This is going to be a versus between Stormtroopers
and Rebel Soldiers. We will compare their training, body equipment,
and weapons, then pit them against each other in a scenario. For this specific versus, we will only be
using Human Rebel Soldiers, as they were the most common among the Rebel ranks, and they
won't possess a natural advantage or disadvantage seen in some other species. A few years after the formation of the Galactic
Empire, the Imperial Military started to move away from using clones and started to recruit
regular Humans from across the Galaxy. In order to qualify to become a stormtrooper,
a Human would have to be at the top of his or her class. After being accepted, they went through rigorous
training that shaped them into being elite soldiers of the empire, who were fiercely
loyal to the emperor. However their training wasn’t always ideal,
as there were many cases of training being rushed in order to fill the stormtrooper ranks
as a means of keeping up with the Empire’s rapid expansion across the galaxy. Also much of the training involved stormtroopers
to disregard fallen comrades in battle and to push on, no matter the cost. This resulted in many stormtroopers to have
low morale. Despite this, most of them were formidable
soldiers that were honored in serving their Empire. And before we go on to the Rebels, we do want
to dispel this notion that Stormtroopers are incompetent morons who can’t aim. Doing so we will refute the so called evidence
seen in the movies. The stormtroopers on the first death star
only missed because they were ordered to do so, so they could use the fleeing Millennium
Falcon to track the Rebels to their secret base on Yavin 4. The Stormtroopers on Endor were only defeated
because they not only were completely caught off guard by an overwhelming force but they
were also fighting on territory they were unfamiliar with, a territory that was littered
with deadly traps set up by the Ewoks. Ewoks are also very small and quick, making
them very hard targets to hit. We should also keep in mind that Ewoks are
extremely strong, and were at times referred to as “mini wookiees”, so a rock thrown
by them is like a rock thrown by a massive gorilla, and would knock out anyone hit in
the head by the sheer force alone, no matter what helmet they’re wearing. Other than those two moments, stormtroopers
were portrayed to be pretty dangerous in the movies, by slaughtering the rebels on Tantive
4 and steamrolling them once again in the Battle of Hoth. Anyway, Now with the Rebels. The Rebel Alliance didn’t exactly have a
training structure for regular Rebel soldiers, as they didn’t have the resources or funding
to create one. Due to this, most Rebel Soldiers’ training
varied, with some coming into the rebellion with a full blown military background and
required no additional training, while others joined without any prior training and were
only given a few weeks of blaster practice before being forced into combat. Some even defected from the Imperial Military
and the only training they ever received was that from the Empire. All in all, most rebel soldiers learned how
to fight from experience rather than from formal training. Most of them were also very dedicated to the
Rebel cause and would even sacrifice themselves without a second thought. These two things alone made rebel soldiers
a force to be reckoned with. Rebel Soldiers tended to be a few years younger
than their stormtrooper counterparts, due to the Alliance not setting an age restriction
for recruitment, with some soldiers being as young as 14 years old. This resulted in some soldiers of the Alliance
Army having very little experience due to how young they were. Stormtrooper armor and the body glove underneath
were designed to protect the user from both the environment and from blaster fire. For the environment, the armor gave protection
from extreme heat and cold, as well as provide limited protection in the vacuum of space. For blasters, the armor was designed to disperse
the blaster bolt throughout the suit rather than trying to completely stop it. Although this greatly increased the survivability
of the trooper, it did usually result in the trooper being temporarily paralyzed or knocked
out. Which is why you’ll see some of them slightly
moving after being shot down. The armor was capable of stopping light blaster
bolts, allowing the soldier to keep on fighting, but anything above that resulted in the soldier
being disabled. The helmet provided stormtroopers the ability
to see through smoke and darkness, as well as have a basic heads up display which provided
them environmental information and a simple targeting system. It also let them breath through smoke. This armor did have some drawbacks though,
by reducing the soldiers’ maneuverability due to its weight. It also could be temporarily disabled by an
EMP bomb, with the trooper being knocked out as a result. Also the armor was not camouflaged, having
the stormtrooper sticking out in most environments. Rebel soldiers were not equipped with a standard
uniform, due to the Rebel Alliance’s limited resources. Instead, they wore whatever was available
and what was best suited for the environment they were fighting in. This usually resulted in them being camouflaged
to the environment and because they tended not to wear armor, they were also very maneuverable. Rebel soldiers being directly hit by a blaster
bolt usually resulted in their death, or at the very less a serious injury that prevented
them from fighting on. They wore backpacks, which contained survival
gear and additional blaster ammo. They also wore helmets that protected their
heads from blunt objects, like light debris, but they weren’t reinforced enough to protect
against most blasters. The E-11 blaster rifle was the standard issue
blaster for most Stormtroopers. The E-11 was a very versatile blaster, being
able to alternate from semi-automatic to fully automatic, extend to a full rifle, and switch
between stun and lethal modes. The scope on the weapon allowed for the user
to see through dark and smoky conditions, and could be set to interface with the stormtrooper’s
helmet. The blaster produced a powerful blaster bolt
which was capable of penetrating most types of body armor. Due to its long barrel, the blaster produced
a very tightly focused beam. Because of this, the E-11 was best suited
for close to mid range firefights and in narrow confinements like starship corridors. The A280 blaster rifle was the most common
blaster seen to be used by Rebel Soldiers. It was a very powerful blaster that was considered
to be one the best armor piercing blasters produced during the Galactic Civil War. It was capable of completely penetrating stormtrooper
armor with ease, which is possibly why it was so commonly used by the rebels. The A280 blaster was best used in mid to long
ranges and in more open like environments like Hoth. One thing to note, was that the A280 was much
heavier than the E-11. When it came to training, stormtroopers definitely
received the better end of the deal, by getting to use all the available resources the Empire
had to offer, such as getting first hand experience on using military equipment, going through
battle simulations, and getting taught by expert instructors. Sure some stormtroopers’ training was rushed
or was very harsh, but that wasn’t the case for most of them. Rebel soldiers really only received very brief
training, if any at all, and they mostly learned how to fight from experience, that is if they
were lucky enough to survive their first battle. Rebels who did possess superior abilities
than their peers were given the chance to go through a special training program to have
them become members in the Alliance Special Forces, but that was a completely different
branch in the Alliance military and really only took away the best from the Rebel army
branch. So for the training aspect, we will give the
stormtroopers the point. For body equipment, the stormtroopers possessed
far more expansive and useful body armor and equipment than the rebels did. Not only did the armor protect them, but it
also provided them targeting systems and sensors that allowed them to see through darkness
and smoke. The only benefit a fully equipped rebel soldier
had was that they were slightly more mobile than stormtroopers, but not by that much due
to the heavy backpacks they wore and the heavy blasters they carried. For body equipment, the stormtroopers get
the point once again. For blasters, both the E-11 and A280 rifles
were powerful blasters that excelled at different things. The E-11 was more versatile with its various
firing modes but was most effective at close range, with it starting to be less accurate
at mid range and eventually becoming very difficult to hit targets at long range. The A280 was sort of the opposite, as it didn’t
have many different firing modes, but was best suited in mid to long range fights. Since they both are very well made blasters
that are excellent in their respective categories, it’s very difficult to decide which blaster
is better, as it all would depend on the environment they are being used in. Because of this, it’s going to be a tie
between these two weapons. For this verses both sides will have an equal
amount of people to make things fair. Firstly, because the rebel soldiers in this
fight will be using the A280 rifles, a single direct hit from them will put the stormtroopers
down, as the A280 rifles are able to easily penetrate stormtrooper armor. And the same goes for the rebels, as they
didn’t wear any armor so they too would be brought down by a single direct shot. Now it all depends on the environment this
fight would take place in. If the fight took place inside of a ship or
space station will many corridors, then the stormtroopers would easily win, as not only
did their blasters excel at close quarters, but their helmets would have allowed them
to see through the smoke which would have been a result from the heavy fighting between
the two forces in a tight confined area. This scenario would look very much like the
fight on Tantive 4, just with the rebels being able to put down a few more stormtroopers
due to their blasters being able to one hit them, unlike the blaster pistols used by the
rebels in the movie. In urban like environments, from dense cities
like Coruscant to smaller towns like Mos Eisley, the stormtroopers would have the advantage
once more with the environment being more confined with firefights happening within
buildings and the streets, allowing mostly for close quarter combat. But the casualties for the stormtroopers would
be much higher than from the previous setting, as urban environments can result to some mid
to long range firefights. It’s not until we start moving to more wilderness
like environments that the rebels start to have more of an advantage. When it comes to wide open areas, like mountainscapes
and desserts, the rebels have the advantage of not only having a blaster that excels in
long range fights, but also the advantage of being able to camouflage with the environment. The stormtroopers on the other hand would
stick out like sore thumbs in their white only armor. In wide open environments, the rebels would
probably win 6 or 7 out of 10 times. Now if these fights took place in complete
darkness, in any of the settings mentioned, then the stormtroopers would win basically
every single time, as their helmets allowed for them to see through the dark. The rebels on the other hand would be completely
blind, or would expose themselves and their positions by using flashlights. In conclusion, the Stormtrooper’s due to
their weaponry and helmets would have a greater chance of winning in settings that forced
close quarter combat as well as any time they fought in darkness. Rebels would have a greater chance of winning
in environments that were wide open and were suited for camouflage. Remember this is our opinion based on the
information provided, let us know if you agree with us or not, and tell us why!
