Battletech Tank Tactics: Bulldog

[@sethdraxus6840]

I'm very fond of pairing bulldogs with manticores. Same speed, a decent enough bite that they can't be totally ignored while acting as blocking units to protect the manticores, and their SRM packs are nice for searching for holes poked by their bigger bros ppcs

[@brianhenry152]

605 BV2 is pretty cheap for what you get in the Bulldog. The armor coverage is decent on all locations, able to withstand a hit from an AC/20 even on the rear! Speed is average for 3025, and overall it's a really good all-rounder. Are there bigger anc nastier tanks out there? Sure, but for a merc unit on a budget, the Bulldog will get the job done. I agree its probably best not to put it on it's own on the front lines, but in a defensive role, especially in cover or in a city, it can really cause your opponent some headaches.

[@Magermh]

Dead on the money considering the Bulldog as a tank working lots with infantry. It has two tons of SRM ammo. One of those tons can be smoke rounds. Having two Bulldogs at 3/5 your looking at 882 BV each. If your able to find some light woods and keeping them in rang of each other. Your able to smoke them giving them heavy smoke from one SRM-4. The other maybe used to attack with inferno or standard SRM. Your able to pull some of the same tactics off with the LRM variant but you could carry heat-seeking ammo for the LRM for anti-air work and the AC-2 model can run flack. I respect this tank in a good players hands. And I recommend the bulldog. ... Just a note: Any full lance of Bulldog tanks are nicked "Bulldog's Boy's." This is a respectful shout out to the crack, all black, sherman tank platoon from WW II.

[@Sapper21b10]

Tanks are simimobile pill boxes. At least that's how I treat them. Your goal with a tank is to get it to a good vantage point, and expect it to stay there. They're a big block of armor and weapons on strategic point. They're still dangerous as long as they have a turret if they get mobility critical. If not they are nasty enough that they can't be ignored.

[@cracklingvoice]

The Bulldog is a trooper among tanks, like the Vedette. Not fancy, not flashy, just dependable as hell. The LL+SRM4×2 combat is fantastic for a tank of its class, especially with its speed and armor. A couple medium lasers thrown on and it's a WVR-6M on tracks. Can't beat that for less than 1k bv2.

[@h.a.9880]

I have a soft spot for the Bulldog, I think cause it's in MW3, which introduced me to the world of Battletech. I've not yet used it in a game, but I figured that the Laser + 2 SRM4s is a decent combination to act as a Bodyguard with limited midrange fire support capabilities for more vulnerable units. The LRM20 variant also seems pretty decent in that regard and I could see it teamed up with LRM carriers, to offer some short range firepower as well as showering the enemy with LRMs.

[@bopaintsminis]

Tanks are for defense, like infantry. Dig them in like ticks in an urban or heavily wooded environment and let the mechs come to you. And hope they don't have flamers.

[@Funkin_Disher]

A large laser is a great weapon to leverage against lights, and the SRMs can mount infernos for anti infantry and antitank work. Its not amazing, but its pretty cheap and mobile enough to get into a position it can pillbox from. If it takes fire, meh at least it wasnt directed at a mech or some other, more feast/famine unit.

[@Beatnik59]

I don't play the Bulldog much, but I've used them and seen them used to guard fortifications and fire support batteries a lot, and for good reason, because this tank hits hard at short range...not Demolisher hard, but hard enough to be a legit threat to anything less than a Hunchback. It works best against light mechs and most of the lighter middleweights that are not packing much long range firepower. I learned that the hard way when I deployed a Jenner and Phoenix Hawk against a couple of Bulldogs. It'll have some trouble against some of the stouter middleweights like the Centurion, the Vindicator, and the raider mids like the Wolverine, Shadow Hawk, and Griffon, mainly because those mechs have options that can outrange the Bulldog. But for lighter stuff, it works well. The Bulldog costs 605 BV. That's a little more than I'd want to spend for a tank of this class, but that's a whole lot cheaper than the Manticore, a tank that's just shy of 1,000 BV. Plus, you can send this tank against infantry with the machine gun, which is a thing neither the Demolisher, nor the Manticore, can do for you.

[@brooksroth345]

The LRM variant of this tank is much better. My go to support tank.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Bulldog is a good tank

[@trilit2]

Also the mobility difference. A mech even without jump capability will get up(or down) much easier, and they can get on buildings as well. Tanks are a nice support but as a base force they are very limited in what they can do. To me at least. ( And if you play a campaign where the number of crew matters then you put whole another layer on)