Riot Troopers?

[CRMcNeill]

So, I'm working on a revision of the Imperial OB, and I had the idea of a stormtrooper equipped with a power shield, ala the Gungans in E1. The way I figure it, the Empire must, on occasion face combat in close terrain against enemies who specialize in melee combat. In response, I'm seeing the Empire fielding troops that fight in close ranks like Roman legionnaires or modern riot police, using a power shield as portable cover and fighting around the edges of the shield with a force pike or a heavy blaster pistol (or even a heavy blaster pistol with a mini-force pike fitted as a bayonet.).

Thoughts?
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Guardian_A]

I did something like that once.

I took Imperial Army Troops and changed the following:

Melee Parry 3D
Melee 3D+1

Equipment:
Blaster Pistol (4D)
Field Armor & Helmet (+1D physical, +2 energy)
Helmet Comlink
Utility Belt w/Supplies
Stun Baton (Z2) (Str+1D or 5D Stun / two settings)
Czerka T-289 Gas Grenade (4D/2D/1D Stun)
Riot Shield (4D Stun)

The last three items that appear on the equipment list appear in the Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear book.

[TyCaine]

Hate to say I like Guardian_A's thought better, Riot patrol seems more suited to Imperial Army (or perhaps more likely local Garrison Army Troopers) rather than Stormtroopers, as the idea (at least in my Star Wars galaxy) is that the Stormtroopers are the elite shock troops, sent in to take down a target hard and fast, or in the cases of smaller numbers on board ships, used to enforce the Emperor's will and as elite boarding troops.

The idea of a Stormtrooper working Riot detail, effectively there as crowd control, doesn't fit into my idea of what they stand for, particularly since their numbers (as I recall) compared to Imperial Army troopers are significantly smaller.

However, each to their own ideas, and I'd still be interested in stats and/or equipment ideas you have for your RTs.


T.C.

[CRMcNeill]

I called them Riot Troopers only for lack of a better name. These wouldn't be Riot troops per se, merely equipped similarly to them. These troops would be trained more like Roman Legionnaires or a Greek Phalanx, fighting in close formation and using their shields to create a defensive barrier against incoming fire. Modern SWAT teams use combat shields in a variety of situations, and I can't help but wonder if similar situations might present themselves in the SWU.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Bren]

Unlike police in the US, stormtroopers aren't worried about collateral damage or civilian casualties. I assume a stormtrooper's best defense is a mixture of blaster fire and grenades. Why go toe-to-toe with a Gungan barbarian when you can just shoot him down with precision blaster fire or blow him up with a few frag grenades?

Imperial guards have forcepikes not because they are expected to engage in riot duty, but bacause (a) they are ceremonial and (b) they are more useful against any lone Jedi that might have been missed by Order 66 and decided to come gunning for Palpatine.

[CRMcNeill]

[Bren]

The hand-held shields didn't work well once the droids closed inside the big shield nor did the big shield seem to stop something thrown (at least from the inside) so I'm guessing it wouldn't stop thrown grenades from the outside. So I think closing, grenades, and blasters should work fine.

I won't even attempt to explain how Ewoks with STR 1D/3D were able to do so much damage to stormtroopers with STR 2D+ and +2D physical armor. Suffice it to say, if armor, blasters, and AT-ST's couldn't get the job done, shields wouldn't have helped.

I tend to agree that riot troops would be local not Imperial forces and stormtroopers with swords and shields has the wrong vibe for me. I think a Roman testudo or a hoplite phalanx just puts all the stormies nice and close together and that is just asking the opposition to counter with a grenades, molotov cocktails, or IEDs.

Perhaps shield equipped troops might fit better as Imperial Dungeoneers or some arm of the Inquistorate for collecting important prisoners. If the shield stops a lightsaber, maybe it would help when collecting the odd padawan that escaped Order 66.

[CRMcNeill]

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

[ZzaphodD]

[garhkal]

Isn't there riot cops in the Corp Sector Authority? Try searching Han solo and the Corporate sector book.. Since that is also the first place i saw the Riot gun in..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[CRMcNeill]

[Esoomian]

It seems the question what most people are asking is why you'd bother with any most people are asking is why you'd bother with any sort of close combat equipment when:

a) Ranged fire can take down a close combat based foe before he can attack

b) Bunching up in a shield wall leaves you vulnerable to high explosives and other such weapons.

However if you want to check out Zsinj's Raptors you might see something of a mid point. The Raptors tend to put a lot of faith in the gunline but have close combat weapons and training to supliment it if it fails.
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Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.

[Raven Redstar]

Just give the Radiation Zone stormtroopers shields and there ya go!