Strength 6d*

Agility 3d*

Intellect 3x

Willpower 4d

Hand Size: Edge:

2 (10) 0

* Cobra troopers will generally have either Boxing or Martial Arts as a skill, but not both unless they are exceptional fellows. As such, one of these scores should be a 'd' and one should be an 'x' - take your pick.

Powers:

(none)

Equipment:

AK-47 Assault Rifle (v2, v3): this Russian-built, semi or fully automatic rifle is built to last, being readily adapted for almost any duty imaginable. The gun itself fires a small burst of shells, acting as a +5 weapon when doing so, or a full-auto spread, acting as a +6 weapon in such a mode. The latter tends to burn clips, but Python Patrol troopers carry several on hand...

Dragunov Sniper Rifle (v1): this Russian-built, semi-automatic rifle is built primarily with assassinations in mind, though it can be used in a firefight in a pinch. The gun itself fires rather large shells, making it act as a +5 weapon, though it can also be used to fire a small burst that allows it to act as a +6 weapon in a pinch. It is also equipped with a scope, offering +1 to hit in sniping situations.

Grenades (v3): in their newer incarnation, Cobra soldiers have been equipped with two grenades apiece, in addition to their other hardware. They carry one incendiary and one fragmentary grenade, both of which inflict intensity 10 damage of the proper type (fiery or shrapnel) to everybody within striking distance of the grenade's detonation - nasty, no?

Helmet (v1, v2): all Cobra troopers wear a helmet, in order to increase relative safety on the field and to protect from the ever-deadly head shot. Made of material strength 10 metals, this helmet offers its wearer +2 protection from any non-frontal head attacks. This may not be enough to deflect all damage in a given instance, but it nonetheless helps to save lives...

Helmet (v3): in their new incarnation, all Cobra troopers wear a variant of the Viper's helmet. This one is a blue affair with a golden, acrylic/composite face plate that acts as a one-way mirror. The helmet offers +2 protection against head attacks, +1 against those targeted on their face plate. It also has an intensity 3 R.T.O. suite built in, offering effective radio communications within 25 miles.

Knife: though they'd rather not do so, all Cobra troopers are equipped to fight hand to hand in the event that they completely run out of ammunition (and they usually carry several spare clips to prevent this). These blades are of material strength 12, and in a Cobra trooper's hands, they can be used as +2 weapons with each deadly strike.

Multi-Layer Body Armor (v3): standard issue uniforms of the new Cobra troopers consist of a utilitarian, multi-layered kevlar weave, a weave that offers them some protection from assault. This handy costume offers the Cobra trooper +2 protection from physical attacks of any type. This may not protect against heavier artillery, but it definitely dulls small arms fire.

Pistol: in the event that one's Dragunov or AK is disabled, a Cobra trooper always has a spare handgun handy, stored in a convenient shoulder holster for quick access. These guns can be used to fire a single shot, acting as a +4 weapon, or a short burst which drains the entire clip, but increases their effectiveness to +5. The clip can presumably hold 8 rounds before it needs reloaded.

Wraith Suit (v2): the prime benefit of being a member of the Python Patrol, other than the increase in pay, is that the Cobra troopers who accept this promotion receive the use of a handy wraith suit. This suit, which doubles as their uniform, makes the troopers invisible to infra-red scanners and all manner of radar technology. This stealth technology functions at intensity 15.

Hindrances:

(none)

Skills:

Boxing: all Cobra troopers are trained in at least one form of unarmed combat once they hook up with the group, if they don't already have one under their belt. A majority learn the fine art of boxing, allowing them to divide their pre-cardplay action score between two unarmed melee attacks per exchange, the last of which will occur as a contingent action.

Marksmanship: a given prerequisite, all Cobra operatives must have the ability to use a gun in combat; if they don't have it upon joining Cobra, they are trained - and quickly. Any Cobra trooper can use a regular, semi-automatic, or fully automatic gun or rifle with proficiency, doing so at one difficulty level lower than is normally required.

Military: a quasi-military organization, Cobra encourages an easily recognizable (to those within, at least) command structure. As such, those not bringing experience in such matters tend to pick it up quickly, in order to rise through the ranks; those who don't typically stay right here, on the bottom. This skill gives Cobra troopers an edge concerning military protocols and regulations.

Calling:

Various Callings: the vast, vast majority of Cobra operatives have joined up for their own, evil purposes, so choose a villainous calling and go with it! Nominally, Cobra troopers are motivated by Greed or aspirations of World Domination, but anything else can really apply. For instance, Storm Shadow hooked up with Cobra to gain Vengeance, etc...

Costume:

The standard Cobra trooper uniform consists of a blue jumpsuit, accompanied by a blue helmet and blue gloves, and bearing the Cobra sigil, in red, on the front upper torso. The uniform is then complemented by black boots, black knee-pads, a black strap-on knife sheath, a black, pouch-riddled belt, black webbing with a shoulder holster for the trooper's pistol, and a black face mask.

Those Cobra troopers who were admitted into the Python Patrol wore a uniform that, while recolored, strongly resembles that of a Cobra officer's. This snake-skin wraith suit consists of a red turtleneck sweater under a long-sleeved, green and yellow snake-skin shirt, black snake-skin trousers, gray boots, gloves, holsters, sheathes, and webbing, and a black helmet and face mask.

After their rank's re-creation, the bottom-of-the-barrel Cobra soldier's uniform was actually changed into a variant of the Viper's. It consists of blue trousers, a blue vest, and a blue, short-sleeved shirt, coupled with a blue helmet that bears a mirrored, golden face plate that completely obscures the features of its wearer. The uniform also has a black belt, black boots, and steel wrist guards.

Personality:

Originally, the Cobra trooper represented a highly trained and highly motivated terrorist, one who hooked up with the organization in order to further his own, personal agenda. While criminal minded, these folk still knew what they were doing, and though they might fail in their missions, they weren't necessarily bumbling fools. They were either ex-military or trained by Cobra to fight.

After Cobra re-created this particular rank, the general mindset of these folks was somewhat different. Being made up of the dregs of human society, these folk were the crackpots, the mass murderers, and all the insane anarchists who needed an outlet for their personal violence. These people may or may not have the talents listed above, as their qualifications aren't as high as they used to be.

Notes:

For the longest time, simple Cobra troopers formed the core of the organization's bulk, as these were the folks who were eventually trained up into more specialized positions. However, as time passed, the trooper rank was replaced with that of the Viper, who had a completely different uniform but essentially the same job. All troopers were apparently converted over to the new position.

Save for a few stragglers, of course, who cling to their original uniforms to this very day; the Cobra hierarchy doesn't frown upon this, for it tends to confuse the Joes. Some of these remaining, 'traditional' Cobra troopers were admitted into the ranks of the Python Patrol - these guys are Cobra's most experienced troops, after all - and are given a snake-skin wraith suit similar to their original uniform.

When Cobra pulled itself together after being routed by the U.S. military in '94, it reinstated the rank of Cobra trooper, though it served a different role. While the original troopers were highly trained infantrymen, these guys are now all the lone goons, maniacs, and crackpots that signed up with Cobra for their own reasons, and aren't quite considered dependable just yet. They are very expendable...