Lancer vs Loot and Scoot Incorporated
Compare Lancer and Loot and Scoot Incorporated side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Lancer | Loot and Scoot Incorporated | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi, Horror, Post-Apocalyptic |
| Play Style | Tactical, Mecha, Character Building, Heroic, Crunchy | Beginner-Friendly, Comedy, Deadly, Dungeon Crawl, Inventory Management, Mission-Based, Resource Management, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Narrative scenes use d20 roll-over (10+ succeeds), with backgrounds granting advantage and triggers adding flat bonuses. Mech combat is grid-based and tactical: no initiative, players and NPCs alternate turns. Pilots progress through License Levels (LL0–LL12), unlocking new chassis, weapons, and systems across five manufacturers with 30+ mech frames. | When an action is uncertain, roll 1d6: a 5–6 fully succeeds, a 2–4 succeeds with a minor complication, and a 1 fails with a major complication. Advantage or disadvantage adds dice and keeps the highest or lowest result. |
| Dice | d20 + d6 | d6 |
| Complexity | High | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | Medium |
| Runnability | Very High | Low |
| License | Lancer Third Party License | Proprietary |
| Cost | Free (PDF) / $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Massif Press | Ultimate Hyper Games |
| Year | 2019 | 2025 |
| Best For | Groups who want deep tactical mech combat with meaningful customization layered on top of accessible narrative play: giant robot enthusiasts seeking a modern alternative to BattleTech. | Groups that want cooperative extraction missions built around real-time pressure, hazardous grid movement, and campaign bookkeeping. |
| Highlights | Free core PDF, extensive mech customization with 30+ frames, clean split between rules-light narrative and crunchy tactical combat, alternating activations remove initiative so both sides stay engaged | Timed Mode uses a real countdown for salvage shifts, then converts the final escape into a 30-turn countdown. Encumbrance ties each recovered item's size and carrying method to movement, forcing the crew to balance profit against escape speed. Death triggers automated cloning that consumes organic material and CloneChips, keeping lethal hazards in play without ending the campaign. |
| Considerations | Mech combat dominates: narrative half feels thin by comparison, steep learning curve from sheer volume of mech options, genre-locked to sci-fi mech fiction, requires grid/VTT for combat | The salvage phase is designed around mapped grid movement, and Timed Mode requires active timer management. Characters begin without mechanical build choices or an advancement track, so equipment and optional cloning mishaps carry most long-term differentiation. Campaign play centers on debt and hauling logistics, making economic bookkeeping part of every cycle. |