That would depend on whether or not somebody wants to use Rogue One in their game or not.

Also it may matter where Rogue One is taking place. If you're going after the plans for the Death Star I'm pretty sure you're going somewhere guarded by Stormtroopers over Imperial Army.

Kyla only gets away with funky colors cause Kyla is generally awesome and makes good points. I'm color-deficient and that particular shade is even harder for me to read, but I take the effort to read all sorts of ridiculous posts.. a little more effort to read a well thought out one is worth it.

Personally, I think that the Stormtroopers simply fill the infantry unit role within the overall Imperial Army. Other personnel would be used to fill the other roles typically seen in an army command (mechanized armor, logistical support, etc.)

But if you read all the official material, it makes a big deal about how the Stormtrooper Corps is totally separate from and not accountable to the Imperial Army. I get a very "SS" and "Wehrmacht" kind of vibe from it, if I'm understanding my history right.

Can you elaborate on the "official material" you reference? I've seen such references, but never (to my recollection anyway) in any canon sources.

I just went to starwars.com's entry on ST's and they had this to say:

Stormtroopers are elite shock troops fanatically loyal to the Empire and impossible to sway from the Imperial cause. They wear imposing white armor, which offers a wide range of survival equipment and temperature controls to allow the soldiers to survive in almost any environment. Stormtroopers wield blaster rifles and pistols with great skill, and attack in hordes to overwhelm their enemies. Along with standard Stormtroopers, the Empire has organized several specialized units, including snowtroopers and scout troopers.

Admittedly, the reference to "elite shock troops" certainly implies that there are some normal troops somewhere. Perhaps the black-helmet guys seen on Endor and the Death Star qualify, but they seem more like a security force than an actual military unit.

Kyla only gets away with funky colors cause Kyla is generally awesome and makes good points. I'm color-deficient and that particular shade is even harder for me to read, but I take the effort to read all sorts of ridiculous posts.. a little more effort to read a well thought out one is worth it.

Your attempts at flattery of a level in which my blushing causes the pink text to go red is noted.

As an aside, are you Red/Green (tritanopia), Red/Blue (deuteranopia), or Blue/Green (protanopia)?

Kyla only gets away with funky colors cause Kyla is generally awesome and makes good points. I'm color-deficient and that particular shade is even harder for me to read, but I take the effort to read all sorts of ridiculous posts.. a little more effort to read a well thought out one is worth it.

Your attempts at flattery of a level in which my blushing causes the pink text to go red is noted.

As an aside, are you Red/Green (tritanopia), Red/Blue (deuteranopia), or Blue/Green (protanopia)?

Now you're just showing off. Tritanopia, I almost drowned to a watery grave when I was a kid, haven't seen colors right since.

The current color is much easier to see.

Amusingly I JUST noticed your signature, wasn't aware I could change my theme.. neato.

Kyla only gets away with funky colors cause Kyla is generally awesome and makes good points. I'm color-deficient and that particular shade is even harder for me to read, but I take the effort to read all sorts of ridiculous posts.. a little more effort to read a well thought out one is worth it.

Your attempts at flattery of a level in which my blushing causes the pink text to go red is noted.

As an aside, are you Red/Green (tritanopia), Red/Blue (deuteranopia), or Blue/Green (protanopia)?

Amusingly I JUST noticed your signature, wasn't aware I could change my theme.. neato.

It's a marginal improvement, at best. Possibly even more of an eyesore. I'm not a fan of white, yellow, bright blue, or bright green text on a dark background though, so YMMV.

I have an easier time with the pink then the red. The default white is the best for me though.

Can you elaborate on the "official material" you reference? I've seen such references, but never (to my recollection anyway) in any canon sources.

I'll admit it was a bit of playful exaggeration. That said, everything I can consciously recall that touches on the existence of an Imperial Military that isn't the Stormtrooper Corps mentions it, though it's likely confirmation bias. I thought the Age of Rebellion Core rulebook mentioned it. I believe the "Official Guide to Warfare" mentions it. I dimly recall researching this very question a number of years ago because I was certain that there wasn't even an Imperial Military outside those guys that shot the big guns and piloted the walkers.

The "Legends" article on Wookiepedia goes on about it to a certain extent. I prefer Old Canon for questions like this, if for no other reason than Old Canon actually has material. I've got nothing specific against Disney's new direction, but it's terrible for research questions given the limited amount of source material that's currently in publication: a few novels, some (admittedly awesome) comics, a new movie, and what is intended to be a children's show. The First Order exclusively uses Stormtroopers, it seems, but they're a reformed Empire of what survived and managed to flee into Wild Space, IIRC, and that probably would have been the more mobile Trooper Corps, not the garrisoned Army. Rebels show Troopers everywhere, but I already posited that killing Army members, who aren't faceless, is bad... so we're using Legends whether we like it or not. So... here're the quotes!

Although the Corps was overseen by Stormtrooper Command, a military agency that was independent from Imperial High Command, all stormtroopers ultimately answered to Emperor Palpatine with unconditional loyalty and subservience.

Although stormtroopers often worked alongside the Imperial Army, Intelligence and Navy, the Stormtrooper Corps operated independently of all branches of the Imperial Military. Hence, the Corps possessed its own command structure, ranking system and support facilities. Together with the Imperial Royal Guard, stormtroopers answered directly to Emperor Palpatine,[40] but were managed on a daily basis by Stormtrooper Command.[41]

However, the Legends article for "Imperial Military" mentions Stormtroopers are regular military personnel:

The Empire used many foot soldiers in battle. The stormtroopers were the backbone of the Imperial military, serving as the Empire's shock troops, much like many of them did as clone troopers during the Clone Wars.

The Legends article for the Stormtrooper Corps itself is a little more informative:

An independent branch of the Imperial Military, the Stormtrooper Corps supported both the Imperial Army and Navy while belonging to neither. Existing as an elite, fanatically-loyal force of shock troopers, the Stormtrooper Corps existed to impose the Galactic Emperor's will on the military and the galactic populace alike.[2]

When serving with the Navy, Stormtroopers served as Marines and ensured loyalty aboard ships. On the ground, they led assaults, advancing ahead of Army units to take strategic targets like spaceports and gun emplacements, and were deployed to the toughest fighting. A rapid deployment force rather than one for occupation, the Stormtrooper Corps was almost entirely infantry-based and was far smaller in number than either the Army or Navy. The Corps maintained its own command structure and training regimens, and generally relied on its own infrastructure for support. The Stormtroopers were the best-known Imperial soldiers, and one of the most iconic symbols of the Galactic Empire's military might.[13][2]

I could also dig through the Imperial Army article, but I think this is good for now. I've got a lot on my plate to do.

Now you're just showing off. Tritanopia, I almost drowned to a watery grave when I was a kid, haven't seen colors right since.

Not showing off, just have a dear friend who is deuteranopia. When I was doing training for work, he brought to my attention how hard it is for those with color blindness to follow along with a lot of training materials, and how the natural tendency is to not say anything (because you're new to the job and didn't want to paint yourself in a poor light). When I looked at it through the his eyes I realized how cripplingly difficult most of the exercises would have been (they taught troubleshooting techniques through colored sections with different problems). So I studied up on all the different forms of color deficiencies and made color neutral exercises.

It was really a blessing, as well, because I was able to add into the training materials for other trainers a clear example of how a student that otherwise performs well may appear to be falling behind in certain areas unexpectedly. I used the example of dueteranopia, tritanopia, and protanopia as examples of how we need to make the student comfortable enough to be candid, and reinforce that we are here to help everyone succeed and not weed out those unqualified.

Personally, I think that the Stormtroopers simply fill the infantry unit role within the overall Imperial Army. Other personnel would be used to fill the other roles typically seen in an army command (mechanized armor, logistical support, etc.)

But if you read all the official material, it makes a big deal about how the Stormtrooper Corps is totally separate from and not accountable to the Imperial Army. I get a very "SS" and "Wehrmacht" kind of vibe from it, if I'm understanding my history right.

This. This is how I've always viewed it (and how I run it in my game) - the Stormtrooper Corps is a separate entity that's far more heavily indoctrinated than the regular Army and has better training and equipment. It can handle the tougher jobs, and simultaneously be used against regular Army units that prove disloyal.

Can you elaborate on the "official material" you reference? I've seen such references, but never (to my recollection anyway) in any canon sources.

I'll admit it was a bit of playful exaggeration. That said, everything I can consciously recall that touches on the existence of an Imperial Military that isn't the Stormtrooper Corps mentions it, though it's likely confirmation bias. I thought the Age of Rebellion Core rulebook mentioned it. I believe the "Official Guide to Warfare" mentions it. I dimly recall researching this very question a number of years ago because I was certain that there wasn't even an Imperial Military outside those guys that shot the big guns and piloted the walkers.

The "Legends" article on Wookiepedia goes on about it to a certain extent. I prefer Old Canon for questions like this, if for no other reason than Old Canon actually has material. I've got nothing specific against Disney's new direction, but it's terrible for research questions given the limited amount of source material that's currently in publication: a few novels, some (admittedly awesome) comics, a new movie, and what is intended to be a children's show. The First Order exclusively uses Stormtroopers, it seems, but they're a reformed Empire of what survived and managed to flee into Wild Space, IIRC, and that probably would have been the more mobile Trooper Corps, not the garrisoned Army. Rebels show Troopers everywhere, but I already posited that killing Army members, who aren't faceless, is bad... so we're using Legends whether we like it or not. So... here're the quotes!

Although the Corps was overseen by Stormtrooper Command, a military agency that was independent from Imperial High Command, all stormtroopers ultimately answered to Emperor Palpatine with unconditional loyalty and subservience.

Although stormtroopers often worked alongside the Imperial Army, Intelligence and Navy, the Stormtrooper Corps operated independently of all branches of the Imperial Military. Hence, the Corps possessed its own command structure, ranking system and support facilities. Together with the Imperial Royal Guard, stormtroopers answered directly to Emperor Palpatine,[40] but were managed on a daily basis by Stormtrooper Command.[41]

However, the Legends article for "Imperial Military" mentions Stormtroopers are regular military personnel:

The Empire used many foot soldiers in battle. The stormtroopers were the backbone of the Imperial military, serving as the Empire's shock troops, much like many of them did as clone troopers during the Clone Wars.

The Legends article for the Stormtrooper Corps itself is a little more informative:

An independent branch of the Imperial Military, the Stormtrooper Corps supported both the Imperial Army and Navy while belonging to neither. Existing as an elite, fanatically-loyal force of shock troopers, the Stormtrooper Corps existed to impose the Galactic Emperor's will on the military and the galactic populace alike.[2]

When serving with the Navy, Stormtroopers served as Marines and ensured loyalty aboard ships. On the ground, they led assaults, advancing ahead of Army units to take strategic targets like spaceports and gun emplacements, and were deployed to the toughest fighting. A rapid deployment force rather than one for occupation, the Stormtrooper Corps was almost entirely infantry-based and was far smaller in number than either the Army or Navy. The Corps maintained its own command structure and training regimens, and generally relied on its own infrastructure for support. The Stormtroopers were the best-known Imperial soldiers, and one of the most iconic symbols of the Galactic Empire's military might.[13][2]

I could also dig through the Imperial Army article, but I think this is good for now. I've got a lot on my plate to do.

I'm in the same boat, I use Legends until Disney replaces it, just cause of the wealth of information available. And the new Canon is still getting off the ground.

I like this interpretation. Garrison forces are imperial army and just about everything else is Stormtrooper's.

Kyla, I'm glad that you're looking out for my people Also, video games are a pain too. Imagine how many video games have "match these colors" sections. I have to make my spouse solve all the puzzle portions. I'm just glad I'm not completely color blind.. that would really suck.

I like this interpretation. Garrison forces are imperial army and just about everything else is Stormtrooper's.

I go a little further than that. I utilize the Army for armor, artillery, and many other support roles. Stormtroopers don't bring their own repulsor tanks and artillery pieces. When they need those, they work alongside the Army.

I like this interpretation. Garrison forces are imperial army and just about everything else is Stormtrooper's.

I go a little further than that. I utilize the Army for armor, artillery, and many other support roles. Stormtroopers don't bring their own repulsor tanks and artillery pieces. When they need those, they work alongside the Army.

While there is precedent for this (AT-AT's in Empire Strikes Back, AT-ST's in Return of the Jedi), and I think it's reasonable, I also have to wonder if it's correct. Not only are the stormtroopers the Emperor's pet .mil branch (so it seems he'd make sure they had things like tanks and arty), there's also the reality of different .mil branches not wanting to depend TOO much on another branch. I think this would hold true in Star Wars at least as much as it does in modern .mils, maybe even more so (since a general today doesn't have to worry TOO much about an admiral sending Navy SEALs to kill him if he makes the admiral look bad, or getting choked to death by his boss if the admiral screws something up).

I'm more inclined to think that rather than working alongside the army, there are army units that are tasked to the stormtroopers. 71st Heavy Assault Transport Battalion is assigned to the 342nd Stormtrooper Brigade for 2 years, then a different battalion takes over, that kind of thing for example. And they're basically there only to provide the support the stormtroopers need. "You run the tanks and walkers, provide fire support when the stormtroopers need it, let them do most of the dying, and stay OUT of the !%$&ing way!"

I like this interpretation. Garrison forces are imperial army and just about everything else is Stormtrooper's.

I go a little further than that. I utilize the Army for armor, artillery, and many other support roles. Stormtroopers don't bring their own repulsor tanks and artillery pieces. When they need those, they work alongside the Army.

While there is precedent for this (AT-AT's in Empire Strikes Back, AT-ST's in Return of the Jedi), and I think it's reasonable, I also have to wonder if it's correct. Not only are the stormtroopers the Emperor's pet .mil branch (so it seems he'd make sure they had things like tanks and arty), there's also the reality of different .mil branches not wanting to depend TOO much on another branch. I think this would hold true in Star Wars at least as much as it does in modern .mils, maybe even more so (since a general today doesn't have to worry TOO much about an admiral sending Navy SEALs to kill him if he makes the admiral look bad, or getting choked to death by his boss if the admiral screws something up).

I'm more inclined to think that rather than working alongside the army, there are army units that are tasked to the stormtroopers. 71st Heavy Assault Transport Battalion is assigned to the 342nd Stormtrooper Brigade for 2 years, then a different battalion takes over, that kind of thing for example. And they're basically there only to provide the support the stormtroopers need. "You run the tanks and walkers, provide fire support when the stormtroopers need it, let them do most of the dying, and stay OUT of the !%$&ing way!"

I kind of like that. May steal it for my game.

I like this interpretation. Garrison forces are imperial army and just about everything else is Stormtrooper's.

I go a little further than that. I utilize the Army for armor, artillery, and many other support roles. Stormtroopers don't bring their own repulsor tanks and artillery pieces. When they need those, they work alongside the Army.

While there is precedent for this (AT-AT's in Empire Strikes Back, AT-ST's in Return of the Jedi), and I think it's reasonable, I also have to wonder if it's correct. Not only are the stormtroopers the Emperor's pet .mil branch (so it seems he'd make sure they had things like tanks and arty), there's also the reality of different .mil branches not wanting to depend TOO much on another branch. I think this would hold true in Star Wars at least as much as it does in modern .mils, maybe even more so (since a general today doesn't have to worry TOO much about an admiral sending Navy SEALs to kill him if he makes the admiral look bad, or getting choked to death by his boss if the admiral screws something up).

I'm more inclined to think that rather than working alongside the army, there are army units that are tasked to the stormtroopers. 71st Heavy Assault Transport Battalion is assigned to the 342nd Stormtrooper Brigade for 2 years, then a different battalion takes over, that kind of thing for example. And they're basically there only to provide the support the stormtroopers need. "You run the tanks and walkers, provide fire support when the stormtroopers need it, let them do most of the dying, and stay OUT of the !%$&ing way!"

Possibly, but remember this:

A rapid deployment force rather than one for occupation, the Stormtrooper Corps was almost entirely infantry-based and was far smaller in number than either the Army or Navy.

Of course, that isn't to say that they didn't have Army people semi-permanently attached to them, but the 'troopers themselves don't seem to maintain an array of vehicles. Especially, in my opinion, because they'd transition from their role as "Marines" to "Advance Shock Troopers" rather quickly, like the one's on Vader's Star Destroyer do in Episode 4. They go from fighting through the cramped halls of the Tantive IV to combing the desert for droids and chasing down smugglers.

Although, come to think of it, it's a bit silly to think that the Stormtroopers stationed in Vader's SD got kitted out in Sandtrooper armor and got comfortable on dewbacks so quickly, so it's possible the bucketheads we see on Tatooine are different than the ones that took over the Tantive .

Stormtrooper armor can become.sandtrooper armour with a single attachment. Stamds to reason that SDs keep both hot and cold weather kits for all their embarked Stormtroopers so they can be rapidly employed anywhere.

Dewbacks are a different story.

Stormtrooper armor can become.sandtrooper armour with a single attachment. Stamds to reason that SDs keep both hot and cold weather kits for all their embarked Stormtroopers so they can be rapidly employed anywhere.

Dewbacks are a different story.

Arrgh I hate the dewback scene. Seriously, I can pick over the good parts of the prequels and enjoy them.. but why.. oh god why are there stormtroopers on dewbacks.

As much as folks ***** about the prequels, the remastered **** is the worst, as far as I'm concerned.

Arrgh I hate the dewback scene. Seriously, I can pick over the good parts of the prequels and enjoy them.. but why.. oh god why are there stormtroopers on dewbacks.

As much as folks ***** about the prequels, the remastered **** is the worst, as far as I'm concerned.

I could be wrong because it has been quite a while since I have seen the original in its original form, but I seem to recall stormtroopers on dewback in it. Sure they were off in the distance, but I thought they were there. Seem to recall the scene had more of them added in the remastered. Could be wrong in my old age, though.

I use this for the standard bog trooper. I treat them much like regular army.

And then I have a slightly different stat block for a more elite minion.

As far as alternate trooper types, sandtrooper or snowtrooper, it is easy enough to swap out vacuum sealed for Thermal Shielding or Heating System.

Arrgh I hate the dewback scene. Seriously, I can pick over the good parts of the prequels and enjoy them.. but why.. oh god why are there stormtroopers on dewbacks.

As much as folks ***** about the prequels, the remastered **** is the worst, as far as I'm concerned.

I could be wrong because it has been quite a while since I have seen the original in its original form, but I seem to recall stormtroopers on dewback in it. Sure they were off in the distance, but I thought they were there. Seem to recall the scene had more of them added in the remastered. Could be wrong in my old age, though.

Damnit, I think you're right. I just allowed myself to forget... Was easier to ignore in the original. I don't have a copy of the original (blazing hard to find) but it just seems weird the technophile Empire would use beasts of burden.

Thanks for reminding me, I'm mostly sure you're right.

I definitely remember a really puffy looking Jim Hensen puppet dewback with a stormtrooper on it. I thought it was awesome as a child watching my VHS copies every day, but it's hard to explain now. It certainly set the stage for really cool things, like Episode 3 Obi-Wan and the Tarvix from Chronicles of the Gatekeeper.

I still have a 1977 dewback that a Stormtrooper mini can fit in.

They were very cool, but yes why would they be riding around on those animals instead of a speeder or speeder bike? The Stormtrooper even had a lance.

I don't recall WEG doing much with it. A couple of things in the past came to mind to explain it. They could have been part of a special Stormtrooper tracking unit. After all, they were searching for the droids. Perhaps the dewback was known throughout the galaxy as being the best hounds available? A second option is they were part of a Stormtrooper riot control unit. Modern police still use horses. The lance could have been a shock prod for crowd control.

Using animals in adverse or new environments was once not uncommon. Tech didn't always seem to be so dependable. Extreme cold or desert conditions could adversely affect it where animals adapted to it could be more dependable. Tech in Star Wars has always had a retro feel to it, useful but could break down under the right conditions and needing repairs. There was the use of tauntauns on Hoth while they upgraded the air speeders and repaired the Millennium Falcon. Considering how quickly they needed to get down to the surface to search for the droids, it may have been more expedient to go down with the dewbacks rather than take the time to prepare speeders and such.

I would be careful when giving minions laminate armors full of attachments.
Those can sell pretty nicely on the black market.

Specially with Superior , which is (AFAIK) worth 5000cr.

I understand you want to give them an edge in combat, but for minions that is easier obtained with talents.

I went to bed grumbling about Dewback troopers and my spouse came up with this idea (likely to shut me up).

Since we don't see the Empire use beasts of burden anywhere else, assume the Dewback troopers were an anomaly. Something the local forces came up with. Tatooine is a backwater that probably doesn't get resupplied regularly and they added Dewbacks as a necessity. When Vader shows up, they activated the local Stormtroopers to hunt for droids.

I like this explanation because it structures beasts of burden in the Empire as an exception. While Dewback Troopers is very Star Wars (can we put a crazy creature in the scene? Do it) it does not feel very Imperial (Heavy emphasis on mechanized everything. Why did they put that AT-AT in a jungle for God's sake). I get the impression that if the Empire needed hound dogs it would build a "sniffer" droid.