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If we take the assumption(OT and EU contradictions to the stormies being clones) that the Empire swtiches from clones to recruits by the OT, I have a question. Why use them instead of droids? I know that droids have the problem of the central command thingie, but the ISD is a much better protected target then the TF Battleship and if that is lost the ground forces are pretty much screwed anyways.

They are cheaper, hella faster to produce, don't have the matenance that a ST has, (food, lodgings, etc.), they can be cramped into much smaller spaces and large numbers can be transported in the required area. Plus planets are pissed at the Empire taking their boys to use as cannon fodder.

So, why would they make the switch?

anarchistbunny wrote:If we take the assumption(OT and EU contradictions to the stormies being clones) that the Empire swtiches from clones to recruits by the OT, I have a question. Why use them instead of droids? I know that droids have the problem of the central command thingie, but the ISD is a much better protected target then the TF Battleship and if that is lost the ground forces are pretty much screwed anyways.

They are cheaper, hella faster to produce, don't have the matenance that a ST has, (food, lodgings, etc.), they can be cramped into much smaller spaces and large numbers can be transported in the required area. Plus planets are pissed at the Empire taking their boys to use as cannon fodder.

So, why would they make the switch?

Watch TPM. Even green Naboo Police can fight off groups of droids with ease. And at Geonosis, had the clones been recruits instead, the end would've only been marginally different. Probably more Republic casualties, but theequipmentof the clones could've staved them off. AT-TEs, LAATs, and SPHA-Ts versus Spider Droids, Hailfires, and Geonosian Fighters. You cna see where that is going.

Because for infantry work live troops are more effective. The Empire does use many types of war driods for heavy work.

Watch AoTC again; Lama Su explains why clones are superior to droids.

Palpatine can influence the minds of human followers.

I'm guessing that the stormtroopers are more durable than droids, and can survive harsher conditions. Also, there might be EMP weapons used that could render droids useless, something like those blue ball thingies the Gungans had.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:I'm guessing that the stormtroopers are more durable than droids, and can survive harsher conditions

That statement's stupidity speaks for itself so well, I won't even list the reasons.

The Empire does use war droids for xtremy dangerous and tedious work. Stormtroopers can also think on their own, operate independently, and are immune to EMP and jamming weapons. Plus, stormies are as fearless as droids and alot more deadly than droids anyway.
Not to mention what Wong brought up about Palpy controlling them.

There's also the fact that the Separatists used droid armies, and Palpatine's rule came out of emergency powers granted to him to fight them. The Clone Wars will supposedly devastate the galaxy, and you can see from the Cantina scene in ANH that anti-droid prejudice exists. Although he's a dictator, Palpatine at least tries to keep up a positive public image with the use of propaganda. Droid armies wouldn't make him look very good.

The army would use a mixed group in large assaults.

Stormtroopers would guide war droids along, allowing the droids to act as a force mutliplier, with the same intelligence and creativity of a human squad.

The patrols in cities would use more stormtroopers because each situation might need a different response, and a living mind could come up with the right answer better than a droid sending its request ot the main computer.

So troops and droids have their place in Star Wars forces, but each gets allocated in the best way. The more creativity needed, the more humans you send. The more raw firepower needed, the more droids you send.

By theTime Dark Empire rolls around the war droids are feasible for that sort of use. Of course after Dark Empire so government can exactly to use incredible amounts of them (just a guess). Lando Calrissian's YVH droids seem pretty bad ass though in the NJO books.