All posts by Skylord11235

Stormtroopers come in many shapes and varieties. Their armor not being customized like those of the clones, which saw personalities etched into the armor, but customized to make better and more efficient soldiers. While taking a look from the outside of the universe, it has become a meme of how ineffective stormtroopers were, these memes overshadow the multitude of achievements these troopers were able to pull off. While most stormtroopers share the same uniform, there were still a plethora of variants that made up the whole military. These variants were designed for different environments and situations across a galaxy spanning Empire. Scout troopers flexible and light armor was best suited for long excursions without having to make a trooper carry more equipment than necessary whereas Evotroopers were designed to carry out missions in harmful and toxic environments where traditional armor would prove to be nearly ineffective the environmental hazards.

What is your favorite Stormtrooper Variant?

Mine would be the storm commandos

"Alright soldiers, we are going to be pushing to the northern section of the city, load up and move out." We all checked our gear as the shuttle left us in the dark void of the forest planet. The city we are pushing has rebel ties and had begun acts of terrorism in defiance to the Empire. However, the Empire didn't want to expend major resources to this planet and thus sent a small squad of troopers. We began to move in the direction of the now fortified city, keeping our thermals on and scanning the forest for any sign of life. It took roughly 2 hours to make it through the forest before the lights of the city could be seen. Our job was to get to the capital building and kill the rebel leader there. It should send the rebels into chaos as their leadership crumbles. Getting into the city was easy as we began to snake our way through the dark back allies and along rooftops where needed. Soon the large capital building was in sight. "Alright I want rockets ready to fire." We all got out our rocket tubes, 6 in total, and readied a shot. A sniper was also positioned to confirm the kill. "Once the sniper fires I want all rockets to take out the building." We stayed in that position for what felt like hours but only turned out to be around 10 minutes. As the sun began to rise, the sniper called out all defenses on the tower and stated he had a shot on the rebel leader. The blaster shot range out and was quickly met by 6 rockets whizzing behind. The leader feel from the balcony as the rockets exploded on the tower, sending debris into the streets below and crushing any waiting to hear the leader talk. Mission was a success.

She looked out the transparasteel at the ship ahead as the sun began to crest the horizon. The comms officer would turn to her, "Ma'am, we have orders for a heavy bombing run on an entrenched rebel cell." A grin would grow across her face. Being stuck up in those massive Imperial Class Star Destroyers was for those who do not like action, those who fear getting their hands dirty. "Prep the guns and get bombs primed. Bring us around and get the engines ready." The crew began working hastily as they called down to lower deck crews to get preparations underway. The wings of the Victory II Class Atmospheric frigate began to move to assist the engines in making a quicker turn. As the ship lined up they began to accelerate towards the bombing zone. As the large ship streaked across the sky, the battle field soon came into view. Walkers had bene hammering a rebel bunker and TIE bombers were being diverted by the nearby interceptors. The ship flew over the AT-ATs at incredible speed. "Drop bombs now." She would call out as the order was relayed and munitions were dropped. An X-Wing ended up being nothing more than a splatter on the ship's shields as it flew by fast. Explosions rang out behind it as the ship began to decelerate. "Target is confirmed as destroyed."

It sometimes can easily be forgotten that the Empire had more than just ISDs, Executors, and a couple smaller ships. The Empire had a multitude of ships that fit very different roles and many were much more feared than the Executors. Ships such as the Victory II Class Atmospheric frigate, while having screen time in Battlefront 2 2005, is completely overshadowed by the more popular ship of the same name the Victory II Class Star Destroyer. Other ships saw limited use in the Empire due to not following Imperial doctrine such as the Lancer Class Frigate, which was one of the most feared ships deployed against the Rebellion. While these ships may not have been used to extensive use does not mean they weren't practical or useful.

What is your favorite under used Imperial ship?

Mine is the Victory II Class Atmospheric Frigate

Stepping out onto the viewing deck, I looked out on the vast swamp that surrounded us. I grabbed a pair of binoculars and began to scan the area. Nothing to note of as usual. I let out a sigh as I just take a moment to be outside the walker for a bit. We are scheduled to close in on a rebel holdout within the next rotation. Why they needed us troopers is beyond me. The might these AT-ATs bring is more than enough to destroy a base. A loud explosion caused me to duck for cover. I brought myself up a bit and saw the lead walker take a rocket to the side. The heavy armor plating meant that it left nothing more than a scorch mark. The head of our walker turned in the direction of the rocket and began to unload heavy laser fire into the tree canopy as I could faintly make our bodies flying in all directions. All I could think is I’m glad I’m on this side of those large barrels.

The imperial war machine was vast and powerful. In order to keep this might they needed the strongest and most fear inducing machines that could be produced. These walkers towered over the battlefield and had enough firepower to rip any enemy line in its path. These walkers were able to traverse just about any terrain that was thrown at them from dense jungles, to swamps, to city streets and vast plains. Each were designed for different purposes but could compliment each other when working together, such as AT-ATs and AT-STs. What is your favorite imperial walker?

Mine is the early model AT-AT

The academy can only prepare you for so much. The Rebels, savages, terrorists and multitude of other threats are evil. The Empire has done nothing but bring security to the galaxy. As I walked down the once front lines of that war torn world I saw what the enemy was capable of. These people are warmongering terrorists, killing for sport. They only saw helmets but we are soldiers. Backed by families and worlds who we swore to protect in the name of the Emperor. We began to pound our chest in unison as the battle began to return. Explosions range out as artillery began to shell our position. In one deafening cry we scaled the trenches and rushed the enemy.

Although the Clone War had ended, there was much work to be done. Separatist strongholds became hot zones for large scale conflicts between the Empire and these holdouts. Other areas were hit much quicker, such as Rebel bases, where speed and as key to taking out the cells. These battles all culminated into what is later known as the Galactic Civil War. The Empire ended up fighting many fronts, many from within, in order to maintain their control but over the years it slipped more and more. Eventually even the smallest factions were able to take on the Empire in more open ways. Thus destroying the Emperors goals of control and peace.

What is your favorite battle during the time of the Empire?

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... Where battles rage on and the fight between good and evil is never ending, countless heroes will rise among the ranks to claim their piece of victory. These heroes go down in history has harbingers of peace and the bringers of hope and freedom. However, this peace is hardly long lasting and war is always loaming on the horizon. As mystical swords of made of light clash together, thoughts of hope and peace swell in the minds of many. As blaster fire rings out and overwhelms a once quiet field, the many begin to want it to end. Many tales have been spun but there are many more to come. May the fourth be with you.

To those new to Favoriting Thursday, it is an occasional article that asks the simple question of "What is your favorite?" when it comes to specific topics. This is to spark both exploration into new topics from others and to see what draws others to the vast galaxy of Star Wars. If you don't like reading the simple question is always posted at the end if you still wish to participate.

What is your favorite memory of May the Fourth?

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...STAR WARS was born. Through the years it saw many changes and additions growing into what it is today. With countless characters, great wars, and unimaginable adventures across a vast galaxy. With every year more and more come to the Star Wars universe to expand the lore. As we draw to a close on another year let’s look back at what came from 2022 for Star Wars.

What was your favorite Star Wars addition in 2022?

PSA: sorry this came so late. I forgot to post this last week but here it is now. See you for season 5 which is TBD.

When the war first broke out, we never knew what was actually going to be in store for us. As our boots hit the scalding sand of Geonosis, we all knew that the easy life of fighting in the simulators was all but over. Today was the day that many of us would fight and for many of us it would also be the day we died for people who didn’t even know we existed. Many clones didn’t even make it to the ground, fire a shot, or even kill a droid, before being shot out of the sky. However, those who did survive the battle left scarred and hardened and ready for what the war would bring.

Clone troopers have been depicted many different ways. When it comes to live action, the movies show how the clones were originally designed but with the new shows showing flash backs, these live action clones have differences. When it comes to video games, clones take on a wide variety of different styles based on who created them, from Battlefront 2 to Fallen Order. In the animated shows, we see the new aged clone wars series show a vast difference to that if the old animated shorts. With tales of the Jedi, the phase 1 clones even saw a change. Comics as well have shown us many different ways of depicting these iconic troopers. However, everyone has opinions on which of these looks truly looks the best and feels the most accurate to them.

What is your favorite depiction of the clones?

Mine is the prequel movies.

“Emergency take off has been granted. Squadron 2 deploy ventral.” The command tower relayed as we launched from the lower hangar into the massive battle below. Lasers flying all around, arching past in colors from blue to red to green. “Make sure that tail gun is primed” I relayed back to my tail gunner. “A squad of 7 tri fighters approaching from point 2 6.” The copilot relayed. “Copy. Locking s-foils in attack position.” I said as I flipped a few switches as the wings expanded. The cannons rang out as we shot into the oncoming enemy. Narrowly dodging one from ramming I could hear the gunner begin to fire on the ones trying to get on our tail. “New orders. A cruiser is changing course to cut off Kenobi and Skywalker. All wings are advised to use any ordinance to cripple that ship.” The co-pilot said over the comms to the squad. The ship in question was highlighted on the HUD as we went full throttle towards it. The cruiser was a recusant light destroyer making this job a bit harder as crippling the bridge would mean little with that internal droid brain. “All wings, launch torpedos at rear of ship and let’s cripple those engines at least.” I said over the comms and I prepped the torpedos. “Vultures launching from the hull. 40 in total” The copilot relayed. “It was an honor flying with you boys.” I said as we flew through the cloud of robotic fighters, the shields able to tank the initial barrage. Those of us that survived this launched the ordinance at the ship, managing to cripple it before the fighters were able to turn around and shred the squadron into nothing but floating bodies and scrap metal.

As the clone wars progressed, naval engagements became more and more larger and costly. The CIS used their overwhelming numbers to overwhelm Republic forces. To combat this the Republic began using fighters more designed for surviving these swarms. Ships like Y-Wings and ARC-170s were armed with turreted guns that allowed the ships to keep unwanted tails from getting easy hits off from behind. They also bolstered more armor and shields than typical fighters but at the cost of speed. However, the Republic soon answered their speed problem by developing the V-Wing which was fast and nimble to help combat the opposing fast and nimble droid ships. This wide combination of Star fighters allowed the Republic to overcome a lot of naval engagements with their quality Star fighters.

What is your favorite clone Star fighter?

Mine is the ARC-170

The battles became bloodier and bloodier. Sieges dragged on for what felt like decades. The squad I once trained with in the simulators had been replaced seven times over with so many new clones that I don’t even remember all their names anymore. My body felt numb, seeing the same faces broken and ripped apart by the horrors of the CIS made me numb to everything. I just wanted it to end. Little did I know that the largest battles of the war would be the conclusion to it. Before the orders came down in to end it all, we were pinned by heavy artillery. Between artillery barrages we would all come over the trench like and begin to open fire on the ever advancing droid line. As soon as the orders came down and we gunned down our general, our position became overrun and we were all slaughtered along with the general we had just betrayed. Did I feel any pain while the blaster bolts ripped through me? I probably should have but all I felt was peace for once.

The end of the clone wars saw some of the bloodiest and largest battles the war had ever seen. Clones were dwindling but they were fighting harder than they ever had before. The battles grew increasingly more important as CIS strongholds and generals began to fall in larger numbers. With this crescendo of warfare the apex came as the orders were sent down to execute the Generals they had once fought with for so long. Not long after the droids began to shut down and the war steadily drew to a close.

What was your favorite battle right before Order 66?

"Alright men, we are reaching the drop zone. Red light is on. Double check all supplies, we won't be getting resupplied for a while." There is calm chatter as weapons are double checked and various things are distributed out. I looked at my men, all glistening in their new phase 2 paratrooper armor. Equipped with the latest tech, these suits are now perfectly designed for these missions. The gunship got quiet as we soon heard explosions from outside. Flak guns began peppering the air with various explosives and fragments in an attempt to shoot us down. A green light came on and a moment later the doors opened and the booms of battle rang out above the clouds. "GO GO GO" I yelled as they began to jump from the LAAT into the active war zone. I soon followed suit as went through the air. The HUD on our displays showed the current altitude and would flash a warning when slowing our decent should begin. As we fell, flak shells whizzed by us, unable to hit our now much smaller targets as they attempted to blast us out of the sky. The ground soon became visible as we exited the cloud cover. Below was various canyons and ridges that protected a large cliff that the CIS had bunkered down into. We were aiming to land on top of this cliff base that was neatly drilled into the side of it. With nothing on top of the cliff base wise, the CIS had some crudely placed defenses and several flak cannons aimed skyward. As we neared, blaster fire soon shot upwards towards us but proved fruitless as we moved to fast to be hit by the droid's fire. Clones flipped and turned their boots to the ground as their packs began to fire and decelerate them as they landed softly into the battle below. I soon followed along and landed, my blaster already raised and firing before my boots ever touched the ground. Many troops were moving towards cover while others pulled out various explosive ordinance and began to take out the AA guns so that our main force could begin to land. It was nice being able to complete a mission without having various sours and rashes, and even nicer to not hear the men complain on the comms.

As the clone wars progressed, the need for more specialized armor grew. The redundant and uncomfortable armor of phase 1 just was to expensive and carried to many systems that went mostly unused by many of the clones. As the transition to phase 2 happened, many clones chose armors that were more suited to specialized roles that suited their needs. BARC helmets allowed for troopers to focus more on the task at hand and lessened the chance of distractions from their surroundings. Scout trooper armor allowed for scouts to blend in easier with their surroundings and not carry heavy armor, allowing them to stay out in the field for longer periods of time. These specialized armors were later reflected with many of the various armor systems used by the Empire, however, they had integrated into the base stormtrooper armor, enough flexibility to fulfill any role regardless. However, this specialization of the clone troopers allowed for battlegroups to operate more effectively and technology in the armors were less likely to under utilized, making the armors more cost efficient.

What's your favorite phase 2 clone varient?

Mine is the paratrooper

"This is a simple in and out mission. General Shen has the locations of several hidden droid listening outposts. You have to make sure he gets out of that prison alive. He is your only priority. Collateral damage is acceptable and you are free to use any means of securing him." I nod my head as the intelligence officer vanished from the hologram. I look back out of the view port of the ARC-170 as I exited hyperspace. "R3, when we land I want you to go to these coordinates and wait there for my signal." It beeps as we neared the prison. After landing and exiting the droid took the ship as I turned towards the now looming fortress. I unholstered my two pistols as I moved, making sure to watch my back incase of droid patrols. Once at the prison I shot a grappling hook up and over the wall, hooking the ledge as I climbed my way up. Running along the catwalk, the sound of metal hitting metal in a rhythmic tone started to echo and grow louder. I darted into the watch tower and went for cover. A group of B1 battle droids marched past. After they left, I went to one of the terminals and began to look into where the jedi was. After a few minutes of digging I had found what I was looking for. Moving through the compound, I knew I had to make this stealthy and fast. After finding the cells, I opened cell door 3915. Inside the Jedi laid on the ground, bloody and beaten. He was barely alive and in his last breaths he was able to give me the locations of the outposts. As his body went limp I heard a blaster being raised and a mechanical voice. "Don't move clone." Well it looks like I will be leaving with a bang.

The ARC troopers were originally designed to push clones to the limits. The initial batch were dubbed the Null class. The Kaminoans saw these initial ARCs as failures. Only 6 were able to survive the cloning process and Kal Skirata took them in before they were executed and trained them. The Kaminoans then turned their attention to creating the Alpha Class which saw much more success with survivability. Unlike the Nulls, this batch was trained by Fett himself and were more obedient but were just as skilled as their predecessors. However, the Kaminoans decided it was best to lock them all down in stasis chambers until they were needed. Jango believed that the ARC trooper program was the way to go but the Kaminoans believed they were to dangerous. They compromised and created the Clone Commandos, which split the training of ARC troopers between 4 unaltered clones that were given superior training to normal clones. As the war broke out, Kamino soon found itself under attack and the ARC troopers were released from stasis and proved themselves as the warriors they were trained to be. Now in active duty, ARC troopers began to replace the Commandos from many of their roles and the Generals of the Republic saw greater versatility and usefulness in the ARC troopers over the Commandos. As the war progressed, the need for more ARC troopers were growing and to fill the ARC trooper ranks, clones who would normally be deemed unfit due to their creativity and uniqueness were picked and given extensive training to fill the roles of ARC troopers on the battlefield. The ARC troopers left an impression well into the age of the Empire.

Who is your favorite ARC trooper?

Mine is Alpha-17

The soft pattering of rain hitting my helmet was almost hypnotic. Such a calm sound when so much chaos was happening in the galaxy. However, being distracted was nothing short of a death sentence. We kept our blasters up and in the ready position as we swept through the dense jungle. The squad lead, Dex, spoke over the comms, "we are approaching the vantage point. Ten, you have a short window of opportunity to take the shot. Rig and Mads, as soon as the target is down, we will be needing a distraction. Break off.......now." The other two broke off from us as they began heading right of our position. It did not take long for us to reach the vantage point. I laid down prone and adjusted my blaster as I aimed down the scope towards the court yard. It was a tucked away mansion with a wide open garden in the center of the building. It was built during the war as the pathways and the building itself made the CIS symbol perfectly. Stationed at every door was a pair of B1 battle droids and a few B2s were making the rounds. "I am dialed in. No visual on target." I say over the comms. Rig came onto the comms, "a shuttle is approaching from baring 129. Shuttle is confirmed as target's." The comms went silent as a shuttle flew overhead and began to land in front of the mansion. The doors of the shuttle opened and out stepped a human male wearing a flowing cloak that was flung over some flashy cloths to keep them from getting wet in the rain. "Need confirmation on target." I say over the comms as Dex keeps his eyes on them. "Target is confirmed, you are cleared to fire." I lied up the crosshairs of the scope and took the shot. The target fell as the bolt hit him in the side of the head killing him in an instant. "Kill confirmed." I say as I look at him through my scope for any signs of life. In that instance though, a young child ran out of the shuttle and began to shake the man. I froze as it felt time stood still before I was dragged to my feet by Dex. "You two are free to engage. Meet us at the rendezvous point in 20 minutes." As he says that I turn from him and look back as I see the shuttle explode from a detonator before I turn and begin to follow Dex back. What has this war come to?

Clone Commandos were elite squads of clone troopers that were trained to act as a single unit to perform various missions for the Republic. Their conception started when the Kaminoans believed the ARC trooper project would make clones too dangerous and difficult to control, so instead the opted for the Clone Commando project instead. During the beginning of the war, Clone Commandos really weren't used as special operations units and were thrown into situations that were typical for grunt clones. Roughly half of the Clone Commandos made by the time of the First Battle of Geonosis were killed during this battle. As the Commandos numbers dwindled, Republic officers began to see their uses but there was still mixed opinions of their long term viability in the war. Many clones grew to despise Commandos as the war neared its end. They were soon overshadowed by the return of the ARC troopers to the GAR's ranks as officers saw them as more flexible and skilled soldiers. However, the effectiveness of Clone Commandos was not lost to all and many were put in charge of training the next generation of what would soon become Storm Troopers.

Who is your favorite Clone Commando?

Mine is Sev

The ship shook as the alarms started to blare louder. Troopers running down hallways, putting on gear and grabbing rifles as the sounds of booms were heard as the ship shook. I was in my bunk and had just removed my helmet when the call came in that enemy warships had entered hyperspace. We were in the process of being boarded as I grabbed my blaster and threw my helmet on as I sprinted down the hallway with my fellow soldiers. I received orders to report to the bridge and begin holding that down. I made my way to the lifts and went to the bridge where I got to see out of the windows at the enemy fleet ahead. Venators broadsiding CIS warships as explosions covered their decks, corvettes maneuvering around their frigates taking out both fighters and gun emplacements. I turned back towards the blast doors as I heard the sound of metal clanking from behind it. This may be our last stand before this ship falls.

At the start of the war the Republic had very limited options when it came to capital ships to fight against the ever growing CIS threat. Their only true warship was the Acclimator. While it was able to hold its own it was not able to keep pace with the larger capital ships of the CIS. Other ships, such as the consular class, saw massive overhauls to prepare them for their new military support roles. As the war began to progress the Republic needed a new warship that they knew would keep pace with the average ship of the CIS. The Venator Class was a large carrier warship that sported enough fighter support, fire power, and was fairly armored enough to take on enemy capital ships with less effort than the Acclimator. These ships became the staple of the Republic and even earned the monicker of Jedi Cruiser.

What is your favorite cruiser used by the Republic during the clone wars (corvettes on up)?

Mine is the Venator.

The hot sand peppered our visors as the explosions range out around us. The wind picked up and nearly sent us all flying backwards as the sandstorm like conditions covered the entire area. Relying entirely on our huds and the small red lights on our helmets, we sent blaster bolts down range with little care of hitting anything. We all talked about keeping score but with these conditions it was impossible. Blaster bolts ripped through past us, turning the sand into glass as it shot through the sand filled air. When the dust finally settled and we looked out on the destruction, the bodies looked as if they had been there for a long time and are slowly being buried in the massive cemetery known as Geonosis.

The Clone Wars was a massive conflict that roped almost every planet into joining one side or the other. Hard fought battles were taking place on planet surfaces as well as high above the sky in space as massive warships pounded away at each other with their massive array of weaponry. These battles were numerous and would leave planets scarred with the remnants of battles, no longer smoldering tanks, fighters that were once airborne now grounded forever, and sometimes the fields of dead soldiers just being left to rot. The Clone Wars was far from the elegant fight and became nothing more than a war of attrition, meaning that no matter how many lives are lost, we must accomplish our directive.

What is your favorite battle of the Clone Wars?

Mine is the Felucia campaigns

The mechanized booms ring out as the the 6 legs of the AT-TE traversed the hard rocky ground. What felt like hours sitting in the back of the walker it finally came to a stop. The light came on shinning green as the hatch opened and we all began to pile out of the walker. Once out of the walker, I looked over at the gunner as he angled the cannon before the whole walker jerked as the cannon began firing. My ears rang from the loud noise before I slipped down the side of the walker. I look up as I watch the arcing of the artillery as I watch a round travel before falling and exploding on the droid army ahead. I ran to cover as the rest of those who piled out of the walker ran to join me. The line of walkers began to open fire with their anti personnel cannons and rip apart the waves of droids that marched forward. These walkers of war are terrifying but I am glad that they are on my side and not aiming their guns on me.

The Republic used a plethora of walkers during the Clone Wars from the AT-TE to the AT-RT. The AT-TE acted as the backbone for the Republic military mechanized division. It was armed with multiple turreted laser cannons that could rip apart waves of enemy combatants and a top mounted mass driver cannon that was used to rip apart enemy tanks. These walkers were originally designed for policing mining worlds and were able to operate in a multitude of environments with little to no modifications needed. The AT-RT on the other hand was a fast moving recon walker that was used to navigate difficult terrain and would blitz enemies. As the war progressed the need for more diverse walkers were needed. Walkers such as the AT-AP and the AT-OT filled these niches that were needed later in the war.

What is your favorite Republic Walker?

Mine is the AT-TE