Xenomorphs vs Cobras

[Yansuf]

For those who may not know the reference, COBRA is an acronim for COmputerized Body Reflex Armarment. (Yes, I know I cannot spell.) It comes from a (currently) 4 book series by Timothy Zahn. Cobras are a form of cyborgs, human soldiers enhanced but stealthed so that they cannot be told from normal humans without a (very) detailed medical scan designed for guerilla warfare.

So how do you think xenomorphs will do against them?

My money is on the Cobras!

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

There's been four COBRA books? And, says Wikipedia, 3 Blackcollar volumes?

 

I'm going to go with the side that has starships, here. Call me crazy, but at the end of the day, being able to throw hundreds of megatons around a system is going to be more militarily significant than acid blood or bionic enhancements.

So, COBRA.

But, as I have said before, if Care Bears had nukes, they'd be equally effective, and more cuddly.

[Beast]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

how effective the Cobras are dictates how much firepower the Xenomorphs will direct into any 1 area

if this is a covert war where both sides are hiding within a common population then it could go on forever or till 1 side evacuated or killed off the population then without a place to hide then nukes come into play

 

how do the combatants size up in a 1 on 1 fight?

[Yansuf]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

how effective the Cobras are dictates how much firepower the Xenomorphs will direct into any 1 area

if this is a covert war where both sides are hiding within a common population then it could go on forever or till 1 side evacuated or killed off the population then without a place to hide then nukes come into play

 

how do the combatants size up in a 1 on 1 fight?

 

When did the xenomorphs get nukes? Or even weapons, other than their natural ones?

[Yansuf]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

There's been four COBRA books? And, says Wikipedia, 3 Blackcollar volumes?

 

I'm going to go with the side that has starships, here. Call me crazy, but at the end of the day, being able to throw hundreds of megatons around a system is going to be more militarily significant than acid blood or bionic enhancements.

So, COBRA.

But, as I have said before, if Care Bears had nukes, they'd be equally effective, and more cuddly.

 

The fourth book came out last December; it was the start of a second trilogy set way after Joni Moreau's death. His grand-daughter and her son are the viewpoint characters.

The human forces that made the cobras have starships and nukes too; the idea is to control planets, not destroy them.

[RexMundi]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Cobra's without a doubt. Especially if we're talking the 2nd or later Generations, but even Generation 1, would handle anything the Xenomorphs hiss at them.

 

~Rex

[Vulcan]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

I've gotta give this one to the COBRAs too. Anyone who can clear a room with an antiarmor-grade laser isn't going to have much trouble even with a horde of xenomorphs.

 

Now the blackcollars, on the other hand, would have more trouble. That whole hand-to-hand thing doesn't work out so well against xenomorphs, and you run out of shuriken eventually...

[RexMundi]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Yeah the Blackcollars........Those guys are great to, but the COBRA's got them beat hands down and pretty much all their stuff cauterizes so the acid blood thing is not an issue. Blackcollars would do better then the Marines in ALIENS, but the COBRA's would mop the floor with the Xenomorphs.

 

~Rex

[Yansuf]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

I've gotta give this one to the COBRAs too. Anyone who can clear a room with an antiarmor-grade laser isn't going to have much trouble even with a horde of xenomorphs.

 

Now the blackcollars, on the other hand, would have more trouble. That whole hand-to-hand thing doesn't work out so well against xenomorphs, and you run out of shuriken eventually...

 

On the blackcollars, I agree. Of course, a lot will depend on how good blackcollar armor is vs xenomorphs. Also, if the blackcollars have guns and lasers available; remember the reason they normally don't use them is that in that universe, guns etc. show up on sensors.

[RexMundi]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Well, with a Blackcollar, you basically have for the most part, the best trained ninja warrior you could make, with chemical augmentations to make them twice as fast speed and reflex wise as their best trained peers, with enhanced memory and no age degradation on top of that. So, give them equivalent gear to the Marines from ALIENS on top of all that, they would have done well, but I think eventually, would have just been overwhelmed. Blackcollars were basically, Steve Rogers Space Ninja.

 

Now the COBRA's on the other hand, were everything that the Black Collars were, combined with Everything Steve Austin or Deathlok ever was. They had all the Black Collars tricks plus enough built in weaponry to drop tanks and the computer assist as well would be invaluable. Both series still rank as some of my favorite Sci Fi, but for this case, COBRAS win. Xenomorph can't even sneak up on a Cobra. Things Have gotten the drop on Blackcollars though (it could be argued though that was part of the plan in that respect)....

 

~Rex.......Feels like writing up some 6e COBRA and Blackcollar stuff now. Maybe at Garycon II in Lake Geneva this weekend.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Okay, let's ask an expert.

 

Fanboy: "Hey, evolution: who do you think would win: bionic superhumans, or organic superaliens?"

 

Evolution: "I'm going to let my work speak for me. See this chimpanzee, all that muscle, speed, claws, teeth? That was my first try at pushing primates up to the top of the food chain. (Don't ask why I got into this project, 'cuz I really don't have a good answer. I mean, I put giant lizards at the top once. Okay, I had a reason for that; the grandkids love 'em.)

Oh, sorry, digressing again.

Anyway, that didn't work out too good. Leopards kept eating 'em. I tried putting more muscles on 'em, but ended up with these gigantic gorillas, and all they did was hide up a mountain and hang with Sigourney Weaver. I like Weaver, but world dominating species? Not so much.

So I looked at what the chimpanzees did right, which was mostly throw things at leopards and hit 'em with sticks. Now that I could work with. I mean, from a stick to a stick-with-a-nail-in-it is a small step, and with a big enough stick-with-a-nail-in-it... you get where I'm coming from, right? So I went with Homo Erectus. Little less muscle, little more brain, hand-eye coordination, a little more thumb. They didn't invent the nail, but they did come up with fire. Ace! Still, sabretooth tigers and cave bears ate 'em pretty good.

So then I took even more muscle, added it to brains. Homo Heidelbergensis. Never heard of it? Not surprised. Just didn't do anything for me, kinda like the Apple Lisa. You bought one of those? Sucker.

Anyway, not much to take off any more, musclewise, so I figured, they got fire, cooking, like that, why not trim away some jaw muscle, some intestines, some fur.

The results? Pathetic. Can't eat roots or raw meat, needs clothes to go out doors, can't bite through an orange peel, for my sake. Half of 'em can't see beyond the end of the block with the myopia and all. But they exterminated those cave bears and sabretooths and whatever else I threw at them with their tools."

Evolution perked up at that, took out its iPad, started up some great graphics of a flying thigh bone turning into a spaceship. Or maybe it was a movie. Anyway, then Evolution started up again:

"Tools, dude. And brains. Weapons. Strategic planning. Logistics. Intel. That's how you get to be the big dog. Get yourself a platoon of guys with GI guns, do it by the book, and you'll beat alien big game hunters and insectile death machines and enhanced space marines with BFG 2000s. Aliens with brains and organisation? Them you're on your own with."

[Vanguard]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Yeah the Blackcollars........Those guys are great to, but the COBRA's got them beat hands down and pretty much all their stuff cauterizes so the acid blood thing is not an issue. Blackcollars would do better then the Marines in ALIENS, but the COBRA's would mop the floor with the Xenomorphs.

 

~Rex

 

That depends on the blood. I seem to recall that one of the xenomorphs is hit by one of the pulse rifles and then proceeds to explode. Spraying acid blood all over. While I don't know much about the COBRA's and the wiki article I read was rather brief, what I think would happen is that the laser would hit the xenomorph, cauterize the wound but then superheat the fluid around the impact point and cause said 'morph to explode. Now, the COBRA isn't going to be near when that happens but it would still be something that they'd have to watch out for.

 

Which begs a question: Is the implanted nano-comp, coupled with their enhanced reflexes, enough to let them dodge out of the way of the blood spatter?

[Vanguard]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

 

Feels like writing up some 6e COBRA and Blackcollar stuff now. Maybe at Garycon II in Lake Geneva this weekend.

 

If you do, would you mind posting a copy?

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

I've written up C.O.B.R.A.'s for 1st, 2nd, 3rd edition. Slight modification, they make great superagents, another mod and they become pretty good superheroes.

Against Aliens? Please. Lightning reflexes, lasers, computer targeting, and designed for close combat... the only problem would be the blood spatter someone mentioned.

Now let's point out something: in the Cobra universe, the Cobras were guerilla warriors... but they also had powered armor marines that made Cobras look weak. One scene in the 2nd book showed Cobra hero Jonny Moreau back down before a pair of marines in armor, for the simple reason they had everything he did, plus armor, plus heavier weapons. Cobras were designed to hide among unaugmented humans, not fight assualt battles.

I'd put money on Cobras against predators too.

 

And for that matter, Book MI could take on Aliens and Predators at the same time, while Movie MI would die in job lots against either.

[Yansuf]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

I've written up C.O.B.R.A.'s for 1st, 2nd, 3rd edition. Slight modification, they make great superagents, another mod and they become pretty good superheroes.

Against Aliens? Please. Lightning reflexes, lasers, computer targeting, and designed for close combat... the only problem would be the blood spatter someone mentioned.

Now let's point out something: in the Cobra universe, the Cobras were guerilla warriors... but they also had powered armor marines that made Cobras look weak. One scene in the 2nd book showed Cobra hero Jonny Moreau back down before a pair of marines in armor, for the simple reason they had everything he did, plus armor, plus heavier weapons. Cobras were designed to hide among unaugmented humans, not fight assualt battles.

I'd put money on Cobras against predators too.

 

And for that matter, Book MI could take on Aliens and Predators at the same time, while Movie MI would die in job lots against either.

 

The scene you are referring to is in the first book, last story. And yes, the powered armor troops would have been a match for Heinlein's MI.

 

Movie MI? There was a movie? I refuse to believe that. My nightmare was just that, a nightmare; there was no movie!

[gewing]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

I've written up C.O.B.R.A.'s for 1st, 2nd, 3rd edition. Slight modification, they make great superagents, another mod and they become pretty good superheroes.

Against Aliens? Please. Lightning reflexes, lasers, computer targeting, and designed for close combat... the only problem would be the blood spatter someone mentioned.

Now let's point out something: in the Cobra universe, the Cobras were guerilla warriors... but they also had powered armor marines that made Cobras look weak. One scene in the 2nd book showed Cobra hero Jonny Moreau back down before a pair of marines in armor, for the simple reason they had everything he did, plus armor, plus heavier weapons. Cobras were designed to hide among unaugmented humans, not fight assualt battles.

I'd put money on Cobras against predators too.

 

And for that matter, Book MI could take on Aliens and Predators at the same time, while Movie MI would die in job lots against either.

 

dead on. I think I need to re-read my cobra books, get the newest. I don't remember the powered armor at ALL.

 

Blackcollar was okay, but I kind of felt like we had been there before... And while shuriken are pretty cool...

[Yansuf]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

dead on. I think I need to re-read my cobra books, get the newest. I don't remember the powered armor at ALL.

 

Blackcollar was okay, but I kind of felt like we had been there before... And while shuriken are pretty cool...

 

Powered armor is in the first book only. After that the cobras' new colony is cut off.

[Vulcan]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Heck, Ripley handled a queen xenomorph using... well, I can't call it power armor, since it wasn't armored. Power armor vs. Xenomprph + dead xenomorph. Especially if they know what they are going up against and use an acid-resistant ceramic as an outer layer for the armor...

[RexMundi]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

If you do' date=' would you mind posting a copy?[/quote']

 

Going to have to add it to my "To Do" list of conversion entertainment. Just before I went to Garycon II this last weekend I swung into Barnes and Nobel and they had the Collect COBRA giant book there (All three for one book and 12 bucks.....good deal and In Print!). Had every intention of doing a "Build your Gen 1 COBRA" game, but I got into a game of Buck Rogers XXVc. With Flint Dille. SO.........Ended up Playing and talking Buck Rogers, GI Joe, and Transformers and Other projects......as well as a lot of Networking, and a more then a few hours of drinks and story swapping, and the COBRA game didn't happen.

 

Still.....Playing Buck Rogers with Flint Dille. That would be like playing Aces and Eights or Boot Hill, with Louis Lamour.

 

COBRA still wins against Xenomorphs hands down. I asked my Physics geek buddy about dodging the Acid Splatter. He pretty much worked up some math for me which made my brain implode (what's left of it), but then said in English. "Based on the descriptions in the book, COBRA's are so fast, and capable, that the "I'm so fast and capable of dealing out carnage the Blood Splatter can't hit me Samurai flick action", is a basic action for "Not even trying" level of work.

 

~Rex....COBRA wins.....

[Old Man]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Thanks to this thread, I constantly picture xenomorphs rushing into combat shoulder to shoulder with the forces of G.I. Joe. Against that Cobra, whose members can't shoot anything, ever, it seems like a slam dunk win for the xenomorphs.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

For a moment there I thought that Cobra was doomed, until I realised that without sexy outfits and talking parrots, they'd never be able to foil cunning ploys like Springfield and Cold Slither.

[Vanguard]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

That's cool Rex. Whenever you manage to remember it and get around to it.

[RexMundi]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Heh, half way through the trilogy already, forgot how much I liked these books. Never cared for Zahn really when he is tackling someone else's IP (Star Wars for example), but within his own material the guy can write.

 

~Rex

[Yansuf]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Heh, half way through the trilogy already, forgot how much I liked these books. Never cared for Zahn really when he is tackling someone else's IP (Star Wars for example), but within his own material the guy can write.

 

~Rex

 

You do know that the new, 4th book came out last December, don't you?

[RexMundi]

Re: Xenomorphs vs Cobras

 

Yeah but the Trade was only the collected Trilogy. I got the 4th Book as well. The Trade I got a kick out of because it's total price was within a buck or two of some of the single books a third it's size on the shelf, heh.

 

~Rex...COBRA's....Good Stuff!