Been wondering about the winner of this fight for awhile now.
BACKGROUNDS
Flood: flood from silentum, so they have all the star roads and precursor tech and stuff like that aka peak of flood power
Zerg: around pre-wings of liberty, so they were pretty much at the peak of their power
Tyranids: peak of their power
goooooooooooo
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bump
Not that good on StarCraft lore and such, fair with Tyranids…I think with it being Silentium Star Road wielding, occasionally reality warping Flood they would win.
Honestly anything that involves precursor powers in a vs thread breaks down to:
Does the other side have godlike space magic powers?
If the answer is no, Precursors win.
Otherwise this topic tends to go a whole lot of nowhere, because they’re all geneticly self engineering infectious living weapons that are also immune to similar entities.
Ah, I was wondering when this was going to come up…
Really though its a simple question; which creatures among these three masses have A) calcium and B) a nervous system of some kind.
Oh, guess what? BOTH THE TYRANIDS AND THE ZERG DO.
And we all KNOW what the Flood does to anything with a nervous system and enough calcium. The Zerg are old. The Tyranids, probably older.
But the Flood…oh. The Flood are the granddaddy of ALL old. They are the Precursors, whats left of them.
The other two dont stand a chance, synaptic link, psionics, or not.
> 2533274964189700;4:
> Honestly anything that involves precursor powers in a vs thread breaks down to:
>
> Does the other side have godlike space magic powers?
>
> If the answer is no, Precursors win.
>
> Otherwise this topic tends to go a whole lot of nowhere, because they’re all geneticly self engineering infectious living weapons that are also immune to similar entities.
You can’t try to infect the Flood without the Flood counter-infecting you.
Also; Tyranids and Zerg can’t instantly turn you into one of them last I checked.
Precursor could bend reality so all of the enemy becomes weak as, then send in the swarms of infection forms
> 2533274907200114;6:
> > 2533274964189700;4:
> > Honestly anything that involves precursor powers in a vs thread breaks down to:
> >
> > Does the other side have godlike space magic powers?
> >
> > If the answer is no, Precursors win.
> >
> > Otherwise this topic tends to go a whole lot of nowhere, because they’re all geneticly self engineering infectious living weapons that are also immune to similar entities.
>
>
> You can’t try to infect the Flood without the Flood counter-infecting you.
> Also; Tyranids and Zerg can’t instantly turn you into one of them last I checked.
The zerg actually do have an extremely rapid infectious virus. It’s pretty instantaneous in game and in one of the books.
Thing is even if the flood infested some of either faction, those factions would just spin up gene sequences to adapt their forces to be immune/resistant in the future.
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> > 2533274907200114;6:
> > > 2533274964189700;4:
> > > Honestly anything that involves precursor powers in a vs thread breaks down to:
> > >
> > > Does the other side have godlike space magic powers?
> > >
> > > If the answer is no, Precursors win.
> > >
> > > Otherwise this topic tends to go a whole lot of nowhere, because they’re all geneticly self engineering infectious living weapons that are also immune to similar entities.
> >
> >
> > You can’t try to infect the Flood without the Flood counter-infecting you.
> > Also; Tyranids and Zerg can’t instantly turn you into one of them last I checked.
>
>
> The zerg actually do have an extremely rapid infectious virus. It’s pretty instantaneous in game and in one of the books.
>
> Thing is even if the flood infested some of either faction, those factions would just spin up gene sequences to adapt their forces to be immune/resistant in the future.
True, but take into account that the Zerg can’t necessarily change their gene sequences to adapt to technology like what they can do to organic life forms. In that sense the flood can just wipe the Zerg out with their tech. I mean, for heck’s sake the precursor tech they had could alter reality and neural physics, so I would also think that they could tamper with the timestream…
Also, even if the Tyranids have superior numbers and gene pools, the flood could just take the forms they infected, add the DNA sequences from those tyranids, and probably create forms specifically created to counter the various tyranid forms.
In the end, it really comes down to the superior tech/adaptability of the flood vs the extreme numbers/gene pool the tyranids have. RIP zerg imo
OP
I think the Zerg were technically at the peak of their power during Heart of the Swarm. Kerrigan becoming a Primal Zerg goddess (prior to becoming a Xel Naga) and mutating the swarm to be vastly more mutable and with stronger strains. Whilst still having the numbers to over run Korhal and the Dominion.
But yeah I would probably say:
The Flood
Tyranids
Zerg
I say this simply because the Flood are much more grounded in eldritch horror as opposed to being simply this “mundane” biological swarm. They’re literally this ancient, gesalt intelligence that are fallen creator gods with access to vast telepathic powers and all of the tools of the Precursors. The flood infection forms are as numerous as the tyranids and whilst the Tyranids might be able to evolve countermeasures they would still be at a huge disadvantage to an enemy that would turn their number against them. The Flood is also as mutable as the Tyranids and can use advanced weaponry and starships. Also, in terms of achievements, the Forerunners are a galaxy spanning empire with insanely advanced technology. Only the Necrons, Old Ones or Eldar at the absolute zenith of their power and influence could be comparable. As an aside, the Necrons overthrowing the Ctan and digitising themselves into machines that sealed themselves away for eons is EXTREMELY similar to the Forerunners. 
But lorewise, the Tyranids often struggle to overcome the much weakened and divided Necron tombworlds. So really there no question, the Flood are a far more dangerous enemy than the Tyranids or Zerg.
> 2535460877477928;9:
> True, but take into account that the Zerg can’t necessarily change their gene sequences to adapt to technology like what they can do to organic life forms. In that sense the flood can just wipe the Zerg out with their tech. I mean, for heck’s sake the precursor tech they had could alter reality and neural physics, so I would also think that they could tamper with the timestream…
I pretty much already said in my first post that due to precursor space magic, flood just outright wins.There isnt really much to debate there.
> 2535460877477928;9:
> Also, even if the Tyranids have superior numbers and gene pools, the flood could just take the forms they infected, add the DNA sequences from those tyranids, and probably create forms specifically created to counter the various tyranid forms.
The flood really hasn’t really exhibited the ability to make use of traits from assimilated species outside of basic combat forms. I’m sure they most certainly could, but it doesn’t seem to be their normal tactics. Whereas the tyranids are a rapidly evolving collection of living weapons.
> 2535460877477928;9:
> In the end, it really comes down to the superior tech/adaptability of the flood vs the extreme numbers/gene pool the tyranids have. RIP zerg imo
Honestly star roads just win, i’m mostly just ignoring it for the sake of having something to actually discuss.
Hmmm…actually the Tyranids might have some neural physics counters, the problem is you encounter the issue of two types of space magic colliding.
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> OP
>
> I think the Zerg were technically at the peak of their power during Heart of the Swarm. Kerrigan becoming a Primal Zerg goddess (prior to becoming a Xel Naga) and mutating the swarm to be vastly more mutable and with stronger strains. Whilst still having the numbers to over run Korhal and the Dominion.
Yeah that is true they had more potential then
While I think the flood would probably win, the tyranids would give the flood a run for their money. From what I know about those guys they have massive numbers on their side, and like I mentioned before they had a lot of variety they could use against their enemies. However, the flood would just eventually exploit this, I guess.
Again, the zerg are pretty much dead because of their lack of numbers and large scale weapons lol
Flood reality warping vs Tyranid reality smothering. The problem is that while both the Tyranids and Flood are stupid ancient, stupid powerful behemoths, they work in such utterly different and unspecified ways that it is not really possible to compare them. We have no idea about the biological composition of the Tyranids, and infection form infection probably wouldn’t work simply due to the fact that you are fighting a race of mostly close combat nasties, to whom infection forms are a snack. Can flood infect tyranids via digestion? Who knows. The only things in 40k which bypass tyranid digestion systems are literally magical diseases, while everything else is assimilated.
I mean, the Zerg are curbstomped so painfully fast and hard it is just not fair, and I probably would give it to the flood due to ‘I Win’ tech, it is also possible that the tyranids could just adapt to the flood or visa versa. Plus, Hive Mind>>>>Gravemind, as in Hive mind kills or drives people to insanity when they are anywhere near any of it (Which is the entire tyranid race). Not really a win loss thing, because of aforementioned ‘I Win’ tech, but in the eldritch horror scales the only reason the Tyranids do not stand out more is because they are from a universe literally full of eldritch horrors (Some of which make any precursors look like childs play… possibly. From what we’ve seen, precursors are not multiversal.)
So, order of win loss:
1: Tyranid Flood assimilation combination (We all know it would happen, and it would be nightmarish)
2: Flood
3: Tyranids
7949093992930303: Zerg
Flood without precurser tech would get oblitered by the tyranids, flood with said tech would squish tyranids like the bugs they are. Both would laugh at the Zerg and then Nom them.
> 2535460877477928;1:
> Been wondering about the winner of this fight for awhile now.
>
> BACKGROUNDS
> Flood: flood from silentum, so they have all the star roads and precursor tech and stuff like that aka peak of flood power
> Zerg: around pre-wings of liberty, so they were pretty much at the peak of their power
> Tyranids: peak of their power
>
> goooooooooooo
The Zerg were absolutely NOT at the height of their power before Wings of Liberty! Kerrigan in HoTS says she is more powerful than the old Queen and rebuilds the Swarm to beat the Dominion with new more powerful mutations. Then in Legacy she becomes a Star Goddess and kills a being capable of destroying planets and creating life!
1 - Flood purely because of the Star Roads otherwise they would come last (or Zerg with Xel Naga Kerrigan)
2 - Tyranids (or Zerg with Primal Kerrigan)
3 - Zerg (without Kerrigan)
All three races have the ability to absorb information from their hosts and grow stronger. However, the Tyranids and Zerg have two crucial advantages over the basic flood which is that they can absorb any biomass and aren’t dependent on sentient organic matter. Both races could also very quickly evolve defences to the main methods of infection and this could be achieved in a matter of weeks. However the Flood are never shown as being able to adapt or evolve or change. The Flood are exactly the same monsters they were when they fought the Forerunners. However things like the Star Roads and Logic Plague taking over powerful machines would tip the balance as they could use this to destroy entire hive fleets and planets. The Tyranids and Zerg (without Kerrigan) can’t compete with that.
The Tyranids would win due to sheer size alone. Both them and the Zerg are basically the same and have lots of equivalent creatures. However the Zerg only occupy a small sector of the galaxy whereas the Tyranids are supposed to possess enough to devour the whole galaxy. They would win by numbers alone. Even if the Flood consumed all life in the galaxy they would be outnumbered.
Its only when you start looking at the Swarms leader that it becomes more complex. The Hivemind and Flood are powerful gestalt entities but their intelligence and imagination is limited; they lack the creativity and intelligence or will of a single person. It also railroads them down certain ways of thinking. This is why our plucky Protross and Space Marines can overcome the swarm. This goes out the window once Kerrigan becomes the Heart of the Swarm. The Zerg derive enormous strength from the capacity of its leader. Isha says that because Kerrigan was mighty so too were the Zerg. Since she becomes even more powerful on becoming Primal she is able to propel the Zerg to mutate into more powerful forms and unlike the Tyranids, succeeds in destroying its Imperium equivalent. This is despite coming back from being almost extinct. Which means that even vastly outnumbered Kerrigan with her leadership, her strength as the Heart of the Swarm and her sheer psionic power would eventually allow her to defeat the Tyranids.
However this falls apart once the Flood start using space magic like the Star Roads and Logic Plague.
But… 
In Legacy of the Void Kerrigan becomes a Xel Naga, essentially a Star God and kills Amon who is described as being capable of destroying entire worlds. The fact she is portrayed as greater than him and is shown destroying entire armies whilst herself being immortal says a lot. The Xel Naga created life and are shown as being essentially equivalent in power to the Ctan from 40k or the Precursors from Halo. This would mean that Kerrigan as a Xel Naga would be a Star God and would even the balance since she could also destroy entire fleets, armies and planets of Flood like the Star Roads. On an even playing field, the Zerg would beat the Flood. This also assumes that even the Precursors were as powerful as the Xel Naga which is questionable given how they are portrayed.
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> > 2535460877477928;1:
> > However, the Tyranids and Zerg have two crucial advantages over the basic flood which is that they can absorb any biomass and aren’t dependent on sentient organic matter.
Not completly correct.
The Flood can take any biomass to create Floodmatter or pureform ,they can even absorb whole ecosystems.
But I think,this fact wouldnt change your arguments.
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> > 2533274803587475;15:
> > > 2535460877477928;1:
> > > However, the Tyranids and Zerg have two crucial advantages over the basic flood which is that they can absorb any biomass and aren’t dependent on sentient organic matter.
>
> Not completly correct.
> The Flood can take any biomass to create Floodmatter or pureform ,they can even absorb whole ecosystems.
> But I think,this fact wouldnt change your arguments.
That would make a big difference. The main issue is whether the Tyranids or Zerg could evolve effective immunity to the Floods primary method of infection. Since the Chief and Forerunners could achieve this by technological means I don’t see why they couldn’t also. Just thicker armor, membranes that filter flood spores, tyranid microbes that kill flood spores at the biological level. The sheer mutability and adaptation of the Nids and Zerg has to be considered. If they couldn’t, then yes, both swarms would really struggle against the Flood because all their numbers would be turned against them. Although in such a situation the Zerg and Tyranids wouldn’t engage a superior galactic predator.
Oh come on, Kerrigan literally becomes God in Legacy of the Void and becomes a 200 foot fire angel that kills Cthulu with a DBZ energy blast. The Graveminds got nothing on that. Even the Precursor stuff was still technology. The Xel Naga are magical Cthulu esque aliens; basically gods. If we are talking when the Zerg were at their zenith then this is the moment.
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> > 2535408730995228;16:
> > > 2533274803587475;15:
> > > > 2535460877477928;1:
> > > > However, the Tyranids and Zerg have two crucial advantages over the basic flood which is that they can absorb any biomass and aren’t dependent on sentient organic matter.
> >
> > Not completly correct.
> > The Flood can take any biomass to create Floodmatter or pureform ,they can even absorb whole ecosystems.
> > But I think,this fact wouldnt change your arguments.
>
> That would make a big difference. The main issue is whether the Tyranids or Zerg could evolve effective immunity to the Floods primary method of infection. Since the Chief and Forerunners could achieve this by technological means I don’t see why they couldn’t also. Just thicker armor, membranes that filter flood spores, tyranid microbes that kill flood spores at the biological level. The sheer mutability and adaptation of the Nids and Zerg has to be considered. If they couldn’t, then yes, both swarms would really struggle against the Flood because all their numbers would be turned against them. Although in such a situation the Zerg and Tyranids wouldn’t engage a superior galactic predator.
>
> Oh come on, Kerrigan literally becomes God in Legacy of the Void and becomes a 200 foot fire angel that kills Cthulu with a DBZ energy blast. The Graveminds got nothing on that. Even the Precursor stuff was still technology. The Xel Naga are magical Cthulu esque aliens; basically gods. If we are talking when the Zerg were at their zenith then this is the moment.
The Forerunners and Chief never developed a cure. Forerunners spents decades trying to find one and never succeeded: maybe even longer. Chief just run and guns his way to the next checkpoint essentially. The one time Chief had a “cure” for the flood was when an infection form got past his energy shields, pierced his suit and skin, and then was electrocuted by Cortana before it could even pierce his nervous system or inject its flood gene manipulation goop. On that note, it doesn’t matter how many times the Tyranids and Zerg overwrite their genes, the Flood essentially shove aside their host’s genes and insert their own (ie. the flood super gene or super cell).
Flood will consume all.
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> > 2533274803587475;17:
> > > 2535408730995228;16:
> > > > 2533274803587475;15:
> > > > > 2535460877477928;1:
> > > > > However, the Tyranids and Zerg have two crucial advantages over the basic flood which is that they can absorb any biomass and aren’t dependent on sentient organic matter.
> > >
> > > Not completly correct.
> > > The Flood can take any biomass to create Floodmatter or pureform ,they can even absorb whole ecosystems.
> > > But I think,this fact wouldnt change your arguments.
> >
> > That would make a big difference. The main issue is whether the Tyranids or Zerg could evolve effective immunity to the Floods primary method of infection. Since the Chief and Forerunners could achieve this by technological means I don’t see why they couldn’t also. Just thicker armor, membranes that filter flood spores, tyranid microbes that kill flood spores at the biological level. The sheer mutability and adaptation of the Nids and Zerg has to be considered. If they couldn’t, then yes, both swarms would really struggle against the Flood because all their numbers would be turned against them. Although in such a situation the Zerg and Tyranids wouldn’t engage a superior galactic predator.
> >
> > Oh come on, Kerrigan literally becomes God in Legacy of the Void and becomes a 200 foot fire angel that kills Cthulu with a DBZ energy blast. The Graveminds got nothing on that. Even the Precursor stuff was still technology. The Xel Naga are magical Cthulu esque aliens; basically gods. If we are talking when the Zerg were at their zenith then this is the moment.
>
> The Forerunners and Chief never developed a cure. Forerunners spents decades trying to find one and never succeeded: maybe even longer. Chief just run and guns his way to the next checkpoint essentially. The one time Chief had a “cure” for the flood was when an infection form got past his energy shields, pierced his suit and skin, and then was electrocuted by Cortana before it could even pierce his nervous system or inject its flood gene manipulation goop. On that note, it doesn’t matter how many times the Tyranids and Zerg overwrite their genes, the Flood essentially shove aside their host’s genes and insert their own (ie. the flood super gene or super cell).
Also that particular instance happened in Halo: The Flood, which is semi/soft canon AT BEST, since its a novelization of the first game.