Cold assault stormtrooper Cold assault stormtroopers , also known more simply as snowtroopers , were Imperial stormtroopers trained to operate in arctic climates . Some snowtroopers were deployed under Death Squadron ' s Blizzard Force , as well as other arctic forces . The snowtroopers were the successors of the clone cold assault troopers and the Galactic Marines under Clone Commanders Keller and Bacara , respectively , during the Clone Wars . History . Snowtroopers were utilized on many different icy worlds , including the Imperial garrison on the planet Akuria II . Their most notable conquest was at the Battle of Hoth , where the Imperial Blizzard Force defeated the forces of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and overran Echo Base . The Rebel general in charge of Echo Base , Carlist Rieekan , later reflected that the snowtroopers just stepped right in to assault the base fully equipped , when the Rebel Alliance had had to spend months trying to prep their gear for the winter conditions on the planet . One of the first missions involving the snowtroopers was the surprise Imperial assault on the Rebel founders on Corellia . Darth Vader had tracked his Sith apprentice Galen Marek to the planet , in a secret plot to both capture the would - be founders of the rebellion and destroy Marek . Snowtroopers stormed the shelter atop the snowy mountain , quickly wiping out Rahm Kota ' s guards . A unit of 10 snowtroopers , called Baker Company , were deployed to Goratak III to recover an Imperial I2 - CG droid before the Rebel Alliance could find it . The contingent was led by a bounty hunter named Feskitt Bobb . Later , in 13 ABY , a unit of snowtroopers fought for the Imperial Remnant on the planet Pallaxides against the New Republic . Equipment . Armor . Snowtrooper armor was well suited to the climate extremes of frozen worlds such as Hoth , Rhen Var , and Toola . Unlike other troopers , snowtroopers wore a white , rugged body glove , which provided camouflage , and provided thermal insulation from the cold . Over this was an eighteen - piece outer shell altered to include more powerful heating and personal environment units , and an airtight fabric oversuit for additional protection from the cold . To facilitate breathing in extremely cold or dangerous atmospheres , a breather hood enveloped the snowtrooper ' s faceplate and fed into the suit liner . Each trooper was equipped with terrain - grip boots , a standard utility belt containing high - tension wire , grappling hooks , ion flares , additional blaster ammunition , a survival kit , and ration packs . Their equipment was supplied by the company Garlostar . Their helmets had built - in polarized snow goggles . The chest plate worn by the snowtroopers was constructed of a plastoid composite armor . Near the center were all of the controls for the completely self - sufficient troopers ' life support systems . These included an external temperature monitor , power cell monitor , and the controls for the suit ' s heater . The troopers ' backpacks housed the main heating unit , main power cell , communications unit , and a homing beacon . The pack also had the ability to work as a power source for other equipment . Snowtroopers could survive up to two weeks in even the harshest frozen environments on their internal suit power and supplies . They also wore white heated pants with pockets . They were also among the few on - duty Stormtrooper units who have Rank insignia plaques on their armor while in the field , as most other Stormtrooper units generally lacked rank insignia plaques and instead wore either distinctive markings or orange pauldrons identifying their rank while on the field , and instead only wore them if they were non - commissioned officers . Weaponry . Snowtroopers were armed with the standard issued E - 11 blaster rifles of stormtroopers , SE - 14r light repeating blasters , two concussion grenades , and one fragmentation grenade . Elite snowtroopers were given the DLT - 20A blaster rifle as a replacement for the E - 11 , and two stun grenade s . Snowtroopers commonly employed E - Web heavy repeating blaster s . Behind the scenes . In " Assault on Hoth " , snowtroopers are divided into two categories as part of the game mechanics : light snowtroopers and heavy snowtroopers , the former operating on foot and the latter operating an E - Web heavy repeating blaster .