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CIS vs. Tyranids: A Discussion: Part 1

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Over a year ago I began working with several others on the Planetary Conquest tournament, pitting the best of the best of science fiction against each other. The first battle, CIS vs. Tyranids on the planet Naboo, took a long time to do, as most people were figuring out how the vote system worked, and how to format profiles. Today, we've gotten this down pat, but in the beginning, it could take a while.

So why am I posting my vote? *shrug* Why not? This battle has already come and gone, and after the work I put into it, I figure what's the harm. So if you want to read my thoughts on Star War's CIS and Warhammer 40K's Tyranids, keep reading.

For some context; the profiles of these armies:

CIS: planetarybattles.blogspot.com/…

&

planetarybattles.blogspot.com/…

Tyranids: planetarybattles.blogspot.com/…

&

planetarybattles.blogspot.com/…

They weren't made by me, but came from fellow hard working author ak47pwner; so major props to him.

And now, the vote:

Recognizance:

-Well, CIS starts with an obvious advantage here, as Naboo is already somewhat known to them; so they should be familiar with the geography and the local flora and fauna (not experts, but enough to get by). They also have another advantage over the Tyranids, in that they have way more advanced tools at their disposal. Even the worst ground based scanner is better then none at all.

While I don't foresee any big problems for the Tyranids when it comes to scouting and info gathering, their typical approach may end up hurting them in the long run. By instilling paranoia in the cities and natives, they are more likely to drive them to the CIS. After all, CIS, well known as a droid army, is not going to be associated with a group of monsters like the Tyranids. As the beasts spread, the people may well turn to the CIS and band together with them to remove this threat from their planet.

All in all, the CIS's tech will allow them to cover more ground, faster; and with their current knowledge of Naboo, and the Tyranids themselves making a case for an alliance, they take the Recon edge.

Edge: CIS

Infantry:

-Ah, the Infantry. The lifeblood of the army! They are the highest in number, marching to victory/death with grim determination! But who can boast the better grunts? Let's find out!

Let us begin with the most basic of all the grunts: The Tyranid Gnat and the CIS Battle Droid. Now obviously the B-1 is infamous for its rather subpar abilities as a singular unit. However, in mass, firing their blaster rifles, they would be lethal. The Gnat's relatively weak chitin wouldn't hold up against such an assault, and it would be rendered swiss cheese at a distance. The Gnat suffers for having no  long range abilities; something nearly Every Single Unit on the CIS army has (with RARE exceptions). However, it's speed will let it cover a great distance, so those not killed by blaster fire will reach the B-1s quickly. At that point, things turn in the Gnat's favor, as the B-1s general incompetence at close range will be their gruesome undoing. I doubt hitting the Gnat with a rifle will do more then piss it off.

That said, if we consider the Variations (which sadly only make an appearance once per every 1000 plain droid), things slip a little bit towards the CIS again. These droids possess weapons with larger AOEs, jetpacks, blades with the competence to use them, grenades, snipers, and decent shields (though not every Variation has everything). These droids will be able to slather way more Gnats before the creatures get to them, if they ever do.

Both sides will have to rely on Swarm tactics, and both will be suffer the most losses for their team. The Droids from sheer fragility and incompetence, and the Gnats from being picked off by ranged fire. While neither seals Infantry for their side, the B-1s (plus variants) tilt things ever so slightly in the CIS favor.

Next up: B2s and Termagants!  Now, while the B2 is more aggressive, he's not exactly mobile, and may have trouble dodging the Termagants shots. Said Tyranid has a much wider arsenal then either the B2 or his Gnat cousin. Now, concerning the Fleshborer on Droids, obviously they don't feel pain like an organic would, however having a beetle chewing through circuitry will prove problematic. On the off chance these two get close to each other, the Termagant's claws may be able to do some damage; while the B2 is too clumsy.

This time, both have variations! The B2s laser cannons would blow a Termagant about in a second, as would the wrist rocket. The Spinefist the Termagant uses could pierce the B2s armor. The Spike Rifle has some added distance to it, but unless the spike hits a very vital spot on the B2, it may just make it mad. I'm not sure how the Devourer would work on a target without a traditional brain, but I imagine that the B2 could probably still fight for a few moments before the burrowing disrupted to many systems and it shut down. The Strangleweb is good for binding a target, and I'm sure given enough time the acid could eat through the B2s armor, but it has a limited range of use.

On a side note, the B2 has no problem firing on allies. While I don't think Tyranids care that much about comrades, the Termagant does seem to be more set in its role to provide cover fire; and is less likely to fire on a fellow Tyranid.  

I think of the two of them, with them firing at each others army; I'd go with the Termagant. It has a wider range of weapons it may bring into battle, and its weapons can pierce Droid armor, and it is more maneuverable on the field.

Octuptarra Combat Tri-Droid and Genestealer Cultists! I'm putting these two together as they are the rather rare Infantry units, only slightly more then the Minor Troops. Now obviously for this battle, the Cultists will bare some similarities to Gungans and Humans. Now, their initial role will be in recognizance, where they will likely attempt to sabotage Naboo defenses, and possibly CIS droid factories. However, once the planet figures out not to trust the citizens with the messed up eyes and skin, their value diminishes quickly.

The Tri-Droid has been proven that it can take on entire squads of infantry on its own; given its rapid rate of fire, powerful laser, and inability to be snuck up on. It would easily mow down the cultists in battle, along with whatever gnat or Termagant they happened to be with. On the off chance, though, that something does happen and it is destroyed, it will release a virus that will wipe out all the surrounding organics. So the Tyranids can kiss whatever they had in the area goodbye. The beauty? These things are so rare that, tactically, it would be impractical to adapt to defend against the virus. While I'm sure they could adapt to defend themselves from it, that takes Biomass; which considering that the Tri-Droid is one of the rarest bots in the CIS army, is a waste on the Tyranids part. It would be more prudent to use that Biomass for something else. Which means the next time the old Virus Droid does come around, Tyranids will still drop like flies.

So while there may not be enough to really impact the overall war, both have secondary functions that will make them invaluable. The Tri-Droid just happens to be the superior one.

Droideka and Tyranid Warriors! Alright, we're getting to the real skilled Infantry now; the ones who will end lives by the hundreds in a mass slaughter! Now, both of these warriors are highly mobile, and heavily armed. The Warrior is able to control nearby Tyranids, which will allow him to direct the flow of battle in some areas; something the Droideka cannot do. Both of these things may have some trouble killing the other. The Warrior's Carapace is durable enough that the Droideka will have to use higher setting on its Cannon in order to damage it (on the plus side, those high levels will decimate most of the weaker Tyranids such as Gnats and Termagants). And the Droideka's forcefield can block melee attacks, rendering the Warrior's claws, and many of his bioform weapons useless. I say many because I can see how the Boneswords may be able to penetrate the shields. However, that would require the Warrior get very close to the Droideka, which puts him in serious danger of getting blasted. And as a Synaptic link, if he is killed, it will leave the Tyranids around him scrambling in disarray for a moment. A Warrior Prime, on the other hand, will require nothing less then full power to kill, and even then, its cunning will prove troublesome. The Droideka has some variations as well, such as versions with melee weapons, or bigger guns and shields. While these will be great for other troops to hide behind, they are limited in energy.

A Droideka also has the weaknesses of not having a shield while rolling, and the fact that its shield can wear out. A Tyranids defense doesn't have a time/energy limit.

On the battlefield, both of these things will be able to kill and kill, while taking massive damage. But at some point, the Shield on the Droideka is going to give out; or it will be hit while moving and get destroyed. The warrior is just more valuable then the rolling droid.

Oh, but we aren't done yet! The CIS also has a lot of minor troops that will serve as Infantry on the battlefield! While they aren't as numerous as the droids, their contributions are no less meaningful!

Aqua Droids will allow the CIS some advantage in the water; as they don't have to adapt to breath under it, and frankly look like they'd have an easier time moving then some of the bulkier Tyranids. They're also durable, and their laser cannon can cook your average Tyranid without much trouble. The Genosians kinda such, and as organics they will be susceptible to things like poison or psychic attacks. While they may use number to their advantage, Tyranids have that down to a science. The Koorivar Fusiliers may be better off sticking to engineering. While they are well trained and decently armed, I wouldn't recommend them on the front line.

The LR-57 Combat Droids will work great as sentinels, guards, or mines. Their cannons will blow most Tyranid attackers to pieces. The Neimoidian Snipers will be useful for picking off some of the more troublesome Tyranids at a range, or protecting important figures from a distance. The brutes and their vibro-mace may be somewhat effective as shock-troops, but given their uncontrollable nature, they won't fit into a great many strategies, and likely won't last an exceptionally long time on the field. However, they could deal with a great many Gnats or Termagants before getting torn to pieces.

The Vibroblade Brigade may be able to effectively deal with the Gnats that are around them, though I worry that their lack of a long range weapon will hurt them. Perhaps they can team up with the Viidaav soldiers, who are sort of like the Termagants to the Brigade's Gnat. The Umbrian Soldiers will be effective Infantry, and I think their protective gas suit will give them some protection from poison gas attacks of some Tyranids. Their assassin droids will be best as distractions, but may get the occasional kill in.

The Trandoshians will be very good in battle. Their regeneration means they can fight longer then most. The best thing about them though is their wide arsenal. Against creatures that love to adapt against weaponry, these guys will be their with a new weapon at the ready, prepared to kill more of the Tyranid scum.

Without the Minor Infantry, it was a bit of a tie between the Virus Bot and the B1, and the Termagant and the Warrior. WITH the Minor Infantry though, the CIS manages to push ahead; bringing in a diverse set of weapons and soldiers that the Tyranids will be tough to keep up with. Ultimately, the CIS takes this!

Edge: CIS

Elites:
-Alright, now its time to get into the special forces of these two armies. Each of these unites excels at something, and will prove invaluable in the long run. But which has the better elites? Let's find out!

Genestealers, B-X Droid Commandos, Chameleon Droid, and Demolition Droids!

Ah the Genestealer, master of infiltration; this thing will stealthily be working to bolster the Tyranid ranks with the hybrid offspring. This creature will be most effective in the early stages of the war, when facts about the Tyranid are still unknown. However, after a point, the Naboo are going to start suspecting Tyranid mischief in their odd looking babies, and the Genestealer's effectiveness will decrease.

As for the Broodlord strain, I don't see that being a terribly big advantage for it, as its psychic abilities will have no effect on the VAST majority of its opponents. The exception being Acid Blood, but even then only if it was fighting CQC. The Ygmarl's may last longer in open combat, but the changes are only physical, and none include the ability to compensate for its lack of a long range ability. In the midst of battle, it'll still be gunned down.

However, they will be more effective then the B-X. Nothing this thing disguises itself as will let it infiltrate the Hive, as it will quickly find out. It may do very well in combat, given the quality of its defense and weapons, but the fact is that a major part of its programing is worthless. That, combined with its rarity puts the Genestealer above it.

I also put it above the Cameleon Droid, who will be unable to lay nearly as many mines around, due to his camouflage being ineffective on the swarm. It's best bet of being any help at all if running into the swarm and detonating those mines.

Demolition Droids won't even get past the first phase. Tyranids aren't going to be fooled by a sweeper droid. Any position they want to take will have to be taken by force, and while I'm sure it can try that, and may even be able to blow itself up, it won't be infiltrating any point the Tyranids don't want taken.

While the Genestealer may not be worth much on the front lines, it will be very good at its job; at least for the beginning of the war.

1-0, Edge Tyranids.

Lictors, Magna Guards, Anzati Assassins, Nimbus Commandos, and Assassin Probes!

Ah Lictors, you scary Cthulhu looking bastards. If this thing is coming after you, you'd better have a damned good defense. A defense, perhaps, like the Magna Guards. Only a fraction less mobile then the Lictor itself, and actually better trained, the Magna Guards will be what stands between the Assassin and its prey. It's Flesh Hooks, while perhaps being able to pierce the Duranium armor, will not kill the Guard as it would most others, as they can operate even after decapitation or bisection. When the Lictor pulls the Guard in close, which is the Guards specialty. Trained in every form of Lightsaber Combat, these things should be able to last a little while (if not defeat when in groups) a Lictor. As their weapons are electric, the Lictor would receive a shock with each hit. And as they are able to block a blade made of pure energy, they won't fail against the Lictor's claws.

If they should get the chance to take the Lictor on at a range, their grenades, rocket launchers, seeking missiles, and irradiation grenades should be able to bypass their chitin armor.

When it comes to specials, both the Guard and the Lictor posses cloaking abilities (actually, the Guard can cloak, the Lictor just blends in with its surroundings). The Feeder Tendrils, while creepy (nightmarishly so) will be effective in retrieving secrets from the CIS, and could ruin many a plan if the Lictor assassinates someone high up. That said, the vast majority of this army are droids, and thus their brains are outside the Lictor's reach, allowing them to take any secrets they might know to the grave. A much better ability is the Pheromone Trail, an ability which will tell the Tyranids all they need to know, and to which I do not think the CIS have a counter for.

On the other side, the Guards ability to extend its limbs may come in handy for a surprise attack, or reaching up to grab a Lictor that is trying to scale a surface and pull it down. The other ability is that of the Self-Destruct. I want you to imagine a Lictor grabbing a Guard with its Flesh Hooks. It drags it close, real close. What if, instead of fighting, the Guard explodes right in the Lictor's face. A violent detonation, at that range, may be just the thing to take the Lictor to the grave. Even if it doesn't kill it, it'll damage it enough for someone else to finish the job with ease.

The Nimbus elite were enough type of Bodyguard, but these were of the fleshy variety. They work as a group, but Lictors are slippery bastards, and I don't think their armor will help for long.

The CIS have their own assassins, with varying degrees of effectiveness. The Anzati… would you even want to eat a Tyranid brain? And they don't have weapons… regenerative powers are nice, but there are so few of these guys that I'm not certain what difference they'll make. The Assassin Probe is better, as their small size makes stealth somewhat easier, and their razor sharp legs should be able to cut through some Tyranid defenses. The Probe Killers in their heads are nasty little buggers. Imagine, tiny little things crawling on you, cutting away at you with their claws as they scuttle over you. *Shudder* Deployed against the right Tyranid (Warriors, Lictors… not an Armor though, or higher) these things could be effective.

So in the contest of who has the better Assassins and Bodyguards, I'd say the CIS. True their assassins aren't as scary as the Lictor, but they can prove effective against certain targets. They are also more varied, while there is only the one brand of Lictor, and the Tyranids can't exactly focus their biomass on just making Lictors. Finally, the guards the Lictor will have to go against (specifically the Magna Guards) are more then enough to defend against these things.

1-1, Tie!

Hive Guards, Scorpeneks, Genosian Elites, and Cortosis Battle Droids!

Ah, the Hive Guard; a sniper with a missile launcher. This guy will end up making himself a prime target, as he'll be the one trying to blow up a lot of the CIS's armors and vehicles. These things will also be problematic if they start targeting Heroes, or Aircrafts. However, these things are also big targets, with not much in the way of weaponry outside its Cannon and claws. It also isn't high on the mobility scale, meaning a swift or agile opponent could flank it and take it out.

Now, the Scorpenek Annihilator Droid is not exactly the most mobile thing in the world, however, it's every bit as deadly as the Hive Guard. It's four laser cannons will fire much faster then the Impaler Cannon. These things punch holes in starships, it should have no problem taking out a majority of the Tyranids. Platoon-Killer is a title it has easily earned, and I can see why the Confederacy won the majority of the battles this thing was in. It's shield is strong enough to defend from most Tyranid attacks, a Hive Guard's included. It's even able to defend other CIS units with the size of its shield.

I included the Corosis Battle Droid because, like the previous two, it's Laser Cannon will be able to damage vehicles, as well as strike targets at a distance. They also present smaller targets then either of the previous two, but it isn't quite as well defended. These things are aggressive, and they'll go looking for stuff to blow up; but while they could attack heavy armored targets, I don't think they could defend against one very well. It would have to rely on its smaller size, cannon fire, and anti-lightsaber armor. That may work though…

The Genosian Elites were made to take out guys like the Hive Guard. They soar above the ground, making them difficult targets for most Tyranids, they have durable armor, protecting them from a good deal of of conventional Tyranid firearms (though not all); and their powerful weapons can punch through even thick Tyranid armor. Like the Hive Guard takes care of vehicles, I can see these guys taking out creatures that are giving ground troops trouble, but don't necessarily warrant Airship attention. Soaring over said Tyranid, they duck and weave around incoming fire, then pepper it with the Elite Beam, blowing large chunks out of it. If it doesn't have a strong healing ability, it will most likely die.

Overall, the Hive Guard is a one trick pony that's really only good at one range. While its psychic sight makes it a good aim, that isn't enough to make it better then the CIS (or even some of its fellow Tyranids), and thus it looses.

1-2, Edge CIS.

Zoanthropes, Dark Side Acolytes, A-Series Assassin Droids, The Believers, and EG Assassin Droids!

Alright, now personally, I consider the Zoanthropes to be one of THE most powerful Tyranids in the army, and most evidence seems to support this idea. Disregarding the claws, this thing can blow shit apart with its mind over great distances (though I hope it looks where it shoots first, or it may kill its own brethren), it can project a psychic forcefield which makes many attack roll right off, it can float, control other Tyranids, and inhibit psychics around it. Shit that's tough to beat.

Well, I suppose the nearest comparison the CIS has is the Dark Side Acolytes. A group of them, acting in concert could do some damage to the Zoan, either with their Lightsaber, or perhaps using the Enforcer Tank. That thing will have to be on its guard, because one blast from the Zoan will wipe it out. I can see the Shadow in the Warp being problematic for their force powers though.

If they aren't facing off against this particular Tyranid though, their Force Powers are a boon, as the variety of damage it can do will be helpful in catching projectiles, throwing back enemies, or outright killing some of them. These guys are highly trained, so they can accomplish some pretty important tasks. But the fact is, other Tyranids possess the ability to inhibit Force Powers as well, and if that happens, they will have to rely on their Lightsabers and their tanks (which not all of them have). The fact that they don't wear any armor could be problematic; also the fact that there are only twenty in the whole army is kind of a bummer.

I'm really not sure what role The Believers will play… I'm not even really sure they're all that strong. Maybe they can be a distraction against the Tyranids while more important troops get stuff done.

The EG Assassin Droid will do well on the field, as its incredible speed will let it equal or outpace the Tyranids, and its two lightsabers should be able to kill the lesser Tyranids and at least injure larger ones. That speed it possess might serve it well against a Zoan, running away from its Lance or Blast, getting out of the blast zone. It may not be able to get through the forcefield at first, but that thing running circles around it, slicing away, may prove distracting for other troops to provide concentrated fire on it. That said, it is a primarily close range target, and like the Gnats of the Tyranids, can be picked off a particularly skilled Tyranid or a wide ranged attack.

The A-Series Assassin is actually very impressive. Fighting in teams, these things are experienced, well armored, and well armed. They can attack at any range and still be the deadliest thing around. I think that a team that was organized enough could probably take out something from the Armor category with little difficulty. Even against the Zoan, these things could prove deadly. Their sonic weaponry could prove painful enough that the Zoan would be unable to concentrate on form any psychic attacks, and this, combined with the heavy fire from various other weapons, would prove their undoing!

Sadly, these things don't see much action, while the Zoan does. The Zoans are also factually powerful, while all I have to go on is a possible scenario in which they could take it. So I have to admit that the Zoan rule.

2-2, Tie!

Pyrovores, B-3 Ultra-Battle Droids, E-22 Assassin Droids, and Trandoshian Elites!

Personally, I find Pyrovores kind of a dumb idea. Yeah they have a potent flamethrower, and they're sure to take out the enemies around them, but guess what? These things will kill the Tyranids around them too! Not only will this thing exploding blast the nearby droids into scrap, but it'll blow the Tyranids into chunks of meat! And if the thing that killed it is out of range, then you haven't solved anything! Also, the Pyrovore isn't that smart, it just sort of wanders around. The flamethrower is the real problem, but even the best flamethrower only has a limited range. As long as they stay away from it, and the big acid filled monster mouth, this thing isn't so tough.

At least the E-22 Droid won't have any trouble finding it. With its heat seeking tech, finding a walking flame factory should be a breeze. And even from a distance, the various guns could take this thing out without it needing to get to close. Actually, that's true about what it could do to most Tyranids, except maybe the bigger and nastier ones.

The Trandoshian Elite are highly skilled, but come with all the problems of a fleshy in a droid army. All of their weapons are good though… though I don't recommend that bayonet. Yes it can pierce certain armor, but now you've just gotten really close to a Tyranid, something no sane individual should want. There own armor was pretty durable though, so they might be able to get away before the claws tear them to pieces.

But then we get to the B-3 Ultra-Battle Droid. It's got retractable blaster cannons, a flamethrower, a plasma cannon, a rocket launcher, and a tracking rocket. It had the heaviest of all droid armors, as well as a Density Projector making knocking it over impossible. They were smarter then the average droid, and capable of better tactics. These things were even able to lead other droids into battle.

Sadly, sometimes that Density Projector would malfunction, making movement impossible. They were also extremely rare, which is good for the Tyranids. Because I bet you dollars to donuts that when these things lead droids in to battle, they win!

You know a common theme with the CIS in this part? One, none of them had a symbiotic weapon do the attacking for them while they ambled along. Two, none of them had a move that would recklessly endanger their fellow droids. In case you haven't gathered by this moment, I don't like the Pyrovore, and I give this part to the CIS.

2-3, Edge CIS

Biovores, Mandalorian Protectors & B-Legionaries, Gossami Commandos, and IG-86 Sentinel Droid!

Biovores are walking artillery, which never run out of ammo, firing exploding spores off into the distance. They have hard shells, and they're big and… that's about it.

The Gossami Commandos seem like a nice group of fellas, and that Shoulder Cannon could be considered a type of artillery if it got some distance on it. Though having to need two people to work it could prove problematic. They are well trained, so we can count on them for some tactics, perhaps working with one of the other groups.

The Sentinel Droid was the most dangerous droid in the galaxy, for good reason. Intelligent, agile, and capable assassins able to work in teams. I see them skirting around the battlefield, working to pick off stragglers or unwary higher profile targets.

Finally, we have the Super-commandos, and their loyal Droid aids. What can be said about the Mandalorians that we don't already know? They are armed to the teeth, they are highly skilled tacticians, and they can take on incredible odds. I feel comfortable saying that I could send a team of these guys against any Tyranid on the list, and they would come back with their head on a platter. The BLs are faster and stronger then most of the droids on this list, bring a variety of their own weapons, and are skilled in medical aid. They are awesome. Having them together without he Mandalorians pretty much guarantees that whatever unit is causing the CIS trouble won't be doing it for very long.

2-4, Edge CIS.

So, what have we learned? The Tyranids only have 6 Elite units, and while they are each strong in their own way, they are also outnumbered by the CIS's elite nearly 3 to 1. With rare exception, the Elites of the Tyranids don't work together; and some of them have abilities that, while powerful, directly threaten other Tyranids on the battlefield. There's no question, the Elites of the CIS may not always have the advantage, but they are the superior set this time.  

Edge: CIS

Heroes:

-Well, each side brings with it five (major) heroes that will prove to be rather influential in this fight, but how well do they stack up against each other? I won't talk much about the Council, mostly because there's no one to compare them to, and they're in charge of reinforcements mostly anyway.

Grevious and the Swarmlord: I've already been beaten down here by people telling me that Grevious could not beat the Swarmord in direct combat. He has a longer reach, his defense is better, and his mental attacks are absolutely brutal, even to one such as the General. I would argue that Grevious could win, if only by cheating and using underhanded tactics (ex: He's locked in that stance where each has their four swords locked with each other… then, using his weird foot-hand grabs a blaster and shoots the Swarmlord in the face). It may not kill him right off, but I think he may win. But so many people have disagreed, telling me it wouldn't work. Fine, whatever. The one thing that concerns me the most about the Swarmlord is the fact that his presence makes communications difficult, which will be very bad for robots that receive their orders in this fashion.

Durge and Old One Eye: Here we've got two people (in the loosest sense of the word) who just don't have the good decency to die when they should. Both of these guys are gonna cause massive destruction on the battlefield. In this case, it looks like Durge comes packing more heat then One Eye, and with way more experience. While he may not be the same type of leader One Eye is, he certainly seems like the deadlier of the two. I can practically see O.O.E assailing an important position, and Durge offering to fight him just for the chance to kill him. Durge doesn't really have any ability that can permanently harm the Bounty Hunter anyway, so eventually Durge will put this guy down for the count.

Asajj Ventress and The Doom of Malan’Tai: Of the two, the Doom is going to cause way more destruction on the battlefield. It's attacks are massive and the death toll with it around will be high. Ventress will kill plenty of Tyranids on her own to be sure, but her problems are many. Her reckless nature could prove problematic for the CIS, and may cost her her own life. In direct battle, I'm not sure there's much she could do to Doom, besides maybe dropping a mountain on it (and even then, I'm not sure that would work). Getting close enough to use her Lightsaber will be hard, but she may be able to conceal her presence long enough to get a shot (if she can keep her temper in check). The one thing that is actually better then the Doom is her ability to raise the dead. If she could amass an army of dead (perhaps even dead Tyranids?) to assail the creature, who would be unable to feed on their life-force, she might be able to do some serious damage. Sadly, that's a lot of IFs for this loose cannon, and the Doom seems more reliable.

Cad Bane and the Death Leapers: The Evil Batman against the Tyranid assassins? As one of the major players of this little game, I can see Bane being a target. Another scenario is that the Leapers begin targeting CIS generals, and Bane is being paid to stop it. Leapers are certainly smarter then the average Tyranid, and stopping one would be no easy feat. But if anyone could do it, Bane probably could. He would study their patterns, gain intel, then, when the time was right--BAM! He springs a trap that leaves the Leaper wondering where it all went wrong, just before Bane snuffs them out.

The Leaper is all about scare tactics. They thrive on sowing chaos and fear in the enemy ranks (something that can't be easy when you're dealing with an army that's mostly emotionless machines). But he who is prepared need never fear his enemy. And those on Bane's team would be aware of his reputation, which could boost morale a bit. While the Leaper's weapons make it fierce in combat, Bane is unlikely to put himself in the kind of situation where he'd ever be in real danger. With his array of gadgets, expert planning and great marksmanship (how good would he be against a Leaper?) I have to pick him. Evil Batman, for the Win!

Aura Sing and the Parasite of Mortex: And at last we come to the end of our motley crews. The Parasite starts off with a pretty big advantage in that psychic powers aren't likely to work to well around her. As for her weapons; I don't see her rifles doing to much damage, if any given its bonded exoskeleton. The lightsaber MAY have slightly better luck, but getting close to the Parasite is a terrible idea.

Meanwhile, while she's trying to kill this thing, it's busy turning any organic host into a vessel for its children, increasing the Tyrnaid swarm!

The Parasite is way more valuable then Aura is, and is more likely to infect her then she is to kill it. Aura may be great at taking pot shots from a distance, but with the thickness of Tyranid armor, and regeneration, that's questionable when it comes to worth.

So what have we learned? Well, beating out the CIS with three better heroes to the CIS two, the Tyranids have a better class of hero. They may have lost some battles, but they have won this war.

Edge: Tyranids

Light Calvary:

-As the Tyranids only have Ravengers in this area, I shall compare them to each of the CIS's seven in turn.

The Ravengers are better then the Speeder Bike and the Aerial Platform. These don't have nearly as much power, and will mostly just act as distractions for some of the grunts, maybe the larger Tyranids. Against the Ravenger, they don't stand a chance. Now, the personal wheel bike is certainly faster then the Ravenger, and could do some serious damage if it managed to roll over it. I worry that it's lack of defense may leave it dodging more then attacking; not to mention its overall rarity. The Crab Droid is something special, able to go through most terrain, is incredibly durable, and can imprison Tyranids in bubbles. This could be used to stall some of the larger, stronger Tyranids for a while, which could be used so that Infantry and others could regroup. The Dwarf Spider Droid is nice, but I worry its lack of speed would leave it in the dust compared to some of the others on this list. The Self-Destruct may prove useful though. The Ground Tank is fast, but it has limited ammunition and weak defense. It's ability to hover off the ground could make it immune to the Ravenger's hypersensitivity though.

I can see why the Tyranids only had the one Calvary, because he Ravenger is pretty powerful. However, it seems to be a bit of a one trick pony. They aren't as smart as some of the other Tyranids, and outside of the ground they're completely exposed. While it may be able to detect troops on the ground, many of the Calvary float/hover, meaning it could pop up without realizing it's gonna get hurt real bad. The CIS has variety, and are able to send their Calvary to either distract, rescue, or destroy. Their range is longer, and they aren't subject to flying off the handle in an animal like fury.

Edge: CIS

To Be Continued in Part 2, because DeviantArt apparently has size limits.
The vote I gave and my thoughts on the CIS/Tyranid battle that started Planetary Conquest. Due to size limits, broken into two parts.

Thoughts, comments, opinions?
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TheOnlyEscapeIsDeath's avatar
Having read through this thing quickly, I'll give my thoughts on something funny I noticed.
"Personally, I find Pyrovores kind of a dumb idea. Yeah they have a potent flamethrower, and they're sure to take out the enemies around them, but guess what? These things will kill the Tyranids around them too! Not only will this thing exploding blast the nearby droids into scrap, but it'll blow the Tyranids into chunks of meat! And if the thing that killed it is out of range, then you haven't solved anything! Also, the Pyrovore isn't that smart, it just sort of wanders around. The flamethrower is the real problem, but even the best flamethrower only has a limited range. As long as they stay away from it, and the big acid filled monster mouth, this thing isn't so tough."
I'm agreeing with this one hundred percent, Pyrovores are universally considered completely useless in the 40k community. I don't just mean in the lore, but they suck in the tabletop, too. Heck, there was even a Ciaphas Cain novel where a Pyrovore accidentally killed its own Hive Tyrant which was fighting the main character at the time. ROLF! Anyway, I'll go read the second part now. =D