[SD.Net EU Database] The Clone Wars Campaign Guide

[Balrog]

Taking a different route with this one, going to be a lot more focused in terms of subjects covered, mainly fighting and such. Might add more fluffy bits at a later date, like culture and politics (spoiler: the Republic is corrupt as all hell. Also the sky is blue) if I have the time and boredom.

Caution, a lot of this deals with some really silly shit.

A Clone Wars campaign takes place against the backdrop of a devastating galactic conflict which stretches from the Deep Core to the fringes of the Outer Rim. Everywhere the heroes go they are confronted with the realities of galactic war. Nearly every world has a Republic or Separatist presence, and even remote and out-of-the-way planets are drawn into the war. Except for the Unknown Regions, nowhere in the galaxy offers escape from the Clone Wars. Previously peaceful planets are swept up in increased militarization, and worlds that have been free of conflict for centuries are now the site of devastating clashes. No organization is safe from the effects of the war, as corporations, criminal empires, and mercenary armies struggle to find a way to survive the expanding conflict, and turn a profit at the same time.

Sense of scale for the conflict, a.k.a. "brushfire war lol"

In the heat of battle, giving in to feelings of hatred and aggressive behavior can be tempting. As younger, less experienced Jedi are promoted and take command of the Republic's clone troopers, tempers flare, fear of death or failure consumes, and those Jedi - once promising Knights - fall to the dark side before they know it. Even though they fight against droids and do not have to worry about any repercussions for using the Force against living targets, their feelings at the time they draw upon the Force can drive even the best of the Jedi over the edge into darkness.

Something that I've noticed floating around here in the past, the idea that using the Force against other living beings can have a different effect than doing so against inanimate objects, is given some credence here. Probably another reason why we don't see Jedi running around popping blood vessels in people's heads and whatnot.

EMP Grenade
Often referred to by the clone troopers of the Republic as "droid poppers," EMP grenades are similar to ion grenades in most respects. The biggest difference between EMP grenades and standard ion grenades is that they can completely shut down relatively weak droids.

Self-explanatory really, though it does answer why we saw both ion and EMP weaponry getting used and treated as different (besides the obvious "writers got lazy" excuse).

Camo Armor
Camo armor protects the wearer from discovery as well as injury. In addition to of the usual hard metal plates woven on top of a fabric body suit, the armor is also embedded with miniature photoreactive fibers that allow the suit to absorb light and change color to match the wearer's surroundings.

Note that we actually do see something similar being used previously in the EU, whether it's actually the same or just a variation/different version is unknown. Has a Restricted availability rating.

Shadowsuit
A shadowsuit appears to be nothing more than an unassuming black body stocking that covers every part of the wearer's body except for the eyes. Actually, the shadowsuit is composed of a special soft fiber called shadowsilk that absorbs light and sound. To further improve covert movement, the suit also has sound dampening pads on the hands and feet, and the wearer's eyes are covered by a set of goggles that come with the suit. A shadowsuit has no electronic systems that can reveal the wearer to sensors.

More stealth systems. This one at least is restricted primarily to military forces.

Camouflage Netting
Any camouflage netting found on the market is one of two kinds: powered and unpowered...
Integrated into the netting of the powered version are overlapping sensor baffle scales that emulate the emission patterns of the surrounding terrain - including light emissions.

Such a stocking of stealthy stuff in this chapter.

Dagger-class Starfighter
The Dagger-class space superiority starfighter is produced in large numbers by Republic Sienar Systems in the waning days of the Old Republic. It is a formidable craft for its time: small, maneuverable, and fast, with powerful weaponry and a limited astrogation computer that stores enough data for three hyperspace jumps.

As with later examples of Sienar's design philosophy, the Dagger-class lacks shields or extensive life support systems. Dagger pilots must don pressurized flight suits to withstand the rigors of space. An absence of inertial and gravity controls means that Dagger pilots are also exposed to extreme gravitational forces as they dodge, weave, and careen through space.

Thousands of Dagger-class starfighters are produced by Republic Sienar prior to the Clone Wars. The majority are purchased by planetary defense forces, and many of the systems that take up the banner of the Confederacy of Independant Systems have Daggers in their arsenal.

One wonders, in a universe where everything from giant space dreadnoughts to small one-man fighters has gravity and inertial controls, how the hell something lacking those items could possibly be a "formidable" craft purchased in the thousands. Even its in-game stats aren't that much different from any other starfighter in the system. The only way I can see dealing with this contradiction of pretty much everything else in SW is that the pilots literally lack the ability to "control" their systems; the settings are "preset" and cannot be adjusted on the fly, meaning if the pilot starts pulling G's over the limit he'll start to feel them.

The Clone Wars embodies traditional warfare better than any other war in the Star Wars saga. Whereas the Galactic Civil War features guerilla warfare against a monolithic Empire, the Clone Wars are a struggle between two more evenly matched forces using more conventional tactics and strategies.

This bit becomes important later on.

Though the Jedi are the guardians of the Republic for millennia, during the Clone Wars they dwindle nearly to the point of extinction. The Jedi slowly decline up to the point of the Clone Wars, but the sudden deaths of dozens of Jedi at the battle of Geonosis mark the first step in the rapid thinning of the Jedi ranks. As the Clone Wars progress, more Jedi are killed than are raised to knighthood, and the number of Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters shrinks as the war rages on. By the time Order 66 is implemented, the Jedi are significantly fewer in numbers than they are at the beginning of the Clone Wars.

Obviously the conflict is taking a heavy toll on the Jedi, but here were learn they're experiencing attrition at a great rate than can be replaced. I suppose that's what happens when you throw police officers into the role of military leaders and let them give it the old college try.

In retaliation against what some consider to be overly restrictive taxes and tariffs, the Trade Federation sends dozens of battleships, led by Viceroy Nute Gunray, to surround the peaceful planet [Naboo], cutting off all traffic.

A little aside, I don't think we were ever told how large the original blockade of Naboo was.

Jedi Commanders
Though technically a part of the Judicial Department, the Jedi Order enjoys a substantial degree of autonomy. As a result, the Supreme Chancellor has never been specifically empowered to give orders to the Jedi, although they would freely offer advice and render aid in all but the most unusual circumstances.

When Palpatine is granted emergency powers to deal with the Separatist threat and create a central military, one of the results is the creation of the Republic High Command and the reorganization of the bureaucracy to coordinate the Judicial Department with the war effort. The Jedi are moved out of their traditional peacekeeper role, instead becoming officers in the Grand Army of the Republic and the Republic Navy. As the Supreme Chancellor is the Commander-in-Chief, he is now in a position to command the Jedi directly.

While the Jedi still have the right to refuse the Supreme Chancellor's orders, they most provide considerably more justification than "the will of the Force," because they can be charged with insubordination, if not treason. This state of affairs has occasionally forced the Jedi to comply with instructions against their better judgment - but they cannot openly question the Supreme Chancellor's intentions without damaging the public's faith in the Jedi Order's leadership of the war effort.

In their new role as officers, the Jedi are assigned a rank that integrates them into the military's chain of command. Padawans are given the rank of commander, while Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters are all, at minimum, generals.

A bit about the maneuverings of Palpatine; I know there has been some discussion about the relationship between him and the Order and actions taken (like trying to arrest him). A clever way of grabbing onto more power and protecting yourself from criticism at the same time.

The Republic Army
The Republic's army is divided into two Orders of Battle - the Grand Army, and the more highly trained Special Operations Brigade - both of which are ultimately under the command of Chancellor Palpatine. Though the clone troopers that comprise both orders are created from the same genetic stock, they are trained differently for different purposes: the Special Operations Brigade for infiltration, sabotage, and the occasional assassination, and the Grand Army to fight on the front lines and to occupy captured areas.

A bit of laying out the ground-work, the last sentence becomes important shortly.

The Grand Army of the Republic
The Republic Army is largely comprised of clone troopers created from the genetic template of Jango Fett.

The command structure of the Grand Army breaks down into ten levels, from the squads of clone troopers all the way up to the Supreme Chancellor. The precise number of troopers varies for different units, and the following order of battle shows only the structure of infantry units (not including clones in support and command roles, usually at the company level and above).

Squad (9 troopers): The smallest group in the Grand Army is the squad, including a clone sergeant leading the unit.
Platoon (36 troopers): A platoon consists of 4 squads, led by a clone lieutenant and clone sergeant.
Company (144 troopers plus support personnel): A company consists of 4 platoons, led by a clone captain.
Battalion (576 troopers plus support personnel): A battalion consist of 4 companies, led by a clone commander.
Regiment (2,304 troopers plus support personnel): A regiment consists of 4 battalions, led by a clone commander (sometimes known as a clone regimental commander) and a Jedi commander (usually the Padawan of a Jedi general in a parent unit).
Brigade (9,216 troopers plus support personnel): A brigade consists of 4 regiments, led by a clone commander (sometimes known as a senior clone commander) and a Jedi general (a Jedi Knight who has not yet finished training a Padawan). A brigade is sometimes referred to as a "legion," depending on the specific unit.
Corps (36,864 troopers plus support personnel): A corps consists of 4 brigades, led by a clone commander (sometimes known as a clone marshal) and a Jedi general.
Sector Army (147,456 troopers plus support personnel): A sector army consists of 4 corps, commanded by a senior Jedi general (usually a Jedi Master who has trained one or more Padawans through the Jedi trials).
Systems Army (294,912 troopers plus support personnel): A systems army consists of 2 sector armies, commanded by a high Jedi general (a member of the Jedi High Council).
Grand Army (3,000,000+ troopers plus support personnel): The Grand Army consists of all 10 systems armies, led by the Commander-in-Chief (Supreme Chancellor Palpatine).

Much has been made of the stupidity in fighting a galactic war with just three million men...but why not some more?

As noted, the Grand Army is not only suppose to fight battles but "to occupy captured areas." If there's anything we've learned recently to our regret, it's that occupation can be messy and require a lot of soldiers; not even in the future will the need for "boots on the ground" just disappear. The fact that the equivalent of a Sector Army was used just to pacify a small insignificant country on our own world should speak as to how silly it would be trying to occupy an entire planet with anything less than millions of troops.

There's really only two ways around this: either the Republic had "natural" forces by the shitload alongside the Clones (which are barely mentioned in this book and, besides, why call it the "Clone Wars" if the Clones make up .00000001% of the people fighting?) or the ORBAT presented here is full of shit. I would prefer the latter, what with making sense and all.

The ORBAT is also pretty bad in how much shit it leaves out by its own admission...and it's one of the better ones given in this book!

Special Operations Brigade
With better training and specialized equipment, the Special Operations Brigade carries out missions with objectives that cannot be achieved through sheer numbers alone [ed. note: ROFLMAO!]. Special Operations includes the ARC troopers, the Republic commandos, and the clone assassin corps.

The command structure of the Special Operations Brigade breaks down into five levels, from four-clone squads up to Jedi General Arligan Zey, who answers directly to the Supreme Chancellor.

Squad (4 troopers): A squad consists of 4 clone troopers (usually Republic commandos). While these clone troopers include a sergeant who acts as the designated mission commander, they are trained to work together as a team and rank is not an issue (except where the Jedi are concerned).
Troop 20 troopers: A troop consists of 5 squads - again, acting as a coordinated team, taking orders only from Jedi.
Company (100 troopers plus support personnel): A company consists of 5 troops, led by a clone commander.
Group (500 troopers plus support personnel): A group consists of 5 companies. (The most famous is commanded by Jedi General Bardan Jusik, the former padawan of Generl Zey. Jusik eventually resigns his military commission and leaves the Jedi Order.)
Special Operations Brigade (5,000 troopers plus support personnel): The SO Brigade consists of 10 groups, commanded by Jedi General Arligan Zey.

By all rights, the SOB should be as large as the GAR, the latter even larger. Our one planet is able to produce many times more Spec Ops soldiers than a galactic civilization? One embroiled in a war spanning the entire galaxy?

Other clone specialists - such as technical support specialists, cryptographers, logistics specialists, so on - are also outside the ORBAT shown for the Grand Army of the Republic. Additionally, other clone troopers are not technically a part of the Grand Army of the Republic, such as the clone shocktroopers who operate in a law enforcement role as a part of the HomeWorld Security Command.

The only passage that offers some solace from this Travissty (at least she left before she could do more harm), the existence of Clone organizations outside the GAR. There could be many, many times the number of Clone troopers given in the ORBAT (as there should be in a sane and logical world), they're just all assigned to less "prestigious" combat units. The fact that we have to do this just to make sense of everything is an example to the extent of people's stupidity, ignorance and unwillingness to change. As if the real world wasn't bad enough.

Clones fill shipboard roles as marines, starfighter pilots, and gunners. Many of the Republic Navy's nonclone captains from either the navies of the various Sector Forces or the ranks of the Judicial Fleets.

Another out from the above idiocy, the number of clones in the GAR is separate from the ones in the Navy. Also allows for more Clone troopers to be taking part in combat as "marines."

The Republic Starfighter Corps
The Republic's starfighter corps is divided into multiple groups, each representing the starfighters assigned to a particular unit, whether that is a Venator-class Star Destroyer or a planetary starfighter base. The specific starfighters in use vary wildly.

The command structure of the Republic starfighter corps breaks down into five levels, from sections of starfighters all the way up to senior Jedi general. From there, the starfighter corps is fully integrated with the Orders of Battle of either the Grand Army of the Republic or the Republic Navy.

Section (2-4 starfighters: The smallest group of starfighters is the section, commanded by a lieutenant.
Flight (4-8 starfighters, plus maintenance and support crew): A flight consists of 2 sections, led by a captain.
Squadron (12-32 starfighters, plus support crew): A squadron consists of 3-4 flights, led by a major or a Jedi commander (Padawan).
Wing (36-320 starfighters, plus support crew): A wing consists of 3-10 squadrons, led by a clone commander or a Jedi General (Jedi Knight).
Group (72-640 starfighters, plus support crew): A group consists of 2 wings, led by a clone commander and a senior Jedi general (Jedi Master).

As an aside, I wonder how critical the Jedi are in leadership positions as the war progresses and their numbers thin, nevermind the fact that not all Jedi Masters want to (or are cut out to be) put in positions like commanding a group of starfighters

The Republic Navy
The Republic Navy is divided into multiple fleets, each representing the entirety of the naval forces in any given sector. There are several hundred Republic fleets, each configured for whatever purpose is most necessary in a given sector. The command structure of the Republic Navy breaks down into seven levels, from sections of vessels all the way up to the Supreme Chancellor.

Element (1 vessel): A single starship in the Republic Navy is technically called an element, commanded by the ship's captain or, rarely, a Jedi commander (a Padawan).
Section (3-12 vessels): A section consists of a small number of starships, the exact number determined by their role. Heavier cruisers and battleships usually operate in groups of 3-4, but lighter craft such as corvettes or patrol ships might be deployed in groups of 6-12. A section is often called a line when it includes heavier capital ships ("ships of the line"), and a section that includes only very light vessels might be called a flotilla. The most senior ship's captain in the section acts as its commander unless a Jedi commander is present.
Squadron (12-36 vessels, plus support units): A squadron consists of ships from 3-4 sections that complement one another, such as a line of capital ships supported by a section of escort frigates and a flotilla of corvettes that act as a defensive screen. It is commanded by a commodore or Jedi general (a Jedi Knight).
Battle Group (48-72 vessels, plus support units): A battle group consists of 2-4 squadrons, and it is considered to have sufficient strength to establish superiority in all but the best-fortified enemy strongholds. It is commanded by an admiral or Jedi general.
Fleet (100-300 vessels, plus support units): A fleet consist of 3-6 battle groups, led by a fleet admiral or senior Jedi general (a Jedi Master). Fleets vary considerably in composition, and they are likely to be reorganized into ad hoc task forces as deemed necessary for a given sector.
Armada (1,000-5,000 vessels, plus support units): An armada is an organizational unit that is not meant to engage in battle but rather to represent the total forces assigned to a major theater of battle, such as the Open Circle Armada under General Kenobi during the Outer Rim Sieges. An armada typically includes 10-50 fleets, collectively commanded by a high Jedi general (a Jedi Master serving on the High Council).
Navy : The Galactic Republic Navy consists of all the armadas (and their hundreds of fleets) serving the Republic, collectively led by the Commander-in-Chief (Supreme Chancellor Palpatine).

More lowballing of Republic forces, though not quite as terrible as the GAR (which is rather damning with faint praise). Hundreds of fleets, each between one to three hundred ships, gives us a range of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands or ships, which is less than you'd expect from a galactic superpower which, despite losing some major players, still had quite a number of shipyards and industrial production planets.

Clone Assassin
Created by a special order from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to safeguard against the unlikely possibility that the Jedi Order might attempt a military coup against the Republic Senate, clone assassins are specially trained in martial arts techniques involving bladed weapons. Moving with blinding speed, a squad of clone assassins is a match for any one Jedi Knight, though they fare somewhat less well against a Jedi Master.

Only four assassins are a match for a Jedi Knight, which seems pretty silly compared to some of the things we've seen Jedi Knights do but, err, um, I bet the Dark Side was blocking their abilities! A bit more seriously, it probably is a number of things (inexperience Jedi, Jedi not trained proficiently in combat, natural limitations of the Force) as well as the Dark Side which allows Jedi to be killed relatively easily.

Separatist Ground Forces
At its inception, the Separatists' ground forces are divided into five major orders of battle, and numerous minor orders of battle: the Commerce Guild's "punitive security forces"; the Corporate Alliance's Policy Administration Directorate; the InterGalactic Banking Clan's Collections and Security Division; the Techno Union's droid army, the Trade Federation's droid army; and countless other security forces, law enforcement agencies, and private armies.

Under General Grievous, each of these orders was reorganized into more efficient armies, each with specific purposes for which different combinations of forces are required.

The names kinda say it all, these guys went to war using their debt collection departments (obviously, a lot more heavily armed than real world departments, but still). What follows are a number of orders of battle for each force, though they are by far less extensive or thought-out than the GAR's (the Geonosians read the "Zap Brannigan's Guide to War" book and took it to heart), though the Trade Federation isn't so bad (and the Techno Union pretty much copied them). Also gives us an idea of their forces pre-CIS and another chance to laugh at Republic incompetence in enforcing the law:

Trade Federation Droid Army
The Trade Federation creates its droid army initially for security purposes, but quickly puts it to use invading and occupying Naboo. Although they are ordered to disarm after their defeat by the combined Naboo-Gungan forces, the Trade Federation merely transfers most of its materiel to subsidiary corporations - only to transfer it back, years later, in time to pledge its droid forces to the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

The command structure of the Trade Federation's droid army is profoundly simple: Battle droids report to droid officers, and droid officers report to their organic commanders.

AAT Crew (4 droids): An AAT crew consists of 4 OOM-Series battle droids
MMT Crew (4 droids): An MTT crew consists of 4 OOM-Series battle droids
Troop Carrier Crew (2 droids): A troop carrier crew consists of 2 OOM-Series battle droids.
Squad (8 battle droids): A squad consists of seven battle droids. Because the droids are controlled by a remote processor, no squad leader is required.
Platoon (56 battle droids): A platoon consists of seven squads.
Company (112 battle droids plus support droids): A company consists of 2 platoons transported on either an MMT or a troop carrier, under the direct command of a battle droid officer.
Battalion (784 battle droids plus support droids): A battalion consists of 7 troop carrier companies and a reinforced squadron of 24 AATs, under the direct command of a battle droid officer.
Vanguard (1,232 battle droids plus support droids): Intended for breaking through heavy defenses to deploy battle droids, a vanguard consists of 11 MTT companies and a squadron of 18 AATs, under the direct command of a battle droid officer.
Regiment (4,386 battle droids plus support droids): A regiment consists of 4 battalions and 1 vanguard, under the command of a battle droid officer. A regiment is the total force carried aboard a C-9979 landing craft.
Division (21,840 battle droids plus support droids): A division consists of 5 regiments carried aboard a section of 5 C-9979 landing craft.
Corps (109,200 battle droids plus support droids):A corps consists of 5 divisions carried aboard a section of 25 C-9979 landing craft.
Army (218,400 battle droids plus support droids): An army consists of 2 corps, the total surface force carried aboard a Lucrehulk-class battleship under the command of a Trade Federation ship's captain.

The Separatist Droid Army
Once combined, the individual elements of the commerce factions' military organizations form the mighty Separatist Droid Army: over a quadrillion droids in total (including the vast number of support droids necessary to keep such a large force operational), all of which are ultimately answerable to the cunning Kaleesh cyborg General Grievous. Reporting directly to Grievous are the various military leaders of the commerce factions, while the heads of the factions collectively act as an advisory council, with Count Dooku as their leader (much the way Supreme Chancellor Palpatine leads the Galactic Senate).

The Separatist Droid Army has no true order of battle due to the completely separate militaries that comprise it; instead, task forces are assembled as needed from available units. The genius of General Grievous is his ability to coordinate radically different force structures in a way that keeps the Republic off balance at the strategic level. Tactically, however, these incompatible command structures result in profound inefficiency and chain-of-command confusion, the result being that the Republic can usually outfight the Separatists even when badly outnumbered.

At least they got the numbers right for galactic warfare. However, no amount of "tactical confusion" can make up being outnumbered over three hundred million to one, as the Droid Army outnumbers the GAR. Even if the support droids outnumber the combat droids three to one, we're still seeing such an overwhelming numbers disparity that in now way can you consider the two sides equivalent combatants as was noted earlier. The numbers are too screwy, and hopefully in the near future they will be rectified.

The Separatist Admiralty
Like their ground forces, the Confederacy Navy begins as separate corporate fleets of the various commerce factions, only to be later combined under General Grievous. The organization changes little during the transition but grows in size.

The command structure of the Separatist admiralty consists of five groups.

Section (2-4 vessels, plus maintenance and support crew): The smallest group in the Separatist admiralty is the section, commanded by a captain.
Flight (4-16 vessels, plus maintenance and support crew): A flight consists of 2-4 sections, commanded by a commodore.
Squadron (12-64 vessels, plus maintenance and support crew): A squadron consists of 3-4 flights, led by a commodore.
Task Group (36-640 vessels, plus maintenance and support crew): A task group consists of 3-10 squadrons, led by a rear admiral.
Task Force (72-1,280 vessels, plus maintenance and support crew): A task force consists of 2 task groups, led by a vice admiral
Fleet (200-4,000 vessels, plus maintenance and support crew): A fleet consists of 3 task groups, led by an admiral
Admiralty: The Separatist Admiralty consists of hundreds of individual fleets, under the command of General Grievous.

Again with hundreds of fleets, though this gives us a slightly larger range than the Republic, up to millions of vessels. I believe the RotS ICS mentions that the Seppies have "millions" of ships, though I don't have the quote on hand.

[Srelex]

Yeah, I think the ICS did indeed say that; that said, I think the fleet numbers are vague enough here, and it's not unreasonable to assume that the navies of both sides fluctuated in number one way or another over the course of the war.

[Ritterin Sophia]

I believe either Into the Worlds of Attack of the Clones or the ICS3 mentions that there exist multiple Grand Armies.