Mission cards are the last new MechWarrior game mechanic of this year. They were originally slotted to show up in the MechWarrior: Age of Destruction release, but Game Design decided they wanted some more time to playtest this interesting new game twist. Offering players a way to get extra victory conditions, after all, should be treated delicately!

Mission cards are pretty straightforward. In casual play, they fall under the “All Players/Single Card” category, meaning you and your opponent must each agree to play them, and you may play only one per game. Mission cards are identified by the “M” in their collector’s numbers. The card contains instructions on how to complete the mission. If you do, you win an additional victory condition. The number of victory conditions in the game is increased by the number of mission cards played. Only you may complete the mission card you play. You play your mission card face down after terrain has been placed and battlefield condition cards have been played, but before forces are deployed.

At the end of the game (or earlier if indicated by the card) the mission cards are revealed, and players determine if they completed their mission. If a player does, he or she wins the victory condition for that card. Ties are resolved as covered in the Rules of Warfare.

Mission cards vary in topic, and there are eight different missions in MechWarrior: Firepower. Take a look at Deliver the Payload:

Seems easy, until you consider that your opponent is going to wonder why you are loitering around his or her deployment zone. In the late game, however, this maneuver is certainly possible!

Check back next week for the beginning of the MechWarrior: Firepower sneak peeks.