Why Stormtroopers Are Badasses - The Gang Presents

Faced against Imperial forces, the Gang debates why Stormtroopers are highly competent soldiers victimized by rebel propaganda. And also how Ewoks are the deadliest monsters in the galaxy.
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The views and opinions expressed are those of Mike, Todd, and Dweebles, and shouldn't be taken too seriously, as they, like Imperial Stormtroopers, are completely imaginary.
#Starwars #ttrpg

[@nexus8917]

Legends lore also states Ewoks are pure muscle under their fur which is why they are referred to as, "little Wookies," which explains why they can kill a stormtrooper with a thrown rock.

[@witchdoctor1394]

Chimpanzees are about Ewok-sized but around 3 times stronger than a human & can easily maim and kill even a prepared person.

[@DatcleanMochaJo]

okay but that was explained retroactively

[@evilbarrels2506]

@@DatcleanMochaJo not really. It's a tounge-in-cheek reference to the fact the Ewok costumes were originally supposed to be Wookees, but they didn't have enough costumes so they were cut up and rearranged, but the scenes stayed the same. Even the name "Ewok" is just "Wookee" shortened and rearranged.

[@kevingriffith6011]

I think it's established that stormtrooper armor isn't meant to absorb impacts or cuts, it's ablative, purely for defense against blasters. (Though the helmet is probably reinforced, because having a hard hat is handy when things are exploding around you) Maybe I'm misremembering that ablative part though, I'm too lazy to wookieepedia it right now.

[@danielmouatt5570]

They’d have to be if you consider the size of those tree logs they used to smash the AT-ST in terms of what would be required to hoist them into position with Stone Age Technology.

[@schmendrake]

"...and these blast points, too accurate for sand people. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise" -Obi Wan.

[@cyberstormalpha789]

The one thing I want to comment about the biker scouts from The Mandalorian is that the second trooper to shoot actually hits the same patch of dirt twice. His blaster was improperly zeroed. Had he had a weapon with proper sight alignment, he'd have hit the target both times. You can see his disgust with his pistol when he gives it a shake after the second miss.

[@patrickbuckley7259]

Malfunctioning Hand-me-down weapons? Sounds like a Galactic Empire to me.

[@Umcarasemvideo]

That blaster actually rattles, that isn't just unzeroed, the "barrel" is actually loose.

[@slayer0235]

@@Umcarasemvideo Improper weapon maintenance? Utterly disgraceful!

[@Umcarasemvideo]

@@slayer0235 Probably more of a supply issue at this point.

[@LordVader1094]

@@patrickbuckley7259 Also it's 5 years after the Empire fell so they aren't getting new equipment

[@dutch6857]

I feel that Vader wouldn't even have to mess with the helmet optics, storm troopers are just that disciplined. And motivated. "The quarry MUST escape. Fire a lot, but if you hit anyone I will be... displeased. Be assured that taking your chances in combat is far safer than hoping for my forgiveness."

[@macqueenxvii354]

This guy Empires.

[@PhoenixThunderheart]

@@macqueenxvii354 Darth Dutch

[@johnnysizemore5797]

Your not wrong "Commandant" Dutch, as Lord Vader never recended the order to capture the Princess from their Ship Assault. Let's not forget, these "Dumbasses"(to misquote Dweeble) routed a well entrenched force on Hoth, lossing maybe 100-200 soldiers at the most(3 per AT-AT and they lose 3 on-screen. Then add about 90-96 in the tunnels due to bobby-traps or bottlenecks). You may not approve of their Political Stances, but you disregard their Military training at your own peril....

[@johnnysizemore5797]

@@PhoenixThunderheart "Darth" was used by the Sith religion to be their equivalent of Knight(they suprisingly still used the Master rank for any Sith higher in station), Anakin's rank was either "Lord"(if you were either a close friend like Tarkin or disrespectful like the idiot in the Conference room) or Grand General Vader...

[@captaincoxwaggle6882]

There is a moment when Han fires at a lead Stormtrooper in a hall before chasing them down. At a glance it appears that the Stormtroopers are frightened but if you examine the scene you will notice the Stormtroopers all turn in unison as a unit and retreat. It was clearly choreographed.

[@jimyoung9262]

"No one survives against those mind eatin' tree ninjas..." I'm dead... 😂😂😂

[@jamesaskins9547]

Fun story. I used to know one of the stunt men from the original Star Wars, he was the one who banged his head on the door. He was well over 6ft, thats why he hit his head. I think he was also the Wilhelm Trooper too. He passed away a couple years ago, he had some incredible stories from his incredible life including camping with bedouin, drinking with Oliver Read and many others.

[@pietrayday9915]

I love these sorts of stories! It's easy to forget sometimes that most actors are just normal people doing normal jobs, and they have a real life outside of work. I know someone who met the dwarves from "Time Bandits" - they were apparently even more colourful out of character than they were in-character, I got the impression that they were pretty much working-class guys who loved drinking, partying, and punk rock, and practically left a trail of destruction behind them. I really ought to wonder more often what the casts of our favorite movies were really like behind the scenes!

[@paulh3892]

That’s awesome!

[@cpesper]

I used to play the Star Wars RPG way back in the day, and it was startling how effective stormtrooper armor was.

[@euansmith3699]

And how effective their blaster fire was, too. Obi Wan was right, "Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise."

[@georgeostwald9260]

- 2d dex. Are you serious?

[@OneEyedJack1970]

@@georgeostwald9260 It's only -1D DEX, and the helmet's MFTAS can effectively cancel that out in many common combat situations. Plus they have a better chance of taking a hit and still being able to shoot back. Better than somebody not wearing armor, anyway. There's little argument that the average stormtrooper recruit lacked a bit in the stats department, but their armor was actually pretty good.

[@JacksonOwex]

@@OneEyedJack1970 AND, training them well could make up for that! Your scores for Blaster and such were only PARTIALLY based off of your Dexterity and other similar scores! They were raised INDEDPENDENTLY of one another after character creation!

[@georgeostwald9260]

@@OneEyedJack1970sorry, you are right, only 1d Dex Malus. But that is counted on an any Dex roll. So in blaster fight your attack and defense goes down 1d. And your blast Armor goes up a die. The Mftas was mostly useless for the creators weird decision to give them perception bonus against smoke etc. Instead of a to hit bonus. Maybe most GMs house ruled that. And the 2 d bonus against moving targets over 10 meters was practically never applied except against vehicles. All in all: a blast vest with +1 pip against blaster is a better choice.

[@slayer0235]

New head canon: The Endor system was originally designated a no-fly zone by the Old Republic out of fear that the Ewoks might one day escape. Later, the system was quietly deleted from all public star charts to keep away the curious. Charts with high-level security clearance still had it and were inherited by the Empire, but the records saying *why* Endor was off-limits were lost. Leaving the Empire completely unprepared for the vicious, brain-sucking natives.

[@chazblank2717]

I really like this theory a lot. But I also really liked the Battle for Endor Ewok Adventure TV movie as a kid. It was the only Star Wars I had for many years. Threepio knew how to communicate with Ewoks for some reason despite the fact clearly no one else knew what the fuck they were dealing with upon encountering them. Not even Threepio really knew much about them besides their language, but he was also programmed with other “forbidden” languages like Ancient Sith with ethical limitations essential to the plot as well as very confusing seemingly counterintuitive and apparently deliberate holes in his knowledge… the Ewoks confusing him with a deity is actually the first and only other cannon example of limitations on his abilities being imposed specifically by ethical programming. So manipulating Ewoks is considered (potentially) nearly as dangerous as fucking around with Sith artifacts. The Galactic Republic probably didn’t want any dick with a protocol droid kit to be able to take control of some Ewoks, load them onto a freighter and wreck havoc. Kids build these droids as science projects for Christ sake. Although the fact that Ewok meat is on the menu at Galaxy’s Edge, means unscrupulous individuals who hack droids or the unscrupulous folks who hire them have evidently attempted this to some degree of success since the fall of the Empire 😂 It would also explain how the Ewoks are able to so easily learn galactic common. The Ewok Adventures are actually supposed to take place before Return of the Jedi, so Wicket apparently forgot and is quickly relearning common from Leia. This explains his rapid fluency in Return of the Jedi. Ol’ George has been messing with retcons to various degrees since The Empire Strikes Back, and obviously not always for the worst. 😁 After all, Vader being Luke’s father ended up being the emotional heart of the first six films. This theory does a excellent job of explaining why Endor is such a uniquely weird backwater moon. The Ewoks mostly just hang out with wild Blurrgs, a talking mountain and occasionally fight the feral descendants of crashed alien species. “CivilIzed Society” beyond the Ewoks consists of orc-like aliens building (or perhaps just inhabiting) medieval style castles and fortifying them against the Ewoks with chainmail, broad swords, a stranded shape-shifting Dathomiri Witch and a few scavenged blasters. The planet is so far off the beaten path that rescue seems pretty impossible and it’s a bit like a glassed in terrarium for that reason. Wilfred Brimley’s character Noa was stranded as a hermit there for the better part of three decades and he was absolutely skilled enough to survive both comfortably and unnoticed. He even fixed his Star Cruiser fairly quickly provided the last essential part.

[@dimitris2936]

Ewoks literally killed 50 meter tall giants and made them extinct

[@Rusty126]

Thank you Seth. I can't stand the "stormtroopers can't shoot" joke, for pretty much every reason you listed. As a side note, the team behind the d20 Star Wars system understood this. Their basic stat block was solid, and they almost killed my players on more than one occasion.

[@LordVader1094]

Stormtroopers are also basically the strongest mooks you can throw at your players in the FFG SWRPG

[@kevingooley9628]

I always liked the d20 star wars, I thought it was pretty well thought out.

[@gmradio2436]

I miss army troops. To bad the lore forgot about them.

[@jesternario]

How many times did they make storm troopers can’t shoot jokes before you handed them their dumps?

[@WoobooRidesAgain]

In the Fantasy Flight system's intro game to Edge of the Empire, first thing they stress is that unlike the movies, the Stormtroopers in the module are no joke: if your players attack them, they _will_ die.

[@chadsmith8966]

Remember watching a video where a guy broke down the breach of Tantive IV scene, counting the number of shots fired by the stormtroopers and the compared the number of targets hit to gauge their accuracy. It was insanely high accuracy rate from his findings. Sadly I can’t remember of name of the video or youtuber’s channel

[@tripple-a6031]

The INHUMAN Accuracy of Stormtroopers from EC Henry

[@chadsmith8966]

@@tripple-a6031 the moment I read it, man. Thx!

[@futuza]

You do have to keep in mind those stormtroopers were Vader's fist/501st, and probably even better than regular stormtroopers, so regular stormtroopers might not be quite so good.

[@chadsmith8966]

@@futuza that is a very valid point.

[@natalielyric2950]

If you have ever played the Ewok Hunt mode in Star Wars Battlefront 2, you know how scary Ewoks are

[@BobbyBlackhearts666]

Oh god, when playing Conquest mode, my primary objective as Empire is to never let the Rebels attack Endor or it's all over! As soon as I can afford, I always build a ship and station it there.

[@therealGibralter]

Man, Stormtroopers in the West End RPG were bad freaking news. I miss that version of the RPG a lot.

[@phillee427]

D6 Star wars is something I love and still play to this day.

[@t0rp0r]

I was so happy to see that was the version they were playing here.

[@zaccooper3894]

I wish he made more The Gang Presents segments but I bet they are a chore to make

[@thelegate8636]

I actually found out recently that I scared my players in a session by having them face stormtroopers because they knew that I would play them how they actually are in the lore, as elite Imperial soldiers. To that end, they went to great lengths to not fight them and made this grand and cunning plan to slip in and out of a base pretending to be workers rather than fight them.

[@darktrent182]

I was about to say, "Mike! Todd! Don't say all that stuff in front of Seth! You'll give him ideas!" That's probably why Todd and Dweebles got taken down so quickly. Seth was totally willing to make them random mooks, but when faced with Mike's superior logic, he decided not to pull punches. These are Imperial Stormtroopers after all. Also, omg, I love that Ewoks have now become a terror of the galaxy. How many Imperial scouts could they have eaten in order to build those traps in the first place, let alone figure out the best places for ambushes and such? Scary little tree ninjas. (I remember hearing a rumor somewhere that George Lucas originally wanted Endor to be Kashyyyk, with Wookiees instead of Ewoks. Could you imagine how much scarier that could've been?)

[@patrickbuckley7259]

Still don't buy the consume brains for knowledge stuff. They are just your average man eater, but basically everything else is cannon to the movie. George wanted the Ewok's to be like Viet Kong gorilla's, hell originally they where going the be Wookies. I also think they had a numbers edge. Which could make all the difference especially on terrain like that.

[@egillskallagrimson5879]

Yeah totally I love Bigfoot horror stories xD

[@davidgantenbein9362]

Whenever the camera moves to Seth, it becomes more and more obvious that he is buying the sales pitch … those poor players had no chance.

[@mrprogamer96109]

I feel like we have the Star Wars Holiday Special to blame for it not being on Kashyyk.

[@AuntLoopy123]

@@mrprogamer96109 I am your fantasy.

[@MaxWriter]

Yep, they were ordered to let Luke and the rest go on the Death Star. I forgot about that stormtrooper hitting his head. Nice idea about the heads up display. I like the idea of tree ninja ewoks. They were badasses in WEG Star Wars. Great ending.

[@herman1francis]

This skit based format is absolutely fantastic

[@NefariousKoel]

'Cannibal Koalas Of Endor' The reason the Empire thought nobody would try to blow up the shield generator on the surface.

[@shaddonon]

I loooove your take on the Ewoks! I never had a problem with them because they struck me as guerrilla Texas Chainsaw family commandos, but your idea that they gain technical knowledge aboleth-style is waaay gnarlier than covertly studying vehicle operation. I love this little side series Seth, it is fun to see how much thought and imagination you put into little topics like this

[@macoppy6571]

Ewoks work for Scott Brown...

[@Nosmo90]

@@macoppy6571 "Scott Brown, yub-nubber! Get the nub out! I've got a showing!"

[@kythian]

I think Mike was mostly on point, but he dipped heavily into conspiracy theory. Those E-11 blasters were powerful enough, but have you ever tried to get consistent shot grouping with one?! After the first couple bolts the barrel heats up and they become hopeless beyond about 15 meters. And those two troopers in The Mandelorian were using old E-11 blasters. Good luck hitting the broad side of a gundark with those things!

[@DahVoozel]

Galactic empire, galactic lowest bidder.

[@kevingooley9628]

It makes me think of how most stories of haw bad the m3 grease gun was comes from Vietnam, decades after the projected service life of the gun.

[@vidard9863]

thay is one of the weird thing about the... world. by definition storm troopers would be elite, but somehow they are *all* storm troopers, even what should be auxiliary forces.

[@michaelsheal4015]

@@vidard9863 In the Legends Canon(pre disney canon from 1976-2014 with a few things post 2014) outside of the Stormtroopers Units assigned to the Imperial Navy there where about 1 division (called Legions by the Stormtrooper Corps) of Stormtroopers per 4 numbered Armies (collected into 2 Systems armies in turn forming one Sector Army) for the Imperial Army

[@vidard9863]

@@michaelsheal4015 fair point, i really haven't been a fan of anything but the original three movies, but i am told "the expanded universe is awesome, and have sort of assumed that in "real" star wars it wasn't all just storm troopers.

[@Winterydee]

The real reason why Todd, Mike and Dweebles lost is very simple... they committed the sins of Splitting up the group and most likely also Splitting up their fire. I'm surprised that Mike suggested such a rookie mistake. But even still, their follies are our entertainment! Great video as always and thank you Mr Seth Skorkowsky!

[@HandOvDoom2112]

Seth’s reactions behind the GM screen is pure gold.

[@leorblumenthal5239]

The West End Games Star Wars RPG was the first one I ever ran as a GM. It has a special place in my heart as far as RPGs go.

[@krispalermo8133]

Early 1990's, freshmen year in high school. My pre algebra math teacher would let/have us students run math problems out of WEG SW for fun as a different style of word math problems. For the past thirty some years started with WEG then to WotC Star Wars, star ship travel time between a planet and its nearest moon is 30min. Star Trek mention in tv dialog/ canon statement, ship travel at full impulse is 1/4th of light speed. Phaser/torpedo launchers move at just below light speed. Along with FASA rpg. So at full impulse earth to moon is about 6.4sec. A .. " light minute " .. distance measurement to scale would look like putting a quarter on the ground with a penny a foot away from it. Follow with walking about forty six feet from that location point. Pull out the zip chalk line to mark flight path and measuring tape to mark out distance. WEG had each class of star fighter having different travel speed which they did away with in WotC, my gaming groups still used WEG to make our WotC & Saga Edition games more technical. My/our math teacher, she wasn't really into AD&D .. but once a day out of the week she would let us work the math of space combat on the chalk board. 2.) My first adult late night gaming shop, which was one county over from the state university campus town. .. during the last days of AD&D and a couple of years before WotC buy out. A bunch of college math students took a bunch of little green plastic army men at a game shop using the floor and mapped out a 15ftx2 area with hanging string from the ceiling to mark out elevation of air craft. a.) map out the WW II Normandy Invasion to scale best they could, and ran it play by play over a few hours. b.) Took Normandy then move the coastal invasion from water to low orbit, working the battle with WEG engagement distance ranges. Best part about it, the late 1990's/early 2000's, we still had more than few WW II veterans living in my area. Four generation of people playing with Star Wars toys. We had little toy models of Star Wars star fighters mixed in with WW II aircraft hanging from the ceiling. 3.) Sad thing is, once I manage to get a proper work hours to have my nights free and having some extra cash to spend, covid lockdown happen and it shut down all three gaming/ comic shops in my area, which were barely hanging on.

[@itzybitzyspyder]

I love how distinct each of your characters are. I suspend my disbelief effortlessly when the gang gets screentime.

[@tennozeorymer]

Hahahahaha! "Ewoks are mind-eating tree ninjas" is the real headline here. Great video, loved this one.

[@TalonBrush]

Oh my god we need more of these in our lives! This was hilarious and enjoyable. Thank you, Seth!

[@justmutantjed]

When you swerved into talking about Ewoks, I reached for my seatbelt. I was *NOT* disappointed.

[@ianoag]

After watching this, I was literally crying with laughter. Why? because I used to (and still do occasionally) run the WEG Star Wars RPG and After a couple of my players said "Stormtroopers are useless", I ran a short experimental scenario where the Player Characters had the basic stats of normal NPCs. (12 Dice in Attributes, 3D to add to skills) then put them up against a small group of Stormtroopers. (I believe this was suggested in one of the WEG Sourcebooks) Basically, we came to the conclusion that Stormtroopers are pretty badass compared to "standard" NPCs lol - Good thing I didn't add any Ewoks . . . . . . Great Video! I subscribed as soon as I stopped laughing . . . .

[@nikital.6523]

And then there's Imperial Assault. Protip: don't choose Subversive Tactics, if you value your friendship. Or those lizardmen (Trandoshan, I guess?). Or an assortment of other disruptive options. Really, the game does make it weirdly hardcore for Rebels early in the campaign. Still trying to make a bit of a reversal ruleset for the game. To give the Imperial player the Fall of Rome sort of feel.

[@euansmith3699]

That was awesome! It is great to see the whole gang getting together in person to play Star Wars. Seth has such cool friends.

[@marathuzula9024]

Absolute Gold, I always imagined the Jedi could sense where storm troopers were firing, so they could block or just not be there. Always seemed sufficient that they were plenty bad ass, but not in comparison to Jedi. Everything about this video is great, but I adore the end credits.

[@TankHunter678]

All Jedi possess limited precognition abilities that lets them see a couple seconds ahead. So they do indeed know where the shots are going to land. This is also why Jedi can still fall to stormtroopers, as sufficient numbers of shots is going to get through the Jedi's guard on sheer weight of statistics.

[@MalloonTarka]

@@TankHunter678 Knowing where the shots are going to land doesn't mean you can dodge them all, after all.

[@TankHunter678]

@@MalloonTarka Nor be able to block them all, no matter how much you boost your reaction time with the force the force cannot protect you from the sheer power of MATH.

[@lillychamberlain1496]

Many RPG creators are talking with themselves as separated characters for videos and skits, but it never seems quite as natural as when you do it with the gang. Both editing and writing are just top notch in your videos.

[@michimatsch5862]

When I first started watching years ago I legit thought he had some friends over.

[@oz_jones]

Wdym? Mike, Todd and Dweebels are clearly real people

[@theears995]

…Ewoks are terrifying - how did I never notice this??

[@bopaintsminis]

What do you think they did with all those dead stormtroopers? They ATE them.

[@shanelorrison5224]

There’s not a word invented yet to adequately describe how awesome this is.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Fruvous?

[@michaeleldredge4279]

I have another explanation for why the battle of Endor went so badly for the empire. Basically, it comes down to Palpatine being insecure about the size of his guns. Let me explain. The builders of the second death star were under unreasonable pressures to have the planet destroying laser ready for the battle, even as the builders told him that the request was unreasonable. Therefore they decided to cut corners to avoid being choked to death by Vader. Among the other compromises they: 1. Transferred the elite legion from the surface base to the death star to work as laborers. Then they staffed the base with the incompetent screwups that were of no help in construction. 2. Stole maintenance workers and spare parts from the Imperial Fleet, leaving the star destroyers in terrible shape to fight. 3. Made access corridors through the death star open to space so that materials could be delivered by small cargo ships to anywhere inside the structure, including the main power generator. 4. Stopped working on the throne room completely and instead just put a fancy chair in an unfinished auxiliary control room that still had a shaft open to the reactor core.

[@pietrayday9915]

It would make sense that the elite troops would have insisted on getting the most prestigious duty of manning the Death Star against a main rebel attack, rather than serving low-level garrison duty against a bunch of seemingly disorganized primitive savages. Real Life history is full of such blunders built around arrogantly underestimating an enemy or being overconfident about a weakness that doesn't become obvious until after the fact, while elitists all too often find ways to become tails that wag the dog, at a cost to the dog!

[@Iolanthe95]

Brilliant!

[@SpaceJawa]

This explanation is peak Empire.

[@lordzaboem]

I particularly your explanation of the maintenance corridors exposed to space.

[@bopaintsminis]

Um.... I would love to play a game with these guys. Best RPG group ever.

[@andersschmich8600]

Guy(s)?

[@bopaintsminis]

@@andersschmich8600 Yep, those four guys are great, so full of personality.

[@DjigitDaniel]

And in 10 minutes Seth Skorkowsky made a better Star Wars product than anything Disney has crapped in the past decade. A great man you are, Master Skorkowsky. ❤

[@joedan5366]

Yes straight bars

[@RDR911]

Rogue one, solo, Obi-Wan. You’re wrong, Disney has put out some great content.

[@alexmac8000]

The Last Jedi was brilliant.

[@DjigitDaniel]

@@RDR911, Rogue One comes close to this masterpiece and is in fact my favorite feature since the original trilogy. The rest is yours for the keeping.

[@Nakeethus_Hunter]

@@RDR911 Kenobi... sure "Leia, lets disable this laser grid that we can walk around so we can be able to walk through it... Oh no 3 stormtroopers! Better drop to the ground as they command whilst holding the blaster I just used to murder 5 of their allies"

[@tunguskalumberjack9987]

“Conscripted Third Order JJ crap”- I lost it and coffee actually came out of my nose. Well done!

[@SpiroHarvey]

That settles it, I'm going to dig out my WEG books and run some serious Skorkowskian Wars.

[@krispalermo8133]

My old groups went with over kill and not playing as rules are written RAW, such as using double barrel blaster rifles and 2kilog pineapple grenades/mortar rounds ( grenade x4dmg), along with double to triple thick storm trooper armor for more damage resistance. Another accept was we disregard character points and just went with training time for skill level. Character points were used just to speed up training time and for skill bonuses effects in play. In that regard, any PC or npc imperial putting in the mandatory training time at the blaster range compare to age of n/pc will have a give skill level for threat range. Fluff, with WotC ability modifier for int skill point bonus, other than combat related skills, we went with Fluff, which was carried over from WEG and T.M.N.T. Fluff skills are, .. a.) cards .. gambling, in house joke playing Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, or Sailor Moon. b.) Table tennis/ ping -pong, aids in knife fighting and dodge rolls. c.) Imperial enlisted man or rebel who was force to take piano lessons by their mother when they were children/teenagers. d.) Jazz dancing, ... Star Wars Tales, Princess Leia and a group of her rebel female friends went dancing in cock tail short dresses to get close and kill an imperial moff. Had an imperial KGB investigator with endurance, running, and quick draw with improved initiative. Master at foot chase downs .. can out run a Wookie, but .. Leia was still too fast for him. Do to bad dice rolls he was punch to death by Leia. His last orders were " Do not interfere." So the storm troopers just stood by and watched it happen.

[@BR4IN1N4J4R]

Another thing to note for Stormtroopers: their body armor is specifically designed to take one to three blaster shots to center mass. How many troopers on the Death Star took more than one shot? Zero. So those troopers took a hit to the torso, hit the dirt (because I'll bet you cash money the impact hurt like a mother because similar to modern body armor, it'll make the impact) then they got orders to play dead. Also, my friends and I refer to Ewoks as "Teddy Bears on Meth"

[@toko099o]

With that in mind, the ship to ship breach has a good chance that no troopers were lost at the start of the fight. There isn't a ton of blaster marks on them, and they could just be put to the side waiting for a medic to move them without killing them.

[@TankHunter678]

@@toko099o I think only 1 trooper actually died, as the still frame (at the 2:00 mark) shows a burn hole all the way through the chest plate to blood. The other trooper was likely only disabled by the shot.

[@oz_jones]

Methybears

[@sam_overthinks9931]

The Omicron callback was awesome Mike ending up working for his sci-fi nemesis-race

[@grant0013]

“You were meant to destroy the Omicrons, not join them!”

[@calculusmaximus5078]

You created a situation where episode 7 should have been the fight to save the galaxy from the ewoks. I applaud you sir.

[@michimatsch5862]

Nah, from eating all those brains they figured out that every empire falls at some point. So they ain't gonna do nothing of that sort. They are biding their time for the real thing.

[@OneEyedJack1970]

They were set to storm the galaxy like the Fremen legions.

[@nonya1366]

Muad'dib!

[@sirguy6678]

Great video! This is a living example of why it takes 8 hours to play a 2 hour game. I am certain the guys kept debating late into the night after the game. 😂

[@MySqueezingArm]

This is the funniest, most likely real, converstion I've heard in a long time. As always thank you for brightening up my day Seth!

[@ratholin]

I like how this stitched together a few fan vids and memes to make something pretty great. the soul eating ewoks was a new one to me.

[@Nolinquisitor]

The real reason these scout troopers kept missing the can: Taika Watiti as a director

[@kevingriffith6011]

2:38 Rather than the pretty contrived notion of sabotaged blasters, maybe, just maybe storm trooper armor is actually worth something. Thing is, being shot by a blaster is basically a death sentence for most people: way more than enough power to kill a man in a single shot... but the thing is, we don't *know* if the stormtroopers who got shot actually died from it. It's very likely that many of the storm troopers who were shot woke up later in the infirmary instead of ending up in the morgue. It's also engineered to be effective against energy weapons with little affordance given to cutting or bludgeoning weapons... maybe some impact protection in the helmet but other than that it's light enough to not hinder movement and inexpensive enough to outfit the largest army in the galaxy with enough credits left over to build two death stars... so of course the Ewoks were able to score a few kills on them with sticks and rocks.

[@LordVader1094]

This is confirmed in every source, both canon and legends. Stormtrooper armour is like kevlar. You can survive being shot by a shotgun, but you aren't going to take a hit like that and keep walking.

[@soul1d]

I believe the odds for storm trooper armor are 60% survival for a torso shot. Compared to almost a death sentence if unarmored and getting hit center mass. But it is such a shock to your system you collapse, in episode 4 the opening scene. The two storm troopers we saw downed, we see at least one being helped back up for medical attention. We must also remember that blasters have ludicrous range, clone trooper blasters the big ones not the smaller carbines had a maximum range of 10 km.

[@TheLegionOfTheDamned.]

Even Scott Brown would think twice about crossing an Ewok

[@georgeostwald9260]

That is the right Westendgames StarWars fan mindset there. Cool storytelling.

[@MatteBlacke]

You’re such a good actor! All of your characters are so distinct and convincing. Loved it - as always.

[@sigurdeliasskogvoll6180]

the script of this could be one of those pheanix wright memes - great stuff as always seth!

[@samwhary5498]

That was a fun one! Can't wait for more! :3

[@humbertoquadros9384]

Always looking forward to the pleasure of seeing a new "The Gang Presents..."

[@tootyfrooty7604]

I'm happy to see someone finally debunk all that evil Rebel propaganda about our honest and hard working peaceful Empire.

[@Darkwintre]

My last Star Wars character was the daughter of a former Stormtrooper. Her background story is that they were attacked by hired mercenaries and her father was arrested along with them and disappeared en route to lock up! A neighbour helped her get offworld using a contact to get a post aboard a freighter which is where the game started. Sadly never got past the first episode.

[@blazetheplaneswalker]

Finally someone defending some of the most terrifying soldiers of my child hood

[@buttermcbutters8730]

I was just thinking about the “The Gang Presents” series and look what shows up in my recommended feed, right on time

[@TheEldarGuy]

"Mind eating tree ninjas" I'm about to run a d6 Star Wars adventure... I need to use this somehow.

[@rmyancey]

I was a crayon eating Marine. Granny Smith Green Apple was my favorite.

[@refugeguy777]

Fantastic! Also remember that the Tatooine Stormtroopers also disabled a Jawa crawler by pinpointing the support sections and breaking them, grinding it to a halt without destroying it entirely. As Obi-wan said, "Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise." I think that the Stormtroopers were pretending to miss on the Death Star. It explains the most while being the simplest explanation. Some of them did die, after all; Wilhelm in the chasm, but Luke also shot one in the hangar bay that fell down some kind of deep shaft at his feet. That wouldn't be on purpose. It also demonstrates their skill: missing on purpose while pretending to try and hit takes serious skill and determination. Although their optics being sabotaged on purpose is an interesting theory...

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

The disabled optics thing would also explain why luke couldn't see anything out the helmet. But I don't think they were turned off remotely, they were all ordered to turn them off themselves and they are just that disaplined to do so.

[@refugeguy777]

@@matthiuskoenig3378 Good point. Luke's helmet clearly wasn't functioning. I guess I just never thought they all had done it.

[@reorseX]

I need an entire season of the Gang.

[@JMD501]

I'm sorry but is there a way to like this more than once?

[@justint4049]

More West End Game content! Only RPG I have and still do play. And it’s constantly being canonized. Kenobi episode three visited a West End Games planet just this week! Anyway love your channel way before the WEG content.

[@broklyndatroll8018]

"Mine-Eating tree ninjas", LOL! Damned near pissed myself laughing!

[@Xingmey]

The Gang Presents are easily my new favorite videos of yours. Right next to the warstories, which i listen to regularly - and which we definetly need more of ^^

[@joshuacaulfield]

Preach about the Ewoks, brother. So many people forget that Ewoks eat sentient beings. Love this video.

[@theoldtoby]

Thank you! This made my day. I miss the good old days of playing WEG Star Wars...

[@Bungwirez]

so many of our greatest plans have failed cause the GM is listening. perfecting RPG!!

[@catyear75]

I Remember the old saying ; “ Never Cross An Ewok “

[@ArbiterLibera]

Honesty, who hasn't had this sort of discussion during their Star Wars session?

[@MrDeathChicken]

I like to think that chewie gave the ewoks a Crash course on imperial tech before they hopped in the walker. It’s also possible the rebels worked with them to build some of the better traps

[@Ashmoleon2006]

in the OG 6d star wars ttrpg stormtroopers would get bonuses to hit if they all combined fire in groups, it could be quite effective it reflected their special gear and training

[@Ashmoleon2006]

i like how they were playing the OG 1st edition star wars ttrpg

[@Protectron134]

Stormtroopers, the iconic soldiers of the Galactic Empire in the Star Wars universe, hold a significant place in popular culture. While opinions may vary, several reasons highlight why Stormtroopers are regarded as some of the best troopers in the Star Wars galaxy. **1. Discipline and Training:** Stormtroopers undergo rigorous training and indoctrination from an early age. Their discipline and combat training equip them with skills in various forms of combat, tactics, and military strategy. This training fosters a high level of professionalism and proficiency in battle situations. **2. Numerical Superiority:** The Empire boasts a vast number of Stormtroopers, allowing for overwhelming numerical superiority in many engagements. This sheer quantity often serves as an advantage, aiding in strategic occupation, control, and the ability to overwhelm their adversaries through sheer force of numbers. **3. Iconic Armor and Intimidating Presence:** The distinctive white armor of the Stormtroopers not only provides protection but also creates an imposing and intimidating presence on the battlefield. This aesthetic contributes to their psychological impact on opponents and civilians alike, instilling fear and compliance. **4. Loyalty and Obedience:** Stormtroopers are indoctrinated to be fiercely loyal to the Galactic Empire and its leadership. This loyalty, coupled with their unwavering obedience to orders, ensures a unified force dedicated to carrying out the Empire's goals efficiently and effectively. **5. Flexibility and Adaptability:** Despite the perception of lacking adaptability, Stormtroopers have showcased their ability to operate in various environments, from urban settings to hostile planets. Their training allows them to handle different combat scenarios, utilizing different tactics and strategies to achieve their objectives. **6. Specialized Units and Abilities:** Within the Stormtrooper ranks exist specialized units, such as Scout Troopers, Snowtroopers, and specialized elite squads like Death Troopers. These units possess unique skills and equipment tailored for specific missions, providing versatility and effectiveness in diverse combat situations. **7. Impact on the Star Wars Narrative:** Throughout the Star Wars saga, Stormtroopers have been pivotal in shaping key events, from securing Imperial control to engaging in battles against the Rebel Alliance. Their presence and actions contribute significantly to the ongoing narrative, showcasing their importance in the galaxy's conflicts. In summary, Stormtroopers are esteemed for their discipline, training, intimidating appearance, numerical advantage, loyalty, adaptability, and significant impact within the Star Wars narrative. While they might face criticism for their accuracy or depicted defeats in certain battles, their overall portrayal and contributions within the Star Wars universe solidify their reputation as some of the best troopers in the galaxy.

[@albertstebbins7590]

Private Wilhelm - goodness me Seth, you are a scream

[@Slainte_Mhath]

Great video! I think I'll send my players over here for some Stormtrooper lore ;) (And it's great to see someone also still using the old D6 stuff :) )

[@australianandrew128]

definitely more The Gang Presents

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

I love how Seth's reaction behind his DM screen about the trooper optics is the classic DM 'write that down! write that down!' sorta reaction.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

I would also like to point out as a Legion player that stormtroopers are also pretty good as troops there too. With the better defense dice, minimum 4 troopers in a squad, and even Precise 1 (only stormtroopers are this accurate!) the only real difference between them and Clones in this system is the E-11's using a weaker damage dice, and stormtroopers also can trigger critical marks on attack unlike Clones (though clones also have Fire Support, allowing nearby clones to add to the shot pile, and innately can borrow tokens from other clone units.) Snowtroopers and shoretroopers have a few zigs and zags but have similar setups as well.

[@greycat5400]

Love this video! Thank you.

[@101Hitman]

That was awesome, looking forward to more

[@Sigstus]

Absolutely love these kind of videos!

[@GamerGarm]

Mike is such a good actor, he can do the most uncanny Seth Skorkowsky impression ever!

[@darththiek1766]

This was absolutely great. Keep up the great work.

[@ramzcoldlampin5460]

This is sooo good! I need more of The Gang Presents! 😂❤ might be one of your best videos.

[@joerggering5156]

Great theories, and don't forget that Obi-Wan explicitly warns Luke about stormtroopers! I once read an article about why the "heroes" have an easier time hitting the stormtroopers because while the stormtroopers fire at what are clearly other humans, such triggering a general inhibition to kill another human, the heroes shoot at a dehumanised enemy because they are all wearing those fully concealing armor.

[@kylelingol3805]

This episode is brilliant! Loved it!!!

[@johnsmithfrombackeast7376]

Brilliant! Well done Seth!!

[@jessegrizzle4340]

Awesome! More please, Mr. Skorkowski!

[@rickjames7391]

That was great. Definitely looking forward to the next in this series.

[@Maggerama]

Great point... and a full-blown skit video with everyone's favourite characters! Not only the bad dreams come true, after all.

[@madsam7582]

"J.J Crap" at times like that I wish I could "like" multiple times!! 😂😂

[@dannation8836]

Please make more of these. I love these guys so much

[@megamaster1610]

Awesome video man! Keep it up, this was super fun!

[@thorinbane]

Great episode seth. Very entertaining.

[@YTAlpha01]

Loved the video!

[@jamespuckett9753]

One of the best I’ve seen. Fantastic.

[@aWOLtrooper]

So good, thanks. I'm so thankful that with all the projects you're a part of and content you create, you still find time for fun skits with the Gang.

[@gaminggambeson6553]

Beautiful video. Already a true classic of this channel. 👌

[@whelk]

Hilarious, much appreciated. I especially enjoyed the epitaphs at the end.

[@willcherry9029]

so good. thanks Seth. I really enjoy these guys. the vids are top shelf, truly!! totally awesome!!.