# Recommended for the Discerning Feudal Fantasy Mecha Enthusiast ![[Algol Surface Map.png]] tags: #articles Ah, the glorious wonder of transplanting threads. With the added fun of putting in the links for the high class garden-enjoyer who loves the references and footnotes. ![Mecha Feudalism](https://x.com/squidlord/status/1867315853886210302) --- Okay, fine, we're going into my wheelhouse? Let's do this thing. I'm ready. My body is ready. ![Where is the mecha feudalism beyond Escaflowne?](https://x.com/Ganglosaxonnne/status/1867253803126264150) ## [[Spectres of Brocken]] ![[Spectres of Brocken (cover).jpg]] While the default out of the box setting is generally sci-fi flavored, there are a couple of setups for the game which change that altogether. There is certainly no reason that it couldn't be a medieval-flavored game in and of itself. The mechanics don't focus on how to deal with society at large for the most part. It's a very focused game. But if you're looking to focus on the relationships between characters within the context of the greater setting, this is a great place to start and the mechanics are surprisingly good. **[Spectres of Brocken: Full Spectrum](https://ehronlime.itch.io/spectres-of-brocken-full-spectrum)** has one of the most deranged setting setups I've seen in gaming, and I'm here for it. ![[Spectres of Brocken - Full Spectrum - Iron-Blooded Chefs.jpg]] No, seriously, you got your **[Delicious in Dungeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicious_in_Dungeon)** in my Kaiju vs Mecha and it's glorious.^[I've given **Spectres** Hell in the past for having too much woke in it, and I stand by that, but damn if **Full Spectrum** doesn't have some really neat things going on in there. Enough to get my thumb turned sideways? Maybe.] ## [[Ironsworn - Starforged|Starforged]] with [[Starsmith: Mecha Mercs]] ![[Starforged (cover).jpg]] ![[Starsmith Mecha Mercs (cover).jpg]] I maintain that **Starforged** is very likely the best designed and presented game of the last several years. Within its framework, you can run a ridiculous number of games with both sci-fi and fantasy overtones. One of the best things about the game is that it's published with an open license, so third parties can produce whatever they'd like in terms of compatibility and just publish it for whatever they want. Eric Bright, who does **Ironsmith** and **Starsmith** for **[[Ironsworn]]** and **Starforged** respectively, is incredibly prolific and incredibly talented. His supplement **[Mecha Mercs](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/421157/starsmith-mecha-mercs)** for **Starforged** is free on DriveThruRPG, though throwing a few dollars at him certainly wouldn't go amiss because this is top-end content. Go ahead, grab a free copy of **Ironsworn** if you really just want some feudal inspiration but use the mechanics from **Starforged** and **Mecha Mercs** to put together your dream feudal experience RPG with mecha. If you're feeling particularly bold, grab **[Ironsworn: Reign](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/419256/ironsworn-reign)**, which is mechanically compatible, and use that to do community development and castle building in the same framework.^[Honestly, nothing to add here except, truthfully, if you haven't given Bright money yet, go drop him a few bucks for the incredible work he does. He's more than earned it.] ## [[Mekton|Mekton Zeta]] ![[Mekton Zeta (cover).jpg|400]] All right, fine. You want something more classic in terms of game design, but you still want to be as crunchy and chunky as your dreams of mech construction desire. We can go old school. Straight up **Mekton Zeta** right back into the Interlock system, the original **Mekton** setting was very much a sci-fi giant robot fantasy pastiche and I don't see any reason to do otherwise. You think you're hardcore, you think you're a real man, you think that you want one of the best mecha construction systems ever put to page. Well then, pick up **[Mekton Zeta Plus](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/1556/mekton-zeta-plus)** and prove it. You've got all sorts of delicious wonder just waiting to fall out for what is perhaps your perfect feudal mecha adventure.^[The wonders of the Zeta Plus system are really only rivaled by **[[Jovian Chronicles]]**, which not shockingly originated in some of the same brains. But JC doesn't have any readily referenced fantasy interpretations.] ## [[HOME Mech x Kaiju|HOME: Mech x Kaiju]] ![[Home - Mech x Kaiju (cover).jpg]] You know what? Maybe all the previous suggestions were too much mechanical overhead. Maybe you don't want all that crazy crunch. Maybe you want a game that you can sit down and play with your friends or even alone with minimal overhead, where you annotate a map and figure out your mission and then go and take care of business. Here you go, **Home: Mech X Kaiju** is surprisingly lightweight for how much good stuff falls out of it. Yes, the default setting is fantasy flavored and it can be just as futile as you want it to be. In fact, I think it might prefer being more fantastic in terms of fantasy elements than some of the other choices here.^[This thing all but lives in my gaming bag, with some spare blank maps and some markers. It could break out at any time, takes minimal explanation, and is out-of-the-box good.] It's a real good time. ## [[Mecha and Monsters - Evolved|Mecha and Monsters: Evolved]] ![[Mecha and Monsters - Evolved (cover).jpg|400]] It's exactly what it says on the tin. Now, if you don't want to fight giant monsters or to fight as giant monsters and want to focus on the purely human-to-human interpersonal conflicts, this is probably a bad choice. But if you're looking for a traditionally architected RPG with minimalist mechanics that focuses on doing just what it needs to, and is perfectly okay with being futile fantasy as much as it would be post-apocalyptic survival or defending the planet - this will do it just fine. Besides, look at this thing. This wants to be in a fantasy setting, you know it does.^[Perhaps shockingly, I've never had the opportunity to run this one. Okay, that's not really much of a shock given how I avoid being a GM these days. But this is lightweight, almost minimalist in certain ways, but crunchy in the monster and mech designs. Not so much that you don't want to do it, but enough that you feel like you've done something.] ## [[Mecha]] ![[Mecha (cover).jpg]] I know what you're thinking. Why is this in here? Out of the book, it has a pretty classic sci-fi setting as what you get. And even the variants given are generally in that style. Now, I bring up Mecha not because I think you need the core book and it's a perfect mechanism for doing your feudal mecha fantasy, but because it lets me talk about a supplement for Mecha which might blow your mind. **[Mekayana]((https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/117360/mekayana-a-bollywood-supplement-for-mecha)** . ![[Mekayana (cover).jpg|400]] You never specified what *country or flavor* of feudalism that you wanted. And **Mekayana** is all about the India and Hindu-flavored fantasy. If you're not already running for the hills and instead nodding along and saying, “Yes, I can see how this could be fun,” you are in a great place. Release the hounds of war and enjoy it all. I get that this is definitely not for everybody. But if you're that special kind of someone, this is exactly what you've been looking for.^[Your mind is not ready, I swear. Also, damnit, Chris Perrin, go back and finish the goddamn thing!] ## Exunt I could keep digging, but I think you get the idea. Feudal-flavored fantasy mecha is a genre well-established outside the framework of **[Escaflowne](https://escaflowne.fandom.com/wiki/The_Vision_of_Escaflowne)**. If you're willing to put in just the tiniest bit of work, you can adjust almost any mecha-centric game to the genre. If I were going to choose from this exhaustive list, then I'd probably start with **Starforged** simply because I enjoy it so much and the tools are so good. But if I were looking to do something more traditionally architected, **Mekton** would be front and center without question. It's just that good.