The Borg are tactically stupid

[Lookingglassman]

If the Borg are serious about assimilating Earth and can adapt to different situations then why didn't they realize that sending ONE cube to earth was a non starter? It is obvious they have thousands of cubes. If they were smart they would of sent 500 or more cubes to Earth, there is no way Starfleet could of fought them all off. I think the Borg needs to assimilate a race that knows how to conduct a battle.

 

[Spot261]

I don't think the Borg attach any great significance to earth, it's one planet amongst millions to them. Their approach is to rely on their greatest asset, they adapt. One ship at a time gives them the chance to develop their technology for next time.

 

[Herbert]

And then there's Guinan's (paraphrased) speech about how the borg "don't do anything piecemeal. When they come, they'll come in force"
Remember, story trumps what makes sense, Every single time. Sure, it would make perfect sense for the borg to send dozens or even hundreds of cubes but that means the end of the Federation and Star Trek ceases to exist. So unless the next series is titled, 'Star Trek: The Borg Collective', that scenario was never going to happen.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

And then there's Guinan's (paraphrased) speech about how the borg "don't do anything piecemeal. When they come, they'll come in force"
Remember, story trumps what makes sense, Every single time. Sure, it would make perfect sense for the borg to send dozens or even hundreds of cubes but that means the end of the Federation and Star Trek ceases to exist. So unless the next series is titled, 'Star Trek: The Borg Collective', that scenario was never going to happen.

Totally agree with this. If the Borg were serious about assimilating the UFP, they would have sent five or a dozen or whatever the Borg queen's favourite number is, and then we'd have Star Trek: The Borg Generation. "Resistance is futile. Lower your expectations, and your viewership will be added to our ratings."

 

[JirinPanthosa]

In Best of Both Worlds it seemed implied that cube was the only cube.

We can retcon it though in plenty of ways. The Borg feel it's okay to lose a battle because then they'll just adapt and win the next one, or the next one. Or the amount of cubes they need to hold their core territory is greater than it seems, and they are fighting major wars on more fronts than we know. Or in Q Who, their assessment of the E-D was that one cube would more than suffice.

Maybe the Borg, though great at adapting to technical strategies are bad at adapting their intellectual strategy. They have never failed in the past to keep sending cubes until the victims run out of countermeasures and see no reason to think the UFP would be any different. Just like that Borg who was trying to assimilate the 8472 over and over, stuck in a loop. They're used to being fought with force and winning by learning how to stop that force and overwhelm their defenses with their own, nobody ever tried hacking into their network.

 

[Qonundrum]

In which case, the Borg wouldn't have bothered with Earth since TBOBW. Worse, for ST8FC, they would have adapted by sending two cubes and be done with it. Earth and the Federation have something of interest, even before Janeway's Voyager being seen by the Collective (in which case the ideal Borg movie should have been (*drumroll*) "Nemesis" and not that whateverthatwasthatkilledthefranchise.)

 

[Sophie74656]

Do the Borg need Earth? They've already assimilated picard and know all about the federation. They have nothing to gain from Earth.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

'Star Trek: The Borg Collective'

I'd be so curious to watch that TV show !!

 

[Herbert]

I'd be so curious to watch that TV show !!

It would be quite easy to dialogue, that's for sure.

 

[Twilight Phoenix]

It would be quite easy to dialogue, that's for sure.

EPISODE F0001
SCRIPT

--OPENING MUSIC--
SCENE 1 :
Borg drone : All resistance is futile.
--END--

 

[The Wormhole]

To be fair, one cube is apparently all they need to conquer the Federation. In TBOBW they make it all the way to Earth unchallenged, and that cube is only destroyed because Data hacked into it and put the drones to sleep. The cube in FC also makes it all the way to Earth and is only destroyed because Picard arrives in violation of his orders and is able to hear the thoughts of the Collective and learn the cube's weak spot.

 

[MacLeod]

If the Borg are serious about assimilating Earth and can adapt to different situations then why didn't they realize that sending ONE cube to earth was a non starter? It is obvious they have thousands of cubes. If they were smart they would of sent 500 or more cubes to Earth, there is no way Starfleet could of fought them all off. I think the Borg needs to assimilate a race that knows how to conduct a battle.

Sending one cube could be advantageous

If it succeeds then great if it fails you've just learned about some new tech/tactic/manoeuvre etc.. which you can adapt do

 

[at Quark's]

I'd be so curious to watch that TV show !!

<Borg collective voice speaking>

Space. The final front lines.

These are the efficient voyages of tactical cube 8472. Its continuing mission: to seek out new life, to ignore irrelevant civilizations and assimilate all else. To add their biological distinctiveness to our own. To baldly go where no drone has gone before.

 

[Tenacity]

if it fails you've just learned about some new tech/tactic/manoeuvre etc..

Unless the people attacked by the Borg have the Borg figured out (their reputation proceeds them).

So after the initial attack, the people attacked then change their tactics and maneuvers (easy part) and at least some of their tech (hard part).

And if they manage to board the lone cube they'll learn much about the Borg, how much being determined by how long the boarding party has.

And if they go beyond that and capture the cube (preventing any self-destruction), then their future encounters with the Borg will be easier. Figuring out how to hack into the collective will give them all the advance knowledge they'll need.

When the Queen sends another cube, the attacked species will know about it as soon as the collective does.

 

[tomswift2002]

To be fair, one cube is apparently all they need to conquer the Federation. In TBOBW they make it all the way to Earth unchallenged, and that cube is only destroyed because Data hacked into it and put the drones to sleep. The cube in FC also makes it all the way to Earth and is only destroyed because Picard arrives in violation of his orders and is able to hear the thoughts of the Collective and learn the cube's weak spot.

Not to mention but that Cube was also carrying a second ship that, if needed, could’ve joined the battle.

But in the novels the Borg finally sent 7,000 cubes in “Destiny”.

 

[ItIsGreen]

But in the novels the Borg finally sent 7,000 cubes in “Destiny”.

Haven't read any Trek novels in a long time. I assume all novels after this one follow the courageous crew of Cube #36037 on their quest to seek out new life forms and boldly add their biological and technological distinctiveness to their own?

 

[thribs]

I thought their objective in Destiny was pretty sound. Would have worked as well if it wasn't for those meddling starships.

 

[tomswift2002]

Haven't read any Trek novels in a long time. I assume all novels after this one follow the courageous crew of Cube #36037 on their quest to seek out new life forms and boldly add their biological and technological distinctiveness to their own?

Nope. “Destiny” explains that the Borg were formed from a need to survive by an unwanted joining between human crew members of the NX-02 Columbia and a members of a race called the Caeliar. Unfortunately it didn’t go as expected and the Borg were formed. Suffice it to say the Federation was saved by the Caeliar, but you’ll need to read the books.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I don't watch Star Trek expecting Sun Tzu.

 

[DonIago]

Why assume the Borg are behaving in a tactically stupid manner rather than worrying that the Borg are in fact precisely aware of what they're doing?