Main Tropes Index

Troperville

Editing Help

Tools

Toys

Narrative

Genre

Media

Topical Tropes

Other Categories

Custom Search

alt title(s): Itano Circus
Major Lee demonstrating that more missiles are, in fact, better.

A tactic wherein a warcraft — often a Humongous Mecha — launches a massive salvo of missiles at a target, often more missiles than the craft should be able to hold. The missiles often follow artistic curving trajectories for no apparent reason, though strategically it may simply make them more difficult to dodge (or intercept, if there's any usable point defence). Occasionally, this is explained in Space Opera as the effect a ship's energy/force/gravity field has on the missiles.

These missiles usually robotech on their way to their target(s). Expect the target to try a Beehive Barrier to block the incoming ballistic barrage. A high speed missile dodge is usually an effective counter as well. A slightly more proactive solution is to launch your own missiles or, if you have the option of More Dakka, shooting them down. Trying to lead them away and crashing into an enemy is usually reserved for Ace Pilots.

Named after the Humongous Mecha in the Macross metaseries who fire swarms of missiles (specifically, 'micromissiles') that behave in precisely this way. It has also been called "Itano Circus", after Ichiro Itano, who pioneered the most common aesthetic look of the MMM; and "Scott Bernarding," after the main character of the Third Generation of Robotech. Bernard frequently performed the MMM, even though ammunition such as missiles was supposed to be scarce.

There are several actual weapons that fire a Macross Missile Massacre. In fact a whole lot of real-life weapon systems are either designed or can be adapted to use this tactic, and if nothing else you can just gather a whole bunch of one-shot launchers together Hamas or Hezbollah-style; see Real Life examples below.

A form of Spam Attack, Death In All Directions, There Is No Kill Like Overkill, and Impossibly Cool Weapon. See also the related video game genre, Bullet Hell.

Examples:

    open/close all folders 

    Anime and Manga 

    Comic Books 

    Fan Works 

    Film 

    Literature 

    Live Action TV 

    Tabletop Games 

    Video Games 

    Western Animation 

    Real Life 

Fantastic NukeDeath In All DirectionsMore Dakka
Land Mine Goes ClickWeapons And Wielding TropesMolotov Cocktail
Sink The Life BoatsMilitary And Warfare TropesMc Laren Special
Love Letter LunacyAdded Alliterative AppealMad Mathematician