If all the trees rose up against us, could we defeat them?

[WildSybianRider]

good point.

[Tommy!]

I guess you need to approach it from two sides, attack and defence.

 

Chest raised a valid point with talk of saplings, step number one in a attack stance would surely be to round up all the saplings while they are young and weak.

Then you have the option to start mass culling, eventually through giant purpose built kilns fuelled by the dried logs of there fallen brethren, quickly limiting the trees of tomorrow from rising up at any strength. It also gives you the option to explore the amazing scientific development which could give us the edge tactically through an improved knowledge.

 

I'm working on the understanding that trees don't have the intelligence or emotional depth to take any protection over the young naturally.

 

Now larger trees would obviously be a hard one to beat, but gathering in urban areas would be a must, the buildings and general environment would provide us cover and put them at a considerable disadvantage for hit and run attacks and a disability to attack us in retaliation.

Further more if I work on the assumption they still draw nutrition from the soil while on the move, something which could be tested in the sapping camps, tarmaced roads could be an ideal trapping area to draw them in and starve them to death or into such a weak state they can be quickly killed off through a slow but basic chopping attack.

 

To burn a living tree requires consistent and sustained heat as far as i'm aware and isn't too easy, particularly with certain breeds, so fire wouldn't really work. However if again we work on the assumption on how they draw they sustenance from the soil poisoning could be very likely, especially if its coupled with an entrapment move to keep them at hand. Get them caught in an urban area or better yet get them down, wrap something around them using the cover and greater organisation and user a car or some such to pull them over, then tie them down and again work as a unit to dismantle it while its incapacitated.

 

Given there slow speed and our use of advantages cover, coupled with the lack of collective focus from the foliage, human resistance would be able to work together to take a tree apart bit by bit very slowly I think.

 

While massively outnumbers if we used our strengths of far advanced organisation, speed and intelligence I think the a fair few people could survive until the more industrialised tree destroying equipment in the world got let loose.

 

That's assuming people don't go all spastic and start killing each other, which they probably would.

[Arch Stanton]

Digging fucking massive trenches is the best defence in rural areas. Trees aren't jumping and they aren't climbing, so if they fall into a trench they're fucked. They're just going to sit there waiting to be torched. Requires a lot of preparation time though, so might not be much help in event of an immediate heel turn by the trees.

[patiirc]

Digging fucking massive trenches is the best defence in rural areas. Trees aren't jumping and they aren't climbing, so if they fall into a trench they're fucked. They're just going to sit there waiting to be torched. Requires a lot of preparation time though, so might not be much help in event of an immediate heel turn by the trees.

 

Given the numbers though, trees would just pile on trees until they over came the trenches and could move across them freely. Trenches wouldnt be that much of a defence tbh imo

[HarmonicGenerator]

Digging fucking massive trenches is the best defence in rural areas. Trees aren't jumping and they aren't climbing, so if they fall into a trench they're fucked. They're just going to sit there waiting to be torched. Requires a lot of preparation time though, so might not be much help in event of an immediate heel turn by the trees.

 

Given the numbers though, trees would just pile on trees until they over came the trenches and could move across them freely. Trenches wouldnt be that much of a defence tbh imo

 

Not to go back to fire again, but if the trenches were aflame from the beginning you might avoid that problem to an extent.

[FLips]

If the trees are smart though, they'd sacrifice themselves to make a bridge for the other trees. All it takes is a few of the front line to lay across the ditch and the others can just stroll on over.

[Arch Stanton]

Rules

 

 

[FLips]

I would argue that laying down flat as a make-shift bridge isn't "strong" tactics, but sure. We just better hope none of them fall over and accidentally make a bridge!

[patiirc]

Digging fucking massive trenches is the best defence in rural areas. Trees aren't jumping and they aren't climbing, so if they fall into a trench they're fucked. They're just going to sit there waiting to be torched. Requires a lot of preparation time though, so might not be much help in event of an immediate heel turn by the trees.

 

Given the numbers though, trees would just pile on trees until they over came the trenches and could move across them freely. Trenches wouldnt be that much of a defence tbh imo

 

Not to go back to fire again, but if the trenches were aflame from the beginning you might avoid that problem to an extent.

 

See, some trees are actually fire resistant, or at least able to with stand very high heat temperatures. Fire really isnt a deterrent, even a flaming trench wouldnt offer much in the way of protection because of the numbers.

 

They dont have to form a bridge to cause problems any one tree falling in at a slightly irregular angle could be enough to allow trees to cross, where would you be then? What about the trees that circumvent the trenches anyway?

[Arch Stanton]

Digging fucking massive trenches is the best defence in rural areas. Trees aren't jumping and they aren't climbing, so if they fall into a trench they're fucked. They're just going to sit there waiting to be torched. Requires a lot of preparation time though, so might not be much help in event of an immediate heel turn by the trees.

 

Given the numbers though, trees would just pile on trees until they over came the trenches and could move across them freely. Trenches wouldnt be that much of a defence tbh imo

 

Not to go back to fire again, but if the trenches were aflame from the beginning you might avoid that problem to an extent.

 

See, some trees are actually fire resistant, or at least able to with stand very high heat temperatures. Fire really isnt a deterrent, even a flaming trench wouldnt offer much in the way of protection because of the numbers.

 

They dont have to form a bridge to cause problems any one tree falling in at a slightly irregular angle could be enough to allow trees to cross, where would you be then? What about the trees that circumvent the trenches anyway?

Well obviously, you dig your trench around the perimeter of your stronghold, otherwise it's pointless. That should be a given. Secondly, a tree that falls into a fiery trench ought to be considered to be fucked. Even ones that are more resistant to fire will eventually sucumb. Lastly, I'm not buying the idea that trees can walk across other trees, like bridges. Are we to assume that they have super-balance? Given how cumbersome and slow moving they are, I would expect that they will topple easily.

[patiirc]

Well obviously, you dig your trench around the perimeter of your stronghold, otherwise it's pointless. That should be a given. Secondly, a tree that falls into a fiery trench ought to be considered to be fucked. Even ones that are more resistant to fire will eventually sucumb. Lastly, I'm not buying the idea that trees can walk across other trees, like bridges. Are we to assume that they have super-balance? Given how cumbersome and slow moving they are, I would expect that they will topple easily.

 

Its a numbers thing, lots of trees, think arachnids attacking that settlers base in Starship Troopers, they didnt need to be intelligent or organised, just sheer amount of numbers piling on top of each other would be enough for them to break through even. Apply that to the pit/trench and trees will keep coming relentlessly, to the point where those that do make it could well be on fire as well adding another hazard to the equation.

 

Iirc there are 5 TRILLION trees at best guess on the planet, there are only c.6-8 BILLION people on the planet. In a numbers situation, they can well afford to have massive attritional rates, without it being too much of an issue and that is without going into any tactical element. Filling a flame pit to get across (doesnt have to be a bridge) is hardly going to be of issue, if they are only losing a few thousand inorder to get some trees across the pit.

[Arch Stanton]

The numbers don't tell the whole story though. In the UK we have loads of the bastards, but as an island, we only need to worry about what's here already, so the '5 trillion' thing doesn't matter to us.

 

I'm not saying we're gonna with the war by digging trenches, just that it would be a good tactic in rural areas. I've already said earlier in the thread that we're fucked in this country. I think that humans would win eventually, but with absolutely massive casualties.

[Kenny McBride]

We need sprayable concrete. And/or airdrop of vats of it, like when they drop water on forest fires.

[Mr. Seven]

IT BEGINS

 

The 24-year-old accountant of a private firm within the compound in Lower Parel died after the tree in the commercial complex of Marathon Nextgen fell on her at 10.45am, making her the first victim of tree fall due to monsoon fury.

 

[Carbomb]

I take it we're not taking into account possible plant elemental abilities, like Alan Moore's Swamp Thing? As ST says to the Mayan priests: "You arrogantly declare you have conquered nature, but if nature were truly to lift her hand, she could wipe you all out in a heartbeat", or something like that.

 

EDIT: Also, retreat to all deserts. They wouldn't last very long.