Stormtrooper (Star Wars)

Imperial Stormtrooper
Class:	Infantry
Type:	Shock troops
Affiliation:	Galactic Empire, Imperial Remnant
Standard weapon:	E-11 blaster rifle, Stormtrooper One

Imperial Stormtroopers are highly trained shock troops in the fictional Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are used as strike units against enemies of the Galactic Empire.

These highly-disciplined soldiers answer directly to Emperor Palpatine. Stormtroopers are independent of the Imperial Navy or the Imperial Army chains of command, as they have their own command structure, ranking system and support facilities. However, a Company Commander can give command to any regular officer over any given squad or platoon. Their organizational manners are similar to those of the Imperial Army. The basic unit of organization is the squad.

Each Stormtrooper is assigned a number for tactical purposes and to reinforce the Imperial ethic of uniformity. (For instance, TIE Fighter pilots are not attached to any particular craft, as opposed to the contemporary practice of pilots adorning their ships with personalized markings.)

Fans who recreate the armour and weapons of the Stormtroopers, often join local and regional chapters of the 501st Legion.

The Stormtrooper effect, a common cliché in action movies, was named after these fictional soldiers.

History

The first Stormtroopers were introduced in 22 BBY. Then called Republic Clone troopers, they were clones of bounty hunter Jango Fett, who was killed at the Battle of Geonosis. The armor that they wore was later improved for use by future Imperial Stormtroopers. They turned on their Jedi Generals, by Order 66 of Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious when the Galactic Empire was formed at the end of the Clone Wars.

In the original trilogy, some troopers appear to have vocal and height differences (notwithstanding Princess Leia's "a little short for a storm trooper" comment to Luke Skywalker in Episode IV). This is because the clone stormtroopers of this era are grown using the DNA of multiple hosts. The Star Wars Expanded Universe also shows the Stormtrooper Corps is a mixture of clones and recruits, the latter of which are trained on the planet Carida.

During the Galactic Civil War, there was only one clone trooper that took sides with the Rebel Alliance. When the New Republic defeated the Empire years after the end of the Galactic Civil War and took over the machinery of galactic government, they terminated the Stormtrooper program, though the Imperial Remnant continued to use Stormtroopers in battle until a peace treaty was signed some years after. Following the treaty, Stormtroopers became little more than guards and police officers on Remnant worlds, though they fought along with their New Republic/Galactic Alliance comrades against the Yuuzhan Vong.

Officers

In non-combat situations, a Stormtrooper officer wears a black officer uniform, insignia, and a garrison cap. All Stormtrooper officers wear the characteristic white armor during action. In some situations, they wear standard Rank Insignia of the Galactic Empire (rank squares) over the armor so their rank is apparent to non-Stormtroopers. Flag grade stormtroopers do not wear the traditional white armour (General Veers wore a modified, faceplate-less stormtrooper uniform during the battle of Hoth)- but they are nonetheless expected to be engaged in combat alongside thier men. Stormtroopers that are outfitted for the desert wear a rank-denoting pauldron.

At the Imperial Academy at Carida, troopers learn an old game called Quadrant, which is a tactical visualization game. Troopers on duty are allowed to play this game (they usually do) to pass off time when not endangered or in a tense situation. After months at Carida, a Stormtrooper cadet is paired with a veteran trooper for quicker learning in action.

Equipment

The troopers' most distinctive equipment is the white battle armour they normally wear. The complete 18-piece armor set completely encases the body and typically has no individually distinguishing marking outside of rank. In fact, the casual first-time observer sometimes mistakes the Stormtroopers as a form of battle droid. In certain situations however, Stormtroopers will sometimes wear camouflage armor to help them blend in with different environments. The Stormtrooper corps instituted this reform after the embarrassing defeat at the Battle of Endor where they were defeated by a combined Rebel / Ewok attack force.

The very reinforced helmet contains Advanced Breathing Filters (which acts as protection against chemical and biological attacks, as well as toxins), Comlink for instant communication with other units, which also has options to change the frequency. The comlink uses linked encoding sequences to rotate frequencies every few seconds while keeping all troopers in the unit synchronized. If a trooper's helmet is removed without the trooper first hitting the comlink's control stud(most likely found on the under-rim of the helmet), the frequency coding routine is automatically deleted from that helmet.

The automatic polarizing lenses protect the trooper against intense glare and provide them with enhanced combat vision or "Holographic Vision Processors" (which allows vision through many barriers such as smoke, darkness and fire). Multi-Frequency Targeting and Acquisition System (MFTAS) helps with the stormtroopers' perception in darkness as well as smoke and other visibility obscuring conditions.

The helmet also assists in aiming at moving targets. The Comtech Series IV helmet speaker uses three-phase sonic filtering for clear sound (For troopers, it is connected to the audio pickup). It also has a vocoder for talking to non-Stormtroopers.The backplate contains an emergency 20 minutes of oxygen if the trooper should be so unlucky to be exposed to vacuum or be trapped underwater. It also contains a power pack. The stomach armour contains Manual Suit Seal and environmental controls. The thigh armour has a reinforced alloy plate ridge and the lower right side, near the knee contains the suits system power cells. The left upper side of the shin armour has a sniper position knee protector plate. The utility belt has two Blast Energy Sinks to protect the trooper's hips. The stormtroopers boots are not armoured, but they are treaded. The armour is equipped with IFF circuitry for identification and command purposes for identifying each other.

It also protects the troopers from very harsh environments as well as projectiles and impact weapons. The armour might be penetrated by a direct blaster bolt, but it will reduce damage from the bolts absorbed significantly. The body glove allows for operation in warm or cold climates, however it can protect the trooper from almost any environment -- from total vacuum conditions to the very extremes in cold and heat for a very limited period of time.

Firearms

The E-11 blaster rifle can be found almost anywhere. It is the standard issue weapon of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps and one of the most common issued rifles in the Galactic Empire. They are also in high demand (although heavily regulated) for civilian and corporate sales, along with a brisk trade in them on the underground market.

It has proven to be a highly versatile design, spawning a wide number of variations. To make up for the high demand for these weapons, BlasTech Industries has authorized SoroSuub and Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc to manufacture them under licence. These three manufacturers are found mixed indiscriminately across the Galactic Empire in Imperial stocks. In addition to these, several specialized designs have been spawned.

The basic E-11 blaster rifle is 43.8cm long (folded), and weighs 2.6 kilograms. The powercell housing opens on the left side of the action housing, above the trigger, giving the E11 a very low profile (useful when shooting prone or from a barricade), with a standard powercell providing 100 shots. The blaster gas chamber contains sufficient supplies for thirty powercells. All moving and/or metal parts are fitted with a corrosion-proof, vacuum-rated, dry lubricant. The top of the receiver has a universal, quick detach sight rail, which comes from the factory mounted with a light, ring recticle, 2x optical scope. The basic, three piece folding stock rides along the left side, under the powercell. When ordering from the factory, one may specify that they wish a fixed stock or a one-piece, right-folding stock at no extra cost.

Some special features include a wrist comlink, a tiny battle Holocam built into the helmet, a Resonator (To open secure doors) built into their armour, or an external helmet light. They can also have a Glow Rod attached to their blaster rifle, or using a Glow Rod Staff to provide the extra light. Power Gloves help in hand to hand combat.

Specialized Stormtroopers

There are also many kinds of specialized stormtroopers that perform hazardous duties.

Airtroopers

Airtroopers are a specialized unit of Imperial stormtroopers that were developed after the Battle of Hoth. They have thick, gray armor and jetpacks.

Blackhole troopers

Blackhole Troopers from the 1979 Russ Manning comic strips. Blackhole stormtroopers were a specialized unit of Imperial stormtroopers. For most of the Galactic Civil War, a shadowy Emperor's Hand codenamed Blackhole carefully sifted through countless streams of information, distilling it into useful information for Imperial Intelligence. He had available an enormous amount of resources, including an entire Star Destroyer and its troops and fighters. He made the Imperial stormtroopers under his command have their armor cast in black to match his own particular eccentricities. The armour modification had useful benefits as well. The stygian-triprismatic polymer afforded the stormtroopers increased sensor stealth. Blackhole disappeared completely during the Galactic Civil War, and his troops were absorbed by other Imperial groups. After the Battle of Endor, some of the Blackhole stormtroopers found their way into renegade Imperial guard Carnor Jax's private army.

Coruscant Guards

A Coruscant Guard. Coruscant Guards are a specialized elite branch of the Imperial stormtroopers that serve as law enforcers in Coruscant and some Core Worlds. They wear lightweight heavily-padded crimson and black armor which provides considerable protection against physical attacks. The armor's sophisticated battle helm allows the stormtrooper to work in total darkness, as well as containing a comlink scrambler for communication with fellow personnel. A unit commander's helmet includes a voice activated heads-up display which shows the positions of all other Coruscant Guards. Under Palpatine's issue of martial law, the Coruscant Guards were empowered to search a building or home and detain any suspected enemies. Their weapons are the Merr-Sonn taser staves and the Merr-Sonn R-88 Suppressor riot rifle (a weapon which combined stun grenades and blaster rifles). The predecessors of the Coruscant Guards were the Republic Grand Army Homeworld Security clone troopers. Coruscant Guards are seen in the videogame Shadows of the Empire in the sewers and Prince Xizor's palace.

Dark Troopers

A Dark Trooper from Star Wars: Battlefront. Main article: Dark Trooper The Dark Troopers are an elite corps of Stormtroopers. Actually, they are powerful battle droids, equipped with a large, armored, exoskeleton that makes them extremely resistant to most weapons, including blaster bolts. Dark Troopers are equipped with jet packs on their back. The flight does not last very long, but is used for "jumping" across battefields and reaching high places. The Dark Troopers were an advanced type of stormtrooper seen most notably in Star Wars: Dark Forces. They are also featured in the PC game Star Wars: Rebellion and Star Wars: Battlefront I and II as well. In Star Wars: Battlefront, Dark Troopers have a close-range gun that shoots five shots at once in different directions. In Star Wars: Battlefront II, they carry a weapon that can be powered up and shoot bolts of electricity, causing major damage.

Emperor's Royal Guard

Main article: Emperor's Royal Guard Pulled from the ranks of the stormtroopers, the Emperor's Royal Guard was made up of the personal guards of Emperor Palpatine.Dressed in a royal red, they have been trained beyond regular stormtroopers.

Hazard troopers

Hazard troopers are a specialized subsection of Imperial stormtroopers found in the PC game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. Hazard troopers wear a very heavy suit of body armor which offers complete immunity to temperature extremes, as well as being immune to acidic damage. The armor is also a functioning space suit which can keep the wearer alive in a vacuum or underwater environment for up to three days. The armour is extremely strong and can resist lightsaber attacks to some extent. Hazard troopers are commonly equipped with either the Imperial Heavy Repeater or the Stouker Concussion Rifle.

Magma troopers

Magma troopers, also known as red troopers, are a specialized division of Imperial Stormtroopers. They are responsible for quelling revolts and other actions on volcanic mining planets. They were likely responsible for actions on volcanic planets such as Mustafar, and Dankayo.

Minetroopers

Minetroopers, also known as Underminers or mining assault stormtroopers, attacked and policed worlds with excavation sites that had quarries with important natural resources in them. If the Empire wasn't receiving its tax on the mined products, these Underminers would enforce the brutal laws. Rebelling diggers could be "calmed" by the Minetroopers' blasters. Minetroopers wore tan armour and carried oxygen supplies for the far depths of quarries.

Radiation troopers

Radiation troopers conducting a mission. Radiation troopers, also known as radtroopers or radiation zone assault troopers, are an elite Imperial stormtrooper division. These troopers are well equipped to operate in one of the deadliest terrain types. A lead-polymer substrate in the modified plastoid armour gives protection needed to withstand lethal Grade 4 ionizing radiation zone for several hours. Only the radtrooper suits are proof against extended operations in deadly environments. The Galactic Empire deploys them into radiation-filled zones that contain assets the Empire wants to claim or defend. The Empire has been known to employ neutron bombing which kills or maims a large number of the local population. Radtroopers are normally equipped with vibroblades, force pikes and grenades due to the fact that standard blaster weapons are not effective at high radiation levels. Some high powered plasma-based weapons, similar to the DC-15 blaster rifle used by clone troopers of the Old Republic, are used, as plasma is not affected by radiation.

Sandtroopers

A Sandtrooper riding on a Dewback. Sandtroopers or Desert Troopers are specially trained divisions of Imperial Stormtroopers equipped with modified armour and equipment to withstand the harsh climates of desert planets like Tatooine. Though their armour is similar to that of a regular Stormtrooper, their suits contain advanced cooling systems, which offers better protection from the relentless heat than standard Stormtrooper armour. Their helmets contain lenses that automatically polarize to protect the trooper's eyes, as well as breathing filters. Another notable difference is the shoulder pauldron each Sandtrooper wears. These are used to denote rank, with enlisted personnel wearing black pauldrons, while officers wear white and commanders of several units of these elite soldiers wear orange pauldrons. Additionally, Sandtroopers can operate in hot, wet, tropical environments with slight modifications to their equipment. The weapon loadout for Sandtroopers is much the same as Stormtroopers and includes the standard E-11 blaster rifle, blaster pistol and Imperial Repeater. They may also carry thermal detonators and other explosive devices. Due to environments that may be too hostile to machinery, Sandtroopers tend to rely on local domesticated creatures, such as the Dewback, as transport.

External link

• Desert Troopers at the Star Wars Databank

Scout troopers

Main article: Scout troopers Scout troopers are an elite group of stormtroopers trained to use high speed vehicles (normally speeder bikes) to scout and survey areas. Scout troopers wear lightweight armour that is considerably more flexible than the standard uniform worn by their infantry counterparts. They are trained to be more independent thinkers than regular stormtroopers, and work in pairs. Being scouts, these stormtroopers are lightly armed with standard orders to retreat and alert regular troops in case of contact with the enemy. They also carry sniper rifles in Star Wars Battlefront. In icy environments like Hoth, they wear heat insulated suits at times instead of wearing standard Snow trooper uniforms.

Scuba troopers

Seatrooper fighting a Sedri. The seatroopers, also known as aquatic assault stormtroopers, were a special branch of the Imperial stormtroopers. They were used by the Galactic Empire to maintain a presence on the aquatic worlds under its rule. Many of the machines used by the Empire were modified for aquatic use, including TIE Fighter Boats, Wavewalker and AT-AT Swimmers. The seatrooper's armor is based on the light design of the scout trooper. It covers a two-piece environmental body glove that gives protection from uncomfortable temperature extremes or toxic water environments. Their armour is more flexible than standard stormtrooper designs. The aquatic troopers regular weapon is a blaster rifle/speargun hybrid.

Snowtroopers

A snowtrooper at the Battle of Hoth. Snowtroopers or Blizzard Force were an elite division of the Imperial stormtrooper infantry. They wore customized armor well-suited to the climate extremes of ice planets like Hoth and Rhen Var. In addition to the hard white armor, their suit incorporated fabric overgarments that helped contain heat and terrain gripping boots for slippery conditions. The helmet contained snow goggles and breath warmer cover and breath heater. They brandished standard blaster rifles, blaster pistols, heavy repeating blaster, thermal detonators and concussion grenades. Specialized teams used heavy repeating blasters mounted on tripods. In the Battle of Hoth, snowtroopers rode in AT-ATs (All-Terrain Armored Transports) before going on the ground. Although it is not specifically seen, it is assumed that snowtroopers drove the AT-STs (All-Terrain Scout Transports) in the battle as well. The Imperial troops who invaded the Rebel base on Hoth were part of an elite stormtrooper corps, assigned to General Veers and the Imperial Death Squadron. While the fleet carried stormtroopers from all the specialized divisions, those dispatched to Hoth were designated the Blizzard Force team. Blizzard Force stormtroopers are trained to work in tandem with AT-AT walkers. There is no stealth involved in Blizzard Force tactics. They are trained to hit a planet fast and hard, like a blizzard, crushing any opposition quickly and completely. Once walkers secure an area, snowtroopers disembark via zip-lines and then go about clearing any pockets of resistance. The Blizzard Force stormtroopers wear the typical black, two-piece temperature control body glove worn by other stormtroopers. Over this is an 18-piece outer shell that has been altered to include more powerful heating and personal environment units, and an airtight fabric oversuit for additional protection from the cold. To facilitate breathing in extremely cold or dangerous atmospheres, a breather hood envelops the snowtrooper's faceplate and feeds into the suit liner. Each trooper is equipped with a standard utility belt containing high-tension wire, grappling hooks, ion flares, additional blaster ammo, a survival kit, and food and water packs. Snowtroopers carry blaster pistols, blaster rifles, and two concussion grenades. Snowtroopers were most commonly seen in the assault on Echo Base in The Empire Strikes Back, and in the computer games Battlefront, Battlefront II, Jedi Academy and Shadows of the Empire on the Nintendo 64. Though they were only seen once, they are still considered a very versatile unit of the Imperial Army.

Spacetroopers

A spacetrooper Spacetroopers, also known as zero-G assault troopers, are specialized Imperial stormtroopers. They are regarded as second only to the Emperor's Royal Guard and are sometimes known as "walking tanks". Although the standard stormtrooper armor is designed to protect the trooper in the vacuum of space, it is only designed to do so over moderate periods. Thus, spacetroopers wear a larger suit of powered armor that stands two meters tall in addition to the standard stormtrooper armor worn underneath. Their large power suits operate as personal space craft and assault vehicles, and provide them with the equivalent firepower of a light tank. These elite troops are trained to fight in space for extended periods. Their missions typically involve the capture of enemy vessels. They are deployed in units of forty aboard assault shuttles. Capital ships can be easily overtaken with well organized assaults. A spacetrooper's equipment usually consists of cutting plasma-torches and power vibro-saws for quick entry into a vessel, as well as napalm-like flame throwers for forcing enemy shipboard troops into confined spaces for capture or containment. When a subject or person is needed alive, space troopers are issued stun blasters as well as their normal weaponry and provided with the proper intelligence about their target.

Storm Commandos

Storm Commando trooper The Storm Commandos were an elite branch of the Imperial stormtroopers. They were formed in response to the guerrilla tactics of the Rebel Alliance early during the Galactic Civil War, developed by Crix Madine. Even after he defected to the Rebel Alliance, the Storm Commando training program still continued, and only the best Imperial stormtroopers received this training; and they were used as elite forces by the end of the war. They are specially trained for anti-Rebel missions, siege breaking, raids and sabotage, with units ranging from four to forty commandos. Their black armor is based on the scout trooper's light armour and is coated with an advanced polemic called reflec which deflects light and sensor energy.

Swamp troopers

A swamp trooper Swamp troopers are a specialized unit of Imperial Stormtroopers that were not developed in time for their intended purpose during the Battle of Endor as the Empire suspected attack on Endor in Return of the Jedi. They are trained for evergreen swamp/jungle/forest terrains and use projectile weapons over blasters for better tactics and sniping attacks, they are also known to use vibroblades to fight off dangerous wildife and native species such as Wookiees and Ewoks. They are similar to Commander Gree's battalion of clones. The main weapon of the Swamp Trooper was the Golan Arms FC-1 Flechette, a modified blaster weapon that shot out supreheated metal particles in a wide spread, like a crude shot-gun. It could also launch small but powerful grenades that would explode a few short seconds after hitting a surface. They also employed a standard Imperial Heavy Repeater. Swamp troopers were used extensively in Desann's attack on the Jedi Academy in Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.

First Order Riot Control Stormtroopers

• First Order Riot Control stormtroopers in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), specialize in riot control and use non-lethal betaplast shields and Z6 batons.

See Also

• Clone commandos
• Clone troopers
• Star Wars: Republic Commando

Notable Stormtroopers

• Davin Felth
• Flint
• Kyle Katarn
• TK-421 and TK-422

External Links

• More Information on Imperial Stormtroopers at StarWars.com
• 501st Legion - The World's Definitive Imperial Costuming Organization

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