BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Game Universe => The Inner Sphere => Topic started by: Minemech on 05 September 2018, 10:23:16
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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
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Wilson's Hussars as they are loveable losers.
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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
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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.
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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.
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17th Recon Regiment
Nuff said.
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17th Recon Regiment
Nuff said.
Radio KATN.
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Wilson's Hussars are where it's at.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Wilson's Hussars as they are loveable losers.
Idem, i like the underdogs. Especially when they hit so low like them.
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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
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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
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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.
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I gotta say Camacho's Caballeros, because of that whole homeboy feel.... and which other merc unit gets to feel like a mexican gang?
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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.
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Hansen's Roughriders
Grave Walkers
Those 2 epitomize what mercs are supposed to be.
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Mary’s Little LAMs. Because I got a home brewed unit canonized in the game.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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until they all died, the Fighting Uruk-Hai. mainly because i'm a big Tolkien fan.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Greenburg's Godzillas (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Greenburg%27s_Godzillas)
A Merc Company along the lines of DOG the Bounty Hunter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_the_Bounty_Hunter), COPS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cops_(TV_series)) 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
(https://www.brandchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/nascar_daytona_2011_fb.jpg)
Mmmmmmmmmmmm...gonna have to paint me up some Greenburg's one of these days!
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SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! all up and down the leg and CHICKEN! on the backside of a Warhammer...
CityTech sourcebook.
TT
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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.
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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.
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I've always been partial to Battle Magic. I like the idea of a mercenary R&D group.
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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.
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SPAM! SPAM! SPAM! all up and down the leg and CHICKEN! on the backside of a Warhammer...
CityTech sourcebook.
TT
;D
Loved that story
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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...
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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.
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Lone Wolves. They're gritty, they exemplify the mercenary mindset, they're always one step ahead, and they always turn a profit.
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Big units - Lexington Combat Group .... I loved their back story
Small Units - Miller's Marauders .... because who doesn't love a battalion of MARAUDERS!
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Small Units - Miller's Marauders .... because who doesn't love a battalion of MARAUDERS!
Me. for one.
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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.
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Wolfe's Dragons. A little bit of competence mixed with plenty of delusions of grandeur.
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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.
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Team Banzai. Loved every bit of the backstory, the references, the mad doctor that was also an elite mechwarrior?
What wasn't to like?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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Northwind Highlanders, a unit kinda liked until Jihad, when they weren't attacked by Wobbie forces, kinda made me wonder what deal they made
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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.
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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. :'(
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Romanov's Crusaders
Aren't Romanov's Crusaders for all intents and purposes the 3rd Knights of the Inner Sphere?
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...
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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.
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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.
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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. 😊
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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.)
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The Blazing Aces, my first employers. :)
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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.)
Perfidious Northwind. A whole planet of compulsive traitors who seem to take any excuse to backstab whoever they are supposed to be on side with at the time.
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Aren't Romanov's Crusaders for all intents and purposes the 3rd Knights of the Inner Sphere?
They're essentially the FWL Foreign Legion, plus chivalry.
I'm all over that. Seems like a good way to have characters from non-FWL backgrounds fighting in my FWL-themed campaign!
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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.
So what ya saying Truetanker, you Word of Blake lover 8), is that they either handed a bunch of that nice tech over to Wobbies as a tribute, or you guys forgot your keys to the WMD locker when it to Northwind. Because it not like orbital weapons fire was unknown to Wobbies.
Perfidious Northwind. A whole planet of compulsive traitors who seem to take any excuse to backstab whoever they are supposed to be on side with at the time.
Very True and well spoken.
(I hate the Highlanders and the passes they receive, so I may be biased. A little.)
Don't feel alone, that pass is what turned me against them
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No
None of the above....
It was more like, shut up and be quiet or else!
Naw, I jest... no idea really.
TT
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Kraken Unleashed.
With units like the Argo Submersible Carrier they wold pose a really unique challenge to an invading unit that most probably wouldn't be ready for...particularly if Intel doesn't have them on planet. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if it often happens that an invading force just does not include, or brings way to few torpedoes/similar naval weapons, as part of their inventory in their tightly packed Dropships.
..and Camacho's Caballeros/17th Recon Regiment...because everything about them reeks of awesome, and I feel Victor Milán really brought some flavor to the unit and the Trinity Worlds. You also have killer characters like Cassie Abtakha Suthorn, Marisol La Dama de la Muerte Cabrera, Rabbi Bar-Kochba, Colonel Carlos Tiburon Camacho, and Kali Dark Lady MacDougall. A unit with mech drivers so intuitive, they practice by playing football with their mechs, and can probably pull round house kicks on your cockpit in melee with ease.
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Rubinsky's Light Horse. Have liked them ever since reading The Capellan Solution duology.
The Black Thorns...well, okay in the first novel, the second was kind of meh. But Esmeralda and Badicus were both really cool characters.
And can't help but have a soft spot for Wilson's Hussars. A fun unit to campaign as.
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To me, Grey Death Legion.
First book I read was Thunder Rift, and how they started small and always tried to think outside the box to handle problems. It was also the Mercenary unit that would say no to their employers when they believed their employers crossed the line. I am still mad about how they were treated by the writers after their fight against the Free Skye at Hesperus. Of Course, I think the entire Jihad was, well everyone complains about how the writers write something, but I have a major beef with the writers about the Jihad.
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Could I leave this here?
Vost Lance
* runs away...
TT
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Could I leave this here?
Vost Lance
* runs away...
TT
We must sacrifice Truetanker to appease the chickens.
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(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqk8Ys7NEI2dQ1Lk6-pq-i-stpz10RRAipUO7QlJvfVaN2bBuJ)
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TT to the Chickens.... ::) but what if they get his level of Evilness 8)
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:stupid:
TT to the Chickens.... ::) but what if they get his level of Evilness 8)
And to show no hard feelings, this sums up me: For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast...
TT
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Perfidious Northwind. A whole planet of compulsive traitors who seem to take any excuse to backstab whoever they are supposed to be on side with at the time.
True, in fact one could argue that the Gray Death Legion was treated far more harshly for 'treachery' that was actually justified. The traitor 'Goons also got a bit of a free pass until the Blakists were allowed to maul them.
Back to the OP:
Fiction-wise, Camacho's Caballeros were an interesting force to me for their history and ethno-cultural makeup, and despite their dezgra anti-Clan bias ;)
From the Field Manuals the Raging Horde would be the one I'd most like to read more about in fiction, being founded by ex-Clanners. Gameplay-wise it's a perfect excuse to get a bunch of different Clanners together in the same unit.
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True, in fact one could argue that the Gray Death Legion was treated far more harshly for 'treachery' that was actually justified. The traitor 'Goons also got a bit of a free pass until the Blakists were allowed to maul them.
Back to the OP:
Fiction-wise, Camacho's Caballeros were an interesting force to me for their history and ethno-cultural makeup, and despite their dezgra anti-Clan bias ;)
From the Field Manuals the Raging Horde would be the one I'd most like to read more about in fiction, being founded by ex-Clanners. Gameplay-wise it's a perfect excuse to get a bunch of different Clanners together in the same unit. The only drawback is that it's an all-infantry unit so no Timber Wolf or Kodiak mechs :(
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Team Banzai because... well... who doesnt love Buckaroo Banzai? :)
Also Blue Star Irregulars because they were one of the only Merc units to actually capture a WarShip… but didnt have a clue what to do with it.
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Personally I'm a fan of the 17th Recon.
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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.
Basically because the Word was busy fighting everyone else at the time, so it was easier to just isolate the Highlanders and deal with them later. Given Northwind's historic importance to the Star League, the Blakists probably wanted to capture the planet rather than destroy it.
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Vegan Rangers. Plant based food for life....
Huh? What? That's not what they're about?
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Now, as far as favorite merc groups go, honestly at this point I'd say Storm's Metal Thunder purely because they've got the coolest name of any merc group ever.
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Vegan Rangers. Plant based food for life....
Huh? What? That's not what they're about?
Are you implying they are not vegans?
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Are you implying they are not vegans?
They are vay-gans; they are not vee-gans.
So much easier if you just hear it out loud. :)
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Vegan Rangers. Plant based food for life....
Huh? What? That's not what they're about?
And they are lead by Dark vegan...right?
(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/cartoons/images/b/bd/JT_dark_vegan.png/revision/latest?cb=20131005231153)
http://johnnytest.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Vegan
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I like to think that since BattleTech isn't "the future" but "the future from the 1980s and we've already passed the point of divergence" that Vee-gans never were a thing in the BTU timeline.
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Well, lifestyle vegans existed as early as 200 BC, so...
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The Vegan Rangers racked up three Vegan Violations and were all arrested by the Vegan Police.
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The Vegan Rangers racked up three Vegan Violations and were all arrested by the Vegan Police.
NO VEGAN DIET, NO VEGAN POWERS!
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See, what they don't tell you, is the symbol between the V is a stylized stalk of Broccolini...
(http://cfw.sarna.net/wiki/images/thumb/4/4d/12thveganrangers.png/150px-p6n1fuxgp1pkjhk7kdvr86silnkwpq5.png?timestamp=20161016174424)
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I like to think that since BattleTech isn't "the future" but "the future from the 1980s and we've already passed the point of divergence" that Vee-gans never were a thing in the BTU timeline.
3025 is the future of the 80's. 3050 is the 90's. The Jihad is the future of the 2000's. 3100's onwards are definitely the future of now.
and its kinda gotta be because we want new players.
Also this was an example of me outting myself. I generally keep it on the downlow. People say, "How do you know someone is vegan? They'll tell you." but I think that's missing the part where everybody is like, "Hey man do you want one of these *insert food item here*." and I'm like, "No man, I can't. I'm a vegan."
And so the Vegan Rangers are my favorite now just for irony's sake.
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ELH - I just really dig that they were portrayed as the "professional" mercs, and being an Armor/Cavalry vet myself, it just checks all the right boxes (Cav, combined arms, etc.) ;D
Team Banzai - As said earlier...what's not to love about a hat tip to Buckaroo Banzai!!!!
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Raging Horde, when I want to show somewhere a Battle Armor nightmare . . .
The Roughriders for the name and their actions during the Jihad after Bromhead.
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I have always liked Snord's Irregulars because they are full of collectors like me (coins and books, I'd fit right in). I also like the Gray Death Legion, since they were among the first novels I read. Wilson's Hussars are also interesting, just wish there was a little more to read about with them.
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Maybe not the place for this but... Whatever happened to the Screaming Eagles? I know about the atrocity on New Canton during the 4th Succession War but they seem to have vanished once that conflict ended.
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According to Sarna, they survived the Jihad and were last noted as being stationed on Kentwood to protect against possible aggression from the Outworld Alliance and Snow Ravens.
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Camacho's Caballeros and Northwind Highlanders - for reasons already mentioned.
McCarron's Armored Cavalry - because I like the units that have fought for just about everyone and against just about everyone.
I'd probably throw in some scrapyard-worthy, destitute pirate units as well... I've always been enamored by the imagery of a battered Locust, limping across dessert badlands, on a hip actuator that has remained unfixed for over a hundred years.
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The Fighting Intellectuals.
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Black Thorns - small unit, never seemed to catch a break
Avanti's Angels - small unit, never seemed to catch a break
Grey Death Legion - just when they seemed to have things going correctly, TPTB axed them, hate that crap
Wolf's Dragoons - hybrid entity, took in orphans, hated their treatment by the writers, wanted to see a reunification of the full Clan Wolf with the Dragoons, Exiles, and Neo-Wolves (I only say Neo as Vlad (twit of twits) renamed the Jade Wolves a new Clan Wolf)
ELH - Never really read enough about them, other than their attempt to remain true to their Star League heritage, hated the absorption of their elements on Huntress
Camacho's Caballeros - the novels about this unit were intriguing in the way they kept growing their family.
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12th Vegan Rangers. Played as a member of that unit since the Galtor Campaign book came out. I latched onto them from general coolness in the unit profile write up as well as the rulers of Verde sharing my family name.
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My picks
The Grey Death Legion: Grayson Carlyle and his crew helped bring Battletech out of the 3025 stalemate it was in for so long. They chose the wrong side in the FedCom Civil War and were destroyed for it. The two scenario packs FASA produced were well done, and they defined the Battletech experience for so many years. Grayson should have had a 5D Marauder instead of that silly Victor, but that's a minor quibble.
The Chaos Irregulars-These guys were fun to read the short stories on. The two groups that formed them were a great counterpoint of professionalism vs irregular planning. They had a good variety of mechs (Mongoose recon pilot for the win!), fought against an interesting bunch of foes, and were placed in interesting environments as challenges
The Fighting Urukhai and Hansen's Roughriders: These were two merc bands who took no guff from anyone. I admire Hansen's especially for its use of combined arms of heavy mechs and tanks.
Black Thorns-This was a good example of a small unit that got lucky, and then fell apart. Rose's rage against the Clans and their makeup of 3050 Clan and IS units was a fun mix.
17th Recon Regiment: KATN forever!
Mcarron's Armored Calvalry: Even though they became a House Unit, the Big MAC was the great example of a multi-regimental merc unit that planned well. They didn't have Clan support, author plot armor, or Warships to help them become 5 regiments. Just good planning and investment in the unit, their own factories, and civilian legitimate enterprise to continue a non-merc based cash flow.
Lastly, Avanti's Angels. They died in the Dark Ages, but their fight against the Word of Blake help start the bricks that tumbled to start the Jihad. Marcus' Caesar was a great mod using salvaged Clan tech.
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I'm always going to be a Kell Hounds fan. Stackpole's writing was how I fell down this rabbit hole in the first place.
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The definitive merc organization circa 3025… ladies and gents, “the Pony Soldiers,” of the ELH. I bought the game before the novels, and the whole light against the darkness vibe just sat well with me. Plus, they worked for noble House Davion, holding the line against the vile House Liao and evil House Kurita. Wolf’s Dragoons you say. Let’s not forget, those nasty Wolf’s Dragoons just had to be up to no good… and ah-ha; they weren’t even real mercs and AND AND they were spies for Space Nazis! Knew it the whole time. Not at all happy with how ELH went out though, nope not at all.
Later once I read, “Decision at Thunder Rift,” I was GDL all the way. Oh, the feels. Grayson you have to save Lori! Hurry! It was safe to say I WAS the target demographic for that novel. Not at all happy with how GDL went out as well either, nope not at all.
Then Battleforce, and the Lone Wolves, because they were the most unique merc command at the time of their introduction, due to their composition and organization. Basically, how I envisioned large mercs outfits formed and operated circa 3025. But, they're dead too...
Finally, Hansen’s Roughriders, for longevity sake; I loved the cover art for the first Battleforce box. Plus, they’ve not been killed off.
ELH forever.
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cleanup
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Zimmer's Zuaves
Because you got to fill out the losing side of a conflict with a name that sticks with you for years.
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Eridani Light Horse, Kell Hounds, Burr's Black Cobras, Able's Aces.
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Eridani Light Horse, Kell Hounds, Burr's Black Cobras, Able's Aces.
dead, somewhere, dead, and nationalized?
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I answered this earlier, and believe I forgot the Blackhearts. One seriously cool unit. I would loooooooove a story regrading their evolution overtime and what happened to their Nighthawk suites.
Similarly, I'd love to know the story of King's Wild Card's (A.K.A. the Amaris 2nd Mexican Legion) They went from a Regiment to Company escaping Terra and wound up serving in Magistrate space. I would love to hear good redemption story about them in service to the Magistrate.
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Late arriving, but my three favs in order: Wolf's Dragoons (they were just cool), Hansen's Roughriders (loved the unit crest from CityTech, and they stood up to the Black Widows), and the Illician Lancers (for their longevity in the BT universe and their Davion ties ;) )
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Snord's irregulars! Expect mech pilotsand crazy collectors! :thumbsup:
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21st Centauri Lancers. Professional, honest, loyal.....and Lord help you if you screw them over or otherwise mistreat them while they're in your employ.
I'm also pretty fond of the Grave Walkers, Hansen's Roughriders, and the Stealthy Tigers.
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Mobile Fire... vehicular mayhem...
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Hansen's Roughriders... mostly because of MechWarrior 2... :D
Honestly, I'm a fan of Snord's Irregulars. Wonky mercs who love to loot collectibles. The Lone Wolves are also pretty neat.
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Wilson's Hussars as they are loveable losers.
So much this.
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My favorite mercenary unit is my mercenary unit: the 7th Striker Regiment (Sinclair's Strikers)....that's actually company size. :D
Canonized mercenary units that intrigue me are the Blackstone Highlanders, the 1st Shin Legion, and the Harloc Raiders.
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I have always liked Snord's Irregulars because they are full of collectors like me (coins and books, I'd fit right in). I also like the Gray Death Legion, since they were among the first novels I read. Wilson's Hussars are also interesting, just wish there was a little more to read about with them.
I have to agree that I kind of liked Snord's Irregulars, however I felt that there should have been some fallout when they screwed over their bosses. What I am talking about here is when the FC was negotiating with Wolf Dragoons and the Dragoons asked for Outreach as part of the deal. The FC send the Irregulars to make sure that there was nothing of major value on the planet. But not only did they not due the job that they were supposed to do, they lied to their boss and sold them out by giving a false report to the FC and the real report to the Dragoons. Now I understand they why, but the fact that nothing was ever done to them for that, not even a stain on their reputations. As they were a very good unit I can understand to some level not fringing them outright, and even keeping them on the payroll, but at the very least they should not have been trusted as much and their reputation should have taken a hit.
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I have to agree that I kind of liked Snord's Irregulars, however I felt that there should have been some fallout when they screwed over their bosses. What I am talking about here is when the FC was negotiating with Wolf Dragoons and the Dragoons asked for Outreach as part of the deal. The FC send the Irregulars to make sure that there was nothing of major value on the planet. But not only did they not due the job that they were supposed to do, they lied to their boss and sold them out by giving a false report to the FC and the real report to the Dragoons. Now I understand they why, but the fact that nothing was ever done to them for that, not even a stain on their reputations. As they were a very good unit I can understand to some level not fringing them outright, and even keeping them on the payroll, but at the very least they should not have been trusted as much and their reputation should have taken a hit.
Agree on that - otherwise it's your bad, when you send mercs to do such a critical observation. You can't convince me that there were no other regular units - or even better some scientists to do that job.
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Agree on that - otherwise it's your bad, when you send mercs to do such a critical observation. You can't convince me that there were no other regular units - or even better some scientists to do that job.
I agree, it is still a mercenary unit, but one that I think would have been better Team Banzai, they have proven there loyalty to the FC, are scientist who could do a scientific search and all that. But it would not have fulfilled the fluff needed.
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ELH was done dirty by the developers, but if they had to go get absorbed, Clan Goliath Scorpions fits well. :bang:
Lexington Combat Group another one done dirty by developers by saying that they went broke after trying to upgrade. Folded them into the 4th Ceti Hussars.
Screaming Eagles.....this one is personal to me as I served with the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles in real life.....glad they kept them around and employed by House Davion.
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Grey Death legion was always a big one because like many in this thread Thunder Rift was the first Btech novel I read and what roped me into the universe.
Eridani Light Horse Probably the first BIG merc group I heard of so always thought they where neat, being as old of a unit as they where as well was another big draw
McCarron's Armored Cavalry was the merc unit that I THOUGHT most should be like, lots of vehicles backing up those supposedly really rare mechs that all other merc units seem to have in droves.. They just fit the lore better to me than most groups. Also Manticores.. sweet sweet Manticores
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I'm not much of a merc fan, hard to pick a favorite. I mean, i like mercs as a concept within the universe, but that's roughly my interest in mercs.
I am inclined to say the original mercs (Lindon's Company, 21st Centauri Lancers, Hansen's Roughriders, Eridani Light Horse, Wolf's Dragoons) but i don't really have any special attachment to any of them.
The Dragoons are cool in "Wolves on the Border" but become a bit meh later on due to their incredible power as mercs.
McCarron's Armored Cavalry is neat being one of the few Capellan-centric mercs but they do become a house unit so i don't count them really.
This said, i need to go through various mercs, there might be some that possess right faction allegiance at certain time period (and nice colors) to justify some unit mixes i have in mind.
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ELH was done dirty by the developers, but if they had to go get absorbed, Clan Goliath Scorpions fits well. :bang:
How? They were wiped out during the Jihad but had gotten mentioned in Dark Age so they had to come back . . . to become Falcon targets, blame the Lyrans for 'using' mercs.
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12th Star Guards, hands down.
I was a player in a game where we started as the Guards just before the Clan Invasion, and unfortunately the GM passed away while we were just getting ramped up. Sometime after that I took up a continuation of the game, set in the Dark Ages, where the 12th Star Guards had managed to survive and thrive. Now they hold a special place in my heart that most units really never managed.
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The Minnesota Tribe. :D
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The weren't a Mercenary unit.
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The weren't a Mercenary unit.
Well they acted like one. Seems like to be a merc unit you needed to beat up on the combine for a while.
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You take money to fight, they didn't really do that. They just liberated people.
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(http://puu.sh/DWLWa/cd16f59d11.png)
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The Minnesota Tribe was just making up for years of Minnesota being too nice...and not winning championships.
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McCarron's Armored Cav(even though they are a House unit now)
Hansen's Roughriders for a pure merc outfit.
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The Black Omen are my favorite because of their motto. "There are no dishonorable tactics when your life hangs in the balance". Plus the fact that this one mercenary command can drive Clan Ghost Bear into a frenzy.
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The Crescent Hawks, because gateway drug and all, but also the Black Heart Roses because Sara Heart-Rose was the first merc leader I know of to play "gotta catch them all" with Battlemechs, which is pretty much all I do in the HBS game now. ;D
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Large Unit(1 or more Mech Regiments): Northwind Highlanders
Something about a unit that plays scottish bagpipes from their Dropship's loudspeakers has to be the most creative use of music-as-psychological warfare. Plus the Royal Black Watch :)
Medium Unit(1 Mech Company to 1 Mech Battalion in size):Able's Aces
Something about a lesser known unit that could still maintain professionalism and battlefield competence, while managing to make a mark on the universe without aligning with a major power, always appealed to me.
Small Unit(1 Mech Lance or less): The Bounty Hunter
Outwitted Natasha Kerensky and stole her mech, proving that the Wolf's Dragoons could be beaten. Fought not for honor and glory, but the sweet c-bills.
Honorable Mentions:
Waco Rangers
Proof that ignoring your haters is not always a good idea.
Eridani Light Horse
A unit that experiences both highs and lows, but never loses its commitment to its core principles.
Snord's Irregulars
Who doesn't love a good treasure hunt?
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There are two more mercenary commands I would like to mention.
First, Little Richard's Panzer Brigade, because of the less than honorable tactics they used like false IFFs and colors.
Second, Bronson's Horde, because every story needs a villain, and they fit the role perfectly.
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21st Centauri Lancers.
In fact the GDL was the first merc unit I got to know b/c the trilogy was my first contact with BT.
But from the canonical five merc units in the first german box set the Lancers were associated with the League, and the League was my choice from the five Successor States, so...
And later the Lancers were screwed over by the Wobbies. And everyone/everything in this position deserves my respect.
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Gray Death - Totally hated the excuse of an ending they had.
Blue Star Irregulars - Captured a warship of their own. :D
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Gray Death - Totally hated the excuse of an ending they had.
New leadership failed? Attritioned out as cannon fodder for the most important site in the Lyran Alliance?
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Crater Cobras for me. They have a lengthy history, they didn't get destroyed or disappear (I'm looking at you Knights of St. Cameron) and have seen action in notable engagements (i.e., Operation BULLDOG and were on Luthien during the Jihad). They also have a cool paint scheme :thumbsup:
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Crater Cobras for me. They have a lengthy history, they didn't get destroyed or disappear (I'm looking at you Knights of St. Cameron) and have seen action in notable engagements (i.e., Operation BULLDOG and were on Luthien during the Jihad). They also have a cool paint scheme :thumbsup:
Another vote for the Crater Cobras. Big on zellbrigen vs the Clans. Fought in some big conflicts. Survived the Jihad meatgrinder. And somehow working for a state that doesn’t like mercs.
I also really liked the Blue Star Irregulars—even painted up a lance. I played that scenario from the 4th succession war book, trying to find a way for Col. Mona Troy to beat a lance of ‘mechs in her Zeus. Loved their Officer names— Colonel Wu Tang, Major Hatfield-McCoy. The short story about their last battle was awesome. Shame the Blackstone Highlanders left them out to dry. But karma came back to bite the Highlanders (in the form of the Lyran Royal Guards).
Also another vote for the 17th Recon. The novel trilogy was good reading. I loved their family atmosphere. Cassie Suthorn was a very well-written, non-MechWarrior POV character (in the Stackpole era, those seemed hard to come by). Also, where else would you have a priest driving a ‘mech?
In the first box set I purchased, I remember counters with merc unit logos. I always liked the 21st Centauri Lancers logo. Given their high rating and long history, there aren’t that many detailed accounts of their battles. I had hoped to see something about them in Brush Wars, but IIRC it was just a few strategic movements. Good to know they’re still around in the Dark Age.
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I have always had a soft spot for The Big Mac, even though they ended up with House Liao (can't rely on Death Commandos and Warrior Houses forever). Post Big Mac, no so sure.
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How? They were wiped out during the Jihad but had gotten mentioned in Dark Age so they had to come back . . . to become Falcon targets, blame the Lyrans for 'using' mercs.
"To the best of our knowledge, none survived."
If that ER is written from the perspective of the Republic Remnant in 3146, I'd wager their intelligence gathering capabilities being significantly diminished. The Pathfinders and 19th Cav have escaped and rebuilt the ELH in the past, I could see them doing it again.
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The reason that happened was b/c they showed up in MWDA- hence why they had to be killed 'again.' From my understanding, they were placed in the same funeral barge as any other possible IP infringing 3025 references but since Weisman included them as one of four MWDA mercs they had to be written to survive. The last remnants are part of the Emperio, and thus not really Eridani Light Horse.
They're dead Jim.
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They're dead Jim.
Their alive, but not as we know it...
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It'd have to be Wolf's Dragoons, even though for many that's probably the a obvious answer. I loved them back in the day, when things were simpler, and when they were just a cool looking logo in the same colors as their House employer (who also happened to be my favorite House then, so it all worked out). So, as their legends grew and we learned new stuff, I devoured it all. The Wolf's Dragoons sourcebook is - if not the best - definitely among my solid favorites. The Dragoons uniforms are awesome, too. And sure, as a force they've been painted as solidly elite, utterly professional and perhaps overachieving to some eyes, but their history also has twists and turns that have them greatly bloodied and beaten. They are battlefield heroes, sure, but they are also tragic. When the Clan plot line came, it of course took the Dragoons in a bold new direction that was only hinted at before. It didn't change my love for the unit though, but I did like them before all that happened just as well - if not more (when we could just enjoy the mystery).
I do like the ELH too for their own brand of professionalism and for being the defining Star League force turned merc. Really, there's plenty of cool mercenary units to around.
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First off, now I can't get that song out of my head. 🤣
Second, as a *living relic* of the Star League, the Emperio bound ELH gives me a disquieting disturbing feeling that at some point they will disappear from old age and end up slowly replaced by Escorpio re-enactors. Kind of like the historical re-enactors we have today. (Been watching too much Townsends on YouTube, hah!)
Their alive, but not as we know it...
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After seeing the Fighting Urukhai pop up in this list and looking it up on Sarna, i have a favorite based just off of the name/logo. How in the world did that make it through copyrights? As shown in the Jade Falcon trilogy some of today's literature made it through to the the 30XXs, so I can see LotR making it that long. Did any books with the unit say anything about pulling their name from LotR?
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Well . . . you get a LOT of modern references b/c authors thought it was funny in the 80s and they were so likely to be noticed by a minor game. Then came the internet where everything can be linked . . . and all those references were getting nuked after the HG debacle. So the Fighting Urukhai drove their DS into a astroids, Rhonda Snord medically retired as a cripple so no more Takin' Care of Business, Dr Banzai's crew b/c the New Avalon Cavaliers or something and mostly died retaking New Avalon at the end of the FCCW as the last reference, even the GDL/ELH were supposedly wiped b/c of their relation to authors who had left the stable at the time . . . all part of the Great Easter Egg Purge (were they scrambled?) which is funny b/c despite the attempts by editors to clamp down, some things slipped through much to groans (editors)/chuckles (audience).
I mean seriously, a section of a trippy rumor book called 'Through the Looking Glass' and a POV character voice is named Alice? The phrase has meaning because the book!
To answer your question . . . some did, or instance Rhonda Snord referenced earlier is a huge fan of classical music by such composers like Bachman Turner Overdrive, I think she makes a Elvis reference too. Plenty of pre-90s cultural stuff, but not much after since that is when history diverges . . . though we DO get a few philosophical and fictional writers referenced. Usually such stuff is done as a indirect reference, they lump names like Bach, Beethoven, Elvis, and *made up reference* or list authors like Shakespeare, Shelly, Dickens, Steinbeck, Tolkien, and *made up reference* will be used to discuss the sophisticated/educated nature of a character while doing a bit of universe building. We occasionally do get a few quotes from fictional sources after the history split.
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The Solaris Box Set had references to a Grateful Dead-themed restaurant in Solaris City.
But pop culture references are still very much a thing in Battletech, they're just a touch more subtle now- there's stuff like the "Roll Out" on the Grand Titan's shoulder in TRO 3055 Upgrade, or the fact that a bunch of Chaos Campaign missions are named after GI Joe characters, or how every single notable pilot for the Firefly has been named Captain Reynolds.
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Yeah, a lot less blatant rip offs.
Another one that springs to mind being added during the Great Purge . . . the DroST IIA has a mention of the TRO version being a refit of due to a previous version having problems with the Capesan engines- they would just fall out of the sky. It was also stated you could still expect to run into one out in the boonies.
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Thank you for the explanation and examples! Are the Fighting Urukhai know for any particular 'Mech set ups? I what I have been able to find indicated they had a lance of Night Hawks, and that the at least the Bar Hounds tended to favor light/Medium mechs. I'm thinking I will need to try and paint a Lance up at some point in the future.
Also some Fireflies for Captain Renolds...
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The Minnesota Tribe was just making up for years of Minnesota being too nice...and not winning championships.
Aside from being the home of the nba’s first dynasty?
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Aside from being the home of the nba’s first dynasty?
And don't forget the 1969 NFL Champions.
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Yeah and I was here when Twins won in both '87 and '91. But still...
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I gotta say Camacho's Caballeros, because of that whole homeboy feel.... and which other merc unit gets to feel like a mexican gang?
I LOVED those books. ;D
Unfortunately, I lost my copies. :-[
I just loved the characters, even if the main character wasn't a mechwarrior. I just found it funny that the MC had zero problem with a 14yo girl killing ejecting mechwarriors with a sniper rifle, beyond the 'don't let our MWs find out, they won't like it' advise.
Small Unit(1 Mech Lance or less): The Bounty Hunter
Outwitted Natasha Kerensky and stole her mech, proving that the Wolf's Dragoons could be beaten. Fought not for honor and glory, but the sweet c-bills.
Honorable Mentions:
Waco Rangers
Proof that ignoring your haters is not always a good idea.
>:D :thumbsup: 8)
My own choices are:
Camacho's Caballeros; for many many reasons. ;)
The Black Omen; Loved their original logo [which I'd like to find so I can download, all I can find is the new version].
Hansons Roughriders; I also liked the logo on them. But they are also dealt with better in canon, and date back to the original game.
Waco Rangers; I liked them when they were first introduced. And I liked how they ended.
Bronsons Horde; Likewise here, they were MERCENARIES! They were payed to kill civilians, they killed civilians. >:D
BH and WR did a lot to upend the image/idea that mercenaries were the good guys and house troops were evil scumbags. Something that was needed.
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Team Banzai! :)
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I almost forgot about the Blue Star Irregulars. I always liked them and wished there was more info on them.
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Wolf's Dragoons- Primarily the 4th SW / Early Outreach years when they set up shop and opened up the planet to become the Merc Center of the Universe.
ELH- Pre-SERPENT / Left behind to get wiped out. Long history that they did everything possible to not compromise.
Northwind Highlanders- Mostly for style and as a nice counter balance to the Dragoons
Battle Magic and TekTeam- Something other than Mechs made for a nice change and I've always had a soft spot for the Engineering Department on Star Trek.
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I'll always have a soft spot for the Gray Death Legion, thanks to the novels. Their combination of superior tactics and pure dumb luck makes them very endearing.
Lately though, McCarron's Armored Cavalry, the Big MAC, has won me over. Out of all the outfits out there they seem to truly love what they do. Brash, unorthodox, not much for ceremony and always eager to kick their enemy where it hurts - what's not to love?
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what's not to love?
since you ask... the fact that they're not really a true merc unit, they're practically CCAF regulars
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Well, chucks. Let's go with Big MAC pre-Xin Sheng.
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Hanson's Roughriders.
Beating the Dragoons was a big thing for them back in the day. And I'll never forget my evil trainer during Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries. >:D
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"Don't think of them as people. Think of them as another line on your resume."
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"Don't think of them as people. Think of them as another line on your resume."
"I'm in the big mech in front of you, shoot me even once, and I'll tear that beer can you call a mech into scrap."
Best part? When I used to play, I'd run the first non-training mission, and score a mil+ salvage. Then I'd sell EVERYTHING and buy a stock ZEUS, before going into training.
The first time I did that, and he called my ZEUS a beer can compared to his Catapult, I blasted him into molten slag. lmao
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Still Vost's Lance...
Cause of the green chickens!
>:D
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