Marine shock trooper

Marine shock troopers (MST) also known as shock marines, orbital troopers, assault troopers or spearhead troopers is a sub-branch of the Federation Space Marine Corps. They act as a quick reaction and rapid deployment forces, elite shock troops, light infantry and pathfinders for planetary invasions or assaults. 
They often are the spearhead of planetary invasions or assaults, often being dropped down in drop pods from ships in orbit to secure landing zones, provide forward reconnaissance and destroy key targets such as anti-aircraft guns or surface-to-orbit cannons if possible. Because of this they are often expected to take heavy casualties. As a result of such expectations, shock troopers often only recruit volunteers and are given high wages, more luxuries and large insurances to one's family should they perish. But it is also because of this, shock trooper training is brutal and thorough.
Some shock trooper companies are sometimes organized into battalions. These shock trooper battalions often have access to heavier equipment and usually has at least one armored company assigned as heavy support.
== History ==
Marine shock troopers was originally concepted in 2200 and founded in 2206 during the First Space War as an experimental unit. The first unit being known as the 87th Assault Company and was further expanded to include a second unit, the 102nd Assault Company. 
Both companies saw action in the Pirate War and proved highly successful as more shock and/or assault companies were created and attached to multiple Space Marine units. 
=== First Space War / UEF-Tribal War ===
Conceived after the disastrous Battle for Planet Linea, in which both UEF Space Marines and the UEF Army suffered heavy casualties as a result of being unable to establish and sustain a effective landing point or beachhead on the surface for reinforcements, shock troopers were to be created from the experience of the battle and were initially to be focused entirely on a offensive type doctrine. This doctrine called for rapid deployment and reinforcement to establish and sustain a beachhead or landing zone/point for heavy reinforcements such as tanks from either the Army or the Marine Corps to arrive. This however, meant harsher training conditions to face the expectation of suffering heavy casualties in order to secure the landing zones.
At first, it was mostly made up of volunteer and handpicked space marines from 12th Battalion, 1st Space Marines, who had saw heavy action and was extremely experienced in 'spearhead' warfare. These handpicked and volunteers became known as the 87th Assault Company. During this time, they shared almost no difference to a normal space marine except that they were much more harden for combat and focused almost entirely on lightning fast offensives and breakthrough operations.
=== 1st Interstellar War ===
By the time of the 1st Interstellar War, MSTs now differed decently from the average marine, mostly in gear. 
==== Battle of Liv, Planet Huxorn ====
The 266th Shock Trooper Company is deployed to Liv, a strategically important town due to its bridge crossing above a steep valley. Their orders, to relief the battered 296th Regiment of the 22nd Infantry Division and hold the bridge until the 300th Regiment of the 209th Mechanized Division could arrive. However, Icarusian forces would launch an assault earlier than predicted, forcing the 266th into a last stand. The 266th Company would attempt to blow the bridge as a last resort but would only be partially successful as the bridge was only partially demolished. Their sacrifice however prevented the Icarusians from sending heavy armor across, allowing the 300th Regiment to retake the town with less resistence.
=== 1st Sentinel War ===
==== Battle of Cape Town, Earth ====
The 93rd, 105th and 215th are dropped onto Cape Town during the Sentinel Invasion of Earth as part of the 1st Shock Trooper Battalion of the 9th Space Marine Division to secure a landing zone along with F Armored Company. However, the situation is worse than expected, and soon deteriorates with the entire 1st Shock Trooper Battalion isolated from the rest of the 9th Space Marine Division. With the rest of the division unable to deploy, the battalion fights a desperate defense along with other units in Cape Town. The 1st Shock Trooper Battalion is virtually wiped out with only a handful of survivors following the 78th Army Corps breaking out of the city.
== List of marine shock trooper units ==
=== Federation Space Marine Corps ===
* 87th Assault Company "The Firsts" 
* 93rd Shock Trooper Company "Spartans"
* 102nd Assault Company "Wolverines" 
* 105th Shock Trooper Company
* 129th Shock Trooper Company "Helldivers" 
* 201st Shock Trooper Company "Demon Knights"
* 215th Shock Company 
*266th Shock Trooper Company - (Inactive) 
* 292nd Shock Company 
*301st Shock Troopers "Little Devils"
*321st Shock Company "Sangheilis"
=== Shadow Ops ===
* Badger Team
== Trivia ==
* Marine shock troopers are inspired both by the Mobile Infantry from Starship troopers and ODSTs from Halo, which itself was also inspired by Starship Troopers' Mobile Infantry