Mechs vs. Minions

Set up the map, mechs, minions, decks and objectives using the tutorial or current mission dossier. The original supports 2–4 cooperating players: complete the mission together or lose through its stated failure conditions, rather than compete for an individual score.

Each round begins with the Player Phase: draft commands, program simultaneously, then execute each player’s entire command line clockwise from the First Player. Resolve the Minion Phase and, when specified, the Danger Phase. Pass First Player clockwise at round end.

An ordinary draft reveals five commands. Starting with First Player, take one at a time clockwise until four commands total have been taken, then discard the rest. With fewer than four players, some receive multiple cards. The first draft of each post-tutorial mission instead reveals ten cards and continues until everyone has two.

Each drafted card must be programmed into an undamaged slot or scrapped; it cannot be saved. Execute slots 1–6, skipping empty slots and following each command. Programmed cards persist between rounds and cannot be freely reordered.

Stack commands of the same element in one slot: the top card determines the command and stack size gives power 1–3. Adding a fourth same-element card discards the bottom card. Overwriting with another element discards the entire existing stack.

Scrap a newly drafted Fire/red or Metal/blue command to remove one Damage card. Scrap Electric/yellow or Computery/green to swap two undamaged slots. Slot Damage covers existing commands and prevents programming there; repairing it re-enables the commands underneath.

Moving onto a minion stomps it; one attack damage also normally kills it. Adjacency means sharing an edge, not a diagonal. Mechs can push other mechs, but a step cannot complete if the push chain is blocked by impassable terrain or the board edge. Ordinary Attack Commands do not harm friendly mechs.

In the Minion Phase, resolve movement, spawning and attacks as the mission directs. Process Damage cards individually in player order. Mechs cannot die from damage, but their controls deteriorate and the team can still lose through the mission objectives.

Every five minion kills earn one shared Team Gear; gears reset at each mission. Previously unlocked, selected pilot Schematics activate at their printed gear thresholds. Activation and use do not spend gears; follow each Schematic’s instructions.