What exactly is Cobra's Rank structure? Are the blue helmet/shiney face mask, black vest blue trousers guys from 1986 the lowest of the low? Or are these just the new guys before they move onto a specific MOS like Tele-Viper or EEL? what about the guys who look just like them, yet are different colours?

Where do the blue shirts (Cobra, and Cobra Officer figures) fall into line?

I understand that the CGs are the top of the top as far as the large unit, yet there seems to be Cobra Commander's personal guard who are higher than the CG. Where do guys like Range Vipers, SAW Vipers and Tele Vipers fit into the fold? Or EELs and Snow Troopers?

I've sorta come to understand that the Toxo-vipers seem to be a group of problem children; piss someone off and you're wearing a not so airtight suit while playing with NBC stuff.

In reading the file cards, it seems like Cobra troops are either the lowest of the low or elite troops specially chosen because they're a$$holes.

I ask this as I am in the process of making a Dio-Story, and I'd like to know where everbody fits in.

Thanks,

Otto

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The easy and best answer is that there is no official, solid, and perfected rank structure for Cobra. You're free to interpret the chain of command as you see fit, and as your story requires. Within reason, officers will outrank troopers, etc, but if you don't have CLAWS, HEAT-Vipers, and Alley-Vipers carousing with Sub-Vipers, Secto-Vipers and Lamprey, who really cares what their ranks are in relation to one another?

Yeah, its all your imagination. So do what makes sense for your story.
You could do
Blueshirt->Viper->Specialists
or
Vipers could be squad leaders/seargents/veterans but really no different than Blues.

When I've got color variations in my Blue Troopers, (Red or Grey Cobra Sigil, black or gold web gear, etc.) Whatever I have more of becomes the lower rank. Like a Corporal or Private. Officers would be LTs or Captains.
Thanks to MJ, I can make some Troopers dedicated weapons specialists, with RPGs, LMGs, sniper rifles, etc.

I try to set it up so that each type of troop has a Cobra leader. So there can be factions. Like the Baroness gets the Eels, Para Vipers, and Special Warfare types. Major Bludd gets the Blue Shirts and Vipers.The Crimson Twins get the CGies, etc. Mindbender will get the BATS, Destro has his IGs, Zartan his Dreadnocks. With Cobra Commander the titular head, trying to play the various power structures off against each other while achieving his goals.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Thank you for the info, gentlemen .
I guess I was mostly concerned with the difference between the Vipers and the blue shirts.

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The new Mark Bellamo book quotes Larry Hama as saying he saw the Vipers and basic blue Cobra soldiers as one and the same... if that means anything to you.

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That's actually the way I see them. Vipers are just blueshirts in combat gear and tac armor. Tele-Vipers are just blueshirts with specialized training and armor (possibly of slightly higher rank as a result, but not necessarily) and Techno-Vipers are highly specialized troops that get different outfits entirely (like Eels and Snow Serpents). Toxo-Viper is a punishment assignment.

I figured anyone with the name Viper in their title was just a basic foot soldier. Tele-Vipers were the comm guys, motor-viper were drivers, techno-vipers were computer specialists, Range Vipers are like Special Operations Units, etc.

Then chalk up HISS drivers, Stinger drivers, EELs and Snow Serpants up to the idea that Hasbro/Marvel/whomever hadn't come up with the idea of Vipers yet.

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