Overview

Mechs vs. Minions is a cooperative programmed-movement game set in the League of Legends universe. Players pilot Yordle-built mechs, programming them with Command Cards to move, attack, and complete mission objectives while battling waves of minions. Each mech has a Command Line of 6 slots that builds up over the course of the game, creating increasingly powerful (but potentially chaotic) programs.

Components

• 5 player Mechs with Command Lines (6-slot programming boards)
• 100+ Minion figures
• 95 Command Cards (Attack, Move, Turn types in 4 elements: Fire, Electric, Metal, Computery)
• 55 Damage Cards (Glitch, System, Slot types)
• Gear Tracker board
• 5 Map Tiles
• Bomb token, Boss Mech, Crystal Shards
• Dice (number and rune)
• 10 sealed mission envelopes

Setup

1. Select a mission and open its envelope.
2. Build the map from specified tiles.
3. Each player takes a mech and blank Command Line.
4. Set up minions and objectives per mission instructions.
5. Place the Gear Tracker and starting components.

Turn Structure

Each round:

1. Player Phase

a. Draft: Draw Command Cards from a shared pool; each player takes one. b. Program: Place the drafted card into one of your 6 Command Line slots (or scrap it for an immediate effect). c. Execute: Starting from slot 1, execute each programmed slot in order (1 through 6).

2. Minion Phase

a. Move: Minions move toward objectives or players. b. Spawn: New minions appear at spawn points. c. Attack: Minions adjacent to mechs deal damage.

3. Danger Phase (some missions)

Boss or environmental hazard acts.

Actions

Command Card Types

Type	Effect
Attack	Deal 1 damage to adjacent minion (per card power level)
Move	Move forward; stomp minions in your path
Turn	Rotate facing direction

Stacking Cards

Same-element cards stack in one slot, increasing power level (max 3). The top card determines the action type; power level affects magnitude.

Scrap Effects

Instead of programming, scrap a card for its element’s immediate effect:

• Fire: Repair slot damage (requires 6 fire cards total)
• Metal: Repair system damage (requires 9 metal cards)
• Electric/Computery: Other immediate effects

Damage System

Three damage types received from minions:

• Glitch: Immediate effect, then discarded
• System: Ongoing debuff placed beside Command Line
• Slot: Disables a specific Command Line slot (rolled randomly)

Movement Interactions

• Moving into a minion stomps it (kills it)
• Moving into another mech pushes it forward
• Moving into the bomb pushes it

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Each mission has specific cooperative objectives:

• Escort the bomb to a target
• Defeat a boss mech
• Protect a location
• Collect crystal shards

All players win together if the objective is met. Players lose if the mission’s failure condition triggers (e.g., bomb explodes, boss reaches full power, school is destroyed).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Team Gears: Earned by killing 5 minions per gear. Reaching gear milestones activates Schematic Card bonuses. At 15 gears, Overdrive abilities unlock.
• Lava Pools: Stop mech movement immediately and deal 1 damage.
• Oil Slicks: Mech slides until hitting an obstacle.
• Rune Gates: Blocked unless mech uses a matching-color Move Command.
• Crystal Shards: Picked up by stepping on them (1 per mech). Dropped when damaged.
• Missions are played in sequence, forming a campaign with escalating difficulty.
• The game includes 10 sealed mission envelopes for a spoiler-free campaign experience.

Player Reference

Phase	Steps
Player	Draft card -> Program or Scrap -> Execute slots 1-6
Minion	Move -> Spawn -> Attack
Danger	Boss/hazard acts (some missions)

Damage Type	Effect
Glitch	Immediate one-time effect
System	Ongoing debuff
Slot	Disables a Command Line slot