Field stormtrooper Field stormtroopers , also known as field troopers , were higher ranking stormtroopers with superior field experience and weaponry in the service of the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War . Equipped with E - 11 blaster rifles , rail detonator s or Imperial Repeater Rifle s , they were commonly seen supporting regular stormtrooper riflemen during field operations . They were easily recognized by their yellow , orange , or red pauldrons . After the fall of the Empire , the Dark Jedi Jerec employed dozens of of field troopers during his quest for the Valley of the Jedi , using them as guards for his towers on the moon of Sulon and using them as the primary ground force for his invasion of the planet Ruusan . A number of field troopers were also present on one of his ships , the " Sulon Star " . Sometime later , field troopers were used en masse during the Battle of Altyr V , when a number of them attacked a New Republic base located on the planet Altyr V during Operation Shadow Hand , while many more were stationed aboard two weapons disguised as asteroids that were bombarding the planet . Field troopers also served alongside regular stormtroopers on the planet of Katraasii , patrolling the streets of the Katraasii Spaceport . Field stormtroopers were later deployed across various worlds while under the command of the Empire Reborn movement , spearheaded by Lord Hethrir and Admiral Galak Fyyar . By this time , the ranks had been simplified to troops with only one color of pauldron , orange . These troops saw deployment on the planet Bespin . The mercenary agent and Jedi Kyle Katarn encountered field troopers on numerous occasions , often engaging in skirmishes with them . History . Origins and Jerec ' s campaign . Field stormtroopers were a highly skilled extension of the Galactic Empire ' s Stormtrooper Corps . Boasting better training and equipment specially tailored for field operations , field troopers represented the highest possible rank that a stormtrooper could achieve . After the Battle of Endor during the year 4 ABY , which saw the death of the Imperial leaders Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader , the Empire became fragmented . By 5 ABY some of the fragmented forces rallied under the Dark Jedi and Imperial Inquisitor Jerec . Among this surplus were scores of field troopers , who became the backbone of Jerec ' s army . Initially , many field troopers were assigned to the Government House of the city Barons Hed , located on the moon Sulon , where they guarded the inside of the towers , while the surrounding ground was patrolled by regular stormtroopers and AT - ST walkers , although they were backed up by some field troopers who carried rail detonator s . A number of field troopers were also assigned to one of Jerec ' s cargo vessels , the " Sulon Star " . While the " Sulon Star " was docked at Sulon ' s Fuel City , the place was heavily guarded by field troopers , stormtroopers , Imperial officers , Grave Tuskens , and Trandoshan bounty hunters . During 5 ABY , former Rebel Alliance agent Kyle Katarn , who was now working for the Alliance ' s successor , the New Republic , returned to his home on Sulon in search of a droid designated 8t88 . The droid possessed a map to the fabled Valley of the Jedi , a place of untold power that was also Jerec ' s ultimate goal . Katarn wanted the map in order to reach the valley and stop Jerec from harnessing the valley ' s power , as well as extract revenge against Jerec , as the Dark Jedi had killed Katarn ' s father . 8t88 was located in the Government House , under heavy guard as he prepared to disembark to Fuel City . After fighting through the ground forces and a Dark Jedi named Yun , Katarn encountered numerous field troopers as he made his way through the towers . Squads of field troopers began to assemble in the tower ' s spacious ventilation systems . However , the troopers were unsuccessful in their attempt to stop Katarn , although they bought enough time for 8t88 to escape to Fuel City . 8t88 eventually boarded the " Sulon Star " , where he was decapitated by Gorc and Pic , two more of Jerec ' s Dark Jedi henchmen . Meanwhile , Katarn continued fighting Imperial forces in Fuel City , eventually sneaking aboard the " Sulon Star " . Although the ship ' s guard compliment was built up primarily of field troopers , they received assistance from various officers and Viper probe droids in slowing down Katarn . However , like on Sulon , the field troopers were unable to kill Katarn , nor stop him from retrieving 8t88 ' s cranial unit and slaying Gorc and Pic . In addition , they were unable to stop the Jedi - in - training from escaping the cargo ship . Eventually Jerec ' s fleet made it to the planet of Ruusan , which housed the Valley of the Jedi . Field troopers were instrumental in the invasion , with large numbers of troopers landing on the planet to set up its defenses , bases , and the excavation of ancient Jedi ruins . During the excavations , a large number of field troopers with orange pauldrons encountered a number of kell dragon s who were living in the ruins . Several of the troopers were attacked , killed , and dismembered by the beasts . Field troopers also assisted the Dark Jedi Sariss , Boc Aseca , and Yun in the attack on Fort Nowhere , which was a settlement made up of Sulon refugees . Eventually Katarn , along with his partner Jan Ors , reached Ruusan during his quest for Jerec and the valley . Katarn fought his ways through the Imperial forces , but in the meantime Ors was captured by a squad of field troopers and brought to Jerec . Katarn eventually came across the location where the " Sulon Star " had been moored , and after a confrontation with Jerec , was thrown aboard the ship via Jerec ' s mastery of the Force . However , the Force blast was powerful enough to knock the " Sulon Star " off of the dock , sending it plummeting to the ground below , with much of its crew still on board . As Katarn tried to escape the ship , he encountered several lone field troopers who attempted to shoot him . Katarn escaped the ship , and and " Sulon Star " and its remaining crew was destroyed when the ship hit the planet ' s surface . After defeating Sariss , Katarn went after Jerec and Ors , encountering further resistance from Field troopers and Imperial commando s . Despite the heavy resistance , the troopers were ultimately ineffective in stopping Katarn . Katarn eventually rescued Ors and killed Jerec . After the Dark Jedi ' s death , the remaining Imperials vacated Ruusan . Altyr V . Five years later , Emperor Palpatine was reborn and instituted Operation Shadow Hand , a series of attacks that targeted bases of the recently formed New Republic . One of these targets was the planet of Altyr V , which housed a small New Republic base . The Empire decided to employ two new weapons for the operation , a pair of space worthy cannons that were disguised as asteroids in order to bypass the base ' s warning system , as falling asteroids were a common occurrence on the world . However , the base ' s commander quickly realized the asteroid ' s true intentions when they began a geosynchronous orbit around the planet and began to bombard their stationary ships . One of the asteroids was large enough to house hangars outfitted with TIE / LN starfighter s , various landing crafts , and a large number of field troopers . After bombarding the base , a number of troop transports were sent to Altyr V ' s surface , loaded with field troopers , scout troopers , and at least two AT - ST walkers . Field troopers began to blast there way through the base ' s walls and opened fire on the defending forces . Although the New Republic troopers were armed with the same E - 11 blaster rifles the Imperials had , the field troopers also came equipped with Imperial Repeater Rifle s and rail detonators . The detonators proved to be very effective against the Republic troopers . The field troopers initiated their attack at the North hangar . However , the Imperials soon encountered Kyle Katarn , who was now a fully trained Jedi . Katarn was assigned to the base when he decided to help the fledgling New Republic . The North hangar became Katarn ' s first stop . Katarn received a plea from the base ' s commander to close the hangar ' s blast door in order to hold off the field trooper ' s advance . The Jedi obliged , but as the door neared being shut , a TIE / sa bomber flew by and dropped its payload on the door , jamming it and killing any field trooper or defender near the door . The remaining field troopers were defeated by the survivors and Katarn . The troopers continued to blast their way into the base , and eventually attacked the base ' s operation center , known as Ops . The attack forced the commander to retreat , leaving an officer in charge . Field troopers , alongside scout troopers , also blasted their way into the base ' s auxiliary generator room and , after killing the defending troops , turned off half of the base ' s power . This caused several automatic doors near the room to lock , cutting off another hangar from the rest of the base . This hangar was guarded by only two Republic troopers , who were under attack by at least four field troopers and one AT - ST . Katarn eventually reached Ops , repelled the field troopers , and reactivated the auxiliary generator . At some point during the fighting , a Lambda - class T - 4a shuttle landed outside of the base . It was put under the guard of four field troopers and an AT - ST . Katarn killed the two troopers who were guarding the ship ' s immediate area , and used the shuttle to fly up to the asteroids . Katarn ' s plan was to use the asteroids cannon to destroy its sister weapon , and then cause his asteroid to self - destruct . As Katarn fought through the defenses , he was pursued by two field troopers armed with rail detonators , TK8252 and his partner . The rail troopers corned Katarn at a cliff drop , and blasted the ground next to him , causing Katarn to fall of the ledge . TK8252 reported that Katarn was killed , believing that the fall could not be survived . However , Katarn did survive and reached the controls for the cannon . He destroyed the other asteroid , and then sabotaged the asteroid he was on , rigging it to self - destruct . Despite heavy resistance from field troopers and commandos , Katarn escaped the asteroid before it was destroyed . Once again , the field troopers were unable to secure a victory against Katarn and his allies . Altyr V was evacuated soon afterwards , due to a large Imperial fleet on the way . Use at the Katraasii Spaceport . Around the same time of the Battle of Altyr V , the planet of Katraasii was still under the influence of of the Galactic Empire . Its spaceport , while under the guard of stormtroopers , became a haven for criminal activity , and became a regular destination for the Abron Mar , the majordomo for the crime lord Takara , and his cronies . For the most part , the Imperials and Takara ' s men coexisted without incident . The spaceport was primarily guarded by field stormtroopers . The spaceport had one storeroom for their weapons . If any non Imperial was to stumble upon the room , they would be immediately attacked by the field troopers , who would then actively hunt the individual if they escaped the guards . In addition , squads of field troopers existed that were used to investigate problem - some individuals . One such individual was Mara Jade , who was hunting Mar on the behalf of Takara ' s rival , Ka ' Pa the Hutt . Jade had been battling Mar ' s cronies throughout the spaceport , and grabbed the attention of the local Imperials . A hefty platoon of field troopers were eventually dispatched to deal with Jade after she infiltrated the hangar where Mar kept his R - 41 Starchaser and shut the bay doors . Jade survived the field trooper ' s attack , but fell victim to Mar ' s men , who rendered her unconscious and took her to Takara ' s stronghold . Organization and structure . The rank of field trooper was the highest rank in the stormtrooper hierarchy . Field troopers had better training , a wider variety of weapons , and were used for field operations or as guards . In addition , there were three varieties of field trooper , all identifiable by the color of their pauldron . Orange pauldron troopers were the most common variety of the field stormtrooper , and made up the bulk of he rank . Jerec and his Dark Jedi companions employed dozens of these field troopers for the invasion of Ruusan , and they served as the primary guard force for the Government House on Sulon . The next , and less common , variety of field trooper were troopers with red pauldrons . These troopers generally served alongside troopers with orange pauldrons , and were overall fewer in number . The majority of them wielded Imperial Repeater Rifles . Although they often supported orange field troopers during the Ruusan campaign , numerous red pauldron troopers were used during the operation on Altyr V . It was a group of the red pauldron troopers that disabled the New Republic base ' s auxiliary generator . The rarest variety of field trooper were the troopers with yellow pauldrons . These field troopers carried heavy weapons like the rail detonator , and provided backup and cover - fire for their rifle wielding peers . Due to their explosive weapons , they were the deadliest of field troopers . They proved to be very useful when put up against the rifle wielding troops of the New Republic on Altyr V . TK8252 and his partner were rail troopers , and were semi - successful in besting Kyle Katarn during fighting above Altyr V , as they were able to launch Katarn off of a cliff . By the time of the Empire Reborn , the field troopers had been radically simplified . Red and yellow pauldrons had been removed , with orange being the only remaining pauldron color . In addition , field stormtroopers were no longer equipped with their backpacks . These new field troopers tended to work in large or medium sized groups , backed by regular Imperial officers and other stormtroopers . In some cases field troopers worked alongside mercenaries hired by the Empire Reborn . Tactics . Under the reign of Jerec , field troopers served as the bulk of his forces , with normal stormtroopers only assigned to the ground defense around the Government House on Sulon . Troopers with orange pauldrons were the most common variety under Jerec ' s rule , with red pauldron troopers providing backup to their comrades . Yellow pauldron troopers were assembled alongside the other varieties when they began to search the Government House ' s ventilation system for Katarn . A full field trooper squad could contain up to five orange troopers , one red trooper , and on occasion , one yellow trooper . In defensive situations as demonstrated on Ruusan , field troopers would work in large groups , often in accordance with other officers and Imperial commandos . In offensive operations , such the battle on Altyr V , orange troopers would proceed before the others , and were the troopers who would rush in first and engage the defending forces . Red troopers would either provide backup or perform their own side missions in squads built entirely out of red pauldron troopers . They would also work with scout troopers . Yellow pauldron troopers would occasionally work with orange troopers in attacking and defending key locations , although during the battle of Altyr V , they were primarily seen defending AT - ST walkers . When confronting targets , field troopers would strafe in order to avoid return fire , and would work together to try and flank their enemies . The Katraasii Spaceport was guarded exclusively by orange pauldron troopers , who would either work alone or in pairs . However , large squads of troopers would be used to apprehend or kill individuals , as seen on two occasion on Katraasii — once when the troopers rushed Mara Jade , and again when a squad of field troopers fruitlessly fired at an escaping YT - 1300 light freighter . When investigating hangar bays in the spaceport , a squad of troopers would be sent up to the ship dock , while several troopers would stay below the dock . If an individual were to escape the first wave of troops , they would be greeted by the field troopers who had remained below deck . Equipment . Weapons . Field stormtroopers , depending on their rank and pauldron color , were issued one of three weapons , each notably different . The most commonly issued weapon was the BlasTech E - 11 blaster rifle , which was the Empire ' s general purpose rifle . The weapon had several firing modes , including semi - automatic , automatic , and a pulse - fire setting . The weapon was generally assigned to field troopers with orange pauldrons , who preferred to fire the weapon on the semi - automatic setting . The weapon was somewhat ineffective against personal energy shields , as the blaster bolts could not penetrate the shield directly . However , the weapon could wear on the shield ' s charge , weakening the device ' s usefulness . Field troopers fired from the hip and were not always accurate with the weapon . However , they were observably better with the weapon when compared to their stormtrooper counterparts . They were less accurate than commandos . Ammunition for their rifles were carried in their backpacks . Field troopers with red pauldrons were issued Imperial Repeater Rifles , a weapon originally designed by Moff Rebus for the failed Dark Trooper Project . The rifles were issued to both field troopers and commandos , and featured ballistic ammunition fed from a belt packed inside a drum magazine . The weapon also had a folding stock attached to it , although field troopers generally fired the weapon from the hip , like the blaster rifles . The weapon had three barrels , and could fire all three barrels at once , although no field troopers were observed using this feature . The Repeater was very accurate , and could be fired on a fully automatic setting with pinpoint accuracy . However , some field troopers preferred to fire the weapon one shot at a time , often with very varied results regarding accuracy . Some troopers who fired with the gun ' s semi - automatic mode were far more accurate than other field troopers , however . Like the rifle , the bullets could not penetrate personal shields , but could dilute their power . Field troopers with Repeaters would support blaster troops . Rail detonators were issued exclusively to field troopers with yellow pauldrons . Essential personal missile launcher , rail detonators fired rail charge s , which were yellow projectiles that could explode on impact , explode after a few second of hitting a target , or explode when the operator manually detonated the charge . Detonators were loaded with three charges at a time , which were loaded into a compartment on the bottom of the weapon . Field troopers would use the weapon ' s timed explosion fire mode . When a target was hit with a timed or manually detonated rail charge , the target would try and flee . The charges , however , would hold tight to the target , disallowing any kind of escape . Field troopers would refrain from using the weapon in close quarters combat , and instead use the weapon like a club . Rail charges could blow straight through a personal shielding unit , and injure the target . However , if the shield was strong enough , it could negate any damage to the shield ' s owner . However , as shield ' s do not protect users from physical blows , a trooper using the weapon as a club could prove hazardous to one ' s health . Armor . A field stormtrooper ' s armor was basic stormtrooper armor , albeit slightly stronger and more durable . Although the armor could sustain heavy damage , it was susceptible to direct blaster hits . The armor was most formidable against physical attacks , such as a punch from a Human ' s balled up fist . However , the armor was no match for the jaws of a Kell dragon , or the burning blade of a lightsaber . The primary difference between the armor worn by a field stormtrooper and a regular stormtrooper , however , was that field troopers wore colored pauldrons and carried backpacks that were stuffed with power cells , energy cell s , and personal shield units . Stormtrooper helmets were outfitted with polarized visors that protected the wearer from bright flashes , such as the flashes offered by flash - bang grenade s . Helmets also contained communications equipment , padding for head comfort , air intake and exhaust ports , and computer equipment . Behind the scenes . Field stormtroopers were created for and first appeared in the 1997 video game " " . Although the game ' s manual seemed to indicate that only stormtroopers armed with Imperial Repeater Rifles or rail detonators were field troopers , the game ' s , written by Rick Barba , confirmed that all pauldron wearing stormtroopers were actually field stormtroopers . Field stormtroopers also appeared in " Jedi Knight " ' s expansion pack " " . While not explicitly named in text , field stormtroopers appeared in two illustrations that appeared in the novella " " , which was an adaption of the game . The book was written by William C . Dietz and illustrated by Dave Dorman .