Stat Challenge: Ivan Drago

[Anders]

If you haven't seen Rocky IV, shame on you. Do it. Now. It is the most awesomely stupid movie in the Rocky series. (Not the most awesomely stupid movie of the 80's - that would be asking too much.) At least watch the trailer.

So, the first movie was set in the real world. This one... is not. So you can go pretty much as maybe 30 ST for Drago. But not higher. Drago is probably the most cyber you can get without actually implanting anything into him.

[schmeelke]

From TV Tropes:

Artistic License - Physics: Ivan Drago has a measured punching pressure of over 2000 psi. Considering the average size of someone's fist, this would equate to roughly 15000 pounds of force.

Badass: His punching strength is over two times the average psi for a boxer, and close to three at tops. Rocky seemingly takes his blows way easier than Apollo's or Lang's, despite the fact that Drago's blows should theoretically make his head explode. And Rocky does this for a whole fifteen rounds.

Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With his wife.

• Until you remember that Bridgitte [sic] Nielsen is about 6 feet tall, to give you an idea about how huge he really is.

Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh...: In the first round of their fight, Rocky can't seem to even faze Drago, who actually smiles at Rocky after letting Rocky pound away at his midsection to no apparent effect.

From the Rocky wikia:

Apollo Creed: Ht: 6'1", Wt: 205 lbs., Reach: 76"
Rocky Balboa: Ht: 5'9", Wt: 195 lbs., Reach: 74"
Ivan Drago: Ht: 6'6", Wt: 260 lbs., Reach: 80"
Ludmilla Drago: Ht: 6'0", Wt: 135 lbs.

[Flyndaran]

Not as expensive as statting Dolph Lundgren.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

A'ight, so keeping this within the bounds of cinematic realism here, we're probably looking at a guy with a lot of Special Exercises and maybe one or two Extra Option Perks, depending on what his universe allows to everybody (do we ever see a normal person shrug off "Flesh Wounds?" I think not...)

If Drago's punching psi is over twice what an average boxer puts out, we first need to ask what exactly is an "average" boxer? An average pro boxer will probably never be a headliner, but could probably take apart somebody who doesn't train in hand-to-hand at all without breaking a sweat, so maybe Striking ST 13 (achieved however - heavyweights will have more HP) with Boxing at DX+2 for a good Parry and 1d+1 Crushing on a regular punch? Double that would be 2d+2, which we conveniently get if we give Drago ST 19 with Boxing at > DX+2, so for somewhere between that and three times we'd be looking at ST 21-25, which also conveniently gives him enough HP to shrug off shots to the face and solar plexus more easily (though he almost certainly has High Pain Threshold and a point of Tough Skin DR as well, but that's just the price of admission to this fight), though there may also be some Striking ST and/or Arm ST bought up separately involved here.

How about Drago's social stats? What does it mean to be a superstar athlete in mid-80s Soviet Russia? Hot wife and a positive Reputation among his fellow citizens, sure, but probably also a regular-danger Involuntary Duty, maybe a Watcher Enemy (at least when he's outside of the country)... and what does high Status even mean in this context?

[Miles]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

and what does high Status even mean in this context?

Access to the best training, equipment, modern medicine, and sports scientists available to Mother Russia.

[Anders]

Yeah, he's more machine than man...

Jabootu calls it the "Rocky inverse law of training facilities". The guy with the more expensive training facilities always loses.