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For an overview of combat armor, see combat armor. |
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The desert ranger combat armor and the matching desert ranger combat helmet are pieces of armor in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Honest Hearts.
Background[]
This suit of combat armor was originally owned by Staff Sergeant R.B. Vickers,[Non-game 1] a U.S. Marine who served in China during the Yangtze Campaign of the Sino-American War. Vickers apparently used the armor for a year, in Nanjing from June to August, and Shanghai from September to May. The armor was subsequently acquired by Randall Clark, who had it with him in Zion Canyon after the Great War and left it behind in Stone Bones Cave.[Non-game 2]
This particular suit of combat armor has no connections to the post-War organization known as the Desert Rangers. However, combat armor suits like it were indeed used by the Desert Rangers, and would eventually be adapted by the New California Republic for their NCR Ranger combat armor (along with suits of Los Angeles Police Department riot gear, which had a similar design).[Non-game 3][Non-game 4]
Characteristics[]
A USMC-issued armor boasting a desert camouflage pattern, worn with a matching military helmet with built-in low light optics, a combination infrared/white light lamp and gas mask, an olive green duster and a pair of worn-out khaki pants. It is similar in design to pre-War LAPD riot gear.
Data of the original owner, R.B. Vickers, is printed on the collar and includes his rank, name, service branch, and blood type. On the back of the helmet are the names of two locations, Nanjing and Shanghai, and abbreviations of months for each place as well as tally marks. Nanjing has JUN, JUL, AUG, and an SE which is crossed out. Shanghai has SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC, JAN, FEB, MAR, APL, and MAY. The words "FORGIVE ME MAMA" are written across the front of the helmet. The normal NCR Ranger combat armor has a red visor glow, but the Desert Ranger eyes are green, making them more akin to the ghost people's hazmat mask lenses.
The armor set provides a high degree of protection, with 22 Damage Threshold, one of the highest amounts for a medium armor set in the game.
Variants[]
- NCR Ranger combat armor - Armor of the NCR Veteran Rangers, whose design is partially based on the Desert Ranger combat armor as well as similar LAPD riot gear.
Riot gear - An advanced suit of riot armor used by pre-War riot control officers in Ashton and Hopeville.- Advanced riot gear - An advanced model of the riot gear which was used by an NCR riot control officer in the Divide.
- Elite riot gear - A unique set of armor which was used by an NCR riot control officer in the Divide.
Comparison[]
| Name | DT | WG | Durability | Value | Armor class | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCR Ranger combat armor | 20 | 30 | 600 | 7500 | Medium armor | Disguise: NCR |
| Desert Ranger combat armor | 22 | 30 | 600 | 8000 | Medium armor | None |
| Riot gear | 20 | 30 | 500 | 7994 | Medium armor | Guns +5, Agl +1 |
| Advanced riot gear | 21 | 25 | 600 | 8494 | Medium armor | Explos. +10, End +1 |
| Elite riot gear | 22 | 23 | 750 | 12500 | Medium armor | Crit +5, Guns +10, Charis +1 |
Locations[]
- Stone Bones Cave, at the end near a footlocker in front of the Survivalist's terminal.
Notes[]
- This armor is equal to a suit of T-45d power armor in terms of Damage Resistance but is classified as medium armor. The armor weighs the same as NCR Ranger combat armor but provides +2 more Damage Threshold. The helmet is weightless and has a +1 DT bonus.
- Unlike NCR Ranger combat armor, the Desert Ranger combat armor is not considered faction armor.
- Repairing this armor when it's fully broken costs 16,000 caps.
- Sometimes while wearing this armor, NCR troopers will comment on being in the presence of a Ranger when you talk to them, even though this is not a faction armor.
- The Desert paint for the ranger helmet in Fallout 76 has similarly green eyes. The paint scheme in general appears to be inspired by the Desert Ranger combat armor from Honest Hearts.
Behind the scenes[]
- In 2022, a limited-edition figure of the Desert Ranger combat armor was available for sale on the Bethesda Gear Store. The product's description mentioned Vickers, stating he was a soldier in the Yangtze Campaign. The description also mentioned the armor's link to Randall Clark and (potentially) the Courier, as well as the NCR.[Non-game 2]
- The armor
- Per Joshua Sawyer, the desert ranger combat armor was fully retextured from standard NCR Ranger combat armor to be more "interesting and distinct" to players than a simple modification which just removed the armor's NCR faction logos. As a lore justification, Sawyer offered that the desert ranger combat armor was the original model of armor which was adapted by the NCR for their ranger combat armor.[Non-game 3]
- This explanation partially ignores the fact that the NCR ranger combat armor bears Los Angeles Police Department markings. However, in a separate post, Sawyer confirmed that the LAPD's riot gear and the USMC's desert combat armor had similar designs; this can be compared to the fact that many modern police SWAT teams use military-grade equipment.[Non-game 4]
- R.B. Vickers
- Joshua Sawyer confirmed that R.B. Vickers was the name of the armor's original owner.[Non-game 1]
- Sawyer also stated that Vickers was not a member of the Desert Rangers,[Non-game 5] and that the writing on the desert ranger helmet is "part of a recurring theme within Honest Hearts."[Non-game 6]
Gallery[]
The back of the helmet, with places it's been
.png "HH NVDLC02HelmetDesertRangerCombat (Overview).png (4.25 MB)")
NCR Ranger combat helmet concept art
Concept art, Behind the Bright Lights & Big City
Concept art, Behind the Bright Lights & Big City
References[]
Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Question: "On the desert ranger combat armor R.B. Vickers is painted on the armor. Was this going to be Clark's name and was just changed at the last minute or is it his friend's armor, or just some dude's, that died and Clark was just using it to survive in Zion?"
Joshua Sawyer: "R.B. Vickers is the name of the armor's original owner."
(Formspring reply on May 18, 2011; archived link) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bethesda Gear Store - Fallout New California Republic Desert Ranger Statue (archived): "The armor that this statue wears is carrying a long, meaningful history including two lives—those of Sergeant R.B. Vickers, a soldier who served in the Yangtze Campaign, and Randall Clark, also known as the Survivalist or the Father in the Cave. Three lives, if you count yours as the Courier in Zion Canyon. Behind the figure is a hint of another layer in its story: the flag of the New California Republic."
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Question: "Care to provide story driven, consistent explanations as to: Why do the Gun Runners sell Fire Bombs, War Clubs, and Tomahawks? Why does a "magic" unique gear footlocker suddenly appear? Why the color difference between NCR Vet. and Desert ranger armor?"
Joshua Sawyer: "1) A northern route was opened to Zion. Regardless of how the Courier resolves the situation there, the weapons that are available there become available in the Mojave. The Gun Runners don't manufacture the items, but re-sell them. 2) It's not "magic", but gifts from Joshua and Daniel for helping them resolve a pretty important issue in Zion. If you do Chaos in Zion, there is no such box. 3) NCR Veteran Ranger Armor is Desert Ranger Armor adapted for their use. The more important game design reasons are: 1) It's not beneficial to allow access to one category of new weapons and not others. 2) Forcing people to kill the owners of unique items that are part of the core story to get those unique items is not great. Similarly, not giving those characters unique items in the first place is bad. Over and over and over again, we have seen players bend over backwards to get those items. They want those items because they look cool and are valuable, stat-wise. We (the developers) put time into making the assets, so we should make them available to the player. This is why the safehouses were filled with low-CND faction-relevant items in a patch. 3) A re-textured outfit is more interesting and distinct to a player than one that simply has a few logos removed."
(Excerpt from Formspring reply on May 18, 2011) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Question: "So the USMC and LA Riot armor have similar appearances, just like how today's SWAT and military combat uniforms are similar? And I'm guessing the Ranger w/ the helmet statue @ Mojave Outpost represented the Nevada Rangers this whole time."
Joshua Sawyer: "Yes, essentially."
(Formspring reply on May 20, 2011) - ↑ Question: "Ff the Desert Rangers formed after the war sometime in the 22nd century. Then how could R.B. Vickers be a ranger if he was alive before the war?"
Joshua Sawyer: "He wasn't."
(Formspring reply on May 23, 2011; archived link) - ↑ Question: "What's the significance of the "FORGIVE ME MAMA" on the helmet? Also, when did Vickers rotate back to the States? April 2077?"
Joshua Sawyer: "The text on the Desert Ranger Helmet is part of a recurring theme within Honest Hearts."
(Formspring reply on May 18, 2011; archived link)
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