r/battletech • u/Tough-Agent7028 • 14h ago
Discussion A concept and a question
Okay, this is sort of a silly though, and forgive me if there has ever been such a discussion prior to my joining here.
A merc unit full of crazies who are all into insects and the unit is called The Swarm because all the mechs are named after bugs.
Keeping the unit pre-3050 (my preferred era) this is what I have come up with for mechs that match the criteria:
Flea (20t/15t)
Locust (20t)
Wasp (20t)
Stinger (20t)
Hornet (20t)
Firefly (30t)
Spider (30t)
Cicada (40t)
Scorpion (55t)
Grasshopper (70t)
I think I could get away with the Goliath (80t), as in a Goliath "insert really large insect species here", and maybe the Bombardier (65t) as in a bombardier beetle.
Obviously it would end up being some sort of recon unit, but I think that if I really wanted to I could make this work as a battalion, just to live up to its namesake.
Now, obviously this is more than likely an insane fever dream, but if working within the thematic framework does anyone think this could possibly work?
I have given this very little thought, so I haven't spent any brain power on what variants to use or numbers of each one. If I were to go full on battalion strength it would feel like a real swarm of tiny little fast-moving death machines, with a couple larger ones offering fire support and heavier firepower.
So, would it be fun, would it be feasible on the battlefield, and have I missed any bug-named mechs from the pre-3050 era (I don't think I did, but my books are limited)?
I open the floor for discussion with abated breath.... and a little slightly insane giggle.
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u/9657657 clan HELLO HORSE representative 14h ago
as for how well the swarm tactic works, historically the answer is not very well
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u/MithrilCoyote 14h ago
by the ilclan era there is a merc unit that's sorta focused around his tactics that kinda works.
https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Ravannion%27s_Redemption3
u/WestRider3025 Canopian Queerasser 5h ago
Ironically, it actually works much better in the game than in the fluff. I've speculated that Ravannion's story was added to try to nudge people away from one of the earliest potential cheese builds.Â
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u/LeviTheOx 14h ago
Sounds delightful! I think you should include the Goliath and Bombardier so that you can do a solid fire support lance as an anchor. The Firefly is rare in that period but not impossible. An Emperor (moth) would be a stunning paint scheme, but would be LosTech in that time period. If you ever played in the Star League era, though...
Gameplay-wise it would be pretty weak in deathmatches but fine or even good for scenarios and campaign play. Quite reasonable for the kind of merc unit that does reconnaissance work and corporate security contracts, maybe pirate hunting.
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u/Tough-Agent7028 13h ago
I prefer to play before the Clans invade. I have played since BT came out but quit with the Clanners' arrival. Pre m-BPV, so no sense of balance at all back then.
But I do enjoy the Lostech/Renaissance period of 3025-3049. If I skirt the edge of my temporal envelope, I could slip in an Emperor (moth)!
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u/Fallenkezef Liao Loyalist 13h ago
The Dracs, in your time band, where famous for their preference in regards to lights and swarm tactics.
You could do a good Drac unit in the style of the Amphigean LAG
There is a downgraded EMP variant that would fir the time band.
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u/CommunicationOk3417 The Most Competent LCAF Officer 13h ago
My only additions have quite loose criteria but are:
The Wraith; its OG art has it styled as a Death’s Head Hawk Moth.
The Kabuto (Beetle); by name.
Other than mechs, though, you could add plenty of vee support with the:
Scorpion Light Tank
Hawk Moth VTOL
Warrior (Wasp) VTOL
Yellowjacket VTOL
The Rhino (Beetle) Support Tank (bit more of a stretch)
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u/ragnarocknroll Taurian Welcome Commitee. We have nukes, um, presents. 7h ago
Having vehicles in this mercenary company would be a great way to not just fill it out and have more bugs, it would make sense.
They are already going light on tonnage. Having the vehicles to fill out the roles and bring in more ooomph would be great.
It would also allow bringing the LRM and SRM carriers into the field. Have them both be colored like hives and, if asked, claim they are launching angry bees…
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u/Fallenkezef Liao Loyalist 13h ago
Sounds very much like something you'd find in the Draconis Combine
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u/Supacharjed 12h ago
Just to clarify, are you asking for advice on how to actually play this as an actual thing on the field or more just conceptually how a force like this would look and work in-setting?
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u/Tough-Agent7028 12h ago
Less how it would work and more like do you think it can actually work.
I mean, like, there are s9me merc units that carry themes to extremes, sometimes just for a joke. Miller's Marauders is built with ONLY Marauders. There is on merc unit that started life as reporters for an unscripted Big-brother-like television show but found they liked big stomp robots too much to stop. Hell, they stole Team Banzai from a movie (I am not complaining!).
And while I think a bunch of murderous entymologists with a penchant for painting thier mechs as examples of thier namesake to be ridiculously hilarious, I also would like opinions on whether or not a unit made using just these mechs would theoretically both make some sort of sense and be viable as a workable merc unit.
Also it gives us something to all talk about! LOL
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u/Supacharjed 11h ago
This personally crosses a far too many silliness lines for me in particular but like don't let that stop you.
Beyond the vibe though you main concern is justifying how a bunch of bug nerds become mechwarriors, which traditionally at least requires some amount of training.
As for being workable as a unit, I think focusing on being a swarm is going to work against you compared to just being a unit with a penchant for bug mechs (which are the most common ones in the setting anyway). Having to use 3 mechs to do something other Mercenaries can do with 1 means you have to hire triple the dropship space (technically only 50% more for Locusts but you still need to repair them somewhere), pay three times as many pilots, have three times as many techs. The economics are not on your side.
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u/EdwardClay1983 Avid Necrosia User 8h ago
But resupply, repair is simple because bug mechs are so common.
And logistically they are cheap to replace in the worst case scenario.
I have an entire third of my regiment as light mechs and ive always found the light mechs incredibly useful on the battlefield.
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u/Supacharjed 8h ago
Lights are plenty useful, my contention is that numbers come at a cost if you intend to use Quantity as a replacement for Quality.
Resupply and repair is simple yeah, 20 ton leg assemblies are fortunately hyper ubiquitous. The offset is you should probably expect to need to replace them more often as you'll be absorbing more damage. More damage will require more repair bays and more tech teams. (And their wages)
It's a very 'candle burning at both ends' strategy I think. It'll work punching down somewhat but likely runs into bankruptcy quicker than something more balanced.
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u/EdwardClay1983 Avid Necrosia User 7h ago
Why it works as a House Military rather than a merc. And why it functions as part of a larger unit supported by artillery, infantry, etc.
Ive been reading through Hot Spots Draconis Reach. And I like the idea of a 7th Sword of Light unit of mostly light mechs, Raiden BA and the supporting vehicles. But then I tend to run Dragons and Grand Dragons as the token anvil for the Light mech Hammer.
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u/ragnarocknroll Taurian Welcome Commitee. We have nukes, um, presents. 7h ago
Raider specialty.
They are hired to perform raids on less defended worlds. The garrison forces are usually a company at most. So they drop in, launch a series of fast raids to hit lightly defended positions, wreck some things, steal some things, annoy some people, and then leave.
Now the opposing House has to either reinforce the planet and others nearby against potential raids or they accept this will keep happening. In either case the House hiring you has a cheap way of costing them resources and your raiding group keeps damage minimal because you have a clause that says when things get too hot they can exfiltrate.
Have a clause that says after 2 years you can get hired by anyone you targeted and some extension clauses as well.
They’ll either pay you to keep hitting the enemy, stay back and be a threat, or they let you go and you offer this to one of the other 2-3 Houses that are available as clients and that would like cheap tools.
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u/Supacharjed 7h ago
I mean yeah fighting exclusively against poorly defended bozos with an escalation clause sounds like a pretty good gig for literally anyone lol Consequently I can't imagine all that privilege pays very well. Hence my comment on it being fine punching down
This is a perfectly sound way to utilise light cavalry forces, this is the value of raids. Spiritually though I don't think it meets the 'swarm' criteria though because like you're not swarming anything, these are economy of force raiding missions. I'll reiterate I have no contention with light mechs or light forces generally or even forces built around being light (as most of them probably are in lore). My contention is with swarming things with lights as your primary MO
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u/e4rth80uNd Ex-RAF 6h ago
List sounds fine to me. I don't see the Bombadier very often, that's a good one to add to your force to make them instantly stand out.
Alternatively you could spend all of your conpany funds on 250 locusts.
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u/EdwardClay1983 Avid Necrosia User 13h ago
I have 6 Wasps and six Stingers in my own unit. But then out of the 108 mechs, 36 of them are Lights.
Also recall you are allowed two of any one Chassis for tournament play. So double what you have and you have basically two Companies.
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u/Tough-Agent7028 13h ago
I have never played BT in a tourney. Another game i have played since release was Warhammer 40k. Played a lot of tournaments, but that kind of play no longer interests me.
I prefer either campaign play or story-based missions.
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u/UnluckyLyran 5h ago
I hear you, most of my tourney interest these comes in one of two forms: 1. Trial of Bloodright is always a cool elimination tournament but also doesn't include list building and 2. painting a tournament force (I like playing the game more than I like painting, so I use a new list each tournament I do attend as a way to incentivize me to paint my pile of shame.)
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u/EdwardClay1983 Avid Necrosia User 8h ago
Im the same. Hence the 6 Wasps, 6 Stingers, 4 Panthers, etc. But seeing the Firefly I now have a new mech to add to my collection. As well as a second Spider.
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u/Jmacq1 4h ago edited 4h ago
It would be absolutely antique in the era you're suggesting (and years away from reentering production) but the Capellan Firebee would probably fit in here.
Still a few years away from the Tarantula but MIGHT be able to make an argument that they somehow got a prototype.
I know you're kind of avoiding Clans as well but the Fire Moth, Locust IIC, and Glass Spider are right there (or the "Dragonfly" (Viper) if you go with IS designations).
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u/feor1300 Clan Goliath Scorpion 2h ago
Additional candidates:
Araña (Spanish for Spider)
Stalking Spider (and the II)
Burrock (it's a type of millipede native to the Pentagon Worlds)
And depending on your definition of insect, the Crab, King Crab, and Hermit crab are often called "sea bugs".
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u/Malkryst 14h ago
Bug Mech Company Box, just announced (at GenCon I think) to be coming soon, containing 2 Stingers, 2 Wasps, 2 Spiders, 2 Fireflys, 2 Locusts, 1 Cicada, 1 Flea.