The Borg are tactically stupid

[SpyOne]

Are we sure the Borg only sent one cube in First Contact?
I mean, there's only the one cube by the time Picard arrives, but the battle had been going on for a while.

I think the Borg are aware of just how dangerous the Federation is.
Worst-case-scenario, the force you sent wins and assimilates the Federation and transforms into something you'll have to destroy.
So the Borg are reluctant to commit a truly huge force because then they might need to send an even larger force to wipe out the first force.

 

[Herbert]

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?

They just wanted some good chinese takeout and they thought one cube would be sufficient. They were in the mood to assimilate some Kung Pao chicken (The Borg like their chicken spicy, just like George) It's not their fault that the Fed misinterpreted their intentions.

 

[The Wormhole]

Are we sure the Borg only sent one cube in First Contact?
I mean, there's only the one cube by the time Picard arrives, but the battle had been going on for a while.

The comms chatter they listen to on the Enterprise bridge as the battle begins specifies there is only one cube.

 

[Nyotarules]

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.

And its all the fault of time travel, the DTI should fix it!

 

[Lookingglassman]

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?

Because it is tactically stupid to keep sending single cubes to conquer a planet where single cubes in the past have failed. That would be like the US sending one tank at a time to defeat the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and saying, "Well Eisenhower is in fact precisely aware of what he is doing." Yeah, getting single tanks shot to pieces by whole armored divisions and not achieving his goal.

 

[ItIsGreen]

you’ll need to read the books.

No thanks.

 

[Herbert]

Because it is tactically stupid to keep sending single cubes to conquer a planet where single cubes in the past have failed. That would be like the US sending one tank at a time to defeat the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and saying, "Well Eisenhower is in fact precisely aware of what he is doing." Yeah, getting single tanks shot to pieces by whole armored divisions and not achieving his goal.

Because the Battle of the Bulge and a fictional Star Trek battle is a valid comparison.

Spoiler

 

[Tenacity]

they would have sent five or a dozen or whatever

If they were smart they would of sent 500 or more cubes to Earth

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

Do we know that the trans-warp conduits can handle more than a couple of ships at a time?

And might the conduit need to "rest" after handling something the size of a cube?

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

Given how casually the Enterprise dispatched the sphere, would it have been any real help in a major battle?

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?

One of two things is happening.

Either the Queen is personally directing operations, with all the problem that carrys. One person (I think of the Queen as a individual) as spiteful and egotisical as the Queen mirco-managing things.

Or, the collective is in charge. Billions of voices, many of whom have no experience in tactics and battle management deciding what to do next. Decisions by committee.

 

[Brennyren]

Because the Battle of the Bulge and a fictional Star Trek battle is a valid comparison.

In what way is it invalid?

 

[Herbert]

In what way is it invalid?

I could turn that around and ask why such a comparison is valid? One is an actual historical event and one is science fiction. A better comparison would be something from another fictional series. You know, like a bunch of X-Wing fighters destroying a Death Star?

 

[Marynator]

I don't feel I really understand what advantage they'd have sending more than 1 cube? I mean, in Best of Both Worlds, it's not like Starfleet posed any actual challenge, right? I mean their fleet didn't even slow down the Borg, so how would two or more cubes have moved any faster? But I do feel Picard's plan totally would've worked if they had like 50 cubes there, it'll affect all the Collective in range, wouldn't it? So if you're the Borg you don't have a military advantage for sending more than 1, because you're already invincible and you really can't get better, but if they can beat you some other way you're at risk of losing so much more, so I don't really think it's the Borg who are making strategic errors here?

Also I do feel we've confused strategy with tactics?

 

[Spot261]

Because it is tactically stupid to keep sending single cubes to conquer a planet where single cubes in the past have failed. That would be like the US sending one tank at a time to defeat the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and saying, "Well Eisenhower is in fact precisely aware of what he is doing." Yeah, getting single tanks shot to pieces by whole armored divisions and not achieving his goal.

I think this somewhat misses the point of the Borg, they aren't about invading Federation space, or even worlds. They can go anywhere in the galaxy any time they want, they have access to virtually unlimited resources from billions of stars, asteroids and uninhabited planets. What they are doing is not comparable to any military doctrine we know or understand. If there is a real world comparison to be made, it is a virus.

The Borg spread, they assimilate, they are in no rush, they have no pressured timescale, they don't much care about losses.

What they care about is efficiency. Why use fifty cubes when one will probably succeed and the other forty nine can be busy elsewhere? The Federation is not that big of a deal to them, Earth is not that big of a deal, it's just a capital planet to an advanced civilisation, like thousands of others they know of. It takes no special place in their collective decision making and they treat it just like any other civilisation.

If they fail this time, they've lost a cube, but the next one will be more likely to succeed, it's been working for them perfectly well thus far and they don't know they're on a TV show and this species has plot armour. They're just following the protocol.

 

[Spot261]

I don't feel I really understand what advantage they'd have sending more than 1 cube? I mean, in Best of Both Worlds, it's not like Starfleet posed any actual challenge, right? I mean their fleet didn't even slow down the Borg, so how would two or more cubes have moved any faster? But I do feel Picard's plan totally would've worked if they had like 50 cubes there, it'll affect all the Collective in range, wouldn't it? So if you're the Borg you don't have a military advantage for sending more than 1, because you're already invincible and you really can't get better, but if they can beat you some other way you're at risk of losing so much more, so I don't really think it's the Borg who are making strategic errors here?

Also I do feel we've confused strategy with tactics?

Er, yes, this too.

 

[tomswift2002]

And might the conduit need to "rest" after handling something the size of a cube?
Given how casually the Enterprise dispatched the sphere, would it have been any real help in a major battle?
One of two things is happening.

The Enterprise had quantum torpedoes. Did all the ships at the battle have quantum torpedoes? I know that in DS9 the Defiant had been shown using quantum's---but DS9 also seemed to suggest that the Defiant could only carry one type of torpedo at a time, so if the Defiant only had photon torpedoes onboard at the time then we've obviously seen what effect photon's have had on the Borg since they were introduced in Q Who?.

 

[DonIago]

Because it is tactically stupid to keep sending single cubes to conquer a planet where single cubes in the past have failed. That would be like the US sending one tank at a time to defeat the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge and saying, "Well Eisenhower is in fact precisely aware of what he is doing." Yeah, getting single tanks shot to pieces by whole armored divisions and not achieving his goal.

That's only if the goal is in fact to conquer Earth, versus testing Earth, with conquering it being a possible side-effect.

We know the Borg could throw five, or fifty, or five hundred, or a thousand cubes at Earth without batting a cybernetic eye and likely completely overwhelm the Federation, and we also know the Borg as a collective are dangerously intelligent, so if they're only sending a single cube, what's more likely? That they're being tactically stupid, or that they are in fact doing exactly what they want to do?

 

[Tenacity]

we also know the Borg as a collective are dangerously intelligent

No, we don't know this.

 

[DonIago]

Please provide evidence to the contrary.

 

[Spot261]

That's only if the goal is in fact to conquer Earth, versus testing Earth, with conquering it being a possible side-effect.

We know the Borg could throw five, or fifty, or five hundred, or a thousand cubes at Earth without batting a cybernetic eye and likely completely overwhelm the Federation, and we also know the Borg as a collective are dangerously intelligent, so if they're only sending a single cube, what's more likely? That they're being tactically stupid, or that they are in fact doing exactly what they want to do?

Exactly, the nearest military paradigm would be reconnaissance in force, with the added side effect possibly of provoking technological development which makes Earth a juicier target.

 

[Gavin70]

So unless the next series is titled, 'Star Trek: The Borg Collective'

Star Trek: The Borg Generation

You just know we'd all queue up to watch both of these series

 

[Lance]

"Intelligence is irrelevant."
"Tactics are irrelevant."
"You will be assimilated."
"Resistance is futile."