Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I've been playing around with Starcraft 2 and had a thought occur to me. Which bug alien race would win in a fight against another sci-fi bug race? Would the Tyranids devour everyone, would the Xenomorphs infect all the others with Facehuggers? Could the Zerg and the Starship Trooper Bugs even stand a chance?

Tyranids are a virtually limitless horde from another galaxy that can adapt to any environment or combat situation.

The Zerg need to assimilate new species to adapt and the Xenomorphs are relatively few in number. Not sure about the Bugs because I haven't read or watched Starship Troopers.

Tough call. The only thing I can say with any certainty is that, whoever wins, we lose

The Dreadnote wrote:Tough call. The only thing I can say with any certainty is that, whoever wins, we lose

So true, but maybe we can pull a one in a billion shot of wiping out the weakened (If the surviving race doesn't absorb their adversaries' traits) kinda like waiting for the last one standing the coming out with a rocket launcher or a nuke at the last one.

Nid's cause nothing is so over the top as w40k

I believe that the Tyranids and Zerg have already absorbed the traits of the other two.

The Tyranids and Zerg can do whatever the other two can, and the Hivemind appears to be stronger, psychologically, than Kerrigan/the Overmind. So I'll go with the Tyranids.

Hard to say really, But the bottom line is all four would really ruin anybody's day. But my money is on the Zerg for whats is worth

Xenomorphs(fully grown, not facehuggers) don't have the numbers to take on either Zerg or NIds, but make up for it with being incredibly powerful.
Starship Trooper bugs get owned by all three.

Golden Eyed Scout wrote:Xenomorphs(fully grown, not facehuggers) don't have the numbers to take on either Zerg or NIds, but make up for it with being incredibly powerful.

Pfft. Maybe against a bunch of human redshirts. Tyranids and Zerg could both just overrun them. Remember, the Xenomorphs prefer launching stealth attacks, with is fairly pointless against a horde of Gaunts or Zerglings.

I think the only Xenomorph that would stand even a slight chance against say, a carnifex, would be a Queen. And the you go up in scale to the really big ones and Game Over.

Realistically the only 2 bug races worth comparing are Tyranids and Zerg. The Zerg just don't have the numbers to match the 'nids, and they don't have any particular strengths over them either.

MasterDRD wrote:
Realistically the only 2 bug races worth comparing are Tyranids and Zerg. The Zerg just don't have the numbers to match the 'nids, and they don't have any particular strengths over them either.

It's also worth noting that the Zerg usually begin an invasion via infiltration; they drop Creep spores in, along with a few basic lifeforms. They gradually build up their presence (usually near human settlements so they have a source of food and infestees) before attacking in full force.

Tyranids, OTOH, launch spores and then hammer the feth out of a planet (unless it's home to Genestealers). Zerg are like a scalpel, 'nids are like a hammer nuke fething enormous steamroller driven by Cthulu.

Looks like Tyranids are gonna slaughter everyone with a little resistance from the Zerg

For me the Bugs would stand a chance but it's still quite small, imagine if their brain bugs could short out the hivemind or overmind/kerrigan's control over their minions. That and the main bug infantry is much much more stronger and resilient then Gaunts or Zerglings.

Yeah I'd agree Xenomorphs would be pretty much squashed.

I'd like to mention that the Arachnids from SST are probably the most intelligent of the four since they were capable of hitting a city, a target a few miles wide, from several trillion miles away using an asteroid without any self propulsion. The fact they even hit Earth let alone a major city on Earth is amazing.

Also they're the only one of the four to develop technology like lasers and space ships without messing with their genetics. Bug swarm + innovation + technology = romper stomper

I still think Nids win.

I'm going with the Bugs from Starship Troopers (the book, not that fethpile of a movie) because they're the perfect balance between deadliness and intelligence. In the book they're consistently taking out power-armored MI without any difficulty and wipe out human colonies on several planets, including Pluto, as well as wiping Buenos Aires out in a lightning raid.

The Dreadnote wrote:Tough call. The only thing I can say with any certainty is that, whoever wins, we lose

Quoted for being amazingly true.

Edit:
Overall, I'd say 'Nids.

SST Bugs just don't seem to be as massive a threat, just a bit smarter.

Xenomorphs are to few in numbers. The others would just swamp them.

Zerg are simply Tyranids, except made in China.

But if we get xenomorph's (all the different forms) in equal amounts as the other races.... Naaaah. still suck.

SST bugs however, have a much bigger shot IMO, tank bugs could really ruin someones day, even if it's a Hierophant.