Author Topic: Who is your favorite mercenary unit? Why? (Read 39207 times)

E. Icaza · « **Reply #30 on:** 12 September 2018, 09:04:50 »

Gray Death Legion because the books were some of my first BT books and because of the recovery of the Helm Core.

Grave Walkers because my beloved Jade Falcons kept chewing them up and spitting them out, but they still kept coming back. I respect tenacity in an enemy.

NeonKnight · « **Reply #31 on:** 12 September 2018, 09:26:31 »

Greenburg's Godzillas

A Merc Company along the lines of DOG the Bounty Hunter, COPS and similar sorts of DocuDramas.

The next best thing about GG's...their 'Mechs have sponsorship Logos all over them. Think Formula One Car Racing or NASCAR but with 'Mech's

Mmmmmmmmmmmm...gonna have to paint me up some Greenburg's one of these days!

truetanker · « **Reply #32 on:** 12 September 2018, 14:00:37 »

SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! all up and down the leg and CHICKEN! on the backside of a Warhammer...

CityTech sourcebook.

TT

PsihoKekec · « **Reply #33 on:** 13 September 2018, 00:52:12 »

Grey Death Legion due to their historic role and skillful use of combined arms.
Gordon's Armored Cavalry, I guess because I liked the family business angle.

Geont · « **Reply #34 on:** 13 September 2018, 01:15:48 »

Probably Chaos Irregulars because novels although they changed to regular unit (1st Rim Commonality Guard).
And second would be 21st Centauri Lancers because of their grudge against CapCon.

Wereling · « **Reply #35 on:** 13 September 2018, 15:12:21 »

I've always been partial to Battle Magic. I like the idea of a mercenary R&D group.

Demon55 · « **Reply #36 on:** 16 September 2018, 18:56:37 »

Eridani Light Horse-light raiders with a traditional flare.
Gray Death Legion-I liked their start and Grayson's guts.
Wolf's Dragoons-The best and biggest and willing to stay independent.

DOC_Agren · « **Reply #37 on:** 16 September 2018, 21:32:14 »

Quote from: truetanker on 12 September 2018, 14:00:37

SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! all up and down the leg and CHICKEN! on the backside of a Warhammer...

CityTech sourcebook.

TT

;D
Loved that story

Banzai · « **Reply #38 on:** 17 September 2018, 11:18:26 »

I loved the GDL in the first three books, where they were skin-of-their-teething existence. They had both jumpships and dropships, but how they got them were played out and made sense in-story, and the dropships were fake Unions made from cargo haulers. When they got their own battle armor and factories, and Greyson started playing in-universe MechCommander matches against Jaime Wolf for charity is when I started losing that first love...

Fat Guy · « **Reply #39 on:** 17 September 2018, 14:41:03 »

Wolf's Dragoons.

Back in the second edition box each of the five Great Houses employed one of the five included Mercenary commands, and the Merc's logo shared the color of its employer's logo.

Since I chose the Combine as my faction (they were the closest thing BattleTech had to an Evil Empire at the time) and they employed the Dragoons, they became my favorite mercs.

Natasha Kerensky · « **Reply #40 on:** 18 September 2018, 03:00:24 »

Lone Wolves. They're gritty, they exemplify the mercenary mindset, they're always one step ahead, and they always turn a profit.

Highball · « **Reply #41 on:** 19 September 2018, 23:30:50 »

Big units - Lexington Combat Group .... I loved their back story

Small Units - Miller's Marauders .... because who doesn't love a battalion of MARAUDERS!

Sharpnel · « **Reply #42 on:** 20 September 2018, 00:41:37 »

Quote from: Highball on 19 September 2018, 23:30:50

Small Units - Miller's Marauders .... because who doesn't love a battalion of MARAUDERS!

Me. for one.

tassa_kay · « **Reply #43 on:** 20 September 2018, 09:17:33 »

The Wolf Hunters in their original incarnation, and the Big MAC (only because of my choice of factions). I don’t really care for mercenaries in general, though.

Kit deSummersville · « **Reply #44 on:** 20 September 2018, 09:39:28 »

Wolfe's Dragons. A little bit of competence mixed with plenty of delusions of grandeur.

Armond · « **Reply #45 on:** 21 September 2018, 07:07:07 »

15th Dracons. Don't exist anymore, but when they did, they were awesome. Legacy built upon Star League ancestry/origins with a penchant for philanthropy as well.

MarauderD · « **Reply #46 on:** 21 September 2018, 11:06:31 »

Team Banzai. Loved every bit of the backstory, the references, the mad doctor that was also an elite mechwarrior?

What wasn't to like?

Deadborder · « **Reply #47 on:** 21 September 2018, 18:18:16 »

Another contender for me would be Wyld's Jokers, but they were only ever mercs on a technicality. On the other hand, they have the best worst special unit ability ever.

Rainbow 6 · « **Reply #48 on:** 23 September 2018, 04:58:24 »

I have a few to be honest:-

Wolf's Dragoons - battered and brused but surviving and as I can't settle on a house or clan probably the most consistant game world faction i've followed.

Grey Death Legion - They got me into the game via decision at thunder rift.

Eridani Light Horse - Love the traditions, shame they have been killed off.

Millers Marauders - Who doesn't love a unit of Marauders and not only do I share the surname of the units commander, but when introduced in the original Federated Suns book we also have the same initial.

Tamar Pikemen - My winning entry for merc units to be included in the 2nd SW book, so gotta like them.

Demon55 · « **Reply #49 on:** 01 October 2018, 10:08:22 »

Quote from: Banzai on 17 September 2018, 11:18:26

I loved the GDL in the first three books, where they were skin-of-their-teething existence. They had both jumpships and dropships, but how they got them were played out and made sense in-story, and the dropships were fake Unions made from cargo haulers. When they got their own battle armor and factories, and Greyson started playing in-universe MechCommander matches against Jaime Wolf for charity is when I started losing that first love...

Agreed. The GDL has always been a source of inspiration and courage. They had 3 bad hands and played them in a way that won in the end.

Phalanx · « **Reply #50 on:** 08 October 2018, 19:26:11 »

Big Units: Northwind Highlanders(enjoy the use of scottish bagpipes to herald their arrival)

Smaller units: Able's Aces(love the balance of idealism and a unit that fights for democracy instead of a noble ruler)

DOC_Agren · « **Reply #51 on:** 09 October 2018, 22:08:53 »

Northwind Highlanders, a unit kinda liked until Jihad, when they weren't attacked by Wobbie forces, kinda made me wonder what deal they made

truetanker · « **Reply #52 on:** 09 October 2018, 23:35:14 »

Quote from: DOC_Agren on 09 October 2018, 22:08:53

kinda made me wonder what deal they made

Something to do with a few Regiments of Royal Highlanders and the fact that they took many clantech weapons from Huntress and / or bought them straight from the Foxes themselves...

Not really hard to make a IIC from a Standard 732 / 733, the 732b uses DHS but everything else is bog standard. Would you fight a full regiment of IICs without Warship support? Not to mention they have some of the best techs in the universe who fought the clans in one of the most bloodiest battles? AND even more scarier is the fact most of their lightest mechs barely weigh less than 50 tons?!? These people like to assault you with everything including that haggis they were cooking for snack time! Not to mention their taste of music... wailing bagpipes anyone? 8) Would you rather face a clan Binary of TC-pulse mechs or a Lance of Highlander-733C leading an Emperor-6A and paired Wyvern-5N's in a city?

Not to mention all that clan loot they brought back...

TT

EDIT: For better clarity and wording structure.

Mecha-Anchovy · « **Reply #53 on:** 09 October 2018, 23:36:23 »

Romanov's Crusaders and the Knights Defensor spring to mind, if only because I really like the Space Knights Neo-Chivalric thing in BattleTech. We have an awful lot of grubby mercs out for cash, and while that's a fun trope, it does get a bit one-note after a while. But the idealistic mercenary companies are also interesting.

The Heart of Blake, for similar reasons. What a tragedy. :'(

Kidd · « **Reply #54 on:** 10 October 2018, 01:11:14 »

Quote from: Mecha-Anchovy on 09 October 2018, 23:36:23

Romanov's Crusaders

Aren't Romanov's Crusaders for all intents and purposes the 3rd Knights of the Inner Sphere?

Quote from: DOC_Agren on 09 October 2018, 22:08:53

Northwind Highlanders, a unit kinda liked until Jihad, when they weren't attacked by Wobbie forces, kinda made me wonder what deal they made

Wasn't the reason because the WOB considered them descendants of the SLDF and wanted to preserve them and so took the soft approach rather than Palmyra-ing them from orbit?

I won't lie, it's flimsy as all hell, but Blake knows what goes on in those cybernetic brains...

Hellraiser · « **Reply #55 on:** 10 October 2018, 01:15:19 »

Not sure about saving them as SLDF remnants, but didn't they basically strand them on the planet by capturing their fleet IIRC.

Not much you can do when you don't have JS to get out of the system.

Who needs to fight 5 regiments of mechs when you can capture a dozen JS & leave behind some assault droppers to make sure nothing leaves the planet.

Kidd · « **Reply #56 on:** 10 October 2018, 01:22:26 »

Quote from: Hellraiser on 10 October 2018, 01:15:19

Who needs to fight 5 regiments of mechs when you can capture a dozen JS & leave behind some assault droppers to make sure nothing leaves the planet.

Because there's always the danger of someone else jumping in to spring the tiger from the trap. The WOB could have nuked them from orbit at any time, and would have if elimination was their objective.

I can't remember WHY they were spared though.

Major Headcase · « **Reply #57 on:** 10 October 2018, 01:47:51 »

I have a soft spot for tge Grey Death. Decision at Thunder Rift was my first Btech novel the year it published. That book has shaped how i see mercs in Btech ever since.
More recently, I really like the Chao Irregulars stories. As silly as Mech gymnastics was, I think the stories were well written and the unit is easy to like.

But my favorite by far are The White Hawkes; a scrappy merc company perpetually on the verge of financial ruin set in 3026. Lead by disgraced FWLM Captain, Deacon Hawke. 😁
I've played them, or versions of them, for decades now. 😊

Banzai · « **Reply #58 on:** 10 October 2018, 14:34:42 »

Quote from: Kidd on 10 October 2018, 01:22:26

Because there's always the danger of someone else jumping in to spring the tiger from the trap. The WOB could have nuked them from orbit at any time, and would have if elimination was their objective.

I can't remember WHY they were spared though.

As I remember, the WOB whispered "quietly, quietly," to everyone in orbit and jumped out. And the Highlanders assumed they were still there and never checked. And no one else did either.

Or so they say! Dun dun DUN!

(I hate the Highlanders and the passes they receive, so I may be biased. A little.)

CrossfirePilot · « **Reply #59 on:** 10 October 2018, 18:57:34 »

The Blazing Aces, my first employers. :)