the Vehicle Attack / Multi-Purpose (VAMP) The Vehicle Attack / Multi-Purpose, or VAMP as it is affectionately known, is an all-terrain assault weapon. This heavily armed combat vehicle has a 550 mile maximum range, and seats a driver and passenger comfortably. It possesses these characteristics: Handling RV 20 Velocity RV 75 Durability RV 20 Protection RV 6 .50 Cal Machine Guns: these twin-mounted, swivel-based, computer-synchronized machine guns allow for an amazing amount of firepower, inflicting rank value 40 Piercing damage per deadly burst. They can fire twenty such bursts before a reload is required. 7.62mm Machine Gun: this hood-mounted, front-aiming secondary gun isn't as versatile as the VAMP's twin .50 cal cannons, but is still capable of inflicting rank value 20 Piercing damage per strike, and can fire about ten bursts before a reload is required. Communications Suite: the VAMP is equipped with a radio transceiver, allowing the driver to send battle-field data to a central command, and then receive new orders in turn. It functions at rank value 20, and has a maximum range of about 100 miles. First Aid Kit: nestled within the outer wall of the passenger compartment on the VAMP lies a fully stocked first aid kit, should its driver (or passengers) have a sudden need for emergency treatment. It has everything one needs to administer medical aid in the field. Halogen Lamps: the VAMP's headlights are quartz-halogen bulbs that can illuminate a sector with rank value 30 ability. They possess an electrical defrost capability, allowing them to cook ice and muck clean off of them in the event that this is necessary, which takes a full turn. Roll-Cage: while the VAMP doesn't actually offer it's driver or passenger much protection, in a game mechanics sense, its roll-cage allows for rank value 20 protection from collision or incidental damage in the event that the VAMP experiences a roll or crash. Self-Sealing Gas Cans: these safety-minded gas cans have an intermediate layer between the gas and the can itself, a layer of material that immediately seals the can in the event that it is punctured (or shot), preventing a loss of fuel or explosion. Specialty Tires: these wheels are of the off-road, self-sealing variety, and can withstand up to rank value 30 damage before being disabled. Also, they are flotation tires, allowing the VAMP to even drive on water for short, short periods of time (about two turns) before sinking. Winch: this front-mounted, heavy-duty instrument allows the VAMP to pull vehicles, objects, or people around. It can effectively do this with rank value 30 Brawn, allowing it to move a maximum weight of one ton before the high tensile strength wire cable will snap. * 1984 VARIATIONS * the VAMP, Mark 2 First put into production two years after the original, Mark 1 VAMP, the Mark 2 features numerous differences. Most striking, of course, is that the vehicle now has a brown and khaki color scheme, which is better suited for desert operations, as well as these functional differences: Enhanced Protection: while occupants of the Mark 1 VAMP are rather exposed to enemy fire, the Mark 2 has added considerable armor plating to 'fill in the holes'. The Mark 2 VAMP benefits from a +1 RS enhancement to the vehicle's Protection rating. Missile Launcher: this swivel-mounted, mobile missile silo replaced the VAMP's twin .50 Cal cannons for its second iteration, a weapon that can be loaded with up to four Stinger SK2 ground to ground or ground to air missiles, each of which has the following characteristics: Handling RV 40 Velocity RV 50 Durability RV 20 Damage RV 30 Slashing (fragmentary) the Stinger Having been on the receiving end of the VAMP's offense for quite some time, Cobra technicians reverse engineered the GI Joe team's iconic off-road vehicle, and quickly made it their own. The Stinger primarily has the same capabilities of the original, supplemented by the following: Enhanced Protection: similar to their GI Joe counterparts, Cobra weapons designers came to the conclusion that the original VAMP left its occupants a bit too exposed for their liking. As such, they added similar supplemental plating, giving its Protection a +1 RS as well. Missile Launcher: continuing to ape the GI Joe team's improvements to the original VAMP, Cobra's technicians replaced its twin .50 Cal cannons with a swivel-mounted, mobile missile rack. Its projectiles have ground to ground and ground to air modes, and function as follows: Handling RV 40 Velocity RV 50 Durability RV 20 Damage RV 30 Slashing (fragmentary) Note: the Stinger does not benefit from the presence of the original VAMP's 7.62mm machine gun. * 1986 VARIATIONS * the Dreadnok Ground Assault 4WD When the Dreadnoks see something they like, they're bound to drive off with it. Cobra's Stingers are no exception to this rule, and the Dreadnoks have swiped several of these, which subsequently received their signature, two-tone green and black color scheme. Other the drastic change in color, the Dreadnok Ground Assault 4WD is functionally identical to a conventional Cobra Stinger. Which means, like the Stinger, the Ground Assault 4WD does not have the 7.62mm machine gun the original VAMP, which both were based on, does. * 1989 VARIATIONS * the Tiger Sting When GI Joe's Tiger Force needed the versatility of a VAMP, they combined the best features of the Mark 1 and Mark 2 versions of that ride into their Tiger Sting. Retaining the original's 7.62mm machine gun, the Tiger Sting also has these additional characteristics: Enhanced Protection: while occupants of the Mark 1 VAMP are rather exposed to enemy fire, the Tiger Sting has added considerable armor plating to 'fill in the holes'. The Tiger Sting benefits from a +1 RS enhancement to the vehicle's Protection rating. Missile Launcher: this swivel-mounted, mobile missile silo replaced the VAMP's .50 Cal cannons for its Tiger Force iteration, a weapon that can be loaded with up to four Stinger SK2 ground to ground or ground to air missiles, each of which has the following characteristics: Handling RV 40 Velocity RV 50 Durability RV 20 Damage RV 30 Slashing (fragmentary) * 1998 VARIATIONS * the Rattler 4WD Claimed as her own by the troublemaking Vypra upon joining Cobra, the Rattler 4WD is functionally identical to that organization's venerable Stingers. Aside from a new, blue and white camouflaged paint job, the Rattler has all the capabilities of its forebears. * 2001 VARIATIONS * the Desert Striker When the GI Joe team needed another off-road, desert-specific combat vehicle, they once again returned to the VAMP for inspiration. Instead of directly copying the Tiger Sting, however, they heavily modified the Mark 2 VAMP to build this effective third iteration. Instead of its previous weaponry, the Desert Striker has two independently operated firearms, as well as a high-power laser cannon mounted on the top, and even a system to drop mines on those following too closely, as detailed here: 60mm Machine Gun: this heavy duty, hood-mounted doom dealer can be fired by a passenger sitting in the Desert Striker to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage in a short, controlled burst, or rank value 30 Piercing damage when firing a continuous stream of lead. Bullet-Proof Armor: the frame of the Desert Striker has been built from 'bullet-proof' metals, making the vehicle a bit heavier overall, but at the same time much more resistant to damage. This gives the Desert Striker a +2 RS to the Durability rating listed above. Heavy Laser Cannon: the Desert Striker's primary weapon, this devastating device is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. When fired at a target, it can inflict rank value 30 Armor Piercing Energy damage per blast, causing considerable harm to whatever it hits! Mine Dropper: the Desert Striker's occupants can drop spiky mines out the rear of their vehicle, which are stored in a large drum until needed. These explosives detonate to inflict rank value 30 Slashing damage once rank value 2 or greater force is applied to them. Side Cannon: mounted on the side of the Desert Striker's laser cannon (hence the name), its side cannon can be fired to inflict rank value 6 Piercing damage in a single shot, raised +1 RS in a semi-automatic burst, or +2 RS when firing it fully automatic. * 2004 VARIATIONS * the VAMP, Mark 4 Only a few years after overhauling the VAMP design, GI Joe was at it again. The olive drab, Mark 4 version of the vehicle lacks the 7.62mm and .50 Cal weapons, utilizing the same replacements the Desert Striker did, save for the mine dropper. Its extra capabilities include: 60mm Machine Gun: this heavy duty, hood-mounted doom dealer can be fired by a passenger sitting in the Mark 4 VAMP to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage in a short, controlled burst, or rank value 30 Piercing damage when firing a continuous stream of lead. Bullet-Proof Armor: the frame of the Mark 4 VAMP has been built from 'bullet-proof' metals, making the vehicle a bit heavier overall, but at the same time much more resistant to damage. This gives the Mark 4 VAMP a +2 RS to the Durability rating listed above. Heavy Laser Cannon: the Mark 4 VAMP's primary weapon, this devastating device is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. When fired at a target, it can inflict rank value 30 Armor Piercing Energy damage per blast, causing considerable harm to whatever it hits! Side Cannon: mounted on the side of the Mark 4 VAMP's laser cannon (hence the name), its side cannon can be fired to inflict rank value 6 Piercing damage in a single shot, raised +1 RS in a semi-automatic burst, or +2 RS when firing it fully automatic. * 2007 VARIATIONS * the VAMP, Mark 5 Something of an anomaly, the Mark 5 VAMP is generally similar in design to the Desert Striker, save for its grass green color scheme - and a dearth of weaponry. Lacking the original's firepower, the Mark 5 replaces it with but one firearm, listed here: 60mm Machine Gun: this heavy duty, hood-mounted doom dealer can be fired by a passenger sitting in the Mark 5 VAMP to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage in a short, controlled burst, or rank value 30 Piercing damage when firing a continuous stream of lead. Bullet-Proof Armor: the frame of the Mark 5 VAMP has been built from 'bullet-proof' metals, making the vehicle a bit heavier overall, but at the same time much more resistant to damage. This gives the Mark 5 VAMP a +2 RS to the Durability rating listed above. * 2010 VARIATIONS * the VAMP, Mark 6 When the GI Joe team revisited the VAMP concept in 2010, they redesigned the vehicle from the ground up. Its all new, khaki frame allows the Mark 6 VAMP to comfortably seat a driver and three passengers, and has a cornucopia of weapons with which to fight Cobra. Enhancements to the Mark 6's weaponry include allowing the 7.62mm hood mounted machine gun to swivel, the presence of two high-powered, top-mounted weapons (instead of just the one), and a whole lot more. The Mark 6's new capabilities can be summed up as follows: Capture Claw: this feature, entirely new to VAMPs, allows the occupants of the Mark 6 to seize persons or objects in front of the vehicle. Operating with an effective Brawn trait of 30, it can quite easily grapple a singular foe to a standstill! Gatling Cannon: replacing the original VAMP's twinned .50 Cal cannons, this roof-mounted chain gun allows one of the vehicle's occupants to lay down tremendous amounts of lead. It inflicts rank value 20 Piercing damage in a short burst, raised +1 RS when fired continuously. Heavy Laser Cannon: the Mark 6 VAMP's primary weapon, this devastating device is mounted on the roof of the vehicle. When fired at a target, it can inflict rank value 30 Armor Piercing Energy damage per blast, causing considerable harm to whatever it hits! * 2011 VARIATIONS * the VAMP, Mark 6 2011 saw more Mark 6 VAMPs added to GI Joe's arsenal. These newer Mark 6s are functionally the same as the original, 2010 releases, but come in two different shades of green: olive drab and grass green. Which doesn't qualify them to be considered a Mark 7, really. the Python Stinger Further expanding its line of stealth vehicles, Cobra chose this year to apply its Pythonization process to several remaining models of its old Stingers. These vehicles function the same as their venerable counterparts, save for the following capability: Invisibility to Infrared and Radio Wave Senses: in addition to the upgraded texture and color scheme it provides, Doctor Mindbender's Pythonization process has made the Python Stinger transparent to both infrared light and radio signals, doing so with rank value 50 ability. * 2014 VARIATIONS * the VAMP, Mark 2a Though it had a winner in its new, Mark 6 design for the VAMP, the GI Joe team restored several of its remaining Mark 2 units for continued use. These VAMPs came in the normal colors, but added a sort of gray, urban camouflage color scheme as well. But wait, there's more! Taking a cue from the Tiger Sting, the Mark 2a VAMPs retained the 7.62mm hood-mounted machine gun, in addition to keeping all the Mark 2's additional features. Thus, the VAMP Mark 2a is functionally identical to its Tiger Force counterpart, simply having a more practical paint job. the Rescue Ops 4x4 Not just refurbishing ancient technology this year, GI Joe added a new variation on its Mark 6 VAMP. Called the Rescue Ops 4x4, this black and gunmetal gray all-terrain vehicle appears to have the same capabilities of the Mark 6, except for the missing laser cannon.