History Main / FleshVersusSteel

*** Given that it is implied that he found the Tyranids headed to the galaxy, and is the only remaining Tomb Lord "alive" that was [[MeGodWhatHaveIdone responsible]] for the Necrons into what they currently are, this is less surprising. At the same time, he's also one of the few Tomb Lords that is not outright hostile to the other races, and is willing to form [[EnemyMine temporary alliances]] with others against the Tyranids.

* In certain specified and unique circumstances - flesh may indeed mark steel. In ''{{Discworld}}'' fic ''Fanfic/WhyandWere'', Assassin Madame Emmanuelle les Deux-Epées holds her sword to the neck of Watchman Nobby Nobbs for good and pressing reasons. A few days later she discovers the metal has developed an unsightly and disfiguring stain. She tries everything to remove the discolouration and fails, until a friend, who knows ''any'' metal touching Nobby's skin will tarnish, suggest she tries hand-soap. [[note]] A substance completely innocent of even the briefest contact with Nobby's skin[[/note]] The stain miraculously fades and dissappears.

** The ''RisingTide'' expansion adds hybrid Affinities. The Supremacy / Harmony hybrid makes their military units into bizarre mergers of cybernetics and engineered flesh like the Nanohive (a walking tank that outputs swarms of nanomachines to grind away their enemies) and the Aquilon (an AirborneAircraftCarrier described by the developers as a "meat zeppelin").

** The Eldar use some psychic powers and a lot of hyper-advanced technology for everything, while the [[EvilCounterpart Dark Eldar]] are vat-grown and have a fondness for growing strange monsters and grafting bits onto themselves.

** Strangely enough, the literal version happens comparatively rarely: Tyranids exist only to feed on biomatter, which Necron tomb worlds tend to be poor in, [[OmnicidalManiac for obvious reasons.]] And while Necrons exist to destroy all life in the galaxy, they need to be woken up (say, by something invading their world and alerting the tomb's defense systems, which the Adeptus Mechanicus can't go five minutes without doing).

** The Yuuzhun Vong are an extragalactic species who abhor inorganic technology to the point of considering it heresy. Their ships, armor, weapons, and communications are all taken by organic, specially crafted organisms. Their buildings are grown from a type of coral. Besides all that, they're wholly separated from the Force, unable to be detected or manipulated by its power.

* In ''MagicTheGathering'', the shards Esper and Naya in the recent 'Shards Of Alara' block represent steel and flesh (respectively).

* The second StarWars trilogy featured humans (later clone troopers) against droids.
** And the ''first'' [[ANewHope Star Wars]] movie contained the immortal words: "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."

* ''Film/PacificRim''. [[spiler:The Precursors use organic tech to build huge, destructive Kaiju]]. Humans defend themselves with HumongousMecha, all pimped out with modern technology (including nuclear reactors). Notably flips the usual message of a Kaiju movie, with human ingenuity overcoming destructive nature (assuming evil aliens count).

* ''StarWars: The Literature/NewJediOrder''.

* ''SecondApocalypse'' has aspects of this, we have the hyper-rational Dunyian vs. the Lust-obsessed Inchoroi, although there are hints they might come to the same conclusions in the end.

** Of course, it's a decidedly one-sided conflict. When a single Species 8472 bioship (piloted by a single being) can destroy a dozen Borg cubes before they even finish their TheAssimilator speech, and the Borg nanites are useless against them, then you know the Borg are doomed. Oh, and about half-a-dozen of these bioships can merge their beams in a [[StarWars Death Star]]-like manner to obliterate a planet.

* The Slaad and Inevitables from most versions of ''TableTopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' has aspects of this as well. With the technological terrans, psychic protoss and biological zerg.

* ''SystemShock'' and especially ''SystemShock 2''. SHODAN thinks flesh is worthless and weak. The Many is all about flesh.

* The factions from TotalAnnihilation. CORE who rely on robotics and ARM who use cloning.

->''"*Know* that flesh cannot mark steel. *Know* that steel may mark flesh. In *knowing* this, Zerthimon became free."''
-->'''Dak'kon''', ''PlanescapeTorment''

*** "[[http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218070 "Skin is the prison of the blessed and the stronghold of the heretic."]] —Argent Etchings, plate 64, passage 17

* Forms the DrivingQuestion that underlines ''[[Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982 Conan The Barbarian]]'': What is the answer to the "Riddle of Steel"? Throughout the movie, three different answers are given:

* ''Film/PacificRim''. The Precursors use organic tech to build huge, destructive Kaiju. Humans defend themselves with HumongousMecha, all pimped out with modern technology (including nuclear reactors). Notably flips the usual message of a Kaiju movie, with human ingenuity overcoming destructive nature (assuming evil aliens count).

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* Hinted at somewhat in ''Webcomic/QuentynQuinnSpaceRanger'' ... the Kvrk-Chk, are largely living berserker battletanks, and the Empire forced them into surrendering by [[StarKilling incinerating one of their systems]]. It's further implied by the biotech quarters aboard the Sapphire Star... biotech based civilizations are noted as being rather rare, and are regarded as technologically inferior due to the many inherent problems with organic technology.
* In ''Webcomic/AliceGrove'' [[http://www.alicegrove.com/image/110864583014 Ardent and his sister Gavia represent this split]] although it's limited to philosophical argument rather than violent conflict.

* PacificRim. The Precursors use organic tech to build huge, destructive Kaiju. Humans defend themselves with HumongousMecha, all pimped out with modern technology (including nuclear reactors). Notably flips the usual message of a Kaiju movie, with human ingenuity overcoming destructive nature (assuming evil aliens count).

* ''StarWars: The NewJediOrder''.

* ''Anime/SuiseiNoGargantia'': The gist of Human vs. Hideauze conflict. According to Chamber, the two forces represent fundamentally different survival strategies: the humans of the Galactic Alliance have formed a civilization capable of building advanced mechs to augment their weak bodies, while the [[spoiler: formerly human]] Hideauze survive through the sheer toughness of their bodies and have no need for civilization.

* ''{{Transformers}}'' has used this trope on a few occasions. In both ''Anime/BeastWarsII'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'', the heroic, technorganic Maximals fight against the evil, purely robotic Predacons/Vehicons. This situation was inverted in ''[[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise Robots in Disguise]]'', in which the heroic, completely mechanical Autobots fight the evil, technorganic Predacons.
* GeneratorRex. The nanites turn most people into freakish, warped monstrosities, while Rex gets the ability to produce gleaming, futuristic machines to fight them.

* Hinted at somewhat in QuentynQuinnSpaceRanger ... the Kvrk-Chk, are largely living berserker battletanks, and the Empire forced them into surrendering by [[StarKilling incinerating one of their systems]]. It's further implied by the biotech quarters aboard the Sapphire Star... biotech based civilizations are noted as being rather rare, and are regarded as technologically inferior due to the many inherent problems with organic technology.

** Of course, it's a decidedly one-sided conflict. When a single Species 8472 bioship (piloted by a single being) can destroy a dozen Borg cubes before they even finish their YouWillBeAssimilated speech, and the Borg nanites are useless against them, then you know the Borg are doomed. Oh, and about half-a-dozen of these bioships can merge their beams in a [[StarWars Death Star]]-like manner to obliterate a planet.

** Strangely enough, the literal version happens comparatively rarely: Tyranids exist only to feed on biomatter, which Necron tomb worlds tend to be poor in, [[OmnicidalManiacs for obvious reasons.]] And while Necrons exist to destroy all life in the galaxy, they need to be woken up (say, by something invading their world and alerting the tomb's defense systems, which the Adeptus Mechanicus can't go five minutes without doing).

* The Slaad and Inevitables from most versions of TableTopGame/DungeonsAndDragons.
** And the [[{{Expy}} Proteans]] and Inevitables in TableTopGame/{{Pathfinder}} do this as well.

* ''{{Bionicle}}'' seems to be hinting at tension between the biomechanical Matoran and the mostly organic Agori. The Agori of Bota Magna, in particular, take it to the extreme and have rejected all mechanical technologies, instead using primitive weapons and plant-based armour.

* Part Dak'kon's teachings in ''PlanescapeTorment'', who puts a spin on the origin story of the Githzerai (and Githyanki) from DungeonsAndDragons. The Gith were slaves of the illithids, psionic mind-controlling brain eaters, but at one point a Gith named Zerthimon finds a steel knife embedded in the skull of a corpse. He is surprised by the concept that something might die without becoming food for the illithids. This leads him to formulate the Scripture of Steel: "Steel may mark flesh, but flesh cannot mark steel." And he reasons that while the Illithids [=*know*=] flesh and can shape it to their will, they do not [=*know*=] Steel...
* ''StarCraft'' has aspects of this as well. With the technological terrans, psychic protoss and biological zerg.

* The ''{{Dune}}'' prequels are classic Machine vs Human. The 1st trilogy doesn't have a Machine 'race' but is also Flesh vs Steel. On Arrakis, flesh, standard unarmored humans, is the most durable. War machines and even basic technology doesn't handle the sand, electrical activity and local wildlife very well.

* The TropeNamer is Dak'kon from ''PlanescapeTorment'', who puts a spin on the origin story of the Githzerai (and Githyanki) from DungeonsAndDragons. The Gith were slaves of the illithids, psionic mind-controlling brain eaters, but at one point a Gith named Zerthimon finds a steel knife embedded in the skull of a corpse. He is surprised by the concept that something might die without becoming food for the illithids. This leads him to formulate the Scripture of Steel: "Steel may mark flesh, but flesh cannot mark steel." And he reasons that while the Illithids [=*know*=] flesh and can shape it to their will, they do not [=*know*=] Steel...

* ''VideoGame/CivilizationBeyondEarth'' has this dynamic going on with the technological affinities the various factions can adopt. Harmony (Flesh) believes that that their new planet is a paradise and strive to avoid repeating the same mistakes as humanity did on Earth; they want to integrate Humanity fully into the alien environment by turning their citizens into [[HalfHumanHybrid half-human, half-alien hybrids]], their military also has infantry in biological armor, tanks built with OrganicTechnology vibe and genetically engineered alien monsters. Supremacy (Steel), meanwhile, believes mankind's technology is it savior and will allow them to live in any environment they choose. They turn their citizens into cyborgs, along with developing advanced artificial intelligence and robotics. Purity (the final affinity), rejects the rampant transhumanism of the other two affinities; though it does use gene-therapy to cure disease and tweak human performance. They also specialize in PoweredArmor, heavy artillery and flying battleships so they kind of take up a place in the middle.

* The Slaad and Inevitables from most versions of DungeonsAndDragons.
** And the [[{{Expy}} Proteans]] and Inevitables in {{Pathfinder}} do this as well.
* This is what happens when you combine [[IronKingdoms WARMACHINE and HORDES]].
* This is the principle conflict in {{Mortasheen}}, with the human-dominated, technophilic civilization of Wreathe versus the chaotic city of mutants and monsters that is Mortasheen. The latter are our heroes by the way.

* In ''MagicTheGathering'', the shards Esper and Naya in the recent 'Shards Of Alara' block represent steel and flesh (respectively). Also, the metal world Mirrodin, which is inhabited by people, is attacked by machines seeking to transform everyone into a weird Frankenstein robot.
** To expand, the Mirrans are normal people (who happen to have metal grow naturally in them). Their enemy is the Phyrexian virus, which gives the infected a religious (literally) urge to spread the virus. One of their tenants is that flesh is weakness and should be replaced by metal.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fracture}}'' is about a war between The Atlantic Alliance, which is devoted to advancing the technological prowess of humanity (cyborgs) and the Republic of Pacifica which is devoted to enhancing the human genome (bioengineering).