The Big Question...

[Talonflight]

The biggest question I've had about warframe since I started playing... if the Tenno dissapeared, right now, who would win? Infested, Grineer, Corpus, Syndicates? ((Not counting Sentients because they're too powerful, and with Hunhow dead we don't have a listed leader for them to rally around as far as we know yet))

Obviously, before the Tenno woke up, the Grineer were winning the war against the Corpus.... but lorewise the Grineer in their arrogance also released the Infestation again, making it resurge, adding a third enemy to the mix. In addition, since the Tenno woke up they balanced the scales a lot, and the Corpus got a LOT of upgrades since then to even the playing field. In addition, the Sentients are slowly appearing on the scene to harass factions like on Uranus and the Syndicates have made appearances. 

So the question is reposed; who would win?

My money is actually on the Corpus; they may have been losing the war before we woke up, but since we woke up they've gotten gigantic robots and all sorts of crazy stuff to put in the field. In a warfare sense, a machine is more durable than a man, and almost every single grineer unit is just a guy in that same armored suit. Plus the Grineer don't seem to have a ground-unit that's comparable to the likes of the Jackal or the Razorback. 

http://www.strawpoll.me/14061928

Edited October 3, 2017 by Talonflight

[Calwon5]

Yeah, I would agree with Corpus winning as well. Why?

Spoiler

Sapping Ospreys

that's why.

[Talonflight]

Just now, Calwon5 said:

Yeah, I would agree with Corpus winning as well. Why?

  Hide contents

Sapping Ospreys

that's why.

Just playing devils advocate here, though, even though I agree with you that Corpus would win... Sapping ospreys wouldn't be too bad for Grineer since they're more about raw guns and S#&$ than fancy powers.

[Brachion]

The Grineer are portrayed as generally dominating the system. Although the Corpus may be more technologically advanced, they lack the sheer military power of the Grineer. We don't really have a good idea of how widespread the Infestation is at this point, so it's harder to say what sort of impact it would have.

[Krion112]

I would vote Sentient. They may be a dying breed, but the ability to seize technology would allow them to begin insurrections among the Corpus and Infestation, eventually making those factions mere pawns, and then they'd use their combined strength to eliminate the Grineer and any Syndicates they couldn't take control of.

[Evers]

Since you named them aswell, the Sentients would win. They can replicate themself from damaged parts, they can adept to any kind of Weapon or Damage (except the Void but that would be pretty much out of the picture when the Tenno would be gone) and grow stronger the stronger their enemy is or becomes. So neither the Grineer, or the Corpus or any of the other factions would stand a chance against them.

[-YoRHa-]

Sentients for sure.

[Kaotyke]

Grandpama Hunhow would wrek.

[Talonflight]

Say that the Sentients weren't in the picture; say that, with Hunhow dead, the sentients are just a nuisance and cannot organize anymore. 

Without sentient interference, who do you all think would win?

[Talonflight]

Just now, BattleChief142 said:

Actually, Hunhow is technically not dead. Hunhow's body is destroyed yes, but his conscience is likely still around because Hunhow has many fragments of his body and certain parts of Hunhow contain his conscience

Regardless of if he's still around. The Sentients at this point in time do not engage in open warfare. Their scounts might interfere with grineer incursions on the moon, but aside from that they do not involve themselves; they do not try to win planets, they do not try to take out enemy leaders, etc. 

Assume the Sentients are only interested in murdering Tenno, and now that the Tenno are sleeping the Sentients go back home. Who is left to win the Origin System?

[-YoRHa-]

1 minute ago, Talonflight said:

Regardless of if he's still around. The Sentients at this point in time do not engage in open warfare. Their scounts might interfere with grineer incursions on the moon, but aside from that they do not involve themselves; they do not try to win planets, they do not try to take out enemy leaders, etc. 

Assume the Sentients are only interested in murdering Tenno, and now that the Tenno are sleeping the Sentients go back home. Who is left to win the Origin System?

The Infested would eventually win. Without the Tenno, the other factions would have no effective help to call for Infested Invasions. Sending their own troops would incur heavy losses, and potentially feed the Infested's numbers. Thanks to Alad, some Corpus technology can be Infested just as quickly as a human, so MOAs and the other common proxies would be fuel. Corpus could send their better proxies, but they would be stuck trying to figure out a way to keep the battle cost effective, while running the risk of giving the Infested a new form by Infesting the high-end Corpus proxies. The Grineer would suffer the same fate, but would probably hold out better, since they use Kavats and have a LOT of soldiers.

[Arniox]

1 hour ago, Talonflight said:

The biggest question I've had about warframe since I started playing... if the Tenno dissapeared, right now, who would win? Infested, Grineer, Corpus, Syndicates? ((Not counting Sentients because they're too powerful, and with Hunhow dead we don't have a listed leader for them to rally around as far as we know yet))

Obviously, before the Tenno woke up, the Grineer were winning the war against the Corpus.... but lorewise the Grineer in their arrogance also released the Infestation again, making it resurge, adding a third enemy to the mix. In addition, since the Tenno woke up they balanced the scales a lot, and the Corpus got a LOT of upgrades since then to even the playing field. In addition, the Sentients are slowly appearing on the scene to harass factions like on Uranus and the Syndicates have made appearances. 

So the question is reposed; who would win?

My money is actually on the Corpus; they may have been losing the war before we woke up, but since we woke up they've gotten gigantic robots and all sorts of crazy stuff to put in the field. In a warfare sense, a machine is more durable than a man, and almost every single grineer unit is just a guy in that same armored suit. Plus the Grineer don't seem to have a ground-unit that's comparable to the likes of the Jackal or the Razorback. 

http://www.strawpoll.me/14061928

I recon if the infested grew a little more than it currently is, I could easily win. They're endless, they don't feel pain or tire or sleep or eat and just keep attacking and could easily wipe out the rest of the factions, but as it is, as long as the corpus don't go near eris, and maybe nuke the sh*t out of eris, then the corpus would win. Hands down. They have insane power and can manufactory machines hundreds of times faster than grineer can clone. 

[Avynire]

My vote goes to infested since it is basically virus that can take control both flesh and machines,  they even took control alad v and corpus spaceship.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Avynire

[Mk.1]

1 hour ago, Talonflight said:

and with Hunhow dead

What? when did this happen?

[PoisonHD]

My money is on the infested winning for sure. The rate of infection, and the way they can multiply so quickly would easily get out of hand and take over the system. I would assume the majority of the Soldiers the Grineer or Corpus would send to wipe out the infection, would be wiped out themselves, and taken over by the infested, causing even faster growth. Eventually once the infested got a strong foothold on a planet, they would spiral out of control, and it would most likely result in the corpus or the Grineer respectively, losing the planet.

 

My second bet would be the corpus, since if they are so technologically advanced, it would be easier for them to find a solution to the infested problem before it got too out of hand. If I keep the timeline I started with going, the infested would have already ravaged the grineer planets, making it an easy clean-up for the corpus who have engineered a 'cure' or solution. However if I don't stay on the timeline, I believe the corpus would win through rapid expansion. Just the sheer rate that robots can be produced in contrast to the clones of the Grineer. I also believe the corpus robots, or proxies, would last longer then the grinneer clones, which are mostly described as falling apart.

[Talonflight]

Imagiine how horrifying it would be to have an Infested Razorback though...

[Godzelda123]

Clem.

 

That is all. 

[TaurusDeRoma]

The Corpus would win, if not the Infestation. First, the Corpus are more technologically advanced and would have a higher production rate than the Grineer. Meanwhile the Infested could expand much faster by turning their enemies numbers against them. The Grineer would first need to find a solution to the Clone Decay. But if the war drags on forever, then the Red Veil would ultimately win, since their goal is the complete destruction of everything. New Loka would just have humans become divided again and fight among themselves, until we get to this same point again, which is the worst thing that can happen. 

Clem, being only one person, would just end up dying in his one man crusade against the system. He's not that bright. It'd be like a toddler waging war against the town, except ending in his death.

[TaurusDeRoma]

The Infested's new boss

17 minutes ago, Talonflight said:

Imagiine how horrifying it would be to have an Infested Razorback though...

 

Spoiler

Also, Hunhow does have the ability to invade other Cephalon. Remember Octavia's Anthem?

 

[UltimateGrr]

 

2 hours ago, Talonflight said:

((Not counting Sentients because they're too powerful, and with Hunhow dead we don't have a listed leader for them to rally around as far as we know yet))

You make this sound like Hunhow finds being dead to be anything more than an inconvenience.  He's been dead for centuries and his ghost still dangerous enough to threaten all life in the Origin System.

As it stands, I don't think the Sentient have a centralized command structure.  Each is both an individual and an army at the same time, so they can all go do their own thing and still be unspeakable dangerous.

[Talonflight]

But still. Cmon people. Sentients are too powerful to include in this discussion; they almost beat the Orokin themselves. And we are the remnants of the Orokin.

[o0Despair0o]

I'd say Grineer. Why?

Clones.

Big guns.

And all they need is a EMP and *poof* half of the Corpus' troops are dead.

[Rhekemi]

The last new quests I played were Inaros and TWW. I'm behind on the last 3-5 quests, I have lost count. So, take this post with a grain of salt.

If the Tenno and the Sentient are not in the picture, I'd say it comes down to either the Grineer or the Infested.

The Corpus have the technology, but they're the least transhuman of all the factions.

Spoiler

Through proxies they do surpass what mere humans are capable of, so maybe they count as transhuman in that way--if we count the proxies as extensions of themselves. One issue is that the machine proxy units are always intermingled with their human counterparts: I've yet to see the Corpus reach a point where they can mass produce proxies at a rate the Infested can replicate, or the Grineer can clone. I believe the Corpus, interestingly, are the faction that hangs onto their humanity the most. (This is not counting syndicate factions or the various colony groups we've encountered along the way.) 

This might be due to DE, as storytellers, having to work that much harder to differentiate the Corpus faction from the Sentient (because self-aware, self-replicating, artificial intelligence is the logical endpoint to machine advancement and machine learning). So, the Corpus are in a bind: their proxies can only advance so much before the danger of them becoming sentient (lowercase) encroaches. Their proxies have limited intelligence and (despite all their impressive power and physical capabilities) are rudimentary. The true power of the Corpus is in its human board members, and that power will forever be kept in check by commerce, profit, greed. I find it hard to foresee a world where the Corpus conquer the universe purely for conquering sake, don't you?

Essentially, their driving force, their wants, their needs, are not as powerful as the other factions you've mentioned. No, actually, the Corpus aren't transhuman enough. They're still, very much, guided by human ills, wants, and needs, and they've physically not augmented themselves in any significant way.

2

3

Why is that drive to conquer so important? Why is going beyond humanity important?

Spoiler

Look at the Tenno and the Sentients. They're, arguably, the most powerful factions (both of which could have destroyed the Orokin, and one of which did). Yet even the Orokin, the faction responsible for every faction now existing, were transhuman to varying degrees.

In going beyond their humanity, these factions access a level of power that's hard to rival or defeat, except through another transhuman form of power. This is why the Tenno trump both the Orokin and the Sentient.

 

Let's take the Grineer.

Spoiler

They are ever-degenerating clones, and I'd say they're also incapable of achieving transhuman status. They do come closer to it than the Corpus, perhaps, via their physical augmentation.

But let's look at what drives them. They have very human desires to break their slave masters' chains (the Orokin), and having done that, now they want to conquer the universe and make everything else Grineer or dead. They're a bloodthirsty junta with tribal, near-religious like faith in their Kweens. Their strength is in numbers (clones) and in raw, crude, yet devastating power. They need commerce too, but if they could simply take what they need by force, that need for trade is eliminated. We know they prefer force. Without the Tenno interfering, I don't believe the Corpus can win, long term.

They simply need and want less and are, again, more transhuman than the Corpus (with the Kweens/just the one Kween now being the most transhuman). Their violent and destructive nature won't leave them with much of a universe left to enjoy, but they'd have burned it all to the ground before they ever realize that.

 

Between the two above factions, and with no Tenno to worry about,

Spoiler

I'd argue that the Corpus could beat the Grineer if they can find a way to divide and conquer Grineer factions, sow division and break their faith in the Kweens.

The Grineer could defeat the Corpus by simply bombarding them with all their oppressive might.

The latter could take place much faster than the former unless the Corpus have been cooking their plan to sow division for a long time.

No matter who wins, then the remaining faction would have to tangle with the Infested.

 

Now, the Infested.

Spoiler

It's no secret that the Grineer are my favorite faction, but I think in a world without the Tenno and the Sentients, I'd give the edge to the Infested.

The Infested hivemind gives it an unending zeal and hunger, forever driving it forward with very simple wants and needs. It isn't complicated by human emotions, human greed, and avarice, or the worship of profit--as is the Corpus. There's no infighting between board members with different ideas on profit and progress. Even the Grineer, as like-minded as they are, are prone to infighting. Rebels break away and want to be free from eternal war and violence. Captains and commanders vie for power and the Kweens favor.

There is no such infighting with the Infested. They are not only the most transhuman, they're the most harmonious and utopian of all the factions. Think about that. Really think about it. They're a frighteningly unstoppable force (which is capable of converting organic and inorganic/machines to their cause) that all want the same thing, all need the same thing, and work together tirelessly to achieve it. Once they consume new flesh, those former humans or machines also join their cause willingly, gladly.

Now remember that the Tenno are, or in your scenario's case were, the faction best suited to keep the Infested check. When the Grineer or Corpus are overrun by the Infested, they align with us (Tenno) for a reason.

 

In conclusion, I'd give the win to...

Spoiler

the Infested. They're the most transhuman of all factions, they evolve the fastest (they learned to consume machines, while the Grineer and Corpus are far too human still), have true harmony within their members (hivemind, the only fight I saw an Infested member show was from Jordas), and can replicate faster than clones or proxies with the least amount of environmental impact or profit loss, and are completely free from human emotions, wants and needs that still hamper every other faction.

The only thing standing in the Infested's way is the Tenno.

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Rhekemi

[(PSN)robotwars7]

i reckon the Grineer would win. they have the most territory and the most ruthless drive to rule the entire system. sometimes having enough zeal is all it takes to win. their armies of clones are near infinite and their soldiers wear armour, rather than relying on rubbish force-fields.

FOR THE QUEENS!

[Valathreon]

In my honest opinion, the Infested would win. The Grineer have numbers and martial skill, but their army is filled with aggressive clones that are prone to turning their guns on each other by way of insult. The Corpus have an advantage in technological advancement, but their numbers are rife with greedy corporate businessmen who'll do practically anything, even betrayal and KIDNAPPING CHILDREN, if it nets them a decent profit. The Infested? They don't have any of those problems. The rely on a single hive-mind, meaning they don't face the problems of human emotion and rational thought. The Infested also has huge numbers of twisted creatures in its collective, and can spread to others through very simple means. If death persists in the system, the Infested will be there to reap the benefits. Eventually, the Infested will grow strong enough to absorb the entirety of the Corpus and Grineer into its singular collective mind.

So that's why I think the Infested would come out on top.