SPECULATION OFFICIAL: THE FIRST ORDER DISCUSSION THREAD

I just want to know who gets issued the mini electro-staffs that can block saber blades and why.

 

From the toys those would be, at least, the Riot Control Troopers...

 

Hm, that would make sense in a way that there are no toys available for Chromies other than Phasma, but red striped SpecForce elite Troopers and Spec Force elite TIE pilots can be spotted.

 

Those would match the TIE's with the red stripe on them? And those are the two seated TIE's, correct?

 

Bounty troopers!

 

Exactly! It would be intriguing if those also would have cloaking ability, being able to drop a the 2nd person behind enemy lines.

I wonder what those big aggregates directly connecting the wings are for?!

--- Double Post Merged, Nov 18, 2015, Original Post Date: Nov 18, 2015 ---

Well, that's exactly the blueprint where Phasma originates from. Boba was planned at first to be the commander of a SpecForce Stormtrooper unit, thus the white color in the first draft.

That's now exactly Phasma's role.

 

This might help with sorting out 1st Order Stormtrooper variants-

To get an idea of what a TFA Speederbike and Scout should look like, here are some closeups I took of the 3.75" TFA Elite Speeder Bike and Scout figure for a review I did.

I say should because it's not yet been confirmed that this will actually be in the film-

 

Hm, yesterday I though OK, these ‘Riot Control’ Stormtroopers are exactly that: Some forces issued shields and e-batons to crush on civil uprisings and control the populace without too much bloodshed. An interesting twist in the philosophy from the Empire to the First Order. As per the Tarkin doctrine, I think that protesters during empire times just got shot, at least in the outer rim.

Issuing shields and none lethal weapons for riot control would give the First Order a more harmless appearance in the eye of the masses.

It’s all based on the original Ralph McQuarrie concept art from the 70’s, where every “Knight in Armor” aka Stormtrooper held a shield and a (laser)sword (*argh*). I was happy that with TFA they did NOT make the overabundance of lightsabers come true, but stick with the option of a melee weapon like those new e-batons that have the ability to go up against opponents wielding lightsabers nonetheless.

But after the latest TV spot … Man, the guy taking on Finn, that son of a b..ch! He really seems eager to show off his weapon and skills by kicking someone’s ass.









These are no simple “battons” nor is this simple “riot control” and your average run-of-the-mill trooper, it’s exactly as Trevor said:

I should stop watching these TV spots, they're giving away too much information already - aaaarghhh!


After that spot I’m also confident that the black pauldrons don’t indicate an enlisted rank but something more special/unique/of higher rank.

 

Those stills make it look like the batons only activate on-impact. What if that specific Trooper is...Pip Anderson, so maybe Pip turns on Finn since he's brainwashed, too, and Finn tries to talk him down but ends up having to kill his best friend?!?!? Also, Kylo Ren looks strange just standing there in that picture still.

 

Well, that was keen eyed and sharply reasoned from you! I did not noticed that, but in this sequence, it’s true! The electrification of that thing activates only after the first lightsaber hit! So what are these batons made from - really some ally like Phrik?!?



From the ruins and the trees in the background, one can assume that this scene is after the 1st Order had attacked and razed Maz’s castle. Kylo really seems to have his head up in the clouds here, or he’s just looking up upon a bunch of Resistance scum standing on an elevated rubble pile (at least not a 25’ podium!), with their hands in the air.

 

No, that's not it. Actually, when I saw the first pictures of the extended Tatooine sandtrooper scenes for the Special Edition (only featuring black pauldrons / epaulettes) I did write to Rick McCallum at Lucasfilm and enclosed a graphic sheet of what I assumed might have been what costume designer John Mollo might have had in mind (i.e. to match the colors with the single lined ANH Imperial rank plaques).

I believe that the basic black pauldron / epaulette (in ANH) had actually been some kind of thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature in the sandtrooper armor. But in addition it was utilized to display the corresponding rank color on a larger surface which might be very practical during a typical Tatooine sandstorm to still be able to see where which officer is.

I'm enclosing the original sheet I recently updated. It has little bearing on the pauldrons in TFA, but still...

P.S. The white "bounty trooper" (further above) was originally a prototype design for a new super-stormtrooper for the ESB before it got changed becoming the armor of a Mandalorian shocktrooper from the clone wars (supposedly defeated by the Jedi, then).

 

Wow!
That belongs in a museum!

I like this very much! Did you ever receive an answer to your letter? That contradicts some that was published as ‘canon’ on Wookieepedia and elsewhere (that’s also were the color black was linked with enlisted personnel). But to me, it makes totally sense.


(I also got that old laser disc box still lying around somewhere )

 

Thank you! No, I did not receive a reply, neither to the illustrated suggestion to fix the editing flaws (for the Special Edition) in the second X-Wing attack run I enclosed, too. In the meantime I think I learned that anything you send Lucasfilm will be considered an "unsolicited submission", hence I've been using their official submission form, lately, although I believe research doesn't qualify as "unsolicited submission" (but DICE told me differently).

Yes, it somewhat contradicts 'canon' but my immediate reply is usually "canon based on what excactly?". In this particular case and IMHO, canon can only be what the actual costume designer, rank plaque and Alliance bird creator John Mollo really intended. I attempted (doesn't say I'm successful, though) to decipher what he might have had in mind. To be sure one would need to get in personal touch with Mr. Mollo, and I recently requested Lucasfilm to do so - on behalf of canon and continuity.

 

Maybe they did not have so much the Jedi in mind, but somebody more close. If I’m right, there will be some tension between General Hux and Kylo & the Knights of Ren. I can imagine that some genius from the FO thinks as those lightsaber resistant weapons of a backup insurance in case someone of those “unstable” dark force users decides to go against the FO’s interest.

 

I have a couple more toy references that may help.

The 3.75" Stormtrooper that comes with the Scout Walker is referred to on the box as a "Stormtrooper Sergeant". When comparing him to the standard carded Stormtrooper figures, the only difference between the two, is the Sergeant has the black shoulder epaulette.

Stormtrooper Sgt.-



Standard Stormtrooper-



I'm not very knowledgeable in regards to rank structure in the SW universe, but in the US Army, a Sergeant (E-5) is a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO), and is also an Enlisted man/woman.

The figure that comes with the First Order Snowspeeder is called a "First Order Snowtrooper Officer" on the package, and he is distinguished from the other Snowtrooper figures by the orange shoulder epaulette.

1st Order Snowtrooper Officer-



Again, using the US Army as an example, any soldier with a rank from 2nd Lieutenant (O-1) through General (O-10), is an Officer, and is not an enlisted man/woman.

Another small detail I noticed, is that the Snowtrooper and Captain Phasma blasters have the telescoping AR-15 style buttstock, and the regular Stormtrooper blasters don't-



Anyway, this is a great thread. Fascinating stuff!

 

It's a strange scene. Other stormtroopers are running in the background but the one with the black pauldron stands and watches (over?) Kylo Ren. Maybe some kind of security or bodyguard?

EDIT: According to RBanks black now in TFA indicates rank of sergeant (used to be white for the OT according to other aforementioned sources / books) and orange a commissioned officer.

Now, what does the white pauldron stand for? (This quote from Kathleen Kennedy is now burned into my head: "We make it up as we go")

 

For a better look at the weapons and helmets, visit here: http://www.wired.com/2015/11/star-wars-force-awakens-props/#slide-3