It is the year 3030, and technology offers humankind unimaginable entertainment. What used to be virtual is now a reality, and sports that once occupied your flat-screen now occupy the world stage.

The largest of these sports embodies the evolution and integration of athleticism and machinery. Hundreds of millions of viewers jack into the neural net feed from the Battle Arena, high up on the roof of AughTech Headquarters, witnessing the spectacle that is M.E.C.H.s: Mechanized Entertainment Combat Heroes.

Components

• 8 Pilot Cards
• 1 Score Card
• 1 Round Card
• 1 Mighty Mech Card
• 4 Player Cards
• 21 Zone Cards
• 32 Weapon Cards
• 4 Ad Hoc Mode Cards
• 4 ITEMeeples
• 4 Power Armors
• Mighty Mech
• 32 Weapon Items
• 46 Wooden Tokens
• Rulebook

Overview

In Tiny Epic Mechs, players take on the roles of highly skilled and athletic Mech pilots. They compete in a free-for-all battle royale over the span of six rounds. In each round, players program their actions and execute them in order.

These actions keep you moving around the arena while allowing you to deploy defensive turrets and explosive mines, collect resources, purchase weaponry, power up into your Power Armor and eventually take control of the Mighty Mech.

When you enter a zone with another player, combat ensues. During combat, players exchange fire, using one Weapon at a time, until one player has exhausted all their Weapons and must retreat, or one player is defeated and forced to respawn at their base.

If you time your Weapon attacks correctly, you can counter your opponent and unleash a more powerful attack to gain an edge over them.

Dealing significant damage to your opponent will wow the audience and earn you points, which will bring you closer to victory. You also score victory points every two rounds based on zones you control and control of the Mighty Mech. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins!

Setup

1 Give each player a Player Card and ITEMeeple of their chosen color. Then, to set up each player's area, give each player:

A Two Pilot Cards, shuffled and dealt randomly from under the table. The player chooses one Pilot Card and places it Pilot-side up below the Player Card.

B a Health Token in their player color, placed on the highest space of their Pilot Card Health Track.

C both an Energy Token and a Credits Token in their player color, placed on the "3" space of the Player Card's Resource Track.

D a Score Token in their player color.

E a Power Armor Item in their player color.

F 3 Turret Tokens and 4 Mine Tokens in their player color.

G 8 Program Cards and 1 Ad Hoc Mode Card in their player color.

2 Gather all 21 Zone Cards to set up the Arena:

H Separate the 21 Zone Cards into 3 types: 1 Mech Card (), 4 Base Cards (), and 16 Resource Cards ().

I Give each player a Base Card matching their player color to be placed later.

J Based on the number of players, arrange the Arena according to the diagrams below. For the Resource Cards (), shuffle and place them randomly in their designated spaces. Leave spaces open for the Base Cards ().

3 Use any method to determine which player is the Starting Player and give that player the Starting Token. Then, starting with the player to the right of the Starting Player and continuing in counter-clockwise order, each player chooses on which empty space ( b ) to place their Base Zone Card and their ITEMeeple. The Starting Player places last.

4 Each player secretly chooses one of their Mines, numbered 1-4, and places it face-down on their Base Card. The unused Mine Tokens should be kept number side face-down.

5 Place the Round Card and the Score Card within reach of all players.

K Place the Round Token on the "1" space of the Round Card.

L Place each player's Score Token off of the Score Card next to (but not on) the "1" space. Make sure that the blank side is face-up and not the "+40" side.

6 Place the Mighty Mech on the Mech Zone Card in the center of the Arena and the two-sided Mighty Mech Card within reach of all players. Whenever a player enters the Mighty Mech, they choose which side (Troy 3000 or Sparta 3000) to use. It remains on that side until they exit the Mighty Mech.

7 Place all 32 Weapon Items in a pile within reach of all players.

8 Separate the Weapon Cards based on their card backs: 16 Basic and 16 Advanced Cards. Gather the Basic Cards and:

M Give each player the 4 Basic Weapon Cards: 1 Energy Sword, 1 Pulse Pistol, 1 Grenade Launcher, and 1 Riot Shield. Place any undealt Basic Cards into the game box, removing them from the game.

N All players secretly select 1 Basic Weapon Card to keep. After all players have done this, each player announces the card they chose and takes the matching Weapon Item, equipping the item to their ITEMeeple. Each player places the card face-up in one of the Basic Weapon slots on their Pilot Card.

O Collect the remaining unchosen Basic Weapon Cards and make piles of matching Weapons face-up, placing them in reach of all players.

9 Shuffle the Advanced Weapon Cards into a Weapons Deck, placing the deck face-down and revealing the top 4 cards face-up in a row.

Game Play

The game takes place over 6 rounds. Each round, players will program their Pilot using Program Cards, and then execute that program to move their Pilots around the arena and perform actions. If a player enters a Zone with an enemy Pilot, Combat ensues.

After the 2nd, 4th, and 6th rounds, players will earn victory points () for having control over Zones (with their Pilots, Turrets, and Mines) and for controlling the Mighty Mech. After the 6th and final round, players also score victory points for each Weapon they have purchased.

A round consists of the following phases in order:

1. Program: Players secretly and simultaneously choose 4 Program Cards and lay them out, covered by their 4 unused Program Cards, in the order they will execute them (see below).

2. Execution: One at a time, beginning with the Starting Player, players reveal and resolve each Program Card in order (see next page).

3. Scoring: (on rounds 2, 4, and 6) Players gain victory points for Zones controlled and the Mighty Mech (see Scoring, pg. 15).

Phase 1: Program

Players secretly and simultaneously choose 4 Program Cards from their hand of 8. These 4 Program Cards will represent the 4 moves and actions they will make during the round.

The players then lay them out face- up, in order from left to right in the area above their Player Card (called the "Program Area"). Then each card is immediately covered by a face-down unused card to keep them secret from the other players.

It is important that the row of Program Cards is parallel to the Zone Cards in the Arena.

Phase 2: Execution

Once all players have chosen and covered their 4 Program Cards, they must then execute their program.

Beginning with the starting player, players take turns one at a time revealing and resolving their Program Cards in order.

When executing a Program Card, you must first move in the direction of the card's arrow (see below), and then you may resolve the Action (if applicable) listed on the card.

After you finish resolving your card, the next player in clockwise order executes their card, and so on. This continues until all players have executed their 4 Program Cards.

Movement

When you place your cards during the Program Phase, the orientation of the arrow dictates which direction your Pilot MUST move.

• If you enter a Zone with an enemy Pilot, then you immediately start Combat, and DO NOT perform your card's action.

• If you enter a Zone with an enemy Mine or a Turret, immediately take damage. If you are not KO'd (Knocked Out), then destroy the Mine/Turret ( return it to the owner's supply), and perform your card's action.

• If you would move in a direction "out" of the Arena (near the edge), then do not move as you are blocked by a "wall". Although you remain still, you may perform the action on your card.

Double Jump: Move two Zones in the direction the Program Card is oriented, jumping over the first Zone, ignoring any enemies or Mines/Turrets there, and landing in the next Zone.

If there is an enemy there, Combat begins and you immediately deal a Power Attack as your first attack.

Diagonal Jump: Move diagonally one Zone in the direction the Program Card is oriented. If there is an enemy there, Combat begins and you immediately deal a Power Attack as your first attack.

Actions

After completing your movement, you may perform the action listed on your card. However, if you have moved into a Zone with an enemy, you enter Combat and are not allowed to perform your card's action during this turn.

Collect Resources:

You gain resources from all Zones you control, which are Zones occupied by your Pilot, and/ or by your Mines and Turrets.

Gain 1 of the listed resource(s) from each Zone you control (the values on the Zones do not matter), Energy () and/or Credits (), based on the icons on the Zones. Advance the corresponding Energy or Credits Token on the track of your Player Card to show this.

If you control a Base or the Mech Zone, you collect both 1 and 1 . You may only collect once from each Zone per Collection action, even if both your Pilot and a Mine/ Turret occupy it.

Purchase a Weapon:

Pay the listed amount of resources on the Weapon Card to take any one of the 4 face-up Advanced Weapon Cards in the row, or one of the 4 Basic Weapons that you do not already have.

You cannot purchase more than one Weapon with a single action. Then take the corresponding Weapon Item and add it to your stockpile. Players may have an unlimited number of Weapon Cards in their stockpiles, but only one of each type of the Basic Weapons.

After an Advanced Weapon Card is purchased from the row, immediately draw a new card from the deck to replace it. If there are no more cards to draw, continue playing and do not draw new cards. Players can purchase Weapons even if they cannot use them at their current status (see below).

Equipping Basic and Advanced Weapons: Place the cards face-up into the labeled slots on the Pilot or Mighty Mech Card and the corresponding Weapon Items into the slots on the ITEMeeple, Power Armor, or Mech you control.

You may equip/exchange your Weapons from your stockpile any time you change your Pilot's status, purchase a Weapon, or at the beginning or end of your turn. You cannot switch Weapons you have equipped during Combat.

Based on your Pilot's status:

Pilot - Can hold up to 2 Basic Weapons in its hand slots ONLY.

Power Armor - Can hold up to 2 Basic Weapons in its hand slots and up to 2 Advanced Weapons in its shoulder slots (cannot hold Advanced Weapons in its hand slots or vice versa).

Mighty Mech - Can hold up to 4 Advanced Weapons ONLY.

Deploy a mine or a turret:

A player pays Resources to place either a Mine or Turret Token (depending on the Program Card) into their Pilot's Zone (after movement):

Mine: Pay equal to the Zone's listed value. Then secretly choose one of the Mines in your supply (with the number 1,2, 3, or 4) and place it with the number face-down into your Pilot's Zone.

If you do not have at least equal to the Zone's value, then you cannot perform this action. If all your Mines have already been placed, you may move any one of your Mines (checking Mine numbers if needed) into your Zone and still pay the deployment cost.

If an Enemy enters a Zone with your Mine: The Mine's number is revealed and immediately deals damage to the enemy equal to the value of the Zone plus the number on the Mine. The Mine's owner scores 1 if the enemy is KO'd. Whether the enemy is KO'd or not, return the Mine to its owner's supply.

Turret: Pay equal to the Zone's listed value. Then place one of your Turrets into your Pilot's Zone. If you do not have at least equal to the Zone's value, you cannot deploy a Turret. If all your Turrets have already been placed, you may move one of the Turrets of your choice to your Zone and still pay the deployment cost.

If an Enemy enters a Zone with your Turret: Deal damage to the enemy equal to the value of the Zone. If this KO's the enemy, the Turret remains in the Zone and the Turret's owner scores 1 . If the enemy survives, return the Turret to its owner's supply.

• There can be ONLY 1 Mine OR 1 Turret in any Zone at a time.

• You may enter Zones with your own Mine/Turret unaffected.

• If entering a Zone with an enemy Pilot and an enemy Mine, resolve the Mine first and then proceed to Combat.

• If entering a Zone with an enemy Pilot and an enemy Turret, resolve Combat first and then proceed to resolving the Turret.

• Players may deploy a Mine/Turret into ANY unoccupied Zone, including enemy Base Zones and the Mech Zone. If your Pilot is in the same Zone as the Mighty Mech but not controlling it, you cannot deploy a Mine/Turret there.

Power Up:

With this action, you choose one of two separate actions to perform (not both): Heal or Upgrade.

Heal: Pay to increase health (). For every 1 paid, increase 2 , moving the Health Token up on the Pilot Card's Health Track.

When healing, the Health Token may not advance past the highest space. The Pilot and the Power Armor can heal, but the Mighty Mech cannot.

Upgrade: If your status is a Pilot, you may pay 5 to upgrade to your Power Armor.

You then place your ITEMeeple into your Power Armor, flip your Pilot Card to the Power Armor side, and place your Health Token to full health on the "9" space.

It does not matter how much health you have as a Pilot when you upgrade. You may change the Weapons you have equipped at this time.

The Mighty Mech

In the center of the arena stands the Mighty Mech. If the Mighty Mech is unoccupied, any player in Power Armor with full heath entering the same Zone as the Mighty Mech may choose to immediately take control of it, regardless of what Zone the Mighty Mech is in:

Immediately Score

• Take the Mighty Mech Card, choose which Mech Power (side) to use, and place it on top of your Pilot Card, covering it. Place your Health Token at full health on the "11" space.

• Remove your ITEMeeple from the Power Armor and place it into the Mighty Mech (place the Power Armor back into your stockpile).

• You may then equip the Mighty Mech with up to 4 Advanced Weapons from your stockpile. The Mighty Mech cannot equip Basic Weapons.

Controlling the Mighty Mech:

Though the Mighty Mech wields awesome firepower, there is a downside: you cannot Power Up (using a Power Up action has no effect). In fact, there is no way to heal while in the Mighty Mech.

You also lose the ability listed on your Pilot card, and it is instead replaced by the Rocket Charge or Force Field ability listed on the Mighty Mech Card. You cannot voluntarily leave the Mighty Mech once you took control of it.

Combat

Moving into the same Zone as another player begins Combat. The player who moves into the Zone immediately scores , and that player performs the first attack.

Both players will alternate attacking with one equipped Weapon at a time until one player retreats because they have exhausted all of their Weapons, OR because a player is KO'd by losing all of their health, A player cannot voluntarily retreat.

Attacking With A Weapon

Choose one of the equipped Weapon Cards (not cards in the stockpile) and rotate the card 90 degrees on its slot. This shows that the Weapon has been used and is now "exhausted" for this Combat. Then:

1. Deal the attack damage listed on the card's first line, unless dealing a Power Attack (see below), to the enemy (their Health Token is moved down on their health track).

2. Immediately Score Qp for each 1 damage dealt. Damage dealt in excess of an enemy's health does not reward victory points.

3. Note the listed ability of the attack and resolve any effects.

Power Attacking

After a player is attacked, they may immediately unleash a more powerful attack on their turn (instead of a normal attack) if they have the correct Weapon type to do so.

The Power Attack (the second line on the Weapon Card) is triggered if it can counter the type of Weapon the enemy has just used. The three types of Weapons are: Area (), Ranged (), and Melee ().

In terms of Weapon type counters, the following applies:

Area counters Ranged. Ranged counters Melee. Melee counters Area.

Retreating From Combat

When it is your turn to attack, if you have exhausted all equipped Weapons and cannot attack, you must retreat. Combat immediately ends when you retreat, and the enemy immediately scores . Move to the closest orthogonal Zone that is not hostile (if multiple Zones like this exist, you may choose). Then the retreating player goes into Ad Hoc Mode.

Getting Ko'd

As soon as a player is reduced to 0 , they are KO'd ("Knocked Out"). The player who KO'd you immediately scores . The KO'd player then goes into Ad Hoc Mode (see pg. 15) and then depending on your status when you are KO'd:

Pilot: Restore to full health. Then, if you have less than 2 or 2 on your resource track, place the Resource Token(s) on the "2" space. You then place your Pilot onto your Base Zone. If your Base is occupied by an enemy or an enemy Mine/Turret, instead place your Pilot on the closest orthogonal Zone to your Base that is not hostile.

Power Armor: Remove your ITEMeeple from its Power Armor, flip over your Pilot Card to the "Pilot" side, and restore to full health. Your Pilot then moves to the closest orthogonal Zone that is not hostile. You may change what Weapons you have equipped at this time.

Mighty Mech: Remove your ITEMeeple from the Mighty Mech and surrender the Mighty Mech to the player who KO'd you. That player now may take control of the Mighty Mech (even if they are only Pilot status) and sets it at full health. They immediately score for entering it.

The KO'd player, now in Pilot Status, moves their Pilot to the closest orthogonal Zone that is not hostile. Change what Weapons you have equipped at this time.

In the case that a Mighty Mech is KO'd by a Mine/Turret instead of Combat, the Mech will remain standing in that Zone and the player, now in Pilot Status, moves their Pilot to the closest orthogonal Zone that is not hostile.

Weapons are never lost from Combat, even if you are KO'd. They remain equipped or return to your stockpile, your choice. You must always have at least one Weapon equipped.

Combat with a mine/turret

If there is an enemy Mine or a Turret in the Zone with players in Combat:

• Resolve the Mine BEFORE Combat starts (the Mine explodes first, dealing damage only to the attacker).

• Resolve the Turret AFTER Combat is finished (if the Turret's owner retreats or is KO'd, the Turret then damages the attacker).

Ad Hoc Mode

If you retreat or are KO'd in Combat, you immediately go into Ad Hoc Mode:

1. Pick up all played Program Cards, both face-up and face-down, and place them in your stockpile.

2. Place the Ad Hoc Mode Card into your Program Area.

While in Ad Hoc Mode, for the remainder of the Round you can choose any Program Card and perform its movement and action for your turn. On subsequent turns, you may even use a Program Card you already used earlier in the Round.

On your first turn in Ad Hoc Mode, you CANNOT start Combat by attacking another player. However, other players may start Combat with you.

Round End

After all players have resolved all four turns, the Round ends. If it is the end of Round 2, 4, or 6, then all players score for Zones they control and for the Mighty Mech (see below). If it is not the end of the 6th and final Round, do the following steps to get ready for the next Round:

1. Advance the Round Token to the next space on the Round track.

2. Pass the Starting Token to the next clockwise player. They are the next Starting Player.

3. All players pick up their Program Cards or Ad Hoc Mode Cards and start the Program Phase of the next Round. Any player in Ad Hoc Mode from the previous Round is no longer in Ad Hoc Mode.

Scoring Rounds

Players will score victory points for the Zones they control, and also if they control the Mighty Mech:

• Mines: each score equal to each Zone's value.

• Turrets: each score equal to double each Zone's value.

• Pilot: scores equal to its Zone's value, even if also in the same Zone as a Mine or a Turret.

• If controlling the Mighty Mech: Score .

End of the Game

The game ends after scoring the 6th and final round, and in addition to normal Round scoring, each player adds the total victory points listed on all purchased Weapon Cards whether equipped or in their stockpiles.

The highest score wins!

As a tie-breaker, the tied player who controls the Mighty Mech wins. If no one controls the Mighty Mech, the player with the most Weapons wins. If still tied, then the tied players share the victory.

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