Dark Trooper

Dark Troopers are a special infantry unit available exclusively to the Empire. The loadout of a Dark Trooper in Battlefront I gives them access to a Blast Cannon as their primary weapon, a Blaster Pistol as their secondary weapon, or "sidearm", and Thermal Detonators for use as anti-infantry and anti-vehicle explosives. Dark Troopers, as a result of their loadout, play with a close-range combat style, as their pistol is more effective at long ranges than their blast cannon. In Battlefront II, Dark Troopers have a slightly different loadout: Their blast cannon has been replaced with the ARC Caster, a gun that fires electric bolts as a weapon. Their Blaster Pistol has been exchanged for a Commando Pistol as their preferred sidearm, and they still carry Thermal Detonators as well.

The Dark Trooper is unique for its Jumpack, a special piece of equipment used by these units to propel themselves high into the air and fly far distances with a short, powerful burst from the pack. This item allows Dark Troopers to perform a "jump in, fight, jump back out" strategy that can help them to recuperate after a fight with Rebel troops. Dark Troopers are a unit that adds to the diverse set of tactics that the Galactic Empire can use in battle with Rebel soldiers.

Award Weapons

 * Precision Pistol

Skins
Like the Imperial Officer the Dark Trooper does not change his skin on any map.

Tactical Analysis

 * The Dark Trooper's jump-pack differs from the Jet Trooper's jetpack. While the Jet Trooper's jetpack allows them to fly slowly in any direction, the Dark Trooper's jump-pack utilizes a fast upwards boost. This can be used to conserve energy, but restricts potential in cramped spaces, such as the internal corridors on Hoth.
 * While fast, Dark Troopers are comparatively weak health-wise, rendering them weak to, most notably, sniper rifles and any automatic weapons. Even a charging Rebel Soldier firing could take out a Dark Trooper easily if no precautions are taken.
 * Always leave at least some energy in your jump-pack so you can boost out of dangerous situations.
 * A successful hit from a Dark Trooper's Arc Caster can halve a unit's health. As the Arc Caster's rate of fire is comparatively slow, backup is essential.
 * Dark Troopers can boost onto structures which would be unsuspected by enemies.
 * If up against a single enemy, the pistol is recommended for its potentially high rate of fire. Finding weak enemies and picking them off is also recommended, as it could get the player the Award Weapon Precision Pistol, which is deadly when combined with the jumpack ability of the Dark Trooper.
 * Surprise is paramount to a successful Dark Trooper attack. While the classic "jump in, attack once, jump out" is surprising, hiding with a fully-charged Arc Caster shot can give enemies a nasty surprise, especially when in a group.
 * When a group comes near, do not be tempted to throw a Thermal Detonator; this will scatter the group, wasting the Thermal Detonator and often distancing enemies enough that they can't be chained by the Arc Caster's bolt.
 * Offense is very much the Dark Trooper's forte; its speed, low health and slow rate of fire makes it an offensive fighter, able to weaken enemy units for allies to pick off.
 * The Dark Trooper is probably the best infantry class to battle Jedi, since a hit from the Arc Caster stops enemies for about a second, where they can't move or attack. The Arc Caster is also most powerful at close range, which is how Jedi mainly attack.

Trivia

 * The BCCK Thermal Detonator in the game uses the same skin as the normal Thermal Detonators.
 * The WESTAR-25 in the game uses the same skin as the ST-1 Pistol.
 * The only source that refers to this Dark Trooper as a Mk. 0 Dark Trooper is the Force Unleashed source book.
 * Like the Imperial Officer, the Dark Trooper's armor never changes its skin on any of the maps. This is a theoretical disadvantage when on a snowy map, such as on Hoth, due to the Dark Trooper's dark grey armor (as opposed to other Stormtroopers' white armor) clearly sticking out against the snow.
 * Like other Stormtroopers, the Dark Trooper can be killed with one head-shot from a sniper rifle.
 * Unlike the other units, Dark Troopers never actually appeared in the original trilogy.

Links

 * Back to Infantry