Who is your favorite mercenary unit? Why?

[Minemech]

 Who is your favorite mercenary unit? Why?

 I am an old fan of Smithson's Chinese Bandits, because they strike me as what mercenaries in BattleTech should be. They can and do take hits, and the losses actually matter in the long term. Yet, they earn their marks by being substantive in battle. They demand good money, and they earn their C-Bills through their quality. They are not the best, but they are effective.

 A runner up would be the PONTI

[Sharpnel]

Wilson's Hussars as they are loveable losers.

[Sartris]

Battle Magic

I like the whole 'tech wizards with guns' schtick. Also I'm more drawn to units with some personality that aren't multi-regimental planet-owning juggernauts

[Elmoth]

Also I'm more drawn to units with some personality that aren't multi-regimental planet-owning juggernauts

+1
People that can launch an invasion of a Successor state on their own get old very fast. I know they are based on the merc companies of the XIV and XV centuries, and the condottiere after that, but they are no fun for me.

[Wotan]

Even while it is a multi-regimental unit, for some reason i like the 12th Vegan Rangers.
Beside that i also prefer smaller merc units.

[Kidd]

17th Recon Regiment

Nuff said.

[jklantern]

17th Recon Regiment

Nuff said.

Radio KATN.

[Deadborder]

Wilson's Hussars are where it's at.

[The Eagle]

The Northwind Highlanders were always my favorite of the large commands, because Scotland.  For the regiment-and-smaller crowd, I've always had an odd attraction to the Blackstone Highlanders (the only Lyrans I'll speak good of!) and the 21st Centauri Lancers, the closest thing the Free Worlds had as a signature merc unit for a long time.  They're consummate professionals: just awesome at what they do without hogging headlines like some others are wont to do.

[TwinkieMonkieIIC]

I rather enjoy units with quirky back stories or ridiculous vices and/or luck contributing to their success or survival.  Snords Irregulars, Greenburg's Godzillas, Reed's Brew and the like.  Northwind Highlanders for sheer staying power and that sexy accent.

[Ruger]

Here are some of my favorites:

Clifton's Rangers (almost has to be)
The Furies
Grave Walkers
Grey Death Legion
Grim Determination
Hansen' Roughriders
Hell's Black Aces
Little Richard's Panzer Brigade
Miller's Marauders / Barber's Marauders II
Mobile Fire
Nelson's Longbows
Raging Horde
Snord's Irregulars

Mostly combined arms or units composed primarily of things other than 'Mechs or that have something really unique about them...

Ruger

[Baldur Mekorig]

Wilson's Hussars as they are loveable losers.

Idem, i like the underdogs. Especially when they hit so low like them.

[truetanker]

Kouki no Otakebi
Ever-Free
Miller's Marauders  :thumbsup:

Top three for me! In reverse order...

Cause Miller sold his unit to his daughter Barbra, plus who don't like MADs?

What's not to love about a love story of enemies?

And Damn best and finest of DCMS fighting for what they love!

TT

[trboturtle]

Hansen RoughRiders -- one of the original five Merc units, yet have seen little face time. Their war against the Concordant during the Jihad is an epic David vs Goliath story.....

Gannon's Cannons -- I wrote the background for them.

Craig

[Banzai]

Team Banzai/The New Avalon Cavaliers - Because loving big stompy robot fights isn't quite geeky enough.  And I am pretty sure that was what was playing on cable tv in the back ground during my first Battletech game. 

[Boomer8]

I gotta say Camacho's Caballeros, because of that whole homeboy feel.... and which other merc unit gets to feel like a mexican gang?

[VhenRa]

Hansen's Roughriders, by far.

They aren't good guys, they have more then a few questionable things in their background, their tactics are questionably heroic at best...

But I like em.

[snakespinner]

Hansen's Roughriders
Grave Walkers
Those 2 epitomize what mercs are supposed to be.

[lrose]

Mary’s Little LAMs. Because I got a home brewed unit canonized in the game.

[Drewbacca]

Mary’s Little LAMs. Because I got a home brewed unit canonized in the game.

I had high hopes for my Sacrificial LAMs but I missed the cutoff.

[Saint]

12th Star Guards

At first for the name alone, but like Minemech it is how I think a Merc unit should be. Not the best , struggles at times, but made a good showing right up to the end.

[truetanker]

Mary’s Little LAMs. Because I got a home brewed unit canonized in the game.

So what was the ( your ) final countdown, 1/2 Battalion or less?

Because I remember that song oh so many years ago... from Battletechnology IIRC.

That was yours? I'd have a fond memory of that unit from the mag.

Thanks,
TT

[Black_Knyght]

For me personally, plain and simple, my all-time favorite is the ORIGINAL 3025 era Cranston Snord's Irregulars!

Secondly I'd have to add Camacho's Caballeros, because I love the southwestern cultural tones so cleverly woven into them.

[lrose]

So what was the ( your ) final countdown, 1/2 Battalion or less?

Because I remember that song oh so many years ago... from Battletechnology IIRC.

That was yours? I'd have a fond memory of that unit from the mag.

Thanks,
TT

Not from Battletechnology. This is a unit I wrote up for the Shattered Dawn AU that Takiro and I worked on

[Luciora]

Blazing Aces, Crescent Hawks and Xiaos Cassions.

First two were my introduction to the world of Battletech and the 3rd is canonized in the 2nd Sucession War

[Iron Grenadier]

Hansen's Roughriders, for reasons already posted by others.

Miller's Marauder's, just because an entire unit of Marauder's. And I prefer Miller's vs Barber's version.

Avanti's Angels, because I liked the novel.

[glitterboy2098]

until they all died, the Fighting Uruk-Hai. mainly because i'm a big Tolkien fan.

[Kojak]

I've been thinking about this for a while now and it's honestly really difficult to choose just one, because there are so many I love. Group W, Kirkpatrick's Invaders, the Martian Cuirassiers, the Lexington Combat Group, the Blackhearts, the Knights of St. Cameron, Camacho's Caballeros, the Blue Star Irregulars, the Northwind Highlanders, Snord's Irregulars, Avanti's Angels, the Chaos Irregulars, Barret's Fusiliers, Khorsakov's Cossacks, Stalwart Support, Battle Magic, the Heart of Blake, the Fist of Mokal...they're all contenders for me. The sheer variety and creativity behind so many mercenary units is one of the things that drew me so far into Battletech.

[Hellraiser]

Well based on the early novel coverage it was hard not to like the GDL.

Even the Dragoons were coolish pre-clan exposure with their mystery.

But the ELH was probably my early favorite of the few fluffed out units with background info that we had in the 80's.



That said, as more unit were fluffed out I found some others I liked.

Blackhearts, Arcadians, & Hells Black Aces to name a few, the latter 2 combined were eerily similar in origin to our early MW1 campaign.

[Exilyth]

Kraken unleashed
due to making blue water navy and ampibious assaults work in a universe where such things are considered inferior.
Also interesting unit choices.


If I had to go with one of the big units - though one, can't decide between camacho's caballeros and northwind highlanders.