History ZergRush / FanWorks

** During [[WhamEpisode Chapter 23]], Belladonna and her group take over the Gringy City power plant by overwhelming the defenses with a horde of mind-controlled Poison-types, most of them relatively weak. It works, [[DeconstructedTrope but then problems come during the occupation]]. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Since they no longer have the element of surprise or an enormous numerical advantage]] (due to having to spread themselves out more thinly to hold the plant as opposed to being able to concentrate their attacks on the personnel), competent attackers like Ash and company are able to defeat huge numbers of the hypnotized Pokémon.

* ''Fanfic/AFrozenFlower'': Grimes brings his group of about a dozen or so dormant ''lamberos'' to face down Odd Squad, while Oprah, Otto and Orchid face them from the heroes' side. Despite the disparity, however, Odd Squad ends up ultimately winning.

* In ''[[Fanfic/TheLightningStrike The Broken Path]]'', this is noted to be one of Hydra's favoured strategies when fighting wizards; as Neville reflects in a flashback, they can afford to basically strap bombs and weapons on to muggles and send them out to fight until the target is dead.

* ''Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40K'':
** Standard doctrine for the Seperatists is to flood the battlefield with MechaMooks and rely on their [[WeHaveReserves easily replaced nature]] and sheer numbers to make up for their [[CannonFodder subpar individual combat abilities]].

* ''Fanfic/{{Fractured}}'': The ''Reapers'' are the weak faction against the Trans-Galactic Republic's much sterner starships after the Citadel races would have been the "Zerg" against the Reapers had the TGR not pulled a BigDamnHeroes[=/=]TheCavalry. In the [[FanFic/{{Origins}} sequel]], [[spoiler:the Flood]] engage in this tactic with a twist--endless weaker soldiers...that also [[FromASingleCell endlessly]] [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist revive...]] Cue the heroes [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame emulating their enemy]].

* ''Fanfic/EnemyOfMyEnemy'': Yhe Brutes try a version of this, charging in a solid wave of fur and fury against a wall of Jackal-shield-wielding Elites, in a scene reminiscent of soccer hooligans rushing a fence. In this case, the fence pushes back and holds firm, while the Elites' human allies fire down on the Brutes. It's stated that the Brutes were so tightly packed, dozens were dead on their feet because there was no room to fall to the ground once they were killed. This is, unfortunately, [[TruthInTelevision truth in writing]], as many examples of people dying in tightly packed areas do feature corpses that are only revealed to be such when the place starts thinning out, causing them to fall down due to no longer being supported by the people around them.

* ''[[[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6954565/1/Death-in-Scampia Death in Scampia]]'': An Agency team find themselves surrounded by gang soldiers of the Camorra, backed up a hostile crowd of locals hurling rocks and abuse.

* ''Fanfic/DeathInScampia'': An Agency team find themselves surrounded by gang soldiers of the Camorra, backed up a hostile crowd of locals hurling rocks and abuse.

* ''Literature/AmericasStepbrotherAmericasEnemyTwoPointZero'': The Oceanian military's ''only'' tactic, as in the original George Orwell novel, the ForeverWar between the three superstates was effectively a mere song-and-dance routine that was just meant to rally the population in nationalistic fervour and none of the belligerents actually intended to win. Faced with an [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks actual military superpower]] that ''does'' intend to win the wars it fights, the Oceanian military leadership really has no idea what to do besides "throw forces at them and hope for the best".

* ''Fanfic/{{Downfall|Bleach}}'' has this tactic both played straight and inverted. The Exequia Troops of [[spoiler: Unohana]]'s army are mindless drones that employ this tactic occasionally as skirmishers. They are repeatedly shown to pose occasional difficulty to even Lieutenant-strength opponents due to their sheer tenacity. They make no sound—not even when they're hurt or killed—and will keep coming until they're dealt a fatal injury.
* In ''FanFic/EnemyOfMyEnemy'', the Brutes try a version of this, charging in a solid wave of fur and fury against a wall of Jackal-shield-wielding Elites, in a scene reminiscent of soccer hooligans rushing a fence. In this case, the fence pushes back and holds firm, while the Elites' human allies fire down on the Brutes. It's stated that the Brutes were so tightly packed, dozens were dead on their feet because there was no room to fall to the ground once they were killed.
** Which is, unfortunately, [[TruthInTelevision Truth in writing]], as many examples of people dying in tightly packed areas do feature corpses that are only revealed to be such when the place starts thinning out, causing them to fall down due to no longer being supported by the people around them.
* In ''FanFic/{{Fractured}}'', a ''Franchise/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[=/=]''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover crossover]], the ''Reapers'' are the weak faction against the Trans-Galactic Republic's much sterner starships after the Citadel races would have been the "Zerg" against the Reapers had the TGR not pulled a BigDamnHeroes[=/=]TheCavalry. In the [[FanFic/{{Origins}} sequel]], [[spoiler:the Flood]] engage in this tactic with a twist--endless weaker soldiers...that also [[FromASingleCell endlessly]] [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist revive...]] Cue the heroes [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame emulating their enemy]].
* In the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles fanfic "The Long Walk", this dry exchange happens between an OC and Mikey:
--> '''Mikey:''' "The Shredder thinks if he throws enough Foot ninja at a problem, it'll go away."\\
'''Breech:''' "That's right. There'll be less Foot ninja for a start."

* ''[[http://danbooru.donmai.us/pool/show/3186 [=HomuHomu=]'s Grand Strategy]]'' (Link NSFW) is ultimately about [[spoiler: Homura overwhelming Walpurgisnacht]] with this.
* In ''Fanfic/TheSwarmOfWar'', [[TheBigGuy Volran]] actually has it as a tactic – a psionically reinforced stampede of a million Zerg isn’t easy to stop.
* In ''FanFic/MegaManReawakened'', Cudabots try this on Megaman, and bee robots do this to Roll.
* Attempted in ''Fanfic/GuideToRecentEquestrianHistory'' when the Equestrian commander attempted to overrun Discord. [[spoiler: Epic fail.]]
* Discussed between Atvar and and Kirel before the invasion of Earth in ''FanFic/WorldwarWarOfEquals''. The Conquest Fleet consist of 35,000,000 infantrymales and note that no Human military can match them in those numbers. This tactic actually works in some of the small countries of Earth, helps dominate the skies, and gives superpower nations such as America and China a run for their money.
* In ''FanFic/BeingDeadAintEasy'', when in the Soul Room, hundreds to ''millions'' of Funny Bunnies swarm Joey and Kaiba.
* In ''FanFic/QueenOfTheSwarm'', Taylor has the potential to do this but hasn't due to lack of Zerg. [[spoiler:Though she is looking to fix this for when Leviathan attacks.]]
* ''Literature/AmericasStepbrotherAmericasEnemyTwoPointZero'': The Oceanian military's ''only'' tactic, as in the original George Orwell novel, the ForeverWar between the three superstates was effectively a mere song-and-dance routine that was just meant to rally the population in nationalistic fervour and none of the belligerents actually intended to win. Faced with an [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks actual military superpower]] that ''does'' intend to win the wars it fights, the Oceanian military leadership really has no idea what to do besides "throw forces at them and hope for the best".
* In ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'', Izuku, All Might, and Firestorm are swarmed by hundreds of robots inside Mt. Fuji. Firestorm manages to take out the majority of them while Izuku runs to find his spaceship, but they're besieged by even more robots when they confront the Villain responsible.
* In the ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' fanfic "Death in Scampia", an Agency team find themselves surrounded by gang soldiers of the Camorra, backed up a hostile crowd of locals hurling rocks and abuse.
-->Here were the gunslingers of the Camorra clans, cheap and expendable and inexhaustible in supply. Any other time they would have been an object of derision to the cutting-edge killers of the Agency. Now the girls could sense their handlers' fear and the knowledge made them taut like a mainspring, ready to erupt into a murderous frenzy that would not stop until everyone was brought down in a hail of bullets.
* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' and its sidestories feature several examples, to varying degrees of success:
** During [[WhamEpisode Chapter 23]], Belladonna and her group take over the Gringy City power plant by overwhelming the defenses with a horde of mind-controlled Poison-types, most of them relatively weak. It works, [[DeconstructedTrope but then problems come during the occupation]]. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Since they no longer have the element of surprise or an enormous numerical advantage]] (due to having to spread themselves out more thinly to hold the plant as opposed to being able to concentrate their attacks on the personnel), competent attackers like Ash and company are able to defeat huge numbers of the hypnotized Pokémon.
** In the Lorelei Interlude, a group of Rocket grunts attacking the Mandarin Island Stadium try this on [[BattleCouple Lorelei and Frey]], but despite the sheer numbers, [[CurbStompBattle the couple manages to take them all down using only three Pokémon each.]]
** In Chapter 34/35, most of the latter part of Ash's battle in the Saffron Gym amounts to this. While Ash and his Pokémon manage to hold their own for a while against the hordes of Sabrina's Psychic-types, eventually they start to wear out. [[spoiler: Fortunately, Dexter manages to [[TheCavalry bring every Pokémon Ash has caught]] with the help of his Exeggutor herd (who can use Teleport) to level the playing field.]]
** Red in his Five Island Interlude is forced to deal with this with the Rocket Grunts in the warehouse, though it's a more gradual example, as the plan is to lure him deep into the hideout to take all of his Pokémon. He's saved by a combination of managing to improvise on the fly, [[BigDamnHeroes and the timely arrival of Yellow]] [[DamselOutOfDistress who broke out of captivity]] with Ratty's help.

* ''Fanfic/AbyssalPlain'': After the Undersiders and Breakthrough accidentally take over a farm ran by a Farmer boogeyman, said Farmer returns with hundreds of Others to retake it. While the Undersiders and Breakthrough hold their own despite the number advantage, they still end up fleeing the farm as a result.

* ''Fanfic/{{Downfall}}'' has this tactic both played straight and inverted. The Exequia Troops of [[spoiler: Unohana]]'s army are mindless drones that employ this tactic occasionally as skirmishers. They are repeatedly shown to pose occasional difficulty to even Lieutenant-strength opponents due to their sheer tenacity. They make no sound—not even when they're hurt or killed—and will keep coming until they're dealt a fatal injury.

** During [[WhamEpisode Chapter 23]], Belladonna and her group take over the Gringy City power plant by overwhelming the defenses with a horde of mind-controlled Poison-types, most of them relatively weak. It works, [[DeconstructedTrope but then problems come during the occupation]]. [[RealityEnsues Since they no longer have the element of surprise or an enormous numerical advantage]] (due to having to spread themselves out more thinly to hold the plant as opposed to being able to concentrate their attacks on the personnel), competent attackers like Ash and company are able to defeat huge numbers of the hypnotized Pokémon.