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Full MECHBORN update
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What changed
- Maps
- Gameplay
- Balance
- Events
- UI and audio
- Store
MECHBORN changes
Hi Pilots!
I’m Ernani, Lead Designer and Producer at Turtle Juice. Welcome to the very first issue of MECHBORN: DECLASSIFIED!
In this edition, we’re diving into the mechs and pilots you’ll command at the start of the game, giving you a glimpse at Boreas ’ high-mobility combat, unique drone builds, and how Yumi and Yan Li can shape your deck strategies.
Whether you’re testing combos, managing cards on the Conveyor Belt, or exploring adaptive maps, this issue is packed with insights to get you ready for your first run.
Boreas — High-Mobility Suppression (Speed Over Steel)
Bringing Boreas To Life
Boreas is inspired by the Greek god of the North Wind, weaving his symbolism into both the mech’s gameplay and visual identity. Its design is also shaped by classic mech anime; especially Gundam Wing, alongside influences from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, Escaflowne, and Rayearth.
Boreas isn’t here to tank hits — it’s here to not be where the hit lands. While its armor is lighter than some other mechs, Boreas more than makes up for it with speed, positioning, and battlefield control.
By switching between ground and flight stances, Boreas can actively mitigate damage and turn movement into offense. While airborne, it takes 20% reduced damage, and when it lands, enemies are reminded why standing underneath a falling mech is a bad life choice. Master this flow, and Boreas becomes less of a target and more of a problem.
Cards like Blue Dive, Takeoff Strike, and Drifter make stance-changing smooth and reliable, opening the door to devastating combo turns.
| Steam post image | Steam post image | Steam post image | Steam post image |
Pair them with Stabilizer, and you can stay aggressive while quietly stacking shields — because survival is best served with style.
Boreas Drone Builds — Let the Tech Do the Fighting
Not everyone wants to be up close, dodging claws and eating shockwaves. If you’d rather stand back and let your tech handle the violence, Boreas drone builds might be your perfect match
| Steam post image | Steam post image |
With a field full of active drones, damage ramps up fast — especially when your deck leans into offensive powerhouses like Drone King, Killshot, and Northern Wrath. Once the swarm is online, enemies tend to disappear… quickly.
And drones aren’t just about raw damage. Defensive drone options can absorb pressure, control space, and buy you time when things get messy.
As always with Boreas, success comes down to balance — knowing when to go all-in on offense and when to let your machines keep you safe.
Support Cards & Conveyor Belt Positioning — Small Cards, Big Brain Plays
Support cards are where MECHBORN’s combat really flexes its muscles. Their power depends entirely on where they sit on the Conveyor Belt, not just when you play them.
Some support cards thrive on constant movement, others demand stillness, and cards like Amp Field hit their peak when placed next to attack cards — turning good damage into “ was that supposed to happen? ” damage.
Best part? Support cards cost zero energy to activate. The catch? Removing them from your belt can cost energy. So yes, you’re encouraged to think ahead. Future-you will thank present-you. Probably.
Meet the Pilots — TitanCore’s Finest
Of course, even the best mech needs a pilot who knows what they’re doing. Boreas shines brightest when paired with pilots who can manipulate tempo, positioning, and momentum. Let’s meet two of TitanCore’s finest.
Yumi “Ghosty” Yukino — Control the Belt, Control the Fight
Yumi plays the long game — quietly, efficiently, and usually one step ahead. Her skills reward clever positioning and makes the Conveyor Belt feel less like a system and more like a weapon.
SWAP — Positioning Matters
Swap lets Yumi exchange the positions of any two cards on the belt, which is as powerful as it sounds. Pair it with Amp Field, and suddenly your attack cards are right where they need to be — boosted, buffed, and ready to ruin someone’s day.
Forward & Charger — Momentum Is Everything
Forward pushes cards off the belt, which can trigger serious damage when combined with movement-based cards like Drifter. Conveniently, it also helps charge Yumi’s Charger skill, letting you chain abilities together for turns that just keep going.
Yes, this can get a little ridiculous - but that’s kind of the point.
Permafrost — Ice Ice, Baby
Yumi’s most powerful (and expensive) ability freezes all enemies for one turn. Need breathing room? Want to line up a massive offensive? Or just panic slightly less? Permafrost has your back — but beware, some fire-based kaiju are immune to its effects…
Yan Li — Tactical Genius, Maximum Efficiency
Yan Li treats combat like a system to be optimized. Her skills focus on copying, replaying, and squeezing every possible advantage out of your deck — perfect for players who enjoy smart planning and even smarter payoffs.
Rewind — Again? Yes, Again!
Rewind lets you replay a card you’ve just used. With the right setup — especially positional cards like Drone Drop — this quickly turns into “ two drones for the price of one. ” Math has never felt so satisfying.
Shaver — Big Plays, Smaller Costs
Love high-cost, high-impact cards? Shaver reduces any card’s energy cost by two, letting you drop devastating attacks and still have energy left to keep the pressure on. Because going big shouldn’t mean going broke.
Blueprint & Duet — Copy, Paste, Destroy!
These skills reward decks built around repeated low-cost cards like Beam. Blueprint copies cards, Duet rewards playing identical ones and when played together they create fast, efficient combo loops that scale quickly.
Low energy. High damage – And hopefully lots of dead kaiju!
Endless Builds – There’s More Than One Way To Skin A Kaiju
This is what we love most about MECHBORN — the sheer freedom to experiment. Swap pilots, rebuild decks, reposition cards, and suddenly the same mech plays completely differently.
What you’ve seen here is just the beginning. We’ll be diving deeper into more mechs, pilots, and wild strategies in the next issue of MECHBORN: Declassified.
Play Our Pre-Alpha Build On Itch.io!
Can’t wait until launch? You can play our Pre-Alpha build right now on Itch.io and get hands-on with MECHBORN today. We’d love to hear your feedback, it genuinely helps shape the game.
We’ve got plenty more to share soon, so consider joining our Discord to get access to:
Monthly dev newsletters
Community playtests
Competitions, speed runs and more
Special shoutout to Pablo Castañeda in our Discord for setting the truly speedy time of 5mins and 9 seconds - TitanCore thanks you for your service pilot! We’ll be resetting the board on the 1st of March, think you have what it takes to beat it?
We’d love to have you with us and can’t wait to talk all things MECHBORN with you!
Ernani, Turtle Juice
Itch.io - https://turtle-juice.itch.io/mechborn
Discord - https://discord.gg/PM6RnyqDwV
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mechborngame/?hl=en
Source
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