the Desert Fox
Intended for use in the harshest of desert climates, the aptly named Desert Fox is a 6WD all-terrain vehicle. Designed as a fast attack, front-line assault or advanced recon vehicle, the Desert Fox is fully equipped with the following vehicular capabilities:
| Handling RV 20 |
Velocity RV 50 |
Durability RV 20 |
Protection RV 20 |
Anti-aircraft Cannon: housed in a turret behind the Desert Fox's passenger seats, this rear-facing cannon can swivel in 90 degrees horizontally or vertically. It inflicts rank value 20 Piercing damage when firing a small burst, or rank value 30 Piercing damage when fired continuously.
Body Armor: the Desert Fox is built tough. It has an armored radiator, a stiffened roll bar, and three-layer modular wheels (with self-sealing foam and a 'bullet-proof' rating), a total package that provides the vehicle rank value 20 armor (as described above).
Communications Array: the Desert Fox is equipped with a gigahertz frequency, frequency wobbler clandestine operations radio system. This makes for rank value 10 communications power (with a 25 mile range) that is bolstered with rank value 30 signal encryption.
Deflection: the Desert Fox's front end is engineered with a ballistic shape in mind, to better avoid incoming damage. Any attack coming from the front of the Desert Fox has to contend with a -1 RS worth of deflection, no matter its type or origins.
Lightning Lamps: these hood-mounted, high-intensity off-road head-laps allow the Desert Fox to operate night or day. They can fill a sector with rank value 20 intensity light, and in the right conditions can provide an excellent blinding attack.
Scorpion Anti-tank Missiles: the Desert Fox has two surface-to-surface anti-tank missiles mounted on its roll cage. These powerful projectiles can be fired singly or together, inflicting +1 RS damage if both hit at the same time. They have these characteristics:
| Handling RV 20 |
Velocity RV 50 |
Durability RV 20 |
Damage RV 30 Slashing ('fragmentary') |
Xenon Lamps: in addition to its regular driving lamps, the Desert Fox has a second set of lights - this one mounted on the roll cage of the vehicle. These also provide rank value 20 illumination, but can be used with the others to boost the total value by +1 RS.
1993 Variations
the Dino Hunter
When the GI Joe team had the seemingly improbable task of hunting dinosaurs on Cobra Island (remember, Cobra does employ the likes of Dr. Mindbender), they needed a rugged vehicle with which to tussle against the reptiles - and to flee fast if things got out of control.
This is why they returned to an earlier design, the Desert Fox. Giving its muted brown coloration a seriously blue and white overhaul, the Joes equipped it to take on Cobra's genetic terrors. The newly christened Dinosaur Hunter has been modified as follows:
Quick Capture Grappling Hooks: replacing the old anti-aircraft gun, this weapon can be used to harmlessly grapple large targets, doing so by firing twin grappling hooks that are attached via a high-tensile rope. This weapon can secure a target with rank value 40 Brawn.
Sonic Anti-dinosaur Missiles: the Dino Hunter has two surface-to-surface anti-dinosaur missiles mounted on its roll cage. These powerful projectiles can be used as blunt instruments, inflicting the listed damage, and often do after fulfilling their primary purpose.
Unlike most missiles, however, these devices are not meant to be lethal. You see, they can emit a powerful burst of sonic energy, attenuated carefully to produce a Concussing effect in living entities; those exposed to this effect must roll to resist this or be stunned for 1d10 turns.
| Handling RV 20 |
Velocity RV 50 |
Durability RV 20 |
Damage RV 30 Bashing ('less lethal') |
Extra Goodies:
GI Joe directories featuring a version of the Desert Fox:
| 1988 | 1993 |
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