Alright, so let's look at the NCR Ranger vs the Sparta Ranger arsenal. We'll go with the NCR boys first. The main rifle of the NCR in general is a standard AR type 5.56 'Service Rifle.' It's manufactured by the Gun Runners at a cheap cost to the NCR and supplied in mass to all it's soldiers, rangers included. Let's consider this their fallback weapon. Next up we have the upgraded Pre-War variant of the rifle, the Marksman Rifle. That's really the same gun with finer tuned internals and an ACOG scope, so it provides more range and better accuracy at best. Finally, we have the Ranger's strange ass arsenal ; cowboy firearms. This puts them at an awful disadvantage. They have larger calibers but the bullets themselves are rarer and even then, there's a reason we stopped using revolvers and repeaters at the advent of automatic weapons.

Their mainstay 'Cowboy' firearm is the Brush Gun, and that is usually backed up by a .357 or .44 magnum. Occasionally, elite rangers will utilize the .45 Govt' Ranger Sequioa. The load times on these are horrendous, but if they score a shot, they will definitely drop their target. Faced with harsh conditions however, their efficiency is less than spectacular. Let's also remember the Rangers have focused their arsenal on the western U.S.A., which in the Bering Strait, isn't very optimal.

Finally, we have the NCR Rangers' heavy weapons. The Fatman Mini Nuke launcher, which is basically mobile nuclear artillery, and the Anti-Material Rifle - the Hecate II. It's a long range .50 anti personnel weapon capable of taking targets out at ungodly ranges with precision accuracy. This, with the Fatman, provides the Rangers a significant advantage. However, with their several disadvantages to be listed later and already listed above, it pails in comparison to what the Rangers have in their own Arsenal.

(NCR lacks vehicles and Vertibirds/Trucks with Fusion Engines vs DsHKs will never end well so I'm skipping this section for the NCR's safety.)

Now let's take a look at the arsenal of the Sparta Ranger. The standard / most common rifle platform in the Metro is an AK type Kalashnikov rifle called the... Kalash. It's an AK-74M rifle, in reality. It uses the 5.45x45 caliber round and is common across the metro and in use by most military factions. It works well in all conditions and packs a devastating punch. It's also cheap to maintenance and rarely ever backfires. This can be considered the Sparta's fallback weapon.

A tier higher, and we find the Kalash 2012. A bullpup P90 style revolution of the AK platform, which in real life would not work at all due to lack of ejection port and various other things that, you know, a gun kinda needs to work. But in-game lore it's the best thing since sliced bread so that's what we're going with. With a 40 round 5.45x45 magazine and superior accuracy and range (And customization) to it's Californian counterpart, the Kalash 2012 takes the cake. Along with this, Rangers pack the Saiga semi-automatic shotgun. Devastation at close range. And being Kalashnikov, it hardly ever malfunctions. These Russian weapons are devastating and they work in most conditions, hardly like their cowboy counterparts.

Their highest tier weapon is actually the VSSK converted to Semi Automatic somehow. The VSSK in lore is a 12.7mm Anti Material rifle which is also silenced. It is also bullpup, and while it doesn't have as much range as the Hecate II, it packs a powerful round and is silenced. Again, in lore, that matters. The Sparta Rangers now have the drop on the NCR rangers, and that Fatman won't mean jack if they're up close already. As for their secondary, they pack the DsHK Heavy Machine Gun, which is a 12.7mm death dealer at med-long range. I'm sure everyone's seen it in something. It'll tear a man in half. This defeats the purpose of the NCR bringing any vehicles, as the fusion powered engines in them are weak af lore, and in game, so if they take heavy fire, they'd explode and kill everyone onboard and nearby.

Next, let's take a look at the kit these bad boys run. Starting of course, with the Californian Cowboys.

The NCR Rangers rock standard issue LAPD Riot Control gear, trenchcoats, and hydration bladders. Let me say first that contrary to popular belief, even with a light amount of kevlar, Riot Control armor is ABSOLUTELY NOT tank armor. It is meant for RIOTs. Not HOSTILE FORCE ENCOUNTERS. Riots include blunt objects and at worst, small caliber firearms. Anything above a 9mm and you're just about dead, bruh. And even if your armor stops the projectile, the kinetic force of that round is knocking you on your ass. It's light and maneuverable, but it's pretty redundant in a wasteland scenario for a DIRECT ACTION group. The Ranger Combat Armor is a step above, and will deal significantly more protection for a Ranger. It's too bad the Elites haven't learned that. As for their Helmet, the night vision isn't anything that can't be achieved by conventional NVGs, and the red NVGs makes no sense from a realistic standpoint. But from a Lore-standpoint, it works. I guess. Regardless, that helmet is thin enough that any ballistic impact will give you a concussion, no arguments. At most, you're looking at protection from debris and shrapnel, and enhanced senses. Nothing more, nothing less.

As for recognizability, since half the battle is not shooting your own guys, the NCR Rangers are dressed in jeans and trenchcoats, with glowing red eyes. For Camo sakes, they stick out like a sore thumb and will be a target for snipers. For their own sakes, they are easily recognized by teammates and friendly fire isn't an issue. But skinny jeans aren't combat clothes, so they will be hindered. Not to mention the trench coat hindering movement as well. (Good god Obsidian, did you have /any/ military consultants on your team?) Let's not forget the horrendous lack of pouches for ammunition storage, so that's a down as well.

This was relatively quick. Let's get on to the winners of this match - the Sparta Rangers.

Sparta Rangers pack modern Russian / Spetsnaz equipment, and custom made Metro gear as well. They wear camo suited to their combat environment and are masters of urban warfare. They know how to utilize their equipment and pack for appropriate scenarios. MOLLE Webbing on their ballistic vests allows for customizable storage of pouches for various equipment and accessories from more medical supplies to more ammunition.

As for protection and recognizability, Spartans are distinctly more equipped and well off than their other metro counterparts, though they can be confused with other factions in the harsh winter environment. Though friendly fire isn't an issue, Spartans are trained to identify these hostiles amidst the harsh weather, so identifying friendlies will be easy. Camo wise, they've been shown to utilize various different forms of Camo, from winter based to woodland based. They'll be very concealed, and with their suppressed weapons, will pack a devastating blow to the NCR Rangers. Protective wise, the Ranger vest is a ballistic vest, so we can assume at most, it is a kevlar weave with a ballistic plate located in the center, with various ceramic armor pieces placed within the pads of the gear attached to the vest. Russian Helmets are also somewhat bullet resistant, so if they decide to bring their juggernaut along, they'll be even more significantly protected against their foe's weapons. Their ballistic vests alone outmatch the NCR ranger equipment by milestones, as a single ballistic plate protects more vital spots than the NCR Riot vest AND can actually stop something larger than a 9mm. Something to think about, da?

Here's the important bit - their training. It's also the shortest.

NCR Rangers are trained for combat in the Western U.S. Wasteland. They know how to deal with hostile force encounters with wasteland creatures, raider groups, and smaller military forces. At best, they've dealt with the Brotherhood of Steel in force and won. Particularly because they had more bodies to spare, really. Regardless, Rangers chew nails and spit napalm. If only their equipment reflected that. Given that, however, the BoS relied on Power Armor and would make easier targets. The Legion are literally zerg rushers with football gear and machetes, and raider groups are hardly ever more armed than a few troopers. These are who the NCR are used to fighting. If placed up against an equal or better military force with decent equipment, they /will/ lose. That's the reason Vault City is still independent, more or less. (And Texas, huehue)

The Sparta Rangers are a smaller, elite group comprised of Pre-War Spetsnaz, VDV, and Post-War elite soldiers trained by the latter. They are not a force to be reckoned with. They do battle regularly with the fanatical communist Red Army and the crazed facist Fourth Reich. These are both trained military factions who have very different fighting styles. The Rangers have created strategies for dealing with both; counters for zerg rushes and small tactical assaults, respectively. They've already eliminated the NCR's strongest factors in any fight with these strategies. A single well trained and equipped Sparta Ranger team can eliminate any NCR group short of a Batallion in combat.

As for the location, the battle takes place in the Bering Strait, correct? This is the Sparta Ranger's territory. It's a freezing, harsh environment, that has no doubt been worsened by nuclear winter. The NCR Rangers WISH for a Nuclear Winter but they've never experienced it. The Sparta Rangers were born in it, molded by it. They've lived in it. They are the nuclear winter the NCR Rangers wish for, but as they say, be careful what you wish for, da?

Pretty much, the NCR Rangers would be at a loss for fighting in such conditions.

However, if they battled at the Hoover Dam, the Sparta Rangers would still have an advantage. The inner workings of the Fallout Hoover Dam mirror that of the D6 Missile site in Metro. The Sparta Rangers breathe Urban Warfare, and with NCR Rangers at a disadvantage without decent close range weapons ( a Saiga will beat a Riot/Combat Shotgun anyday) and command structure (when have you ever seen a group of Elite rangers cooperate effectively?), they'd be quickly wiped out by the Sparta Rangers. It would be a bloody and brutal fight, but in almost all circumstances, the Sparta Rangers come out on top.