Lancer vs Troika!
Compare Lancer and Troika! side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Lancer | Troika! | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Fantasy, Scifi |
| Play Style | Tactical, Mecha, Grid-Based, Character Building, Combat-Heavy, Heroic, Crunchy | Rules-Light, Weird, Random Character Creation, Low-Prep, Improvisation, Deadly, Random Tables |
| 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. | Three stats: Skill, Stamina, Luck. Roll 2d6 under Skill + Advanced Skill to succeed. Initiative uses a random token-draw stack — unpredictable turn order. Luck is a consumable resource that depletes with each test. |
| Dice | d20 + d6 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | High | Very Low |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Community | Medium | Medium |
| License | Lancer Third Party License | Open (Troika! SRD) |
| Cost | Free (PDF) / $$ | $ |
| Publisher | Massif Press | Melsonian Arts Council |
| Year | 2019 | 2019 |
| 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. | Fast, surreal science-fantasy adventures with minimal rules, random character generation, and a vibrant third-party ecosystem. Ideal for one-shots and improvisational play. |
| Highlights | Free core PDF, extensive mech customization with 30+ frames, clean split between rules-light narrative and crunchy tactical combat, Comp/Con companion app is well-integrated, active community | Simple rules, creative backgrounds double as setting material, large third-party ecosystem (700+ titles), chaotic initiative creates unpredictable combat, affordable |
| 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 | Initiative stack can leave players unable to act for long stretches, mixed roll-under/roll-over mechanics confuse new players, setting is implied rather than described, minimal tactical depth |