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Could the Borg assimilate the Zerg into their collective? or would it be the other way around?

discuss..

That's a tough one.

In many ways, the Zerg are like the Borg. They both have a form of collective consciousness, they both have a hive hierarchical structure led by a queen, they both assimilate other species, incorporating those species' biological distinctiveness into their own gene pool.

The one key distinction is that the Zerg are purely biological, whereas the Borg are cybernetic, so I don't think the Zerg would have the capability to assimilate the Borg. The converse may be true, however not necessarily.

Take for example, Species 8472 (ref. Voyager episode Scorpion). It was shown that the Borg had extreme difficulty in assimilating this highly advanced, highly evolved purely biological species, and the Zerg may fall into such a category (in fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if the 8472 CG character was based on a Hydralisk...), so it's really difficult to say which species would prevail in assimilating the other. I'd give a slight edge to the Borg.

Borg: You will be assimilated. Your technological and biological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.

Zergling: Rawkerkk Rawwwg

Based on intelligence levels, I'm betting on the Borg.

Unless the zerg immune system could repel the (did the Borg use nanites, or something else?) nanites, the zerg would just become part of the collective.

Since nearly every case had the implants dominate the organism's mind, I'd give the Borg a greater chance at winning the mind control battle as well.

I don't see the Borg "Adapting" to a mass baneling bust

@Zanon I think you mean nanoprobes, not nanites. Nanites were a Starfleet Medical invention.

I would have to side with the Zerg on this one, since they are far more numerous, and multiply much more rapidly. In pure destruction terms, I mean.

For assimilation terms, I still have to side with the Zerg. The hyper-evolutionary virus would rapidly corrupt the Borg, due to its non-patterned nature, as well as the super-charged Darwinism taking place within the Zerg's own bodies. Ultimately, even if the Borg did assimilate the Zerg, they would eventually self-destruct into Zerg themselves.

This is tough... but I don't see how Borg cubes would survive a huge scourge swarm flying at them, so I think I will have to say that the Zerg would win, in terms of massed firepower against the Borg starships.

@Thundercrash, I don't think the Zerg are more numerous.. probably about the same. I don't see how the Borg would self-destruct....

"Ultimately, even if the Borg did assimilate the Zerg, they would eventually self-destruct into Zerg themselves."

- This logic fails, since if the Borg assimilate Zerg, that means that those Zerg are now Borg?


@Owlfeathers that could be true - it's been shown that the Borg are vulnerable when dealing with multiple targets (e.g. the opening scene of Star Trek: First Contact). I think if the Zerg unleashed the proper units like huge swarms of scourge, they could potentially overcome the Borg.

@Kitewing, Borg do not reproduce, the only way to get more numbers is through assimilation. The Zerg with its Larvae could be infinite.

I think Speedlings/Banelings are too much for the Borg to handle. And what if they assimilate an Ultralisk?? Will its thoughts be shared with the collective?? Whats he gonna say????? "Harro?" no it would be something like "RAAWWRRRKARR RAAAARRR ROR" which after a while would probably cause some processing malfunction to the Borg.

@Kitewing, Borg do not reproduce, the only way to get more numbers is through assimilation. The Zerg with its Larvae could be infinite.

I think Speedlings/Banelings are too much for the Borg to handle. And what if they assimilate an Ultralisk?? Will its thoughts be shared with the collective?? Whats he gonna say????? "Harro?" no it would be something like "RAAWWRRRKARR RAAAARRR ROR" which after a while would probably cause some processing malfunction to the Borg.

I agree completely.
FOR THE MOTHERF*CKING SWARM!~

OK - what if the Borg started assimilating the Zerg's buildings and structures too? I don't see why that wouldn't be fair game.

If the Borg targeted their attacks on Hatcheries, creep/spore/sunken colonies, and control units like Queens & Overlords? The Zerg would be pwnd!

02/14/2012 01:17 PMPosted by Owlfeathers

This is tough... but I don't see how Borg cubes would survive a huge scourge swarm flying at them, so I think I will have to say that the Zerg would win, in terms of massed firepower against the Borg starships.

That would take a LOT of scourge. Do you know how BIG Borg cubes are?

About 28 km ^ 3?

I think in the end it would come down to throw weight. The zerg control a few planets in the K sector and an unknown # of planets outside of it (more than a couple dozen less than 1000). The borg control 1/4 of a galaxy. However the borg only control habitable planets, the zerg can thrive in places that most machines can't function properly.
As for assimilation it is tricky. The borg use technology to overcome the nervous system, the zerg mutate their host into one of them, destroying their free will and linking them to the hivemind. Borg nano probes could probably control the first few zerg, however the zerg evolve faster than the common cold and their evolution is self directed. Chances are the zerg would evolve some form of immunity to the nanprobes (like 8472). Thing is the zerg would in all likely-hood have no intrest in assimilating the borg as the borg generally only assimilate intelligent species, and the zerg are only interested in psionic races (or things that explode, shoot acid, or are really big and spiky). Also the zerg virus could infect borg drones however with their mechanical parts still firmly under the control of the borg hivemind the zerg-ified drones wouldn't be able to do much, unless they ripped out their on spines, skulls, etc.

Necro
I just got the image on an infested Borg punching itself, one side all zergy and the other side mechanical XD

I think the Zerg would probably have the battle, for a number of reasons - the Zerg are completely unpredictable, so there's no planning for them, you can only plan to switch plans. Also the Zerg would, as some said, probably just develop an immunity to the Borg assimilation. Also, people who point out the non-intelligence of the Swarm forget that the Swarm's will is sentient, individual Zerg are just tools.
Besides...
The Queen of Blades = the Zerg win.

In addition, the Borg would probably underestimate the Zerg and not calculate for their untameable ferocity and adaptability.

@Thundercrash, I don't think the Zerg are more numerous.. probably about the same. I don't see how the Borg would self-destruct....

"Ultimately, even if the Borg did assimilate the Zerg, they would eventually self-destruct into Zerg themselves."

- This logic fails, since if the Borg assimilate Zerg, that means that those Zerg are now Borg?

You're forgetting that at the essence of the Zerg is the infestation and hyper-evolutionary virus. How do you counteract something that acts at a cellular level, and follows no conceivable pattern?

Additionally, we found through Stettman's in-game research that Zerg bodies contain two types of cells (for our purposes I'll call them A and B cells, since I can't remember what the game calls them): A cells throw out random mutations within the Zerg body, and B cells hunt them down and destroy them. The Borg have never encountered a biological process like this, and I have a feeling that trying to counteract it would require most, if not all of the Borg's resources.

FOR THE SWARM!!!!!!


I agree, with Thundercrash. I don't think the Zerg could be assimilated into the collective.

However, the Borg would probably be able to fight off the Zerg. They have weapons, powers, size....like a Terran-Protoss hybrid

the borg have frankly much more resources at their disposal, so if it came down to a space fight (which would probably be what it came down to) the borg would win because their ships are larger, heavily armed, and capable of repairing and functioning even after taking massive massive damage. The zerg however are tenacious, and if they could land spores on borg planets, borg ground forces wouldn't be able to do crap against them. The borg are highly adaptable on a macro scale however the nanotechnology that binds them together seems to be largely unalterable by them. That said I have a friend that plays Star Trek online, he says that in star trek online the borg have recently begun to assimilate small #'s of 8472. Also the federation apparently made a non - aggression pact with species 8472 (they also re-named species 8472 "the Undine"). Of course the "undine" are flipping out about this and as such have begun breaking faces and taking names all over borg space however this time they are taking casualties. So if what happens in Star trek online is cannon, then I wouldn't have high hopes for the zerg. Except of course on the ground, cause the fact of the matter is nothing can stop a zerg rush.