Dev Diary #7: ISB Tactical Units, Spaarti Stormtroopers, Medical Droids and, you guessed it, much more!
The Empire's infantry roster is undergoing total reworks, with a glut of new special forces and other infantry types (plus additions for some other factions too this week).
One of the most exciting features advertised when Empire At War came out was the possibility of sending in commando raids to destroy ion cannons to let your space forces pass a planet. In the current public release commandos are pretty feeble. In v1.33 they’re getting a major overhaul. Last week we focused on the New Republic, but this time the Galactic Empire will be the main focus.
In the Pestage and Isard eras the Empire will have Imperial Security Bureau Tactical Units as their Operatives, like the squad pictured above, consisting of an ISB Field Agent and 3 ISB Stormtroopers. These Operatives will have a variety of sabotage and behind-the-lines abilities, like their New Republic counterparts.
As the Rebel Alliance showed how effective hit-and-run commando raids could be, the Empire countered with the Storm Commandos trained by Crix Madine. These will be the Empire’s main Special Forces Infantry type. (I explained the difference between the Operatives and the Special Forces Infantry last time.)
In an optimum scenario you’d use an ISB Agent or Probe Droid to scan a planet, and then land a mixed force of Storm Commando infantry and ISB Tactical Units to take the enemy garrison down.
This will bring proper commando raids to Age Of Legends, for both the Empire and the New Republic. It will also mean you’ll need some land forces to garrison worlds behind the lines.
The more widespread availability of Operatives and Special Forces (coming soon!) will help factions like the Mandalorians that typically start with few worlds to expand using the ASSERT strategy I described last year.
The Thrawn Era
By the time Grand Admiral Thrawn assembles his confederation, the Empire is running critically low on Stormtroopers - much less elite Storm Commandos - and the Imperial Security Bureau is in chaos. In v1.33 Thrawn will not be able to recruit normal Stormtroopers, instead relying on Navy and Army Troopers for the most part, and the Spaarti Clone Stormtroopers which are only recruitable on Wayland.
For his black ops, Thrawn of course relied in lore on the Noghri. These will now come in two types: a melee Operative-type equipped with bombs operating in small groups, and a Special Forces Infantry type armed with blasters. I hope to have a preview of those next time.
Imperial Army (Cold Weather-kit)
Spot the difference…
On the left we have classic Snowtroopers, and on the right we have Imperial Army Troopers in cold-weather gear.
Preview Pictures
This mission to Mandalore didn’t pan out…