# Lancer vs. Salvage Union: Which Mech TTRPG Fits Your Table? Published: 2026-07-31 Updated: 2026-07-31 Compare Lancer's tactical grid combat and mech builds with Salvage Union's fast, low‑prep salvage survival loop. ## Article If you want deep mech fights, pick [Lancer](https://massifpress.com/lancer). If you want low-prep wasteland survival, pick [Salvage Union](https://leyline.press/collections/salvage-union?srsltid=AfmBOoqs5cdEA6fG5OXTRX7I0hWbsq0Vw7oA031dR2UorguD4Rq7A1uP). I’d sum it up like this: Lancer is for tables that want grid combat, build planning, and longer mission play. Salvage Union is for groups that want light rules, no grid, scavenging, and fast sessions. The gap shows up in combat speed, prep time, progression, setting tone, and tool support. - Choose Lancer if you want: tactical maps, License Levels, mech builds, and mission goals - Choose Salvage Union if you want: a flat d20, scrap-based growth, a shared mobile base, and low GM load - Price snapshot: Lancer has free player rules and a $25 PDF; Salvage Union has a free Quickstart and a full PDF at about $29 - Best fit by format: Lancer leans toward longer campaigns; Salvage Union fits one-shots, pickup games, and survival runs Quick Comparison Criteria Lancer Salvage Union Rules weight High Low Combat Grid-based and tactical Narrative and fast Resolution d20 plus extra dice and status tracking Single d20 with 5 outcome bands Progression License Levels, talents, gear unlocks Scrap, repairs, scavenged parts GM prep Medium to high Low Campaign feel Mission-focused sci-fi [Post-apocalyptic](/category/post-apocalyptic) convoy survival Tools [COMP/CON](https://compcon.app/) helps with tracking Few tools needed In short, I’d use Lancer for players who enjoy turn-by-turn mech play and build choices over time. I’d use Salvage Union for groups that want to get moving right away and let the fiction do more of the work. Lancer vs. Salvage Union: Mech TTRPG Comparison Chart ## Is [Salvage Union](https://leyline.press/collections/salvage-union?srsltid=AfmBOoqs5cdEA6fG5OXTRX7I0hWbsq0Vw7oA031dR2UorguD4Rq7A1uP) the best OSR mech game? - RPG Review ## Core Rules and Combat: Tactical Depth vs. Fast Resolution Combat is where these two games split most clearly. Lancer leans tactical and detail-heavy. Salvage Union moves faster and lets the fiction lead. ### How [Lancer](https://massifpress.com/lancer) Runs Mission-Based Combat Lancer combat plays out on a hex or square grid, so terrain, cover, line of sight, and positioning matter a lot. Each mech also tracks Heat, Structure, Stress, plus status effects layered onto its action economy. The part that gives those fights shape is the sitrep system. These are pre-built encounter setups built around goals like holdouts, extractions, or control-point defense. So you’re not just trading attacks. Your squad might need to defend a location, escort someone to safety, or beat the clock on a mission. That changes everything. Movement matters. Cover matters. Timing matters. COMP/CON keeps Lancer's combat bookkeeping manageable. That level of detail tends to click with groups that like planning turns and treating encounters like tactical puzzles. ### How Salvage Union Handles Combat The shift here isn’t only about complexity. It changes what the table pays attention to. Salvage Union uses one d20 with five fixed outcome bands: 1 is a Catastrophe, 2–5 is a Failure, 6–10 is a Tough Choice, 11–19 is a Success, and 20 is a Triumph. If a roll misses the mark, players can Push it by taking Heat on their mech for a reroll and a shot at a better result. Combat uses abstract ranges instead of a grid, so attention stays on what’s happening in the scene, not on exact positioning. A bad roll changes the scene fast without slowing play. That speed also feeds straight into character growth and the campaign’s scrap-and-survival loop. Feature Lancer Salvage Union Map Style Hex/square grid, terrain-heavy Abstract ranges, no grid Resolution d20 plus accuracy/difficulty dice A single d20 with five outcome bands Combat Speed Slower, often multi-hour sessions Fast, [narrative-driven](/category/narrative-driven) Key Resources Heat, Structure, Stress, action economy Heat and Scrap Digital Tools COMP/CON strongly recommended Minimal, optional ## Customization, Progression, and Campaign Feel Between sessions, each game grows in its own way. Lancer leans into careful mech design. Salvage Union leans into making the most of whatever junk, parts, and half-broken gear you can pull from the wasteland. ### Lancer's License Levels and Mech Builds Lancer progression centers on License Levels (LL). These unlock frames, weapons, and systems from five manufacturers: GMS, IPS-N, SSC, HORUS, and HA. Players also gain talents and core bonuses that help shape a mech over time. Lancer rewards planning ahead. If a player wants to pilot a dedicated hacker or an artillery mech, they can work toward the licenses that fit that job. That kind of build planning is a lot of fun for tables that like tuning a loadout and squeezing the most out of a role. Where Lancer pushes long-term build planning, Salvage Union pushes players to react to what's in front of them. ### Salvage Union's Scrap Economy and Shared Base Salvage Union turns that approach on its head. Players scour the wasteland for parts and use what they find to refit their mechs. Progression runs on a scrap economy. Because resources are scarce, every part matters. You have to decide what stays, what gets scrapped, and what needs repair, and those choices tie survival directly to the crew's shared base. Feature Lancer Salvage Union Progression System License Levels, talents, core bonuses Scrap economy, scavenged parts Mech Building Frames, weapons, and systems from five manufacturers Refitting mechs with salvage from the wasteland Advancement Feel Planned buildcraft Improvised salvage growth Campaign Incentive Refine a specialized combat role Keep the crew and shared base going Those progression systems also affect GM prep and the kind of campaign rhythm each game tends to create. ## GM Workload, Table Setup, and Best Use Cases Those differences in campaign structure hit hardest during GM prep. Their progression systems shape workload, too. ### When Lancer Is the Right Pick Lancer is a prep-heavy game. It shines when the GM likes building encounters with a clear job to do: set objectives, place terrain with care, and use objective-based combat through Sitreps. That means more work before the session. You’ll usually prep maps, mission goals, and more combat state to track at the table, with COMP/CON handling a lot of that record-keeping. Because of that, Lancer tends to fit planned campaigns better than off-the-cuff one-shots. It works best in medium-to-long campaigns where players have time to settle into their builds and get involved with recurring factions and missions. If you want to run a one-shot, pre-gens or a beginner module usually make the job much easier. ### When Salvage Union Is the Right Pick Salvage Union is built for lower prep. It keeps things light with minimal math, no grid, and a scrap-driven campaign loop. That lower overhead makes it easier to run a survival-focused game without much setup. If Lancer feels like laying out a tactical battle map, Salvage Union feels more like grabbing your notes and getting the convoy moving. Factor Lancer Salvage Union Prep Demand High - maps, encounter design, Sitreps Low - minimal math Table Setup Grid/hex map, COMP/CON support Minimal; no grid required Combat Management Dense tracking (range, heat, structure, status) Flat d20, no modifiers Campaign Support Long-term mission arcs, recurring factions Community survival, scrap economy ## Final Verdict: Which Mech TTRPG Fits Your Table? Both games do their jobs well, but they aim at different kinds of groups. Pick Lancer if your table wants mech combat front and center. It works best for players who like tuning builds, thinking hard about positioning, and digging into mission-based tactical play. It shines in longer campaigns, where players get time to learn their roles and see their choices pay off. You should expect more prep, and COMP/CON can help keep things from bogging down. Pick Salvage Union if your group wants to jump in fast and make things up as they go, with survival taking priority over deep tactics. Its simple d20 resolution helps sessions move at a steady clip. It’s a better fit for one-shots, pickup games, or any table that wants lighter prep, no grid, faster sessions, and scavenger-style progression. Choose Lancer for tactical depth. Choose Salvage Union for quick, survival-first play. ## FAQs ### Which game is easier for new RPG players? Salvage Union is usually easier for new players to pick up than Lancer. It runs on a simple [d20 system](/category/d20-system), and there’s a free quickstart guide with pre-made characters, which makes getting started much less of a hassle. Lancer is a bit more demanding. It splits play between lighter narrative scenes and crunchy tactical grid combat. On top of that, its action economy, loadouts, and deeper customization can be tougher for beginners to keep track of. ### Can Lancer work for one-shots? Lancer can work for one-shots, but it usually fits long campaigns better because there’s a lot going on under the hood. A single combat encounter often takes 2 to 3 hours. And the game leans hard on tactical rules, grid-based movement, and the COMP/CON app to keep builds organized. So if your group wants a short session that’s easy to pick up and play, Lancer probably isn’t the best match. ### Does Salvage Union still offer meaningful mech customization? Yes. Salvage Union gives you meaningful mech customization, but it doesn't handle it the same way crunchier tactical games do. Instead of leaning on piles of modifier math, the game puts more weight on narrative choices and functional upgrades. You use scrap pulled from the wastes to build or refit mechs with different systems, modules, and weapons, then shape those machines around the role each pilot plays in the Union. {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Which game is easier for new RPG players?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" Salvage Union is usually easier for new players to pick up than Lancer. It runs on a simple d20 system, and there’s a free quickstart guide with pre-made characters, which makes getting started much less of a hassle. Lancer is a bit more demanding. It splits play between lighter narrative scenes and crunchy tactical grid combat. On top of that, its action economy, loadouts, and deeper customization can be tougher for beginners to keep track of. 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You use scrap pulled from the wastes to build or refit mechs with different systems, modules, and weapons, then shape those machines around the role each pilot plays in the Union. "}}]}