Friday, October 28, 2016

[CCC] Complete!


Well, here are my CCC, all painted and ready for the tabletop! I'm really happy with how the yellow turned out, and I have a huge feeling of accomplishment and pride in finally having four completed MERCS factions painted and ready for the table.


I'm not sure what faction I'll paint next, but when I decide I'll be sure to post my progress!
Sync out.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

[CCC] Booster


And the last model for the CCC, the Booster! Another great addition to the CCC range, this model’s facial expression adds a lot of character, and the rolled up sleeves is a unique look as well.
That’ll do it for the CCC – faction photo up later this week!


Sync out.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

[CCC] Spotter


I love this model's camo cloak, and I will admit that I could have put a lot more effort into a cooler colour scheme. But even with the shade of midnight grey on the cloak, I think he looks decent, and ready for the tabletop!


Sync out.

Friday, October 21, 2016

[EU Inc] Complete!


And here's the completed EU Inc faction! Great looking models, and I'm particularly happy with how the colour scheme turned out, even after having to repaint the first 5 models!

Out of the four factions I've been painting for MERCS 2.0, these were the only ones that I hadn't painted before as part of MERCS 1.0, so I always looked forward to painting them.

Stay tuned, next week I'll hopefully be able to post up photos of my CCC.
Sync out.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

[EU Inc] Heavy


Even though his pose is similar to the EU Inc Demo, I love the stance and think it really suits the Heavy model.
Well, that's it - the last model for my EU Inc! I'll have the complete faction photo up by the end of the week, so stay tuned.

Something weird is happening with the other photo I took of this model - I'm getting some error that I haven't encountered before in all my years of blogging. I'll take another photo later and upload it when I can.

Sync out.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

[EU Inc] Spotter


Here's the EU Inc Spotter model, which has a pretty standard  spotter  kind of pose, and suits the model's support role well.

The Spotter support class are a new addition to MERCS 2.0, and I'm keen to see if they are able to earn their positions on the tabletop.


Sync out.

Friday, October 14, 2016

[Keizai Waza] Complete!


And that'll do it for the Keizai Waza! Out of all the new plastic MERCS models I've worked with, these were by far the hardest to clean and assemble, with difficult mold lines making it a bit of a chore.

That being said, I'm happy with how my models turned out, even with my inferior assembly skills.
I'm also really happy with how the orange turned out - I used a different recipe for the orange on my MERCS 1.0 Keizai Waza, and this newer orange is much closer to the orange used in the faction artwork.


Next week, EU Inc - stay tuned!
Sync out.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

[Keizai Waza] Forward Observer


I am really falling behind on my blogging! I’ve been using all my spare time to paint models, and haven't been able to get around to taking photos or blogging.
I actually finished off my EU Inc last week, but haven’t been able to take photos yet – hopefully I’ll have something up next week!

Anyways, here is the Keizai Waza Forward Observer, another great model to make it from MERCS 1.0 to 2.0.
I’ll have the whole faction photo up later this week – stay tuned!


Sync out.

Friday, October 7, 2016

[Keizai Waza] Spotter


I'm so glad I've finished the Keizai Waza models! I think they turned out OK, even with my sub-par assembly and cleaning - but I don't think it was any secret that the sculpts for these models came out terribly, with a lot of flash and mold lines.

The Spotter's dynamic pose made him hard to get in focus for photos, but I think I captured the two angles that show the pose best.


Sync out.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

[KemVar] Complete!


My first completed squad for MERCS 2.0 - KemVar! Here's a quick-and-dirty group shot of the KemVar set up on my easily accessible Corvus Belli Navajo Outpost Scenery Pack.
These models were really fun to paint, and I'm keen to see how they fare on the table in MERCS 2.0!

For my KemVar page check out my [KemVar] page under the MERCS 2.0 section of my blog, or for all KemVar related posts, follow the KemVar tag here.

Sync out.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Terrain Playmats and Card Terrain

Checking the Megacon Games Download page, I found a new Terrain Playmat and Card Terrain PDF available for free download.

The Card Terrain was given in the factions decks for MERCS 1.0, and allowed you to quickly throw down some nice looking 2D terrain.
The PDF contains 15 pieces of card terrain, which represent various elements of scatter terrain you would find on the tabletop.



The Terrain Playmats look fantastic, and are designed to be printed out and used as a base for creating your MERCS game tables - and whether you use 2D or 3D terrain, they look fantastic.

Middle East Terrain

Snow Terrain

Rural Terrain

You can grab all of these PDF files on the Megacon Games Download page!
Sync out.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

[KemVar] Demo


And this rounds off my first completed MERCS 2.0 faction - KemVar! The Demo is another great model that made it to MERCS 2.0 from the first edition, and like the Booster, has a healthy mane of hair exposed to make him stand out from the rest of the faction.

This week I've started work on my remaining Keizai Waza models, which I'll photograph over the weekend and post up next week - stay tuned!


Sync out.

Monday, September 26, 2016

[KemVar] Booster


It's been 3 months since I've managed to paint any MERCS models, so here is the KemVar Booster to end the drought!

Pretty standard pose, but the exposed mane of hair makes him stand out from the rest of the KemVar faction.


Sync out.

Monday, September 19, 2016

MERCS Recon Kickstarter - Replacement MERCS

While assembling all my MERCS, I had issues with two MERCS models:

I followed the standard process for missing/replacement pieces outlined for the MERCS Recon Kickstarter, and today I received the following two replacement models in the mail!

Now I feel like my MERCS collection is really complete, and I don't have any more excuses not to get these factions painted and ready for the tabletop.


Sync out.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

GCC - Assembled Part 2

Another hobby blackout due to some ongoing family health issues - but here are the last miniatures that arrived as part of my All Your MERCS Are Belong To Us addon!

I think I actually prefer this Judge model over the variant Judge model,which was an exclusive MERCS Recon Kickstarter bonus, so it'll be hard for me to decide which one to paint.

The Heavy is pretty cool as well, with his Blitzkrieg Twin Assault System not being the standard 'heavy' weapons seen across the other factions.

Booster / Heavy / Spy / Judge

So I now have every MERCS model for every MERCS faction assembled, and ready for paint!
I plan on finishing the factions I received in MERCS Recon first (CCC, EU Inc, KemVar and Keizai Waza) before moving onto another new faction.

Sync out.


Saturday, September 17, 2016

Some Love from Megacon Games!

It was a very pleasant surprise to find this post on my Newsfeed this morning! 
I feel very honored to have my little blog mentioned on the Megacon Games Facebook page :)

If you're here visiting because of this post, WELCOME, and I hope my little MERCS hobby blog doesn't disappoint.


Sync out.

Saturday, September 3, 2016

EIC - Assembled Part 2

I missed my hobby time over the past few nights busy with other things, but I was finally able to finish off my EIC last night!

It was great to receive the Assimilator, the cornerstone of the EIC faction. His abilites allow him to assimilate technology from killed members of the opposing faction, which is an ability I'll need to look into in much further detail.

The Heavy's Andhi Assault Cannon is another contender for the Most Bad Ass Heavy Weapon too...

Booster / Heavy / Assimilator / Pathfinder

Sync out.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

FCC House 4 - Assembled Part 2

These FCC House 4 models look bad ass! All of them have a really rugged aesthetic aligned with the FCC background, and the sculpts themselves are great too.

The Sapper, with his Crowd Control Variable Chamber Shotgun, looks like a strong option on the tabletop, with it's variable ammunition giving the unit a range of utility.

And the Heavy's Maelstrom Gatling Gun just looks wicked - I still prefer the CCC Heavy, but this weapon is certainly a contender!

Medic / Shock Trooper / Heavy / Sapper

Sync out.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

ISS - Assembled Part 2

The Calypso is my favorite sculpt from the ISS, so I'm glad to be able to add her to my MERCS 2.0 collection!

The Demo and Monkeywrench are welcome additions to the ISS roster, and I've got to say I'm pretty keen on getting this faction painted up.

Calypso / Booster / Demo / Monkeywrench

Sync out.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Texico - Assembled Part 2

I'm going to stop going on about how the models I received in my All Your MERCS Are Belong To Us addon are significantly better quality - at this point I'm happy to say that they are consistently a higher standard - but I'll make sure to point out if they aren't.

I'll have to reset the Eagle's footing, as he is on an awkward lean, but that's a pretty simple process once you know how.

The Breacher is an interesting addition to the Texico line up, and I'm keen to see how he looks with some paint!

Demo / Eagle / Breacher / Heavy Gunner

Sync out.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

sefadu - Assembled Part 2

Another round of clean sculpts! There is flash on the models, but it is minimal, and on these models particularly, it was the thin type of flash that flaked off as soon as I looked at it sternly.

I'm not sure how I feel about the Heavy model yet... the tail, used to anchor the troop in place while firing the heavy weapon, looks a little awkward to me.

And the Shock Trooper, like the Berserker and his Twin Blades, is another sefadu model bringing a knife to a gun fight! Though his Ashanti Sword is significantly bigger than your average knife...

Medic / Demo / Shock Trooper / Heavy

Sync out.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

FCC House 9 - Assembled Part 2

It was great to finally round off the FCC House 9, which hold a special place in my heart as one of the original four factions released for MERCS.

The Liaison sculpt wasn't as clean at the Shock Trooper and Pack Rat models (which were very good quality), and had a lot of difficult flash around the rubble under the model's left leg.

Still, in my opinion, the models received in this shipment are still a huge improvement on what I received previously. I sincerely hope, for the good of MERCS, that the model quality distributed at retail is this high quality. 

Liaison / Shock Trooper / Pack Rat

Sync out.

Friday, August 26, 2016

USCR - Assembled Part 2

And here are the last three models for the USCR! The quality of sculpts was, again, much better than the models that I assembled in the previous MERCS: Recon shipments - hopefully this level of quality is distributed at retail.

I also received the original sculpt Behemoth, but didn't assemble it, seeing as I have the awesome Kickstarter Exclusive Behemoth!

Medic / Monkeywrench / Heavy

Sync out.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Assassination Protocol Reinforcements - Assembled Part 2

Continuing with assembly of my All Your MERCS Are Belong To Us, here are the final models from the factions in the MERCS: Recon Assassination Protocol box - KemVar and Keizai Waza!

So far the quality on these models is noticeably better than what I experienced with previous shipments, which has been a nice surprise!

Booster / Demo

Spotter / Forward Observer

Sync out.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Counter Threat Reinforcements - Assembled Part 2

Sync is back, and I'm in the process of assembling the contents of my All Your MERCS Are Belong To Us package - starting with the CCC and EU Inc.

My goal is to assemble the remaining miniatures from one faction per night, with the exception of CCC, EU Inc, KemVar and Keizai Waza - they only have 2 more models to assemble to round off these factions.
I'll try to find time each day to post all my WIP photos as well!

So, without further ado, here are the last of the CCC and EU Inc models!

Booster / Spotter

Spotter / Heavy

Sync out.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

All Your MERCS Are Belong to Us


My All Your MERCS Are Belong to Us shipment has finally arrived!
This was an add-on as part of the MERCS Recon Kickstarter, and includes ALL the faction models I didn't receive as part of the Recon base games or Mission Packs.
I've got a few things on plate IRL, but I'll try and get these inventoried and assembled as soon as I can!


Sync out.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

[CCC] Heavy


Apologies for the delay in this post, real life has been getting in the way of blogging!
This is my favorite model in all the MERCS line, and has been since MERCS 1.0 released in 2011.
I took these photos from the side to emphasise the gangster lean he's got going, and his stance really highlights the weight of the heavy weapon he's bringing to bear!


Sync out.

Friday, June 17, 2016

[CCC] Medic


Another classic model from MERCS 1.0 makes it to MERCS 2.0! This model was one of the 5 originally released for the CCC, and was intended to be able to be used to represent  either the Medic and Demo - until the Demo got his own model of course.
For MERCS 2.0, this model comes back with a Medkit attached to his left thigh.


Sync out.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

[CCC] Sniper


Say it isn't so - his backwards cap is gone! The original metal CCC Sniper model featured a backwards cap, which I thought added a lot of character to the model.
While the new plastic model looks much more tactical (I even emphasised his racing stripe by painting it a speedy red!), I think my still prefer the backwards cap variant on this model... but I'll see if this new look grows on me.


Sync out.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Overpowered Active Camo


Active Camouflage - KemVar is always considered to be at one higher tier of cover than their position as long as their armour hasn't failed.

What does that mean in practice? If a KemVar model is in
  • the open, with No Cover, any shot against them counts as Weak Cover (+1FN)
  • Weak Cover, any shot against them counts as Strong Cover (+3FN)
  • Strong Cover, well, you technically can't draw LOS to them to take a shot anyway
That means that a KemVar model that has elevation and cover would have a +4FN modifier to any shots fired on them. When the general FN of models is FN6, you'd already be at FN10 to make your shot!
At a glance this seems like a very overpowered Corporate Trait, but here are some pointers to ensure fun and balanced MERCS games. Note that while this was written with KemVar in mind, it does apply across all factions.


MERCS Appropriate Terrain

Firstly, ensure you are playing on MERCS appropriate terrain.
Specifically, ensure terrain elements that offer optimum firing positions (that is, both elevation and weak cover) are limited and are located mid-field.
This ensures that both teams have an equal opportunity to secure these positions, and the most valuable firing positions on the field are rare and have to be fought for.
As an extreme example, if you put all the buildings that provided elevated cover in the KemVar deployment zone, then the KemVar would have very little motivation to give up their prime firing positions to expose themselves - they would just sit there and shoot down the opposition that came towards them.

A good example of MERCS appropriate terrain from the rulebook

Missions/Scenarios/Objectives

Similar to the extreme example above, if there are no in-game objectives or missions to accomplish, once a KemVar model has secured an optimum firing position, there is very little incentive for them to move from it and expose themselves.
This is where good missions and scenarios significantly improve games - by helping to ensure units are forced into action, as well as adding an element of narrative to the game.

Squad Selection - Template Weapons and Armour Failure

It should be noted that Active Camo only affects weapons with an FN - so things like grenades thrown at the ground, that auto-hit anything within their template, are not affected.
Furthermore, note that the Active Camo ability does not work once a KemVar unit's armour has failed - some units have abilities focused on causing armour to fail, which is invaluable against Active Camo.
This battle report (specifically Game 2) shows how it's done. After the KemVar stole Game 1 by surprising the CCC with their speed, the CCC then played defensively and brought their template weapons to bear. The template weapons destroyed the KemVar - the Incinerator's flame thrower, the Demo's Frag Grenades and the Leader's Emp Grenades made short work of the KemVar.


Sync out.