8 unit lists for the Inner Sphere and the Clans – Force building

8 unit lists for the Inner Sphere and the Clans – From the Elite Lance to the Mass Assault

Anyone who plays BattleTech Alpha Strike knows the challenge: The tournament is coming up or the game night with friends is approaching. Do you rely on a few indestructible elite pilots in assault mechs weighing tons? Or do you roll over your opponent with a flood of fast hovercrafts and light infantry?

In this article, I’ll do the work for you. I’ve put together eight army lists that are not only thematically deeply rooted in the Lore, but also pack a punch on the gaming table.

I cover two of the most popular eras:

1. The 4th Succession Wars (ca. 3028): Steel rules here. No high-tech gadgets, just armor, heat and physical violence.
2. The Clan Invasion (ca. 3050): Speed, range and superior technology meet elitist arrogance.

The special thing about this collection: I scale the number of units. From an ultra-compact 4-mech lance to a massive 15-unit (3 Clan Stars), there’s something for every playstyle and character collection. Whether you prefer to control a few models with surgical precision or flood the battlefield with units, here’s your list.

Reactor online? Then let’s take a look at the list!

Part 1: Inner Sphere (4th Succession Wars)

List 1: “The Immortals” (4 units – One Lance)

Concept: A legendary assault lance. Since we only have 4 units, the pilots have to be absolute aces and effective.

1. Atlas AS7-D-The Juggernaut.
2. King Crab KGC-0000 – The Melee King (AC/20).
3. Highlander HGN-732 – The Jumping Assault (Death from Above).
4. Stalker STK-3F-The rocket boat.

• Why this choice? Maximum armor. Each of these mechs can take massive damage, which is critical when outnumbered. The Highlander offers a tactical surprise with jump jets.
• Terrain & Mission: Narrow city maps or canyons where opponents cannot kite. Missions: “King of the Hill”.
• Tactic: Stay together. Form a “death ball”. The Stalker softens opponents, Atlas and King Crab destroy everything that comes within medium range.

List 2: “The Iron Front” (8 units – 2 lances)

Concept: Two solid lances (heavy/medium mix). Good balance of firepower and mobility. Average skill level Veteran (skill 3).

Lance 1

1. Orion ON1-K
2. Warhammer WHM-6R
3. Grasshopper GHR-5H
4. Thunderbolt TDR-5S

Lance 2

1. Crusader CRD-3R
2. Catapult CPLT-C1
3. Archer ARC-2R
4. Marauder MAD-3R

• Why this choice? These are the iconic “workhorses”. Archer, Catapult and Crusader offer massive indirect fire (IF). Grasshopper is an extremely mobile zombie mech (hard to kill) for the flank.
• Terrain & mission: Versatile. Good for forests (indirect fire) and open plains.
• Tactics: Divide the list into two groups. The IF group (Archer, Catapult, Crusader) stays behind in cover. The Brawler group (Warhammer, Thunderbolt, Orion) pushes forward. The Grasshopper jumps into the rear of the enemy to break their formation.

List 3: “Panzergrenadiers” (12 units – 3 lances)

Concept: A combined-arms company. Mechs lead, tanks provide the firepower.

Battle Lance

1. BattleMaster BLR-1G (Kommandomech)
2. Wolverine WVR-6M
3. Griffin GRF-1N
4. Shadow Hawk SHD-2H

Sniper and Striker Lance

1. Enforcer ENF-4R
2. Centurion CN9-A
3. Manticore Heavy Tank (the “tank mech”)
4. Manticore Heavy Tank

Support lance

1. Demolisher Heavy Tank (double AC/20 – zone defense)
2. SRM Carrier (60 SRM tubes – The “Nuke”)
3. Bulldog Medium Tank
4. Bulldog Medium Tank

• Why this choice? Tanks in Alpha Strike are often “glass cannons” with high firepower for few points. The Demolisher and the SRM Carrier are psychological weapons – no opponent wants to get close to them.
• Terrain & Mission: City terrain (roads favor vehicles). Defense missions.
• Tactics: Use the mechs as a shield for the vehicles. Vehicles suffer from movement restrictions in the terrain. Park the SRM Carrier and the Demolisher at corners (Ambush). Force the enemy towards them.

List 4: “The reconnaissance swarm” (12 units – 3 lances)

Concept: Speed and mass. A mixture of fast mechs and hovercrafts.

Cavalery Lance

1. Phoenix Hawk PXH-1 (Leader)
2. Jenner JR7-D
3. Panther PNT-9R (fire support)
4. Wolfhound WLF-1

Striker Lance

1. Commando COM-2D
2. Javelin JVN-10N
3. Firestarter FS9-H
4. Spider SDR-5V

Fast support lance

1. Saladin Assault Hover Tank (AC/20 on a hovercraft!)
2. Saladin Assault Hover Tank
3. Saracen Medium Hover Tank
4. Pegasus Scout Hover Tank

• Why this choice? Extremely high TMM (Target Movement Modifier). The Saladins are kamikaze units: Rush in at flank speed and fire the AC/20.
• Terrain & Mission: Open terrain (essential for hovercrafts). Object missions (Capture the Flag).
• Tactics: Never stand still. Surround individual opponents. You will suffer casualties, but with 12 units you have the action supremacy. Use the Spider and the Phoenix Hawk to hunt down enemy artillery or snipers in the hinterland.

Part 2: Clans (Clan Invasion Era)

List 5: “Golden Keshik” (5 units – one star)

Concept: A star of the absolute elite. Omnimechs of the top class.

1. Dire Wolf (Daishi) Prime
2. Warhawk (Masakari) Prime
3. Timber Wolf (Mad Cat) Prime
4. Gargoyle (Man O’ War) Prime
5. Executioner (Gladiator) Prime

• Why this choice? This is pure brute force. Dire Wolf and Warhawk dominate the ranged phase. Gargoyle and Executioner are surprisingly fast assaults that secure the flanks.
• Terrain & Mission: Tundra or wide plains. Destruction missions.
• Tactics: Keep your distance. Clan weapons have better ranges. You have no disposable units, every loss hurts. Use the Gargoyle as a “sponge” to draw fire while the Dire Wolf deals.

List 6: “Garrison cluster” (10 units – binary star)

Concept: A “second line” binary star. Older IIC mechs and standard battle mechs of the clans. Cheaper in PV, allows more mass.

Star 1

1. Kodiak (Standard)
2. Highlander IIC
3. Hunchback IIC (glass cannon)
4. Rifleman IIC
5. Grizzly

Star 1

1. Vapor Eagle (Goshawk)
2. Black Python (Viper)
3. Conjurer (Hellhound)
4. Glass Spider (Galahad)
5. Shadow Hawk IIC

• Why this choice? These mechs often have specialized roles. The Hunchback IIC does absurd damage, but dies instantly to focus fire. The Kodiak is a monster in the center.
• Terrain & Mission: Hilly terrain.
• Tactics: The Hunchback IIC is your joker. Keep him completely out of sight until he can make a guaranteed kill. Use the Vapor Eagle (pulse laser) to hunt down fast IS mechs. The Rifleman IIC secures the long range.

List 7: “The Rapid Reaction Force” (10 units – binary star)

Concept: Focus on Medium and Light OmniMechs as well as Elementals as “mounts”.

Star 1

1. Stormcrow (Ryoken) Prime
2. Clan Medium Battle Armor – Rides Stormcrow
3. Nova (Black Hawk) Prime (Massive damage,)
4. Clan Medium Battle Armor – Rides on Nova
5. Ice Ferret (Fenris) Prime

Star 2

1. Viper (Dragonfly) Prime
2. Clan Medium Battle Armor – Rides on Viper
3. Adder (Puma) Prime
4. Kit Fox (Uller) Prime
5. Mist Lynx (Koshi) Prime

• Why this choice? Mechanized infantry. The Elementals increase the armor of the carrier mechs and can be deployed to hold mission objectives or bind opponents in close combat.
• Terrain & Mission: Urban combat (Urban). Elementals love buildings.
• Tactic: “Taxi tactic”. Bring the Elementals forward quickly and drop them into forests or buildings. The Nova can heavily damage almost any medium mech with an Alpha Strike, use this wisely.

List 8: “The Fog Swarm” (15 units – trinary star)

Concept: Clan tactics through sheer mass of small units and vehicles. Very atypical for duels, but effective in the Alpha Strike objective game.

Mechs (light reconnaissance aircraft):

1. Fire Moth (Dasher) Prime
2. Arctic Cheetah (Hankyu) Prime
3. Horned Owl (Peregrine)
4. Incubus (Vixen)
5. Piranha Prime (anti-infantry monster)

Vehicles (Fast & Deadly):

1. Epona Pursuit Tank (Fast Hover)
2. Epona Pursuit Tank
3. Mithras Light Tank
4. Mithras Light Tank
5. Ishtar Heavy Tank (The anchor. Slow but deadly)

Infantry:

1. Clan Medium Battle Armor
2. Clan Medium Battle Armor
3. Clan Medium Battle Armor
4. Clan Medium Battle Armor
5. Clan Medium Battle Armor

• Why this choice? A “Zerg Rush” in clan style. The Fire Moth is the fastest thing on the field. The Piranha destroys everything that has no armor with its MGs. The Elementals are extremely difficult to remove.
• Terrain & mission: Large, wide terrain with many mission objectives (domination).
• Tactic: Confusion. You have 15 activations. The opponent (probably 4-8 units) will be completely overwhelmed. Use the Elementals to block corridors (“Area Denial”). The tanks and fast mechs always attack the opponent’s back (+1 damage). Ignore fair fights. If the opponent moves a mech, move three of your units to isolate it.

And that’s what they were – eight ways to show dominance in Alpha Strike.

No matter which of these lists you choose, always remember the golden rule of BattleTech: A list is only as good as the pilot who controls it. The strongest clan technology is useless if you maneuver yourself into a dead end, and even the simplest Inner Sphere tank can decide the game if it lands the decisive critical hit at the right moment.

I hope these lineups serve as inspiration for you. Feel free to swap out individual mechs for your personal favorites or adjust the skill levels to your local meta. Alpha Strike thrives on movement and tactical understanding of the terrain – use the tips on the lists to surprise your opponents.

Until then, keep the reactors hot and the ammunition dry.