In a hypothetical war between Endless Space's Hissho, Galactic Civilization's Drengin Empire and Master of Orion II's Mrrshan, which warrior race would win and why? Started the thread as a thought experiment for 4x strategy/sci-fi nerds that are bored. Think of it as a cross between Spike TV's Deadliest Warrior and a sci-fi UFC lol This scenario assumes each race has equal planets, resources and population, with the deciding factors being their racial traits and abilities.



Mrrshan Description source



Ruthless and fearless, Mrrshan warriors loved nothing more than a good fight. Their hunting reflexes and instincts gave them tremendous accuracy in battle, and they almost always attacked first, even when facing the Alkari. Typically, the Mrrshan had one of the largest fleets in the galaxy. They were the only race ruled by empresses, who were usually ruthless and warlike. Their most hated enemies were the Alkari, but they also greatly disliked the Sakkra. In addition, they were on negative terms with the Burathi, Darloks, and Klackons. The only race they did trust was the Humans. Mrrshan technology favored the development of new weapons, but they struggled with construction tech.



For centuries, the Mrrshan were feared throughout the Milky Way for their skilled gunners. By this era, they had actually improved on that legacy. In addition to their attack skills, their ship crews were better trained then all others, and could reach an ultra-elite level. Their leaders were also capable of reaching unbelievable skill levels through this training. Each Mrrshan planet was a full military base, housing twice the number of soldiers that the other races usually stationed on their worlds. They also contained military commanders who coordinated the local fleet activity; this allowed for much larger fleets to be supported. The Mrrshan were a military Dictatorship.



Hissho Description source



"The Hissho are a modern and civilized people descended from avian DNA. However, they are avian in the way that many species of dinosaur had avian characteristics; in fact, they are not unlike feathered pterodactyls. A race of highly competitive tribal warriors, their history is one of bloodshed, conquest, vengeance and domination. While this has created a very hardy, aggressive, and dangerous people, it has also slowed their advancement and limited their numbers. When they did reach the stars to find other peoples waiting for them, their reaction was to conquer and dominate. Their innate and learned sense of flight makes them superior pilots."



Drengin Empire source



The Drengin Empire is an evil, warlike civilization. They are very strong on offensive abilities such as soldiering and weapons as stated below. When a human player comes into contact with this race, they must be vigilant or the Drengin will have your homeworld in ruins. They cannot be trusted as they are arrogant and brutal in their wars.



The Drengin are not what you would call a friendly race. They would gladly have you over for dinner, but rather as the meal than a guest. Some people say that any being capable of interstellar travel has to be reasonable at some level. They say that hostility and violence from such a race must be the result of a misunderstanding; that if we could just empathize with one another, we would get along splendidly and soon be having a cup of tea together. These people have never met a Drengin. There can be no doubt that a Drengin would indeed do whatever it takes to cause carnage and mayhem, as long as it didn't cause any inconvenience to itself.



My analysis: In this imagined crossover war, the Mrrshan's start with the upper hand, boasting the largest and most sophisticated fleet of all three races. This is offset by the strain of fighting a two front war against the Drengins and Hissho. The Hissho are a close second, able to keep the Drengin Empire and Mrrshan at bay with good tactics and organizational skills. The Drengins are last, blindly rushing into war relying on sheer aggression, but not necessarily sound battle tactics.



As the war progresses, the Mrrshan lose traction in the space war, overwhelmed by the relentlessness of the Drengins and Hissho tactics. The Mrrshan lose critical leadership in several defeats, demoralizing the lower ranks. The Mrrshan switch to defensive, planetary warfare, counting on their military bases. It rests on the Hissho and Drengin to fight for control of space. The Drengin take heavy losses, but eventually gain the upper hand on the Hissho, through their sheer viciousness and willingness to take horrific casualty levels. By mid-war, the Drengin control most of space, but are met with pockets of Hissho resistance.



In the late stage, its the Drengin's war to lose. The Hissho are digging in at their planets, the Mrrshan have already holed themselves up and are the most prepared for the ground war. By this point the Drengin military is stretched thin, and must choose their battles carefully. The Hissho are somewhat less in strength, having lost the space war. The Hissho are in a particularly precarious situation, having the least infrastructure, fighters and tech level of the other two races.



Knowing the Drengin can wait to take the war to the Mrrshan, who were knocked out early (at least in space), they pursue the retreating Hissho to their planets, carrying out a massive system wide invasion. The Hissho are formidable ground fighters and match the Drengin ground troops blow for blow. The Hissho could almost defeat the Drengin, except for the Drengin's edge in air support. Orbital bombardments and blockades keep the Hissho off balance, and are ultimately forced to surrender.



By this time the Drengin are exhausted, having taken the most casualties, have the most to protect, and must now finish off the Mrrshan who have had a long time to anticipate the ground invasions. The Mrrshans prove to be ingenious defenders, wearing the Drengin down and costing them more in vital troops and supplies. As a last resort, the Drengins use the most brutal planetary assault tactics, making some worlds uninhabitable and causing enemy casualties in the millions. Knowing they can't break the dominant Drengin fleet blockades, the Mrrshan's grudgingly sue for peace.



Result: A Pyrrhic Drengin victory, costing the empire almost everything it had. The empire has a tenuous grip on the occupied Hissho and Mrrshan words at best, and a thinly stretched fleet, leaving the possibility of a future guerilla war waged by Hissho-Mrrshan freedom fighters. Since the Drengin are sociopathic and warlike, they will likely make poor governors of the conquered worlds, further comprising their victory over the other races.



Which race would you bet on?

Id bet on the Hissho for 3 reasons.



1. Revenge and Bushido.



2. They are flying dinosaurs.



3. They have proper heroes.

The Darloks.. After they come out of hiding many years after starting the war!



But seriously..



Mechanically, I'd be inclined to say Hissho as well.



Mechanics aside though, Drengin were pretty clever in a dastardly sense. I think they would find something to exploit to undermine the Hissho.



Mrsshan would probably be out-teched by the Drengin, out-skilled by the Hissho.