History Main / ShootingTheSwarm

* Passenger pigeons, before their extinction, where known to fly in flocks so vast and thick that one passing overhead could obscure the sun for the better part of a day. As such, people hunting them would simply aim their guns into the flock and shoot. with the pigeons flying as thick as they were, each shot was usually enough to send up to a half a dozen at once falling out of the sky.

* ''Film/AntMan'': When Ant-Man and his swarm of flying ants attack [[BigBad Dr. Darren Cross]] and his henchmen, who are about to escape in a helicopter, Cross grabs a gun and fires at the approaching swarm. He only manages to hit a few ants, including Anthony, the ant that Ant-Man was riding.

* In ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'', the ''Enterprise'' comes under attack by a swarm of small ships led by Krall, which Captain Kirk attempts and fails miserably to destroy with phasers and photon torpedoes. There are too many targets for ''Enterprise'''s FrickinLaserBeams, and the swarm simply evades the torpedoes (because Hollywood thinks missiles need a direct hit to detonate). [[spoiler:Starbase ''Yorktown'' attempts the same tactics when Krall attacks the station in the third act, to equally little success. Ultimately, ''Enterprise'' and ''Yorktown'' are able to destroy the swarm by jamming the drones' communications by spamming the radio frequency with the Music/BeastieBoys, causing the drones to crash into each other and explode.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swarm1_8.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:It's bad enough just trying to shoot ''one'' of these things...]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swarm1_5.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:It's bad enough trying to shoot just one of these things..]]

* ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' has ''Discovery'' and ''Enterprise'' using this strategy with a bit more success, while backed up by a screening force of smaller fighters and shuttles when fighting [[spoiler: Control, in control of Section 31's fleet.]] As the battle continues, more friendly ships arrive to help, and the swarm deactivates when [[spoiler: [[KeystoneArmy Leland is killed.]]]]

* In ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'', the ''Enterprise'' comes under attack by a swarm of small ships led by Krall, which Captain Kirk attempts and fails miserably to destroy with phasers and photon torpedoes. There are too many targets for ''Enterprise'''s FrickinLaserBeams, and the swarm simply evades the torpedoes (because Hollywood thinks missiles need a direct hit to detonate). [[spoiler:Starbase Yorktown attempts the same tactics when Krall attacks the station in the third act, to equally little success.]]

* Exaggerated in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E21MargeInChains "Marge in Chains"]], where Chief Wiggum fires his gun at ''a cloud of air'' that's spreading disease.

* In ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'', the ''Enterprise'' comes under attack by a swarm of small ships led by Krall, which Captain Kirk attempts and fails miserably to destroy with phasers and photon torpedoes. There are too many targets for ''Enterprise'''s FrickinLaserBeams, and the swarm simply evades the torpedoes (because [[HollywoodTactics Hollywood thinks missiles need a direct hit to do damage]]). [[spoiler:Starbase Yorktown attempts the same tactics when Krall attacks the station in the third act, to equally little success.]]

* ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'': During the battle of Zion, the mechas led by Captain Mifune all concentrate fire on the hole the Machines just opened in the city's celling with the giant drill. While the first swarms of Sentinels get utterly shredded, more and more of them manage to get through the fire barrage and the mechas have to reload, leading to the forces of Zion being rapidly overwhelmed. Mifune keeps shooting (and {{shouting|shooter}}) at the swarms through and through no matter how hopeless the situation is, until they eventually lacerate him to death.

** In ''Videogame/MassEffect2'', [[HenchmenRace The Collectors]] use a swarm of genetically-modified insects called a Seeker Swarm to detect, attack, debuff and paralyze their targets. Particularly living specimens from populations they wish to take alive. As a case of GameplayAndStorySegregation, these swarms are shown to be nigh-impossible to fight back against with firearms or melee weapons--which is why they can so easily render entire colonies defenseless in short order. It's a major plot point that Commander Shepard and their crew have to use upgraded personal shields and barriers to keep the swarms at bay (and even then, there's a segment in the finale where the Collectors use massive quantities of the swarm and it takes an uber-powerful telekinetic to keep them all at bay, instantly killing the player or a member of the crew if it fails). Played straight when Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko try to shoot an oncoming Collector swarm on Horizon during a cutscene.

Borders on TooDumbToLive and may result from DidNotThinkThisThrough.
Subtrope of QuantityVsQuality. Compare ShootingSuperman.

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]
* ''Film/AntMan'': When Ant-Man and his swarm of flying ants attack [[BigBad Dr. Darren Cross]] and his henchmen, who are about to escape in a helicopter, Cross grabs a gun and fires at the approaching swarm. He only manages to hit a few ants, including Anthony, the ant that Ant Man was riding.

* When a horde of flesh-eating scarab beetles are chasing the heroes in ''[[Film/TheMummyTrilogy The Mummy]]'', O'Connell first resorts to hurling his torch at them, then emptying a shotgun at the mass of insects. Each blast sends a fountain of dead bugs flying, but doesn't even slow the swarm down. [[RealityEnsues Just legging it is a far more practical solution.]]
* ''Film/TheMummyReturns'': Subverted. When Imhotep's followers, led by Anck-su-namun and Hafez, uncover the titular character and encounter the flesh-eating scarab horde, several of the guards use flamethrowers to burn them back, and to far greater effect.

* The ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000: Literature/DarkImperium'' novel ''The Devastation of Baal'' is essentially this trope spread out over a whole book: the Blood Angels, their successor chapters, the Imperial Navy, and a few million Imperial Guardsmen Shoot The Swarm for days and weeks and months... and the Tyranids barely slow down. [[spoiler: It's only when the Indomitus Crusade shows up with superior firepower and fresh troops that the tide turns.]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': [[GreyGoo Replicators]] are immune to most directed energy weapons, and while hits from firearms are effective at scattering blocks enough to prevent attacking spider-forms from re-forming, Replicators typically attack in such numbers that even massed rifle and shotgun fire can only slow them down. Actually defeating them has required:
** Blowing up the ship they're on ("[[Recap/StargateSG1S3E22Nemesis Nemesis]]", "[[Recap/StargateSG1S4E1SmallVictories Small Victories]]").
** Destroying the controlling intelligence ("[[Recap/StargateSG1S5E19Menace Menace]]")
** Use of a specialized anti-Replicator gun developed with ImportedAlienPhlebotinum, invented in "[[Recap/StargateSG1S8E2NewOrderPart2 New Order, Part 2]]" and carried over to ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. [[spoiler:The Replicators are finally defeated for good in "[[Recap/StargateSG1S8E17ReckoningPart2 Reckoning, Part 2]]" when SG-1 and Ba'al re-tune a PointlessDoomsdayDevice to [[WorldHealingWave broadcast this weapon's signal through every stargate in the Milky Way simultaneously]].]]

* Swarm fighting rules go all the way back to ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' Third Edition, which stated that swarms of small creatures are immune to physical attacks except some specific exceptions.

* A larger scale example of this trope appears whenever [[HordeOfAlienLocusts the Tyranids]] of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' show up. Their "swarms" can be the size of nebulae in orbit and small countries on the ground, and shooting them is often the only tactic the Imperium has available to them. Problem is, most times the 'Nids will have more bodies than the Imperials will have bullets. The Dark Imperium novel ''Devastation Of Baal'' is essentially this trope spread out over a whole book: the Blood Angels, their successor chapters, the Imperial Navy, and a few million Imperial Guardsmen Shoot The Swarm for days and weeks and months... and the Tyranids barely slow down. [[spoiler: It's only when the Indomitus Crusade shows up with superior firepower and fresh troops that the tide turns.]]

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]

!PlayedWith Examples:

* Can show up in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', when confronted by Swarm Units, such as Jungle Swarm or Tomb Swarm. You ''can'' try to fire your bows or muskets into the mass of it, but using magic or fire or simply [[WeHaveReserves hurling an expendable unit]] into its path is far more effective.

![[AvertedTrope Averted]] Examples:
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* This is usually automatically averted in trading card games where the character is a literal swarm, an example being Swarm Of Locusts from ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', which can be destroyed just like any other monster in the game.
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/DiabloII'': This actually works against Swarm monsters like Black Swarm and [[UndergroundMonkey it's stronger variants like Hell Swarm]] if you shoot them with arrows or throwing weapons. Also the same thing about them being too small to carry objects or hide them as said for ''Commando.''

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punt_gun Punt guns]] were large shotguns bolted to a small boat called a "punt". Hunters who row out to a flock of ducks or other waterfowl, startle them and then fire the gun at the ''whole flock.''
[[/folder]]

* In ''Film/HolmesAndWatson'', the TriggerHappy Dr. Watson attempts to shoot a swarm of killer bees with his revolver; to no effect, obviously.
* ''Film/AntMan'': When Ant-Man and his swarm of flying ants attack [[BigBad Dr. Darren Cross]] and his henchmen, who are about to escape in a helicopter, Cross grabs a gun and fires at the approaching swarm. He only manages to hit a few ants, including Anthony, the ant that Ant Man was riding.

* ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'': During the battle of Zion, the mechas led by Captain Mifune all concentrate fire on the hole the Machines just opened in the city's celling with the giant drill. While the first swarms of Sentinels get utterly shredded, more and more of them manage to get through the fire barrage and the mechas have to reload, leading to the defensers of Zion being rapidly overwhelmed. Mifune keeps shooting (and {{shouting|shooter}}) at the swarms through and through no matter how hopeless the situation is, until they eventually lacerate him to death.

* ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'': During the battle of Zion, the mechas led by Captain Mifune all concentrate fire on the hole the Machines just opened in the city's celling with the giant drill. While the first swarms of Sentinels get utterly shredded, more and more of them manage to get through the fire barrage and the mechas have to reload, leading to the defensers of Zion being rapidly overwhelmed. Mifune keeps shooting (and {{shouting|shooter}}) at the swarms through and through no matter how hopeless the situation is, until they eventually kill him.

* ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'': During the battle of Zion, the mechas led by Captain Mifune all concentrate fire on the hole the Machines just opened in the city's celling with the giant drill. While the first swarms of Sentinels get utterly shredded, more and more of them manage to get through the barrage fire and the mechas have to reload, leading to the defensers of Zion being rapidly overwhelmed. Mifune keeps shooting (and {{shouting|shooter}}) at the swarms through and through no matter how hopeless the situation is, until they eventually kill him.

** In ''Videogame/MassEffect2'', [[HenchmenRace The Collectors]] use a swarm of genetically-modified insects called a Seeker Swarm to detect, attack, debuff and paralyze their targets. Particularly living specimens from populations they wish to take alive. As a case of GameplayAndStorySegregation, these swarms are shown to be nigh-impossible to fight back against with firearms or melee weapons--which is why they can so easily render entire colonies defenseless in short order. It's a major plot point that Commander Shepard and their crew have to use upgraded personal shields and barriers to keep the swarms at bay (and even then, there's a segment in the finale where the Collectors use massive quantities of the swarm and it takes an uber-powerful telekinetic to keep them all at bay, instantly killing the player or a member of the crew if it fails). Played straight when Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko will try to shoot an oncoming Collector swarm on Horizon during a cutscene.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'': The Collectors use a swarm of genetically-modified insects called a Seeker Swarm to detect, attack, debuff and paralyze their targets. Particularly living specimens from populations they wish to take alive. As a case of GameplayAndStorySegregation, these swarms are shown to be nigh-impossible to fight back against with firearms or melee weapons--which is why they can so easily render entire colonies defenseless in short order. It's a major plot point in ''Videogame/MassEffect2'' that Commander Shepard and their crew have to use upgraded personal shields and barriers to keep the swarms at bay (and even then, there's a segment in the finale where the Collectors use massive quantities of the swarm and it takes an uber-powerful telekinetic to keep them all at bay, instantly killing the player or a member of the crew if it fails). But in the Multiplayer portion of ''Videogame/MassEffect3'', the Collectors utilize the swarms again and a cluster of them can be shot by the player and destroyed. If not, the swarm will overwhelm the player and disable their shields/barriers and all {{cooldown}} abilities for a short time.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko will try to shoot an oncoming Collector swarm on Horizon during a cutscene.

''Film/TheMummyReturns'': Subverted. When Imhotep's followers, led by Anck-su-namun and Hafez, uncover the titular character and encounter the flesh-eating scarab horde, several of the guards use flamethrowers to burn them back, and to far greater effect.

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