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In the context of being hit by a blaster, it's probably only as effective as modern body armour is at stopping a gunshot. It reduces the lethality but isn't magic like the armour the elite characters wear.

GuppyShark wrote: ↑2021-03-12 03:34pm In the context of being hit by a blaster, it's probably only as effective as modern body armour is at stopping a gunshot. It reduces the lethality but isn't magic like the armour the elite characters wear.

Corollary: What makes armor very good against blasters may trade off versus physical attacks. Boba was cracking armor with his swings because it wasn't meant for that kind of fight.

GuppyShark wrote: ↑2021-03-12 03:34pm In the context of being hit by a blaster, it's probably only as effective as modern body armour is at stopping a gunshot. It reduces the lethality but isn't magic like the armour the elite characters wear.

False analogy. Modern body armor that can stop rifle bullets has existed since the late 80's. Mass issued body armor is different as it's function is to increase the overall toughness of the system. Which the ST armor doesn't cut it since it's useless.. against all possible threats.

-Gunhead

Sort of analogous to the way kevlar can protect against projectiles but not against an edged blade?

Even with the notion that there are different armors to protect against different weaponry, Storm Trooper armor still seems to suck.

It's the opposite of a false analogy. Stormtrooper armour exists in a universe where the primary threat is some sort of pseudo laser plasma weapon.

Show me a video of US/NATO issued body armour allowing someone to walk through a hail of 7.62 rifle fire and I'll buy your claim that "Modern body armor that can stop rifle bullets has existed since the late 80's."

In the Tantive IV corridor scene, stormtroopers were observed checking on their wounded. Kinda pointless if their organs were vaporised by a high energy particle weapon, right?

EDIT: I literally said in my previous post that 'elite' armour exists. There's a difference between the 'this armour stops us losing a soldier' and 'lets us walk through gunfire' armour. I think that is the salient point that has been missed.

I wonder how many stormtroopers actually survive what appear to be killshots. Maybe they're actually trained to rely on their armor and zerg rush the enemy on purpose.

Galvatron wrote: ↑2021-03-13 02:46pm I wonder how many stormtroopers actually survive what appear to be killshots. Maybe they're actually trained to rely on their armor and zerg rush the enemy on purpose.

Hard to say, though I also suspect most enemies prior to the fall of empire Stormtroopers would meet would be more like poorly armed civilians with little to no training and outdated equipment rather then something like the Mandalorians. So being trained to rely on Zerg rushing the enemy positions and relying on the armor to make sure your casualties aren't too bad.

Thanks to Solo (the movie that is) we know imperial army had ground pounders and not just walker/armor crewmen and support staff, so that would probably used in cases where shocktroopers aren't needed.

I suspect that Stormtroopers are trained to put the mission above self-preservation in a rather simplistic way, after all at its height the empire had nearly limitless resources so training troopers to use tactics that might be slower but preserve the lives of the troopers might no have been seen as worth it.

There's also the psychological aspect to consider after all so untrained (or poorly trained) rebel white armored troopers zerg rushing your positions without any obvious regards to their own safety is a lot scarier then camo painted troopers who take cover from your shots.

While it's true that The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the empire it would take some time for the organizational inertia to fade and the imperial remnant troops to come up with new tactics.

I lost track of how many landed on Tython, but it seemed like their numbers never really dwindled even after so many of them were blasted. Is it possible that the ones who were knocked down simply recovered after a brief spell and got back on their feet to continue the battle?

Do blaster hits leave visible marks on Stormie armour? If so the 'I got back up sucker' soldiers should show scorch marks or something but in theory I don't see why not. I find it unlikely though (unless we're talking upside of hours for a 'brief spell', which would give them ample time to change into undamaged armour though)-blasters don't seem to have the KE/momentum to just 'drop' a stormtrooper (no noticeable recoil) without actually injuring them. Always depends on the 'severity' of the injury of course but I don't think enough damage to drop a person in an instant is something you recover from on short notice

Did the stormtrooper uniforms that Han and Luke stole in ANH have any visible marks from their blaster shots?

Going from memory here but didn't the suits Han and Luke wore show their bare necks when all the others had the black turtleneck that goes with the body glove? If so it's possible those troopers were shot in the throat

GHETTO EDIT: Nope, doesn't work. Both of them originally wear the black turtleneck collar. Also, no mark on the armour when the sound effects definitely say kill shot

Even if the armor is supposed to protect them from energy weapons, it has to be resilient enough to stand up to accidental impacts on the order of a casual swing of a bat. If not, it's worthless to wear egg shell armor to defend against lasers if it cracks when you sit down hard.

As I recall, the only time we ever saw their armor crack is when Boba Fett hit them with his gaffi stick. The crude melee weapons used by the Ewoks didn't do that.

Galvatron wrote: ↑2021-03-14 10:38pm As I recall, the only time we ever saw their armor crack is when Boba Fett hit them with his gaffi stick. The crude melee weapons used by the Ewoks didn't do that.

To be fair, simple physics may have played a part. The Ewoks are, well, small, and their weapons wouldn't have been used with nearly as much leverage as a four-foot, weighted gaffi stick being swung by a full-size human.

Yes, I know Ewoks are supposedly freakishly strong for their size. I still think physics played a part. That, and possibly degradation with time or depreciation of manufacturing quality.

Galvatron wrote: ↑2021-03-14 10:38pm As I recall, the only time we ever saw their armor crack is when Boba Fett hit them with his gaffi stick. The crude melee weapons used by the Ewoks didn't do that.

The smith mandalorian also cracked the armor of at least two stormtroopers in the 8th episode of the 1st season. First is the guy hit in the face smashing away the lower part of the helmet face, second time is off screen but you can see pieces of armor fly upwards to the shot. The last one is a bit of a gaffe because we hear the armor crack and see the pieces fly up but once the camera pans away you don't see any noticeable damage on the trooper lying at her feet.

-Gunhead

Gunhead wrote: ↑2021-03-15 09:15pm

Galvatron wrote: ↑2021-03-14 10:38pm As I recall, the only time we ever saw their armor crack is when Boba Fett hit them with his gaffi stick. The crude melee weapons used by the Ewoks didn't do that.

The smith mandalorian also cracked the armor of at least two stormtroopers in the 8th episode of the 1st season. First is the guy hit in the face smashing away the lower part of the helmet face, second time is off screen but you can see pieces of armor fly upwards to the shot. The last one is a bit of a gaffe because we hear the armor crack and see the pieces fly up but once the camera pans away you don't see any noticeable damage on the trooper lying at her feet.

-Gunhead

Again.. physics. She's a SMITH, so she's got a lot of upper arm strength, and betting the hammer and tongs are probably beskar. You do NOT piss off the blacksmith, they know where armor is weak.

Is it ever actually called armor in a movie? Are we sure it is not primarily an environmental encounter suit? Or just a scary uniform with a headdress to frighten the locals?

I don't actually believe any of that, but since the writers have no desire to have the obvious behave as such, why not?

It could be all of the above, actually.

Also IIRC the Mando armorer mashed the ventilator part of the helm, that's most likely a weak spot seeing that you need room for the devices that make sure the trooper can breathe and talk properly. Not mention that armor in the Mandalorian might not be up to spec anymore due to the logistics network of the Empire collapsing.

All we need now is Michael Caine to explain that there's a problem with the plastoid and that the next ten thousand suits will be up to spec.

Early in the Mandalorian the stormtroopers definately looked worse for wear. Gideon's forces appeared to be shiny clean, though.

Galvatron wrote: ↑2021-03-17 09:46pm All we need now is Michael Caine to explain that there's a problem with the plastoid and that the next ten thousand suits will be up to spec.

'Clean' isn't the same as 'up to spec'.
And not movies but both Rex and Kanan in 'Rebels' called it 'armour' if memory serves

It would make sense that once the Republic became the Empire and the soldiers became more about oppression than protection, someone might have worked out that the cost of proper armour wasn't worth their average soldier.