Keizai Waza Artwork

Keith released the artwork for the upcoming MegaCon, Keizai Waza - they look AMAZING. Will definitely be getting a team of these bad boys.
This artwork has been sent off to the sculptor, while the Sefadu are being sculpted as well.

Keizai Waza Background (trans. business technique/art)
Located: Japan, Indochina, and Australia
Corporate Strengths: Assassination, Nuclear
Intelligence Report: Keizai Waza are as ambitious as they are formidable. They are clearly the strongest MegaCon in the eastern hemisphere. They, unlike other MegaCons, have continued to explore Nuclear technologies, including nuclear powered armors and nuclear small armaments. Though unsubstantiated, Keizai Waza has reportedly had outspoken critics and rival corporate leaders assassinated. 
Chief Rivals: CCC, EIC

The full post has additional details and hints as to how the MegaCon will play. Here, for some jaw-dropping convenience, is the artwork.

 

 Sync out.

Sync's Wargaming Tools

A recent forum post inspired me to show everyone what I use for MERCS wargaming, so I thought I'd post it here too - in case other MERCS out there were looking for some wargaming solutions!

Sync Circle
I like to keep my bases clean and black if possible (purely as a modelling preference), so I came up with an alternative to Reaper Markings.
Most of time deciding quadrants, LOS, rear/flank etc can be eyeballed, so some kind of stencil that I could pull out every now and then (to clarify those situations that aren't so obvious) seemed easier than painting all my MERCS bases.
I came up with a circular stencil that I could drop around a mini during play. I've put a small mark on the base of my MERCS (I put the mark at the 'back' of the mini so it's not so noticeable), so that the stencil has something it can line up with consistently.


On a sheet of cardboard, I traced a circle around a 40mm miniature base. Within this circle, I then traced the 30mm MERCS miniature base.
I then cut out the resulting circle with scissors, and painted it up in a style suitable for my CCC, which showed all the required quadrants and markings.

I also cut through the circle, to allow it to slip over miniatures easier. If you leave it as a complete circle, then it won't be able to slip over trickier miniatures - like the CCC Sniper or USCR Behemoth.
(Click the pics for close-ups).

And this is how it's used in play (again, click the pics for close-ups):

Pretty straight forward, and all the quadrants are clearly visible. I was thinking to craft a more solid one of out of plasticard, but I think that would lead to minis getting scratched and chipped - cardboard is bendable and soft so it can worked around models without damage to them.


Movement Sleeve
The card system unique to MERCS is great - so great I keep my cards in plastic sleeves, for both protection and gameplay. I use one modified plastic sleeve for the movement card used throughout gameplay.
Keeping the cards in plastic sleeves during play means I can use a white board marker to write on the sleeves, and just wipe the sleeves clean when required. This helps me keep track of gameplay status' and ACMS.
Since each set of Faction Cards comes with 6 cards, and a maximum of 5 models can be used per side for a game, 1 card will always go unused. Whichever card is the 'spare' card for a game, I slip that card in my modified card sleeve. Now this spare card in my modified sleeve can be used specifically for all MERCS movement, without fear of wear and tear on the card itself.

I made my movement card sleeve just by taking the old hobby knife to a regular card sleeve, and cutting the sleeve to match the indents for MERCS movement.

This modified sleeve allows the card to slip around MERCS models on the table, as the card was originally intended, and protect the card at the same time.






I believe that the MERCS team are coming out with official merchanise for movement, but until then, this solution is cheap and effective - happy wargaming!

Sync out.

Battleground: Low Walls

My MERCS Battleground so far

I've been trying to find some low walls to add to my battleground, to give the MERCS some much needed half-cover during gameplay.
Firing from cover is an important element to MERCS gameplay, and without low walls MERCS would only be able to do this from the edge of my cargo containers or from elevated positions.

Jersey Barriers from Armorcast

I do prefer to make my own terrain as I find it to be a really fun part of the hobby, and something like the above would be ideal (recommended by several on the MERCS forums). So I went about scouting my options.
I looked to see if Toposolitario had something that I could use - but alas, while Topo has AWESOME papercrafting and miniature terrain write-ups, no low walls.
Topo was my first preference, as my battleground is completely from Toposolitario and hence the style and artwork would be consistently awesome.

I searched youtube for build-your-own scenery options, but nothing suited my very specific requirements. Most of the terrain write-ups were for 40K style ruined walls and gothic imperial buildings, which wouldn't suit my battleground at all.
Online stores and eBay had some great options, which I bookmarked if I wasn't able find something I could make myself.

I took my plight to the MERCS forums, and the guys inspired me to take another look at Toposolitario.
I came across these small boxes that are intended as for Infinity Objective Markers. While at work I printed out a page, measured the dimensions and found that they would be too small to be something that would provide decent half-cover.
It was then that a coworker came around and dropped an A3 printout on desk... *!Lightbulb!*
I printed out the Infinity Objective Markers on an A3 page, which effectively doubled the dimensions, and they turned out great - a little pixellation due to the size increase, but nothing really noticeable.

Note that A3/A4 paper sizes aren't the standard US paper sizes -  here are the measurement conversions, hopefully there is something similar to these dimensions that US MERCS can use:

A3 paper = 297mm × 420mm, 11.69" × 16.54"

I went home and after less than 2 hours of papercrafting, my low walls were finished!

And some pics for scale:

They can't support the weight of a metal miniature, but walls shouldn't need to, and they have the same style as the rest of my battleground. VERY happy with the result!

Another quick, easy and affordable solution to miniature wargaming thanks to Toposolitario!

Sync out.

[CCC] Sniper finished!

Artwork from MERCS website

 So... yeah - I'm the first to admit that I suck at painting faces. Just putting that out there, so you know what to expect. I could've tried to paint the eyes at least, but I've been painting long enough to know I would just mess it up and cause myself more frustration than it was worth. Knowing me, I'll probably end up going over it again later.
At least I didn't break anything when putting him together though.

CCC Sniper from the MERCS website

The sniper is a really uniquely posed mini. He's even rockin the backwards cap and cocky smile that seems appropriate for the cliche sniper persona - from what movies and TV have force-fed me anyway.

Still unsure about what to do about the bases, so I've left the stonework under his left foot unpainted.

Enough ranting, MOAR MINIS!

 

 

 

Sync out.

More MegaCons, Factions, Campaigns and Merchandise!

So, an interview with Brian Shotton posted on MERCS forums has revealed lots of exciting MERCS news!

Future MegaCons and Factions
At the moment there are 11 MegaCons that have been penned. It was announced that:

• each MegaCon has the possibility of multiple factions 
• the MERCS world is a living world, MegaCons can rise and fall...

This news effectively opens up an unlimited number of possible factions for the world of MERCS!

MERCS Campaign and Second Book
A new MERCS book, which is primarily a campaign book, is currently in production and is to include:

• new faction portfolios
• additional rules

In addition, there will be side-scenarios in a couple gaming magazines throughout the year.

Keizai Waza Concept Art

Next MegaCons to be Released
Next MegaCons which are planned for release by GENCON (August 2011):

• Sefadu (Central Africa), apparently this is available for pre-order!
• Keizai Waza (South-east Asia and Australia)

After those two, these are the next planned for release:

• Texico (Panama, Mexico, and Texas), which is almost ready for beta playing
• Ios (Mediterranean), in the early stages of alpha

Sefadu Concept Art

Sefadu Faction
This is the African melee-oriented faction, check out all the concept art here. Brian goes on to say:
"They are very cool looking, fast, and play very fun to play. I can't give many details out, but they rely on their Leader more than other MERCS groups. If he is successful, his team has a easier time hitting targets. THey have a lot of tricks but are still easy to use. I think people will really dig them."

MERCS Merch 

• Gale Force Nine will be producing counters for MERCS and printing maps that we've seen at shows and conventions.
• Battle Foam is to create the MERCS bag, which Brian goes on to say: "MERCS was designed around the philosophy that a players didn't need to own a small moving van to play our game. We have never been a fan of gaming luggage; the bigger the more we hated it. I think our bag will fit our philosophy very well and introduce something very cool and very different in gaming carrying cases."
• Faction specific dice and retail group packaging is also due soon!

Lots going on for MERCS, and as always, any news I find I'll post! Check out the full interview here.

Sync out.