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I got The Art of Zel as one of the books in my Christmas pack and I was just flipping through it and saw the cover for World Book 20: Canada and you know what... the Canadian Military on the cover (whoever those guys are--I think they're Canadian CS) look pretty freaking badass!

They've got this Last Star Fighter/Snow Trooper/Gi-Joe look to them.

Any thoughts?

the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

Are they badasses or is their get up just rockin'?

Blame Canada...

Akashic Soldier wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

Are they badasses or is their get up just rockin'?

"Tundra Rangers" almost sounds like something from GI Joe doesn't it?

Their gear is basically 1st generation CS weapons. (They should probably actually have NEMA weapons instead, but they written well before Chaos Earth came out).


If they are badasses or not? Well they are descended from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Basically they are the anti-CS: A tech based group that accepts magic and D-Bee's.

they go by the we always get our man thing and wander around irregular routes like cyber knights righting wrongs.....they have some major bases and outposts but they are no world power

Zamion138 wrote:they go by the we always get our man thing and wander around irregular routes like cyber knights righting wrongs.....they have some major bases and outposts but they are no world power

sadly, no... JUST a paramilitary orginization in place to keep the frogs -ahem- I mean FQ'rs & CS at bay, while also taking out the REALLY bad-apple magi, daemons and predatory D-B's.
In a nut shell? The Anti-Cs indeed

Sadly they really need a gear upgrade... and a reality check (well the book itseslf).
Rifts Canada was written by an American using American perceptions of Canada...y'all do know that Southern Ontario gets humidity and heat waves almost identical to Gerogia some years, yes?
And that Sascatchewan can be drier than Texas?

DhAkael wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:they go by the we always get our man thing and wander around irregular routes like cyber knights righting wrongs.....they have some major bases and outposts but they are no world power

sadly, no... JUST a paramilitary orginization in place to keep the frogs -ahem- I mean FQ'rs & CS at bay, while also taking out the REALLY bad-apple magi, daemons and predatory D-B's.
In a nut shell? The Anti-Cs indeed

Sadly they really need a gear upgrade... and a reality check (well the book itseslf).
Rifts Canada was written by an American using American perceptions of Canada...y'all do know that Southern Ontario gets humidity and heat waves almost identical to Gerogia some years, yes?
And that Sascatchewan can be drier than Texas?

You want climatic fumble? In Rifts South America 1 it is said the lizardpeople have a strong preference for warm and humid swamp-like areas and avoid arid territory - guess where did some genius put the Republic of Lagarto (that's a kingdom, not a republic, to boot)? Brazilian northeast the only arid/semi-arid region of the country.

Also "Republic of Lagarto"? Has any human nation in history or fiction called itself "Republic of Monkey"? Seriously...

That said, seeing a fanbook from actual canadians tweak existing content and write some new one for Rifts: Canada would be pretty nice and fun.

Vakim wrote:But remember that all over the RIFTS earth the weather patterns are different. Especially in South America where you have that vamp intelligence and his weather demon sidekick making it not rain in a huge area. Even says in the write up that the weather patterns are all screwed up because of it.

If i'm not mistaken in Colombia, half the continent away. It's like expecting some weather weirdness to happen in the West Coast because someone is trying to mess with Madhaven. Sorry, weak point that one - specially when one takes in account there's no indication of major climate changes anywhere in the book except the particular case you mentioned that is, as i said, in the opposite extreme of south america in relation to Lagarto.

Akashic Soldier wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

Are they badasses or is their get up just rockin'?

They're the obligatory MDC Mounties, since apparently a futuristic post-apocalyptic world is destined to rehash existing cliches.

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Akashic Soldier wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

Are they badasses or is their get up just rockin'?

They're the obligatory MDC Mounties, since apparently a futuristic post-apocalyptic world is destined to rehash existing cliches.

It's a dark age, looking for symbols of the past to make something more impressive or powerful is a given - why do you think so many variants of "cesar" or "emperor" survived through the middle ages and beyond?

People even call the pre-rifts times "Golden Age of Man" in the game, so no real surprises there.

SolCannibal wrote:

Killer Cyborg wrote:

Akashic Soldier wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

Are they badasses or is their get up just rockin'?

They're the obligatory MDC Mounties, since apparently a futuristic post-apocalyptic world is destined to rehash existing cliches.

It's a dark age, looking for symbols of the past to make something more impressive or powerful is a given - why do you think so many variants of "cesar" or "emperor" survived through the middle ages and beyond?

People even call the pre-rifts times "Golden Age of Man" in the game, so no real surprises there.

Not buying it.

Actually IIRC the organization survived the coming of the Rifts and their HQ (a sort of mini Lonestar complex) IINM was Rifted forward in time as well.

By all rights they should be upgraded with some NEMA gear.

Once upon a time there was a fully kitted-out northern Canadian NEMA base, then the Rifts came, and the soldiers, Mounties, and local survivors hunkered down as a massive winter storm came rolling in. Expecting to just ride out the winter, when the storm cleared they found themselves 300 years later. The surviving soldiers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the base joined into one idealistic organization, the Tundra Rangers. Fighting for truth, justice, and the Canadian way.
As of the time the Canada book describes, I believe a lot of original pre-Rifts survivors were a major part of the organization still.

Consider them Canada's answer to US traditions being remembered by the New Navy.

Armorlord wrote:Once upon a time there was a fully kitted-out northern Canadian NEMA base, then the Rifts came, and the soldiers, Mounties, and local survivors hunkered down as a massive winter storm came rolling in. Expecting to just ride out the winter, when the storm cleared they found themselves 300 years later. The surviving soldiers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the base joined into one idealistic organization, the Tundra Rangers. Fighting for truth, justice, and the Canadian way.
As of the time the Canada book describes, I believe a lot of original pre-Rifts survivors were a major part of the organization still.

Consider them Canada's answer to US traditions being remembered by the New Navy.

.....So socalism survived the rifts??.......... couldnt help my self

Armorlord wrote:Once upon a time there was a fully kitted-out northern Canadian NEMA base, then the Rifts came, and the soldiers, Mounties, and local survivors hunkered down as a massive winter storm came rolling in. Expecting to just ride out the winter, when the storm cleared they found themselves 300 years later. The surviving soldiers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the base joined into one idealistic organization, the Tundra Rangers. Fighting for truth, justice, and the Canadian way.
As of the time the Canada book describes, I believe a lot of original pre-Rifts survivors were a major part of the organization still.

Consider them Canada's answer to US traditions being remembered by the New Navy.

You forgot all the Eh's Eh. And you started out with a Once upon a time (it's pretty bad I just thought 'Eh' and the end of that when I was typing it ) but you didn't give us an ending.

Zamion138 wrote:

Armorlord wrote:Once upon a time there was a fully kitted-out northern Canadian NEMA base, then the Rifts came, and the soldiers, Mounties, and local survivors hunkered down as a massive winter storm came rolling in. Expecting to just ride out the winter, when the storm cleared they found themselves 300 years later. The surviving soldiers and Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the base joined into one idealistic organization, the Tundra Rangers. Fighting for truth, justice, and the Canadian way.
As of the time the Canada book describes, I believe a lot of original pre-Rifts survivors were a major part of the organization still.

Consider them Canada's answer to US traditions being remembered by the New Navy.

.....So socalism survived the rifts??.......... couldnt help my self

Socialism, facism. Is there a totalitarianism? Are the sovietsky or Geo-Front communist? Does that make the Black Market the last vestige of Capatilism?

crime is the ulitimate form of capatalism in most cases.... id say the geo-front is an anrcho-syndiclyst movement that would need to be brought under a direct form of goverment if it were to grow past its current size and its been to long since i read russia for a decent opion on soviesky polotics

Zer0 Kay wrote:Are the sovietsky or Geo-Front communist?

i seem to vaguely recall one of the yama kings being communist actually. of course, i could be remembering a different setting...

Shark_Force wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:Are the sovietsky or Geo-Front communist?

i seem to vaguely recall one of the yama kings being communist actually. of course, i could be remembering a different setting...

I couldn't believe that a yama king would be anything less than totalitarian, maybe fascist.

SolCannibal wrote:You want climatic fumble? In Rifts South America 1 it is said the lizardpeople have a strong preference for warm and humid swamp-like areas and avoid arid territory - guess where did some genius put the Republic of Lagarto (that's a kingdom, not a republic, to boot)? Brazilian northeast the only arid/semi-arid region of the country.

The climate isn't the same as it once was.

Zamion138 wrote:.....So socalism survived the rifts??.......... couldnt help my self

Well there had to be some sane people left on Rifts Earth after all...

Qev wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:.....So socalism survived the rifts??.......... couldnt help my self

Well there had to be some sane people left on Rifts Earth after all...

Sigh.......

Of course they are bad ass, they're Canadian

Qev wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:.....So socalism survived the rifts??.......... couldnt help my self

Well there had to be some sane people left on Rifts Earth after all...

I could see the CS as a Socialist nation.

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

you sure because they have the CS deathhead on them

Mech-Viper Prime wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

you sure because they have the CS deathhead on them

It isn't hte CS death';s head. It is similar but not hte CS one. Not only that they are fighting CS troops.

jaymz wrote:

Mech-Viper Prime wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

you sure because they have the CS deathhead on them

It isn't the CS death';s head. It is similar but not hte CS one. Not only that they are fighting CS troops.

Debatable.
There is one in the picture, but nobody's shooting at him. Could be he's flanking their position, or could be he's coming up to join them in blasting some monster that's 'off screen'.

Mercdog wrote:

jaymz wrote:

Mech-Viper Prime wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

you sure because they have the CS deathhead on them

It isn't the CS death';s head. It is similar but not hte CS one. Not only that they are fighting CS troops.

Debatable.
There is one in the picture, but nobody's shooting at him. Could be he's flanking their position, or could be he's coming up to join them in blasting some monster that's 'off screen'.

Regardless IN the book they are explained as Tundra Rangers.

jaymz wrote:

Mercdog wrote:

jaymz wrote:

Mech-Viper Prime wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:the guys on the cover are the tundra rangers....in snow gear

you sure because they have the CS deathhead on them

It isn't the CS death';s head. It is similar but not hte CS one. Not only that they are fighting CS troops.

Debatable.
There is one in the picture, but nobody's shooting at him. Could be he's flanking their position, or could be he's coming up to join them in blasting some monster that's 'off screen'.

Regardless IN the book they are explained as Tundra Rangers.

Oh, I only meant that them fighting the CS in the picture was debatable. But Yes. Yes, those are Tundra Rangers, not some obscure CS Polar Platoon. There is no relation between the two factions.

As an aside, supposing the TR's have differing emblems for their maple leaf patches, say for different 'branches', which do you guys think the skull represents Calvalry? Intelligence? Other?

the Tunder Ranger forced re-Education birgade.....
or the "used to be CS rangers but thought elven chicks were hot so they left and came to work for us" squad.

Or I dont know most armies not trying to be like the SS dont use deaths heads in their uniforms, bad for the old public relations.

I was of the impression that including the skull in their emblem was an art direction error... *shrug*

Qev wrote:I was of the impression that including the skull in their emblem was an art direction error... *shrug*

Or Rifts Earth doesn't have copyright laws and anyone can have a skull in their logo if they want.

Zer0 Kay wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:Are the sovietsky or Geo-Front communist?

i seem to vaguely recall one of the yama kings being communist actually. of course, i could be remembering a different setting...

I couldn't believe that a yama king would be anything less than totalitarian, maybe fascist.

why? in communism, the people own nothing and the state owns everything (and assigns it to whoever they feel like needs it most), and the state makes essentially all major decisions (potentially up to and including what you do for a job) by definition. if the yama king *is* the state, then he owns everything. you really have a hard time envisioning a yama king taking that to the full extent possible and essentially being the absolute ruler?

Dr. Doom III wrote:

Qev wrote:I was of the impression that including the skull in their emblem was an art direction error... *shrug*

Or Rifts Earth doesn't have copyright laws and anyone can have a skull in their logo if they want.

Yeah but... skulls are so... so... un-Canadian. Also they should have special forces teams made up of mutant wolves and beavers.

Qev wrote:

Dr. Doom III wrote:

Qev wrote:I was of the impression that including the skull in their emblem was an art direction error... *shrug*

Or Rifts Earth doesn't have copyright laws and anyone can have a skull in their logo if they want.

Yeah but... skulls are so... so... un-Canadian. Also they should have special forces teams made up of mutant wolves and beavers.

Who's to say they don't? The Tundra Rangers weren't very fleshed out really and they do have an HQ that is a sort of mini Lone Star Complex.....

Oh yeah, they also need a Millennium Tree that produces enchanted maple syrup.

The millinium syrup makes juicers that crave its sweet nectar...the live of that and poteen ecslusivly

Zamion138 wrote:The millinium syrup makes juicers that crave its sweet nectar...the live of that and poteen ecslusivly

don't be absurd. you need pancakes for the syrup!

Shark_Force wrote:

Zamion138 wrote:The millinium syrup makes juicers that crave its sweet nectar...the live of that and poteen ecslusivly

don't be absurd. you need pancakes for the syrup!

In communist canada the pancake is you....... hehehehe

Could also use the tree to make Millennium hockey sticks!
All I know is the current time line is what 109PA?, 115PA ?(not really sure) I guarantee in all that time the Maple Leafs STILL haven't won the Stanley Cup, even though they are now considered a minor rune weapon (because they are pre-rifts and REALLY old) AND the only surviving NHL team.

Oh man, how could we forget the MDC mutant polar bear cavalry? The Tundra Rangers are descended from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, after all...

Qev wrote:

Dr. Doom III wrote:

Qev wrote:I was of the impression that including the skull in their emblem was an art direction error... *shrug*

Or Rifts Earth doesn't have copyright laws and anyone can have a skull in their logo if they want.

Yeah but... skulls are so... so... un-Canadian. Also they should have special forces teams made up of mutant wolves and beavers.

No... WOLVERINES! Snickty Snickty Snoin.

Snootchie Bootchies.

you guys have lost it. lol.