the Raider

The Raider is the latest in a long line of GI Joe vehicles that borrow a bit from the work that Battle Force 2000 is doing, if not being used by them proper. It is a large, four-tracked vehicle that has two separate, distinct modes of use.

It can either function as a large assault vehicle, or split into a scout craft and battle station combo, making it quite versatile in battle, depending on the situation. The Raider, though usually pushed beyond these limits by Hot Seat, has the following vehicular capabilities:

C       S       B       P
Gd 10   Ex 20   Ex 20   Gd 10

Annihilator Gun: this powerful, 44mm rotary-barreled cannon is mounted on the front of the Raider, and is the sole weapon of the scout craft. It can fire a short burst to inflict Excellent (20) Shooting damage, raised to Remarkable (30) Shooting damage when fired continuously.

Battle Station Mode: the Raider can, after its scout craft disconnects from the main vehicle, be reconfigured as a battle station. This involves elevating the missile platform and lowering two hydraulic support legs to support the weight of its heavily armed cockpit.

Chain Cannon: this large, twinned gun is mounted under the cockpit of the Raider. It can swivel horizontally, and can fire a short, controlled burst to inflict Remarkable (30) Shooting damage, raised to Incredible (40) Shooting damage when it is fired in a fully automatic fashion.

Communications Array: the Raider is equipped with a gigahertz frequency, frequency wobbler clandestine operations radio system. This makes for Good (10) transception (with a 25 mile range) that features Remarkable (30) ranked signal encryption.

Laser Cannons: on each side of the Raider lies twinned laser cannons. These powerful weapons can swivel vertically, and can be fired to inflict Excellent (20) Armor Piercing Energy damage each, raised by +1 CS if both twinned guns are trained on a singular target.

Missile Launcher: the rear of the Raider can elevate to reveal a large missile launching bay. It can fire two projectiles per load, and has an automatic reload mechanism in the event of heavy combat. If both projectiles hit a single foe, add +1 CS to the damage below:

C       S       B       Damage
Ex 20   Un 100   Ex 20   Remarkable (30) Edged Attack (fragmentary)

Radar Unit: the Raider's rear section has an 'ultra-sophisticated' enemy identification radar device. It can track targets in the vicinity of the Raider with Poor (4) ability, doing so with a range that extends out to a maximum of five miles.

Scout Craft: the Raider can split into two separate components, a battle station and a scout craft. The latter is a vehicle which is essentially the first two treads, with a small engine and manned turret situated betwixt them, and has these capabilities:

C       S       B       P
Gd 10   Rm 30   Ex 20   Ex 20

Search Lights: mounted on the rear of the Raider, upon its elevating missile bay, these lights can cast powerful light quite a distance. It can illuminate an area with Remarkable (30) intensity light, and this area so illuminated can be within two areas of the Raider proper.