Star Wars: Rebels

[Lord Revan]

that or he had connections aren't moff suppose to be essentially sector governors with some military authority in the sector?

[FaxModem1]

He also was the guy in charge of building the second Death Star, not the one in charge of it when it was going to be complete. For all we know, he was going to be replaced with some flag officer once it was commissioned and flying around the galaxy.

[Elheru Aran]

Moff is a strange position if you think about it. It's an amalgamation of civilian authority and military commander, in a sense. Essentially a variety of military dictator.

So the Empire has a bunch of little Idi Amins or Sani Abachas running around in charge of things... how's that for messed up.

[Thanas]

I think they are more analogous to Military Governors of the 19th and 20th centuries, of which every nation had a lot of. In some nations they were even the highest civil and military authority of their district, no need to invoke third world dictators.

(Personally, I always felt that the EU messed up here, IMO the moffs from the movies where just officers with special powers delegated to them according to need, kinda like those officers with special responsibilities superseding the standard command structure we find in the Russian and Prussian Armies).

[RogueIce]

I think it's a little harsh blaming Jerjerrod for leaving large holes in his battle station before the attack.

Indeed. It wasn't his decision to lure the Rebellion in with a half-completed but operational Death Star.

He did what he had to do: he got that superlaser up and running in time. It's like blaming Piett because the Imperial fleet didn't move in and crush the Rebels immediately.

If you want some incompetence, look to whoever the Army commander was that failed to adequately reinforce his "secret back door" that was evidently where they intended for the ground team to hit. If that AT-AT had shown up it would have been game over, man.

[Havok]

None of that changes that he answered to two people in the entire fucking galaxy. Even if it was through "connections", something I don't really see Palpatine giving a flying fuck about, and certainly not Vader, they would have to be STELLAR fucking connections. And even if he only was the BMF of Engineering, he still only had two bosses when he was doing his thing. Dark Lord of Logistics.

[NecronLord]

I must admit my criticism of Jerjerodd was based somewhat on having (then) recently watched the deleted scenes that show him in overall command of the Death Star's defense; and the assumption that the Emperor had told him the plan. Neither are really true.

On the other hand, he still managed to lose a death star, so not a shining example of military success either.

Returning somewhat to the point, however, I re-watched ep IV today with the GF and there's not much that I can see as a difference between the stormtroopers there and the ones in this; while the Tarkin-ordered-them-to-miss argument is certainly notable, the general feel is the same as the clip from Rebels.

I can't see where you'd get the idea that the empire was (unrealistically, because RL states have soldiers behaving like the ones in Rebels all the time) super competent from though.

[Borgholio]

On the other hand, he still managed to lose a death star, so not a shining example of military success either.

His hands were tied in every possible way by the Emperor's Cunning Plan™. Had the DS2's location remained hidden until the big freaking entry holes into the superstructure were sealed up, then things would have been vastly different.

[applejack]

Here's the first of four shorts from the series that will air each Monday on Disney XD.



I like that Kiner used the "TIE Fighter Attack" theme in the clip. And some of those visual shots seem to be taken almost exactly from the scene where the MF escapes from the Death Star.

[biostem]

That clip had kind of a nice tone to it - not too goofy, definitely loaded with sarcasm, and portrayed them as taking a beating but managing to make it through. I liked Chopper being more than just an obedient "puppy" like R2. I wonder if they're actually gonna go the route of developing a relationship between Kanan & Hera.

One oddity, though - we know that TIEs are short range fighters, so were they supposedly launched from the supply depot they mentioned as having struck, because they kinda appear to be in the middle of nowhere. I suppose that part would be filled in w/ teh other shorts or when the full episode airs.

[Arawn Fenn]

I liked Chopper being more than just an obedient "puppy" like R2.

R2 sometimes wasn't very obedient...

[applejack]

The second of four clips:

[The Romulan Republic]

That one was kind of crap.

[Vance]

"over here bucked heads!"
"you guys are too predictable"
How did she do that, she can teleport?

[Irbis]

Ah, the mandatory feature of every female armour ever, cleavage gap making big hole in it right on the height most rifles are used on

I like how Stormtroopers with supposedly vision enhancing helmets are so blind they can't even spot someone backlighted on top of the wall, it's not like it's really noticeable or anything, but then again, scene with "I'll slowly hide behind that panel while you look to the side unprompted" tactical maneuver easily beats that

Also, did they forgot how to use stun setting while shooting among a lot of really valuable stuff or something? Ah, wait, no, they only started using it, like, JUST after it would be really handy thing to do

[biostem]

Attention all Stormtroopers! Henceforth you are to stun first, then ask questions later!

"over here bucked heads!"
"you guys are too predictable"
How did she do that, she can teleport?

I LOL'd!

[NecronLord]

I love the bitching whenever the stormtroopers are buffoons. It's not a new depiction, as much as we talk ourselves into them having some dignity around here from time to time. It's pretty clear stormtroopers are going to be idiots in this.

Though yes, cartoon physics seem to be in force here; but then, star wars does at least have some people who can become near-invisible and run at highway car speeds. In the films no less, perhaps she's a latent force user?

[Ted C]

Though yes, cartoon physics seem to be in force here; but then, star wars does at least have some people who can become near-invisible and run at highway car speeds. In the films no less, perhaps she's a latent force user?

Cybernetics, maybe? She does seem unnaturally quick and agile.

I do with the Stormtroopers didn't have to be dumbed down. Worthy opponents make the heroes seem much more impressive.

[Mr Bean]

I do with the Stormtroopers didn't have to be dumbed down. Worthy opponents make the heroes seem much more impressive.

This is true, great example if an odd one, the Shadowkhan from JCA (Jackie chan's old cartoon show from the late 90s) which were always intimidating yet they were literally a horde of faceless shadow ninjas and they often lost. Yet the presentation was as such despite the fact that Chan when 12-1 and won you still took them seriously because they were Ninjas which literally phased into existing from the darkness, used different weapons and tactics to fight the heros and adapted to situations. They were memorable and intimidating despite as I mentioned almost always losing.

[biostem]

I think it's half trying to keep a light tone and half laziness - they could have animated her being acrobatic enough and/or skillful enough to express that she's misdirected them in a more believable manner, or they could just have her ragging on the stormtroopers and just kinda cutting to her appearing from a completely different location like they did.

I wonder if they're going to always portray the stormtroopers as recovering from being shot or such, (like them groaning after a fight where they clearly got blasted).

[Mr Bean]

I wonder if they're going to always portray the stormtroopers as recovering from being shot or such, (like them groaning after a fight where they clearly got blasted).

And parachuting out of tie fighters

[Purple]

I wonder if they're going to always portray the stormtroopers as recovering from being shot or such, (like them groaning after a fight where they clearly got blasted).

Maybe stormtrooper armor is actually good enough to provide some protection against civilian grade firearms? That would be refreshing to see.

[Vance]

I think the reason they had the stormies survive here is to avoid what would have otherwise been a whimsically performed murder of several troopers. A "terrorist bombing".

On the other hand we should expect these fascist troopers to round up and brutalize the local population for information and in demonstration of what shall not be tolerated. We saw an officer basically threaten execution over some fruit, so the fruit should hit the fan now.

[Havok]

I love the bitching whenever the stormtroopers are buffoons. It's not a new depiction,

It sure fucking is.

Stormtroopers are death dealing, family burning, rebel killing stormtroopers of doom in the OT. Even in ROTJ. Yeah they get overwhelmed by ewoks, but it's not like the ewoks weren't prepared to fight something and fight it effectively.
Add to that they were all proficient at archery, slingshots and rappelling. They were also fighting on their home turf and had natural camouflage developed over hundreds of thousands of years.
They had attack gliders, catapults and traps that crushed anything in their way with 25 ton projectiles and rams. The icing was that the stormtroopers, and more importantly, their heavy support, completely un-breifed and unprepared, were funneled right into those traps.

The idea that stormtroopers were buffoons in the OT is a brainbug planted by those that can't comprehend what they see on screen and because a couple of them got tricked by one of the greatest Jedi Masters in fucking history.

Give me a fucking break.

[Tiriol]

You know, stormtroopers only appear "buffoonish" because we've had several decades to to overanalyze the OT to death and form memes and jokes about it. But what we actually see about stormtroopers is pretty indicative that they are much more competent than Separatist battledroids.

In ANH, they murder (offscreen, of course) two ordinary citizens and burn their house AND destroy a Jawa vehicle, a big honking tank-like apparatus. We actually see them first time when they board Tantive IV and considering that they come out of a tiny doorway to be greeted with a hailstorm of blaster fire, they do pretty good, forcing the defenders to retreat almost immediately and suffering only few casualties. On Death Star they are usually taken by surprise - and the moment that element is lost, our heroes ran like hell before stormtroopers. In ESB they rmain professional soldiers and once again only an element of surprise makes them suffer any serious losses on-screen: witness Han's use of the Falcon's hidden blaster against the snowtroopers who were setting up a weapons platform and Lando's sudden betrayal at the Cloud City. Just about the only humorous stormtrooper moments are with Ewoks overtaking them (but even then stormtroopers are basically throwing them around like ragdolls once they get their affairs in order), Obi-Wan using a Jedi mind trick on the stormtrooper leader in Mos Eisley and Han calling the two stormtroopers in Death Star hangar bay ("Could ya give a hand with this?"). They are very much threatening, but ultimately just mooks and thugs who are always getting overrun by the story's heroes.

I find it strange that usually the EU has kept stormtroopers pretty awesome, actually: they are not portrayed as buffoons, simply very efficient soldiers who just usually get outclassed by ridiculous character shields (be they justified - Luke's a fully trained Jedi and several other SW heroes are top-notch secret agents, commandoes, soldiers or outlaws with more experience than they can remembeer). Just about the only silly stormtroopers I can think of in the old EU are those in Children of the Jedi - and they are brainwashed Gamorreans and other lunatics whom the superweapon of the day thought were ACTUAL stormtroopers, since its AI was crappy as all hell. It's the fans, not the movies or the EU even, which has downgraded stormtroopers.