🕑 15 min read
Classic BattleTech Scenario - 1 v Swarm
There are moments in tabletop gaming where an idea starts as a throwaway “what if…” and very quickly escalates into something far more dangerous.
This was one of those moments.
Glen and Dave posed a simple question: what happens when one pilot puts everything into a single, god-tier BattleMech… and the other brings a swarm? Not just any swarm either - fast, coordinated, opportunistic. The kind of force that doesn’t win through brute strength, but through chaos.
Two Bases and River runs through it...
The Rules of Engagement
- 5000 BV per side
- One player must field a single mech
- The other must field at least three mechs
- No assault mechs allowed in the swarm
- Same dense urban map: twin bases, high walls, blind alleys, and nasty sightlines
And one particularly spicy house rule:
Alternating Initiative
After round one, initiative alternates automatically - but you can give it away in exchange for a single reroll that turn.
Use it wisely… or regret it forever.
Marauder II
GAME ONE – The Lone Titan
Forces
Glen (The Solo Player):
- Marauder II (100t) – Gunnery 0 / Pilot 0
 |
| Marauder / Thunderbolt / Blackjack |
Dave (The Swarm):
-
Marauder (75t) - Gunnery 3 / Pilot 4
- Thunderbolt (65t) - Gunnery 3 / Pilot 4
- Blackjack (45t) - Gunnery 3 / Pilot 4
Opening Thoughts
Glen’s Marauder II was a monster - elite pilot, heavy firepower, and jump jets. But Dave’s trio? Flexible, dangerous, and capable of surrounding and isolating.
Glen’s plan was simple: use terrain, isolate targets, and dismantle the swarm one mech at a time.
Dave’s plan? Overwhelm the big guy.
Round One – Run for Cover
Glen wins initiative - and it might be the most important roll of the game.
Dave spreads out immediately:
- Marauder pushes centre
- Blackjack skirts the edge
- Thunderbolt jumps high for vision
Glen responds cautiously, hugging a tall wall and denying line of sight. No early LRM nonsense today.
Round Two – Peekaboo
Glen commits.
The Marauder II leaps onto a wall, revealing the battlefield - and itself. It’s a bold move. Possibly reckless.
Dave advances steadily, all three mechs walking for accuracy.
Then… nothing.
An entire volley of fire from Dave’s force misses. Everything.
Glen lands a single AC/5 hit.
A sign of things to come.
Round Three – “On Yah Head, Son”
Dave accelerates. The Thunderbolt takes a forward wall, Blackjack sprints into open ground, Marauder lumbers behind trying to keep up.
Glen stands still. Waiting.
Then fires.
The Thunderbolt takes a PPC to the head.
Critical hit: life support destroyed.
Round Four – Storm the Walls
Glen dances along the parapet, keeping his legs hidden and angles awkward.
Dave presses forward - but the dice betray him again. A storm of fire yields almost nothing.
Glen continues to chip away, calmly, methodically.
The swarm is starting to feel… disjointed.
Round Five – The Insanity
And then Glen does something utterly unhinged.
He jumps.
Not to reposition.
Not to retreat.
But to Death From Above Dave’s Marauder.
Mid-air, the Marauder II is lit up:
- Medium lasers
- Large lasers
- Pulse lasers
But Glen lands the piloting check.
And then lands the hit.
30 damage. Spread across the Marauder's top arms, torso and head
The battlefield pauses.
Dave’s Marauder staggers - but doesn’t fall.
Both players stare at the table.
That just happened.
Round Six – Tactical Disengagement (Read: RUN AWAY)
Glen immediately jumps out of line of sight, vanishing behind a level 3 wall.
Dave groans.
No shots fired.
Momentum is reset.
Round Seven – Around the Mulberry Bush
Dave is forced to split his force just to get back into the fight.
Thunderbolt and Marauder trade jump fire with each other, but again - poor accuracy plagues Dave.
Glen lands everything.
The Thunderbolt is getting frustrated, battered… but not broken.
Round Eight – The Trap
Glen drops from the wall and disappears again.
Dave takes the bait.
The Thunderbolt is out of position again, leaving only the Marauder and Blackjack to engage.
Glen unleashes everything on the Blackjack.
Right arm: gone.
Left side: exposed.
Dave swears. Loudly.
Return fire? Pathetic.
The Marauder II dances away almost untouched.
Round Nine – Sweep the Leg
Everything comes down to this.
Dave tries to set up a crossfire.
Glen… refuses to cooperate.
He runs behind the Marauder, isolating it from support.
PPCs slam into the leg.
Then....A kick.
Right leg again.
The Marauder suddenly collapses.
Result: Called Draw (but…)
Time is up.
Technically a draw.
But both players agree: Glen had the edge.
A single assault mech had survived - and nearly dismantled - the swarm.
GAME TWO – The Swarm Strikes Back
Roles reversed.
Now Glen commands the swarm.
Dave brings the big gun.
Forces
Glen (The Swarm):
- Wasp (20 tonnes) - Gunnery 4 / Pilot 1
- Stinger (20 tonnes) - Gunnery 4 / Pilot 1
- Spider (30 tonnes) - Gunnery 4 / Pilot 1
- Wolfhound (35 tonnes) - Gunnery 2 / Pilot 4
- Centurion (50 tonnes) - Gunnery 2 / Pilot 4
Dave (The Titan):
- Atlas II (100t) Gunnery 1 / Pilot 2
Opening Thoughts
This time, the fear is very real.
The Atlas II isn’t just big - it’s terrifying. Heavy Gauss rifle, LRMs, ER large lasers… it deletes mechs.
Glen’s plan: mobility, misdirection, and rear armour abuse.
Dave’s plan: point at target, remove target.
Rounds One & Two – The Approach
Quiet.
Measured.
The swarm advances quickly, using walls for cover.
The Atlas takes its time, climbing into position.
Like a predator waiting for the right moment.
Round Three – “Time to Die”
Glen makes a bold call: gives away initiative for a reroll.
The Centurion runs the gauntlet.
The Wolfhound flanks and the jump jetting Lights scatter into cover.
Then the Atlas fires.
Everything hits.
But somehow…
It stays standing.
Barely.
Round Four – The Swarm Unleashed
Glen goes all-in.
Light mechs leap into position.
Wolfhound breaks cover.
Centurion limps forward - still alive, somehow.
The Stinger launches into the sky.
Death From Above.
It connects.
The Atlas is knocked clean off the wall.
Five levels down.
Into the river.
SMASH.
The table erupts.
Nearby gamers turn to look.
One giant plastic robot lies face down in the water.
Dave looks… less amused.
Round Five – The Penultimate Clash
The Atlas rises from the river like a furious god.
The Centurion sees its moment.
Moves one hex closer.
Fires.
AC/20 connects.
The swarm circles:
- Rear shots
- Laser fire
- Constant pressure
And this time… The Centurion dies.
Utterly obliterated.
Round Six – The End Game
Everything converges.
The Atlas retreats toward Glen’s base wall, trying to create distance.
The Wolfhound advances - bravely or foolishly.
The lights jump behind the Atlas.
Perfect positioning.
Then:
- Wolfhound hits the legs
- Critical: hip actuator
- Mobility compromised
The swarm strikes.
Kicks.
Shots.
Pressure from every angle.
Then the Spider lands the decisive blow -
Leg destroyed.
The Atlas collapses, triggering catastrophic damage.
The Gauss ammo cooks off.
Explosion.
Pilot unconscious.
Result: Swarm Victory
Dave concedes.
The jump jetting vultures have done their work.
Final Thoughts – The Experiment
So… was the swarm idea fun?
Absolutely.
Was it balanced?
Surprisingly… yes.
Game One
The single mech dominated through:
- Gunnery Skill advantage
- Terrain control
- Precision targeting
Game Two
The swarm won through:
- Mobility
- Rear attacks
- Forcing positional mistakes
The Real Turning Point
Dave’s biggest mistake came early in Game Two.
He almost committed to open ground - where the Atlas could dominate.
Instead, he climbed the walls.
That decision gave the swarm:
- Cover
- Approach routes
- DFA opportunities
And ultimately… the win.
Conclusion
This wasn’t just two games.
It was a proper test of BattleTech’s depth:
- Positioning vs power
- Flexibility vs dominance
- Chaos vs control
And perhaps most importantly:
Never underestimate a handful of angry light mechs.
No comments:
Post a Comment