Toys R' Ops

Tools and equipment to get the job done.
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Necrogue
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Toys R' Ops

Post by Necrogue » Wed Feb 03, 2021 6:41 pm

From remote controlled cars, planes, and other vehicles to robot pets; recon and surveillance opportunities abound at your local toy shop. Bicycles, skateboards, and more can facilitate daring escapes. Simple magic sets can provide stashes, caches, and social engineering opportunities ad infinitum.

Anyone care to discuss the infinite possibilities available in the mundane and seemingly benign toy aisle? Has anyone used toys to facilitate or enhance ops? Share your stories, or any thoughts, ideas, etc.
“For a while they stood there, like men on the edge of a sleep where nightmare lurks, holding it off, though they know that they can only come to morning through shadows.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Passage of the Marshes’, The Two Towers

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Psychlonic
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Re: Toys R' Ops

Post by Psychlonic » Thu Feb 04, 2021 8:44 pm

Well it doesn't take much imagination to see how a bicycle can provide quicker transportation to get you closer to an area of operations. Just quickly ride it from where ever you're starting out and get within walking range from there. Ride back after exfiltrating the main area. The benefit is that unlike an auto, they can be easily hidden and you can ride them through flat places like fields if need be. For that reason I'd say a hybrid build is ideal. This would be best used by riding with a casual appearance and dressing down once you get in close, and return to casual afterward. It's not as stealthy as keeping on foot the entire time, but sometimes you need to cover ground faster to get the operation done at all within a single night.

It's also not really a "toy", but wireless baby/security cameras also provide a great remote "lookout".

Most of them share the same risk worth assessing before hand - the potential is there to get caught in an E&E scenario and end up leaving items around because you can't get to them. At best, this means you have to decide if it's worth doing a return operation to retrieve them or cut your losses.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

Necrogue
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Re: Toys R' Ops

Post by Necrogue » Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:37 am

While nothing would be cooler than having an endless array of ‘Hi-Tech’ Bond-esque spy gadgets, it’s typically unrealistic for most due to high costs and myriad other factors. Your point, Psychlonic, is an excellent one as forward thinking ‘oppers’ will be able to utilize and/or repurpose everyday items (such as toys) to meet specific operational needs. Toys have the benefit of being widely, readily, and easily accessible; and while they can be quite expensive many are not. In fact, many toys that can be utilized for various Op-pertunities can be found in second hand shops, yard sales, and oftentimes even brand new in big box store clearance aisles. This certainly makes them disposable if the situation requires it without carrying the sting of sacrificing costly equipment. One final benefit to using children’s toys where applicable, is that they are generally perceived as exactly what they are, and thus are typically assumed to be ‘cute’, ‘innocent’, and ‘non-threatening’. As such they offer excellent operational benefits as they can be hidden quite literally ‘in plain sight’!
“For a while they stood there, like men on the edge of a sleep where nightmare lurks, holding it off, though they know that they can only come to morning through shadows.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Passage of the Marshes’, The Two Towers

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Psychlonic
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Re: Toys R' Ops

Post by Psychlonic » Fri Feb 05, 2021 4:14 am

That's valid, it's certainly not my intention to make night ops seem like a rich man's game as that wouldn't make much sense at all. I suspect there are toys out there that do use simple cameras that could be repurposed on that line of thinking, and we're also fortunate to be living in an age now where junk electronics are a thing - obsolete devices that are no longer "cool" socially with the old owners having upgraded to keep up with the Joneses. I'm betting some searching around YouTube would reveal some super clever repurposes, here. If I stumble into anything I'll link you guys.

I suppose the thrifty operative could fashion a decent flashlight cheap enough with the right toy, improvised housing, battery, and some elbow grease.

As far as non-electronic toys go... I can't think of much outside of basic stuff - soft plastics maybe into door carding devices, filing thin pieces of metal into picks... that sort of thing.

Bicycles can typically be built dirt dirt cheap if you look around. Scrap yards often have everything you need laying around, just need to find all the parts and put them together.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

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Xanatos
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Re: Toys R' Ops

Post by Xanatos » Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:34 pm

Carrying & operating a drone can be a real pain on an op, but it would be useful for pre-op recon of a target before infiltrating. Don't wanna vault blindly over that wall into a compound? Scout first with a drone to ensure everything's clear on the other side. Look before you leap. Recall the drone and leave it in a safe place to be collected on your way out once you're done exploring.
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What is locked, can be opened. What is hidden, can be found. What is yours... can be mine.

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