our convoy to be able to survive the wastelands. We have two goals, 1. to gain complete control of the capital to extract any final resources without competition and 2. to leave no major threats at our backs once our units depart into the wastes. Thus your orders are clear commander: destroy the enemy’s capital base once and for all.

Mission 4 Tutorial This is a base destruction mission. You are tasked with destroying the enemy’s two base buildings marked on the map. The base buildings like the other buildings have 15 health each. Simple. This mission however has two special ways to attack buildings. To explain them we will introduce you to a new Spec-Op liaison for your team. Until our last mission she was with the dissidents in the outskirts. She has offered her help in the next phase of the war in exchange for salvage rights in the Capital. She knows more urban warfare and demolitions strategies than anyone in the factions so pay attention.

Mission four special Parameters

Support Unit Bomb Insertion. We’ve got big updgrades for your ground troops; but it will be a little bit dangerous to use them. Okay, its a suicide mission. Each support unit adjacent to an enemy base building during the damage phase may cause 5 damage to the building. The support unit will unfortunately be destroyed and will not respawn.

Military Complex. Some of my people have wormed their way into the old central military complex systems and reactivated them. Control and operate the military complex during the recharge phase to cause 3 damage to any building of your choice.

In Summary, destroy both enemy base buildings. There are three methods. You can fire at them from short range, use your support units to suicide bomb them for 5 damage during the damage phase, or use the military complex to cause 3 damage during the recharge phase. The Military Complex setup details: The complex has infinite health. It uses double stack buildings. The vertical walls like the ones here act as barriers to line of sight and movement but can be boosted over. If a player possesses a Plasma Mortar or missiles. Artillery and missile strikes are considered adjacent to their point of impact, so can be fired at buildings from outside of short range. But note that area of effect weapons like artillery only damage a building once even if they hit multiple hexes of a building. Read the section on Artillery in the Rules Reference Guide if being deployed. Also read the Stable entry if a team deploys a tetrapod mech.

secondary objectives Secondary Objective: Retrieval Raid. In the chaos consider raiding some of the minor factions’ tech centers! While this may have political fallout, it could dramatically boost our power if you were able to secure some of their prototypes. Retrieval tokens may be picked up by either mechs or support units.

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Listen up, your bosses have hired me to help you take down the biggest enemy base in the capital ‘afore the enemy can do same to you. Its going to take a lot of boom done right and tight to pull it off. First you have the standard method of firing from short range at any building, as you learned in the last mission. Remember? Back when you were laying waste to neighborhoods and factory blocks that took decades of work for me and mine to build up? Well do that again, but against the enemy’s primary base. Once you have blown each other out of the capital I’ll be able to pick up the pieces haha! But the enemy may not let you just stroll up and do that like we did. So there are two additional methods I have prepared just for this mission.

If a team has no Victories it reads the following: Our opponents have out-paced us at every turn despite the information broker feeding us their discoveries. Fortunately their success has created enemies of the minor factions. Cyntech Corp has joined the fight and occupied the center complex with a company of their elite security forces. The trailing team is always considered to have one extra support unit adjacent to the central complex when determining control and operation (even if they have none of their own adjacent.)

MECH COMMAND RTS

learn to play

seize the capital

mission 4 x

Place vertical on hexes shown

Per Color (3 in twomech games.)

Rewards

Mission objectives Destruction: Destroy both enemy base buildings. Each building has 15 health.

Victory Point, 5 Credits. (5-6 Players: Each building has 15 health.)

Retrieval Raid A: Return one retrieval token to base. Any support unit upgrade. Retrieval Raid B: Return two retrieval tokens to base. Medium weapon half price, (next purchase phase). Mission FAQ:

Deployment Pay: 30 Credits (35)

Building health = 15 / Center Complex has infinite health. In the case of a tie, victory goes to the team with the most retrievals followed by mech kills. Retrieval Raid B discount must be applied during the next purchase phase. Round costs up to whole numbers. Suicide bombers only affect base buildings, remember the damage is applied during the damage phase, even if the support unit has taken enough damage to be destroyed. Artillery. If the plasma mortar is owned be sure to read the Artillery section of the Rules Reference Guide.

MECH COMMAND RTS

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Core Campaign Turning your back on the Capital that has been humanity’s home for so long, your faction begins the long and dangerous trek into the wastelands. The new technology you have adapted to your mechs and support vehicles should allow you to survive the toxic landscape and corrosive storms that rage about the planet; as long as you pick your path carefully. The going is slow as most of the faction’s civilian members travel with you and air transport is too dangerous for more than a few miles. With only a skeleton crew of your faction remaining behind, you fear what chaos the war-torn capital will descend into. Your faction leaders have bet their very existence and possibly mankind’s future on the locations the data caches have revealed. Let us hope they prove as valuable as they hope.

ACT

Into the Wastes

Somewhere in these wastes the enemy is making their own journey according to their own set of data. Any conflict could prove deadly to your entire faction and so your team is kept busy in the role of far ranging scouts. With determination you keep your eye on the shrouded horizons of the wastelands.

If a team has 0 to 1 Victories read the following: :::Transmission decrypted::: Commander, I have provided your faction with the coordinates of your enemy’s destination. This means your paths are most likely to cross; so be careful and keep your units close. Buried within the data cache are remote access codes for the destination facilties; I doubt the enemy was able to find and decrypt them all. I will attempt to use them to prepare the way for you. Its not over yet Commander. - Data Broker XY :::Transmission end:::

MECH COMMAND RTS

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Mission five briefing Traveling through the wastes wears upon man and machine but your faction presses on. A few days out from your objective far ranging scouts discover a semi habitable city from before the ancient war and you are ordered on a detour to investigate. While performing a recon and analysis of the ruins for a potential settlement and logistical center a fierce ionic storm separates you from your support units. When the storm lightens, your units’ locator system pulses faintly from far away. It appears the enemy has also been affected by the storm for their support units are nowhere to be seen. Their mechs however have ended up in your sights. Destroy them all. There is limited respawn, there is no support. Kill or be killed. Complete either of the following: Kill or be killed. Destroy a mech controlled by each player. Flaunt your power. Have at least one mech located in one of the two center hexes during the recharge phase for 5 rounds to achieve victory and gain an extreme upgrade in mech hardware. Place a cube on your primary objective space for each round you accomplish this. Maximum one per round. The rounds do not need to be consecutive. Repair Station. Your base hexes and the non-base corners of the map serve as repair and reload points. Your base does not provide any protection on this map however! Limited Respawn. Players can only respawn with previously undestroyed mechs in their current inventory. When respawning mechs can use any available item from the team’s inventory (even those previously attached to a destroyed mech). The respawn is determined by the weight of the new mech.

If the trailing team has 0 victories. Your support units arrive at the beginning of round 3, (three per color.) They found a cave network to wait out the storm undamaged and even managed to spend the time rigging some temporary upgrades. At the beginning of round 3, place three support units per color on your base or on the corner hexes of the same color as your base. You may equip two support unit upgrades for this mission if you have them in your inventory. You may temporarily borrow one support unit upgrade card from your store to choose from for this mission. Support units respawn as usual.

wasteland tutorial Sinkholes and sunken cities The sunken cities as well as the four sink holes outlined in red cannot be crossed except with arial boosters. Nor can any unit end an arial boost on one of these hexes. The exception is if the hex is covered by a building; as in this mission. Artillery fire has no effect when placed onto these red hexes as rounds just drop into the depths.

Support Units Support Unit Upgrades. Your team may equip a single support unit upgrade per mission unless otherwise specified. Reveal which one simultaneously at the start of the mission. Support upgrades can be changed during the recharge phase if all support units are in the base and/or respawn.

MECH COMMAND RTS

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Support Unit Reminders. Remember that support units can move through allied units as long as they do not end their movement in the same hex as them. But they can never move through enemy units. Just as enemy units cannot, by default, move through support units, they can only boost over them or through them with the over-run ability.) When combat gets heavy its important to always place a cube into a support unit once it has moved and then return the cubes at the end of the round. Half Price Rewards. When an objective reward provides an item at half price like the Flaunt Your Power objective it must be used during the next purchase phase. Round the remaining price up to a whole number. Purchasing Elite Mechs. When a secondary objective reward says “Any Mech or Any Item” it allows the team to purchase elite or standard versions.

ruins

mission 5

Mission objectives

Rewards

Flaunt Your Power: 5 rounds in a center hex.

Victory Point, 15 Credits, Purchase Any Medium Mech for Half Price. (Elite or Standard.)

Kill or Be Killed: Destroy 1 mech of each player.

Victory Point, 10 Credits Deployment Pay: 40 Credits (45)

Mission FAQ In the case of ties victory goes to those with the most â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Flaunt Your Powerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; points; keep playing as needed. The hex codes on the mini map are just to help with setup. MECH COMMAND RTS

learn toAct play Core Campaign 2

Mission six briefing We have survived the crossing and reached a pocket of relative safety. The data cache was correct, there are vast complexes of underground facilities accessible via large openings in the ground here. The corrosive atmospheric storms are almost non-existent in this valley so this is where we must establish a foothold by constructing a fortified base. There is a veritable treasure trove of resources available to help us build while our researchers explore the sunken cities. The enemy is closing in on this area as well so prepare to repel them.

Special Mission Parameters Complete two of the three Victory conditions; construct a base, collect 8 uplink points, or destroy 3 mechs. Uplink. Each sunken city serves as a massive uplink center, which must be operated like a standard uplink building before your team can collect an uplink point from it. (All 6 outer hexes are considered part of the uplink center.) Use the secondary objective space to track uplink points. Resource Collection Points. All buildings on this map (except for base structures) serve as resource collection points (see tutorial below). If they are destroyed (15 Health) the resource collection point is destroyed. Constructing a Base: Gather 12 resources from any building to construct a fortified base structure with 15 health and defensive turrets. Use the primary objective space to track gathered resources.

During the recharge phase if your team has gathered 12 resources, discard them to place a building on one of the base building sites identified on the mini map. This can be repeated as long as a building site is empty. Base Turrets: Once you construct a base building on one of the site options you will have two missile turrets installed, one on each hex of the structure. As part of its normal movement a support unit may be placed on top of a base building in order to operate a turret; which ends its movement for that round. (Two support units may be on a base building, one per hex, no boost is necessary.) During the damage phase the support unit may fire a missile at any single target within medium range (6 hexes) for 3 damage. This damage is considered simultaneous with all the damage in this phase. Missiles do not require line of sight, can fire around buildings, between elevations and hit distant support units. Support units can leave a turret via any hex in any direction as part of their normal movement on a following round. (Normal movement rules apply.)

If a team has 0 Victories or 1 Victory but did not complete Flaunt Your Power during Mission 5: The data broker proved true to his word. We arrived at the sunken city site well before the enemy and there is a near functional base structure waiting for us. We must use this advantage to gain control of the conflict and dominate this area. The trailing team begins with a fortified base building already constructed! They may choose either building site.

Resources tutorial Resource cubes are a new type of objective represented by black cubes (or an allyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colored cube if there is a shortage). Unlike salvage and retrieval tokens, support units can carry up to two resource cubes, but can only load up one each recharge phase. They are picked up from controlled resource points identified on the map. In this mission all non-base buildings are resource points. Place movement and damage cubes on top of unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resource cubes as necessary. Non-salvageable. Unlike other objective tokens, resource cubes are destroyed if the support unit is destroyed.

MECH COMMAND RTS

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Fast unloading. While a support unit can only load one resource per recharge phase it can UNLOAD all that it is carrying. This means you do not need to wait additional rounds at your base to unload additional resources. (Note that objective tokens do not need an adjacent unoccupied space to unload into if the unit is standing on a base hex.)

2 out of 3 Victory conditions If two of the three objectives are fulfilled during the recharge phase then the mission is over and that team receives a victory point. Note that teams will be paid for any objective that they complete even if they do not win the mission. A base building must be standing in order for it to count towards victory.

sunken cities

mission 6 x

REtrieval

support units

2 in 5-6 player games.

Build sites cost 12 resources.

Mission objectives

Rewards

Construct a Base: Gather 12 resources to build at least one fortified base building.

10 Credits / 20 Credits for 2 Base Buildings. (5-6 Players: Gather 16 resources.)

Uplink: Collect 8 uplink points.

.5 Credits (5-6 Players: Collect 12 uplink points.)

Military Dominance: Kill 3 mechs.

No Credits. (5-6 Players: Kill 5 mechs.)

Retrieval Raid A: Return two retrieval tokens to base. Retrieval Raid B: Return four retrieval tokens to base.

Any medium weapon at half price

***At the end of Mission 6 take a photo of the board; its configuration will be used later. If a team now has 6 victories skip straight to Mission 10.

Deployment Pay: 35 Credits (50)

Standard medium mech at half price

MECH COMMAND RTS

learn toAct play Core Campaign 2

mission seven briefings Winner of Sunken Cities (mission 6) The ancient cities are filled with wonders. The exploration teams have brought back physical objects and databanks with tremendous implications. We do not currently understand how this advanced technology went un-recorded until now. The most important discovery so far is that these cities utilized a power source we have not seen before. This new resource is an artificially constructed material referenced as Rillium; which is partly grown with organic elements. Our techs believe that we can use this new power source to activate many of the systems found within the sunken cities. The retrieved data identifies nearby fields and processing centers where Rillium was grown just a few meters under the earth. Some of these samples are small enough to be carried by mechs, others will require our support units. Be warned that much of the Rillium has become unstable and explosive. Salvage whatever you can and return it to our forward operating base. Return 8 salvage or retrieval tokens to base. Remember only support units can carry salvage.

Defeated at the sunken cities Our enemy has achieved the advantage in this wasteland but an insider has leaked some of the data obtained at the sunken sites. The enemy is reallocating forces to a nearby production facility to secure an undiscovered resource. We will follow and attempt to take this resource for ourselves. If we analyze the first samples quickly we may be able to close the technological gap. Return 9 salvage or retrieval tokens to base and perform 3 scans.

Special Mission Parameters Scans. During the recharge phase you can operate each uplink center that you control to scan and secretly look at any objective token. Standard control and operation rules apply, i.e. mechs and support are counted towards control but it requires at least one support unit to operate. As usual Uplink centers have infinite health. High Explosive. Mines cause damage to all adjacent units (enemy and allied) when they are revealed at the end of the action phase. 5 damage to mechs and 2 actual damage blocks to support units, (enough to destroy a standard support unit). Remember adjacent controlled objective tokens may be revealed at the end of the action phase (to check if damage needs to be applied) but are not picked up or unloaded until the recharge phase. To control an objective token you must have more adjacent allied units than the enemy. Only support units may carry salvage while any unit may carry retrieval tokens. If the trailing team has only 1 Victory it reads the following: Our strategists believe this is our last chance. If we do not prevail here we will most likely lose this war. The other factions fearing a hegemony are performing guerilla attacks on the enemy supply lines reducing their available support units and repair capability. They have also occupied both processing centers with a minor force. Gain the following advantages: The leading team has only 2 support units available per color vs the trailing teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3 per color. The leading teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s respawns are set one space higher on the respawn track. The trailing team is considered to always have one support unit adjacent to the processing centers. If the trailing team has only 2 Victories:

Despite our couple of successful missions, we are losing this war. It is not lost yet but we must reach a turning point now if we are to have a hope of achieving strategic victory. The trailing team MECH COMMAND RTS may choose one of the above advantages. LearnCampaign to play Act 2 Core

minefield

mission 7

*Once a team has 6 Victories skip immediately `to Mission 10

REtrieval

Salvage

Mines

5-6 Player games only use 2.

This can be a more difficult map to setup. We recommend placing the buildings first then starting at the top of the map and placing a few rows of tokens at a time..

Mission objectives

Rewards

Winner of Mission 6: Return 8 objective tokens.

Victory Point. 10 Credits. (5-6 Players: And Control Both Facilities.)

Defeated in Mission 6: Return 9 objective tokens and perform 3 scans.

Victory Point. 10 Credits. (5-6 Players: And Control Both Facilities.)

Scanning: Perform 7 scans.

Any booster or shield for half price.

*If a team gets its 6th Victory from this mission play Deployment Pay: 40 Credits (50) the Act 3 Interlude then skip to Mission 10.

MECH COMMAND RTS

learn toAct play Core Campaign 2

interlude DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU FINISH MISSION 7. Each team makes an upgrade choice then answers the story questions.

Leaving a small scientific attachment at the ancient refineries you begin the trip back to the sunken sites. Your convoy is loaded down with resources and the new Rillium material. Along the way a corrosive storm overtakes you without warning, it is much more severe than usual even for the wastes. Fortunately, your scouts had already identified potential underground shelters on the trip out and marked them. In the wasteland one is prepared or one is dead. Taking haven in the caverns you begin to wait out the multi-day tempest. Somewhere out there, you suspect your enemy is doing the same; if they found shelter at all.

Did you complete one of the Retrieval Raid Secondary Objectives from Mission 4: Sieze the Capital? No. During a lull in activities an emissary from a minor faction that is working with your technical teams requests to see you. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Commander I have not had a chance to thank you for protecting our interests back in the capital. During those final days many took advantage of the chaos to seek revenge or raid the minor factions. Your integrity in not doing so is what convinced us to make the crossing and join you. We would like to offer a contribution to your team. Here are some of the schematics that the raiders never found. Coupled with our research into these new materials I believe we can give your mechâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an edge. You may purchase one Refined Rillum Spike for half price. This purchase can be made before any remaining mission of the campaign.

UPGRADE CHOICE To keep your teams busy more than anything else you order a full maintenance overhaul of all equipment as well as tactical drills. The research teams are eager to try to adapt the data and materials you recenlty harvested. Do you have the teams focus on the infantry or on the mechs? Experimental Infantry Tactics: you may select one new support unit upgrade to try during the next mission. Afterwards, you can permanently exchange it for a support upgrade you already own.

OR Mech Salvage You may scrap one item you own to apply its full purchase value towards any other standard item. You must make this purchase now.

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

Yes. While waiting out the storm there is massive explosion in one of the caverns. A detachment of support unit personnel and their vehicles are lost to a cave in. Your investigators believe it to be sabotage but do not know who the responsible party is. Your team only has 5 support units available during the next mission rather than 6. Which color this is subtracted from is your choice.

Core Campaign

Did at least one team complete 7 scans in the last mission, #7 Minefield? If so then the table may read the following flavor text: A technician comes to you with a pile of data tablets. “Commander, sir, I... “ he spills several tablets onto your desk and floor then busies himself picking them up. “There is something very strange about the local networks here. The software is extremely sophisticated; but we could not locate the physical hardware that was running them. They appear to be linked to a system at the sunken sites. We could only see a few levels into the network and then our tablets would go inert. Every one of them”, he says as he shows you blackened and fused device after device. “I do not understand how that is even possible to do to a remote device... But before it did, each time it would... allow us... to see other geographic locations on the network.

ACT

A New world Also, one last thing. The data packets that directed us to the locations were encoded with the source I.D. of the sending server; its signed Data Broker XY but we could also see it has the internal user-tag of “Aigent”. Strangely that user-tag has been logged conducting network operations for over 200 years...” You thank the technician, tell him to keep you apprised, then tag him and his team for commendation.

Several are located under the city ruins you fought the enemy in during the journey from the Capital. It shows there are active systems there, life support, water treatment plants and they all appear to be powered and functioning. But there are more locations sir, half a dozen more, at least, deeper in the wastes, beyond anything we could survive in.

Turning one of the blackened tablets in your hands you cannot help but wonder where the original data caches that set the war into motion came from. Why now, after centuries were they ‘discovered’? You shake yourself out of the reverie and order a quiet recon back to the city ruins. Some larger underground facilities could be vital to the growing civilian population. Now, back to work, we have a war to win. MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

Mission eight briefing Commander, in your absence continued exploration and extraction has halted. While initializing some of the sunken cities’ production plants and reactors using salvaged Rillium, our advanced teams have awoken automated defenses that killed thousands. Now the enemy has returned in force as well. Our priority is to eliminate these threats so we can return to extracting resources and technology from the sunken cities. Kill the enemy and if possible, secure the sites to take control of the automatons. Be careful! We have sent the bulk of our civilian support away for their protection, thus there is only limited respawn available for your mechs. Setup: Use the photo from the end of mission 6 to determine what buildings to place, including base buildings. Base buildings are equipped with 2 missile turrets as before, (medium range: 6, damage: 3). Note that a single turret token may be used to mark a building that has turrets (in case you are short turret tokens.). Place a LOCUST mech miniature (or any available mech if being used) in the center hex of the sunken cities. The double stack buildings have infinite health as usual. You can use behemoths if owned, track movement with the right foot. It can pivot 360 degrees freely each time it completes a boost. Mission Overview: There is limited respawn! Complete 1 of the following victory conditions: Military Suppresion: Kill 4 enemy mechs. AI Dominance: Have both AI Mechs adjacent to the enemy’s colored base hexes during recharge.

special Mission parameters AI Rampage. During the damage phase, uncontrolled AI mechs cause 5 damage to all units within short range and LOS and can hit support units at range. (Still only 1 damage cube.) It does not attack between elevations. The rampaging mech then boosts 3 hexes towards the closest base building or base hex. If there is a choice between possible hexes, the team with the non-target base decides which one it moves to. For exact ties between bases, it boosts towards the team with most victory points. AI Hack. Control and operate a sunken city to take control of its AI mech for the next round. Place a color token on the site when you operate it, remove your token if you did not. If you remove your token you lose control of the AI and it begins the next round wherever it was left, rampaging or in the control of the opposing team if they sucessfully operated its sunken city. Destroyed AI mechs respawn using the light mech space. Controlling an AI Mech. AI mechs have 15 health, 2 energy gems, a 3 hex arial boost and a short range, 5 damage attack. Boosts and attacks cost 1 gem each. To operate the AI mech any team-mate may declare its action and place a gem next to its miniature then complete its action. Track its unspent gems and any damage its taken by storing them on hexes in its sunken city. AI gems recharge every round. The AI’s attack requires line of sight, but can target support units at range, (support units only take 1 damage cube as usual.) Note that controlled AI mechs do not have the rampage attack just singular attacks for 1 gem each. They are considered allies in all aspects, (movement, controlling objectives etc...), but can still be attacked by the controlling team if they choose to. Limited Respawn. Like in Mission 5: Ruins, players can only respawn with mechs from their inventory that have not been destroyed yet. The respawn rate is determined by the new mech’s weight. Secondary Objective: Bolster the Defenses. Have both base build sites constructed at the end of the mission. As in mission 6, all non-base buildings on this map are resource collection points. Spend 12 resources during the recharge phase to construct a base building with defensive turrets. (Review mission 6 if necessary.) If a team has only 2 victories read the following: Greetings Commander, its your Spec Ops liaison. The capital has gone to hell, even for me. So I made the crossing in your absence. We got bored waiting for you so my teams infiltrated one of these sites and I’ve got this big fellow all dialed in. Enjoy! Begin the mission with an uplink point of your choice under control and thus its AI mech. 2 of your support units may start on any hex adjacent to the uplink.

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

awakened

mission 8 x

Place 2 mech models in the center of the sunken sites

Base buildings come equipped with missile turrets.

5-6 Player games only use 2.

Mission objectives

Rewards

AI Dominance: Both AI mechs adjacent to enemy base. Victory Point, Any mech half price.

Military Suppression. Kill 4 enemy mechs.

Victory Point, 15 Credits (5-6 Players Kill 6 mechs).

Bolster the Defenses. Have 2 base buildings present at end. Any item half price. Deployment Pay: 45 Credits (60)

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

Mission nine briefing The sunken cities have finally been tamed if not completely dominated. Now more and more factions are assembling in the area. As they arrive the civilian component suffers more and more as attrition to the wasteland is high despite the lower storm intensity here in the valley. Our political leaders are pushing for a more permanent civilian center and logisitical hub. Interestingly, the nearby ruins where you first battled the enemy mechs during our passage must be connected to the sunken sites as they are now partially powered. The ruins have turned out to be relatively intact undeground with clean water sources. This could become the capital of the new era. But first the underground sanctuaries must be supplied and fortified to create a hospitable foundation to build this new city on. Salvage the ancient tech centers above-ground to create survivable havens below. Setup. Randomly mix 8 retrieval, 8 salvage and 8 mine tokens together. (Shuffle these well.) Place 8 tokens face down on each of the double stack buildings. Prepare the two wall stands to be placed horizontally. Mission Overview. Control and operate the double stack buildings to produce objective tokens. Deliver these tokens to the sanctuaries. Deliver 10 tokens to achieve victory. Alternatively take control of the sanctuaries themselves and any delivered tokens. Control 12 delivered tokens in this way to achieve victory.

special Mission parameters Extract Materials. The double stack buildings represent ancient tech centers with rich sources of material, if somewhat unstable. Control and operate a tech center with at least one support unit during the recharge phase to extract one of its random face-down tokens. Objective tokens may be immediately loaded onto an adjacent valid unit or placed on an empty adjacent hex. Units may not end their movement on these buildings. Mine Tokens cause an immediate two damage blocks to one of the support units that operated the site. This damage occurs during the recharge phase and unless the support unit has reinforced armor, it is immediately removed (note that this is a little different timing than normal for applying damage). Victory 1: Deliver Materials. Deliver the objective tokens to one of the sanctuaries represented by the alternate corners of the map. You will receive 5 bonus credits for each token your team delivers. Mark each delivery on the secondary objective space with a player cube. The first team to deliver 10 tokens achieves victory. (Keep the delivered tokens next to the sanctuary.) Victory 2: Sieze Stockpiles. Control and operate an uplink building to take ownership of its sanctuary and its stockpile of delivered tokens. This will last until the enemy controls and operates the uplink building. Control 12 tokens in this way, either through one or a combination of both sanctuaries, to achieve victory. If both teams have the same number of units adjacent to an uplink building no one will control it, and the current occupant loses control (and removes the shield wall and their missile turrets). Shield Walls. When an uplink is successfully controlled and operated place a horizontal wall as shown. Only allies can cross over or through the shield wall and do not count the hex when doing so, i.e. mechs can skip a shield wall hex with regular movement while boosts and support units do not count the first shield wall hex they cross when passing through. (Only one shield wall hex may be skipped like this at a time.) Missile Turrets. Upon operating an uplink building, place your teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s missile turrets on top and remove them if you lose control. Support units may enter and operate these as normal. (Range 6, Damage 3) Support units in missile turret emplacements still count towards controlling and operating the building. Units cannot end their movement on top of an enemy missile turret. If they are on top or in the sanctuary hexes when an enemy takes control of the building, move the unit to the closest empty hex outside of the sanctuary (their choice). Building Health. The double stack and uplink buildings have infinite health. Other buildings have 15 health. The corner hexes serve as repair and reload stations as usual.

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

sanctuary

mission 9 x

rEtrieval

Salvage

Mines

4 x3

5-6 Player games only use 2.

Mission objectives

Rewards

Sieze Stockpiles. Control 12 Delivered Tokens.

Victory Point, Any mech half price.

Deliver Materials. Deliver 10 objective tokens.

Victory Point, Any item half price.

Civilian Affairs. Bonus for each objective token delivered.

5 Credits per token delivered.

Deployment Pay: 50 Credits (60)

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

Mission 10 briefing The stage is set. All forces have gathered in the valley in a final showdown to see who will control its resources. Destroy the enemy fortress. While the mission objective is the same for all, the amount of victories you have collected so far will determine the type of campaign victory possible for your team, any advantages you have as well as the consequences for losing this final mission. Read the section pertaining to your teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory level at the start of mission 10:

Victory Points

team Briefing

Victory Type

defeat Type

6 5 4 3

You have come far commander and exceeded our highest expectations and hopes. You and your teams have positioned us to dominate this era entirely. Unfortunately, your success has engendered envy and fear, uniting the surviving factions against us. We will be at a disadvantage but we trust you to overcome. One more battle, commander. Destroy them here and the future is ours and ours alone. Domination Victory / Truce (Enemy VP: 2 or less) / Minor Defeat (Enemy VP: 3)

2 1 0

The enemy has beaten us commander. But we still breathe, as do our allies in the minor factions. We have rallied every surviving force not aligned with the enemy. We have one last chance to prevent our opponents from utterly controlling humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future by denying them the power and technology of this valley. Win here and we will neutralize the enemyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambitions and gain an equal footing in this new era that is opening before us. Lose, and you and everything we have ever stood for will become a footnote in history. Campaign Conclusion: Truce / Annhilation

The war that began less than a year ago with the discovery of a data cache has all come down to this moment. Much has changed since then, including you commander. Our technology and arsenals have improved by leaps and bounds. Just imagine what we will be able to accomplish once we have exclusive and peaceful access to these bastions of technology rather than fighting over each and every scrap. That is why the future will belong to whoever can occupy this valley, uncontested, once and for all. It is the gateway to a new era of human civilization. We will most likely never be rid of our opponents and their allies altogether, but win here and we will be in ascendence for a generation to come. Campaign Conclusion: Major Victory / Major Defeat The enemy is ascendant commander, and poised to dominate human civilization. Your tireless efforts and minor victories have not gone to waste however. You have bought us a chance at some semblance of victory. We have gathered the aid of most of the remaining factions to help even the odds. Destroy the enemy presence here to deny them the power and technology of this valley and to position ourselves at the head of any future coalition. Campaign Conclusion: Minor Victory / Major Defeat Superior Deployment: May deploy and spawn units in the alternate corners of the map in addition to your base as long as the hex is unoccupied.

Superior Deployment: you may deploy and spawn units in the alternate corners of the map in addition to your base as long as the hex is unoccupied. Sunken City Occupation: you are always considered to have at least one support unit adjacent to the sunken city closest to your base, as well as the central uplink building. (The sunken city on the bottom half of the map in reference to your base.)

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

showdown

mission 10 x

Place 2 mech models in the center of the sunken sites.

Each base building has 2 missile turrets and 25 health each.

Mission Parameters

5-6 Player games = 2.

Shield Wall: We have incorporated our new technology and energy source to construct impenetrable shields on our fortifications. Control at least two of the uplink buildings during the recharge phase to bring down the enemyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shield wall for the next round. Only while it is deactivated will you be able to damage their base buildings. The base buildings and shield wall cannot be boosted over, through or onto by enemy units. Allies can move through their own shield wall, skipping over one wall hex for free with boosts or regular movement. AI Hack: We have learned much about the advanced defense systems of the sunken cities. Control and operate a site to activate an AI mech during the next round. AI mechs have 20 health, 2 energy gems, a 3 hex arial boost and a short range 5 damage attack that can also penetrate the enemy defenses and damage their base buildings even while their shield wall is active. Boosts and attacks cost 1 gem each. This attack can target support units at range. To operate the AI mech declare its action and place a gem next to its miniature. Track its unspent gems and any damage its taken by storing them on hexes in its sunken city. AI gems recharge every round. If using Behemoth models count movement with the right foot. Place a color token on the site when you control and operate it. If a team does not operate a sunken city during the recharge phase, remove their token and they lose control of the associated AI. The AI begins the next round wherever it was left, either dormant or in the control of the opposing team if they sucessfully operated its sunken city. Destroyed AI mechs respawn as light mechs. Either team can target an AI mech at any time even if they control it. Controlled AI are considered allies for movement and uplink control.

Destroy the enemy base buildings, 25 Health Each.

Campaign Victory! The victory type is determined by the number of Victory points. MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

PVP Campaign conclusion

Domination victory 7 Victory points total. You have done what many considered impossible Hegemon, the enemy is completely annihilated. The sunken cities, the new capital as well as the future is ours and ours alone. Our will now shapes the future of humanity uncontested. The other minor factions that opposed us are scattered into the wastelands where they will scrabble for existence or perish. In time we may invite them back into our protection; but first there are many secrets yet to unlock and a planet to rule. Rank Gained: Hegemon.

Major Victory 5-6 Victory points total and won Mission 10. Excellent Commander you have triumphed! The enemy is routed and we now have exclusive control of these ancient cities full of resources and technology. The opposing factions will regroup in the new capital but their surrender is guaranteed. You have brought us peace. We now begin an age where we dictate the terms and direction of mankind. There is much to do, and you will play a role at the highest levels. You have been promoted to General and under your direction our military units and technicians are ready to fully exploit the ancient network of cities that lie below us. Rank Gained: General.

Minor Victory 4 Victory points and won Mission 10. Commander you have averted a major defeat! Through your efforts and our allies, the enemy has been pushed back and we now have majority control of these ancient cities. In cooperation with our allied factions we will obtain a peace treaty with the remaining enemy forces allowing us to assert leadership in the coming age. We will need your continued vigilance as our alliance will most likely begin to tatter without the threat of a hegemon. Our defeated enemy will eventually begin looking for an opening as well. You are promoted to the rank of Colonel and will be our primary military liaison to the joint-faction expeditions. You will be able to hand pick your team and our factionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resources are open to you. Rank Gained: Colonel.

truce - Both Teams 1-3 Victory points and won Mission 10. Commander you have saved us from total Annihilation! By taking down the enemy stronghold you have made our position here, along with our allies, secure for the moment. The enemy still has many resources and a head start adapting the ancient technology but you have forced them into a truce. This will give us time to further explore the sunken cities without the threat of conflict. Perhaps in time this truce will blossom into a real peace where mankind can retake its place on this planet. The future is uncertain, but we now have a future thanks to you. Rank Gained: Captain. 6 Victories and lost Mission 10 to a team with 1-3 Victory points. The combined weight of all of the factions proved too much for us unfortunately. We have sought out a truce for the time being so we can continue to adapt the technology and resources of these sites. Fortunately your past efforts have filled the enemy with such terror that they now make treaty rather than press their advantage. They represent a complex coalition and it will be difficult for them to act quickly or efficiently. Thus our ambitions are only delayed! You brought us far Commander; remain vigilant as we will most likely call upon you soon. Rank Gained: Captain.

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

Minor Defeat Occurs if you have 6 Victories and lost Mission 10 to a team with 4 Victory points total. Planetary Hegemony was in our grasp and you failed us Commander; but it was a close thing. We understand the advantages the opponent gained from rallying the minor factions. We also recognize that we only stood to gain so much because of your many successes. Unfortunately faction politics demand some sort of punishment, if only because our most powerful members detest becoming supplicants to our former opponents. Thus you are demoted to lieutenant for the time being. But this is only a minor setback, we still thrive and who knows how long this peace will last. When armed conflict comes again, it will be you the faction leaders will call upon. Demotion: Lieutenant. Real World Consequences: you must address the opposing players as Colonel for the next two weeks!

Major Defeat Occurs if you have 3-5 Victory points and lost Mission 10. We appreciate your tireless efforts Commander, but you failed us in the end. The enemy now has control of the sunken cities, and with them, the foreseeable future. We are not destroyed entirely but we have given our unconditional surrender. We regress to being only a minor faction with little political power. The enemy, I mean our new masters, are deciding what to do with a tactical mind like yours in this coming age. Many of our faction still look up to you for the successes you achieved. Our new masters will most likely not execute you as they do not want to make a martyr of you. For now, however, our surrender requires that you be suspended from active duty and be stripped of rank. Demotion: Civilian. Real World Consequences: you must address the opposing players as General for the next two weeks!

Annihilation Occurs if you have 0-2 Victory points and lost Mission 10. These words drift across a valley of ashes. There is no one left to hear them... Real World Consequences: you must address the opposing players as Hegemon for the next 30 days, or until you play again!

thank you for playing

This world continues in the AI Unleashed Cooperative Expansion. There are also rules and scenarios for playing skirmish maps in the Rules Reference Guide. Thank you for joining us on the Core Campaign! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed making it.

:::Transmission Decrypted::: There has been resolution of conflict at subterannean facility 17. As predicted the conflict escalated excavation of the facility and emergency power has already been restored to the area. Full power should be restored once the reigning faction begins deeper exploration and their technical teams discover and attempt to operate the core plants. I have left data that should lead them to the precise locations we need them to access. Stage 2 will follow once the {Encrypted} are better equipped to survive within atmospheric anomaly 31C. - Aigent :::Transmission End:::

MECH COMMAND RTS

Core Campaign Act 3

VAlley of Giants

bonus Skirmish mission

See the Rules Reference Guide for the other skirmish Maps. Valley of Giants was created and tested as a thank you for the extra add-ons ordered during the Pledge Manager. It is designed to be used with two Behemoths. There are more Skirmish maps and scenarios in the Rules Reference Guide.

Mission Overview. Destroy the Enemies Base. Setup. Use the exact setup from Mission 10 but without the shield walls. Secondary Bases. The colored three-hex corners serve as a teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secondary base. Allied units can spawn, repair and reload in these bases. Enemy units may not enter a teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secondary base but can fire into them.

AI Behemoths Each team begins with one controlled Behemoth in their secondary base. The Behemoth has 30 health which is tracked by placing damage onto its starting base. As usual, it begins with 2 energy gems. Each gem may be spent on either a 3 hex ground boost, or a 7 damage, short range, anti-infantry attack that can attack support units at range and hit any elevation. Gems can also be saved for the damage phase to shield 7 damage. The Behemoth can only hit units in its forward firing arc! The behemoth respawns as heavy. Moving and Aiming the Behemoth. Use the right foot to determine and count movement. Whenever the Behemoth boosts it can rotate the left foot onto any hex adjacent to the right leg. The Behemoth can only fire at units in its forward firing arc, which includes all hexes forward of the side hexes running directly parallel to the Behemoth. The hexes running directly parallel to the sides and back are outside of the firing arc. Upgrading the Behemoth. Each Uplink that is controlled and operated during the recharge phase provides the Behemoth with an additional energy gem for the following round. This extra energy gem is lost unless the uplink center is controlled again the following round.

Uplinks and bases Uplink Missile Turrets. Each Uplink that is operated gains two missile turrets (Range: 6, Damage 3) for the next round. Only the team that operated the Uplink can enter the missile turrets. If control of an uplink is lost while support units are in the missile turrets (on top of the building) they are placed on an empty adjacent hex of their choice. Upgrade and Repair Bases. All regular buildings are resource collection points. Return 5 Resource Collection cubes to your primary base to perform one of the following effects: Spawn 2 missile turrets on either remaining base building. (Range:6, Damage: 3) Spawn an attack drone in your primary base with 5 health, 5 arial movement, and 5 melee damage. The attack drone is able to target units on adjacent hexes at any elevation level. It has one attack per round. Flip the drone over to the other side when it has attacked in a round. (If using drone miniatures place an energy gem in its base). Repair 5 Armor to a Base Building. Remove 5 damage from a base building.

All Buildings have 25 Health. Including Uplink buildings, Base buldings, and regular buildings. MECH COMMAND RTS

Learn to play

CREDITS ARTISTS Mech and Item Art Deepak Shetty Cosmin Orha Ilen Vantev Elpido Sang Ayham I

Bad Crow Games Christopher Gabrielson Game Design, Art Design, Graphic Design, Story, 3D Modeling, Prototyping, Sourcing, Marketing, Logistics, Web Design, Customer Support. Aaron Gabrielson Financial Operations, Investor, Game & Business Consulting, Playtesting, KickStarter Communications. Brian Gabrielson Investor, Game & Business Consulting, Playtesting, KickStarter Communications.

Martin S.

Ani Gabrielson Game & Business Consulting, Playtesting, Communications.

Background and Thematic Art

Bradley Tensa Community Relations.

Julian Faylona Scott Richards

Miles Fu Sourcing and Manufacturing Liaison.

James Paick

Sakura Team Consultants

Pavel Chagochkin

David Whitt & Zach Stoddard Rules Consultation, Playtest.

Miquel Bruecker (Cover Art) 3D Modelers Sergey Kolesnik Vasiliy Dmitriev Anup H.

Special Thanks To Brian Wade for the Wasteland Map

Playtesters Shae Wills Michael Frazier Irind Cocoli Sofia Gabrielson Brad Tessers James Meachum Carly Scolera David Hornberger Kenzie Gabrielson Shelby Gabrielson James Wolffe Tim Jesenke Rachel Rowling Brianna Wall David Archehuus Randall Stratmore Alex Bringhoff Steven Koll Alicia Meghere Birgitta Welch James Stascum Brian Fauset Erin Hill

Wyatt Straus Madeline Waters Thomas Waters Gunnar Gabrielson Devon Kershawn River Blansky Tori Michaels Brad Houseknecht James Stirling Sean Adams Josh Browling Michael Deums Chad Pollis Brandon Pollis Trevor Pollis Penny Grurer Lisa Martinez Mateo Martinez Alise Mitchell ...and thanks to the many others who dropped in for a game or two. MECH COMMAND RTS

learn to play

1st Edition - KickStarter We would like to use this space to express our deep gratitude to the kickstarter backers that helped launch this project into reality. I know many campaigns offer similar messages of thanks; and I am sure that they mean it. But we have a lot more to love about our backers besides the funds they invested to get the idea off the ground. In particular, the compassionate, supportive and fun community that has developed in the 20 months since the campaign closed. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve enjoyed chatting with you, hearing your feedback and adjusting the project according to your preferences. Many times over the course of this long production cycle we had to overcome some tough obstacles. It could have unravelled on more than one occasion as we adapted to our primary manufacturer closing their doors, quality assurance surprises and dramatic cost hikes. But the MCRTS Backers always stayed bright, ready with some encouragement, reminding us that we were not just fighting for a game but for our small community of 975 backers. You made us feel like we were in this together with you and that you had our backs; which made it a lot easier to handle the challenges. So we offer the standard KickStarter thanks to all of you and an even deeper thank you for the emotional support during what could have been a much more stressful saga. We did it! Now lets play. -Christopher Gabrielson

learn to play & Campaign Book

MECH COMMAND RTS

Learn to play

Mech Command RTS Learn to Play and Campaign Book

Articles inside

Epilogue

Core Campaign Act 3