Most effective unit

[harbringer]

Ok there is a nameless planet with a hostile native lifeform which body of troops given normal equipment would take it :

a) most efficiently (ie in the shortest possible time and or least casualties with most resources intact)

b) quicker

and why.

your choices are

1) Clone Trooper division

2) Trade Federation battle droid division

3) Storm Trooper division

4) Division or equivilent of star fleet security (for the trek fans)

5) 200 Jedi

assume hostile planet has SW level tech.

[Gandalf]

I'll guess 200 Jedi.

Though admittedly I don't know the size of a regular "division" of troops.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Stormtrooper Divisions are 9700 men, with about 50 armored vehicles (a mix of AT-STs and AT-ATs).

Given Acclamator troop capacity, I would guess a clonetrooper division is 16000 men. That's also the approximate size of regular Imperial Army divisions (called "battlegroups").

I don't even know Feds have a division, but a Terran division ranges from something like 6500 men (Soviet airborne) to over 20000 (US divisions on combat deployment may really get this large).

[harbringer]

Pretty sure that a star destroyer carries a division so I think it is about 1500 storm troopers (if anyone actually knows for sure feel free to correct me ) and go the same for the others for consistancy. Note that normal weapons and support applies so AT-ST and AT for storm troopers AT-TE AT-AT ( and I think MT) for clones depending on era and gunships for the clones. Trade federation get swoop bikes the big APC's and the grav tanks (their designation escapes me) you can also substitute a confederacy force here (spider droids etc) star fleet get their phaser pistols and rifles (and since they have been left to hold a planet with just these thats all they get) but no orbital support.

[harbringer]

thanks kazuaki and your probably right but use storm trooper strength for everyone as we are comparing troop effectiveness not how many you can fit into a division.

[18-Till-I-Die]

200 Jedi could probably infiltrate and cause more damage than a direct assault, so thats my pick. Clones and Stormies are nice, but i prefer someone who can shoot force lightning and read minds, thank you. IMO, sending a Fed security force in there, with SW level tech and weapons, would be fuckin' suicide. Might as well transport them into a star, they'd last a picosecond longer.

[18-Till-I-Die]

Ah, me am retarded. I forgot to add, i'd send the Feds before i send the TradeFed forces. When you have a million battledroids, and a few thousand humans hand them their shiny metal asses, it's time to re-evaluate the intelligence of not hiring flesh and blood soldiers. At least teh Federation redshirts have the capacity for taking cover, something i dont recall seing a TradeFed droid do once.

[Ghost Rider]

Ah, me am retarded. I forgot to add, i'd send the Feds before i send the TradeFed forces. When you have a million battledroids, and a few thousand humans hand them their shiny metal asses, it's time to re-evaluate the intelligence of not hiring flesh and blood soldiers. At least teh Federation redshirts have the capacity for taking cover, something i dont recall seing a TradeFed droid do once.

Doesn't need to...they have million of them

Also remember the final parameter of the original post.

The planet is armed with SW tech.

The Federation is armed with their standard equipment.

Sorry, the odds are severly against the Federation doing anything effective within this scenario.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Ah, me am retarded. I forgot to add, i'd send the Feds before i send the TradeFed forces. When you have a million battledroids, and a few thousand humans hand them their shiny metal asses, it's time to re-evaluate the intelligence of not hiring flesh and blood soldiers. At least teh Federation redshirts have the capacity for taking cover, something i dont recall seing a TradeFed droid do once.

Wasn't that 200,000 battledroids?

Also, Jedi refers to a huge variety of levels. If you are talking 200 Jedi Masters, that's one thing, but there are plenty of average Jedi.

It also depends on what is the "hostile native lifeform". If it is something like a single, Godzilla type thing, I might want to rely on the heavy firepower of either a stormtrooper or clonetrooper division rather than 200 Jedi.

Hmm, 200 Jedi versus Godzilla like creature. Wonder whether the local Fantasy board has done this one before...

[Ghost Rider]

Ah, me am retarded. I forgot to add, i'd send the Feds before i send the TradeFed forces. When you have a million battledroids, and a few thousand humans hand them their shiny metal asses, it's time to re-evaluate the intelligence of not hiring flesh and blood soldiers. At least teh Federation redshirts have the capacity for taking cover, something i dont recall seing a TradeFed droid do once.

Wasn't that 200,000 battledroids?

Also, Jedi refers to a huge variety of levels. If you are talking 200 Jedi Masters, that's one thing, but there are plenty of average Jedi.

It also depends on what is the "hostile native lifeform". If it is something like a single, Godzilla type thing, I might want to rely on the heavy firepower of either a stormtrooper or clonetrooper division rather than 200 Jedi.

Hmm, 200 Jedi versus Godzilla like creature. Wonder whether the local Fantasy board has done this one before...

Similar and Godzilla win unless Yoda is engulfed and hammers his way out.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

The planet is armed with SW tech.

The Federation is armed with their standard equipment.

Sorry, the odds are severly against the Federation doing anything effective within this scenario.

Darn, missed that last part. Mod, help me delete my last post. Thanks.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

The planet is armed with SW tech.

The Federation is armed with their standard equipment.

Sorry, the odds are severly against the Federation doing anything effective within this scenario.

Back on this. The planet may be armed with SW level tech, but that still leaves a lot of gap.

SW level tech might mean Blaster Pistols and a few Sporting Blaster Rifles by the locals.

Or it might mean Regular Armed Divisions, maybe even with fighter support.

I guess if we assume a division of battledroids means less than 20,000, it is possible under the former, lightly-armed and equipped enemy scenario that the Redshirts with their active tricorders will have a chance better than those stupid battledroids, since the lightly equipped enemy is less likely to have gear that will detect or jam tricorders, possibly giving them a situational awareness advantage.

[Executor32]

Ah, me am retarded. I forgot to add, i'd send the Feds before i send the TradeFed forces. When you have a million battledroids, and a few thousand humans hand them their shiny metal asses, it's time to re-evaluate the intelligence of not hiring flesh and blood soldiers. At least teh Federation redshirts have the capacity for taking cover, something i dont recall seing a TradeFed droid do once.

Wasn't that 200,000 battledroids?

Also, Jedi refers to a huge variety of levels. If you are talking 200 Jedi Masters, that's one thing, but there are plenty of average Jedi.

It also depends on what is the "hostile native lifeform". If it is something like a single, Godzilla type thing, I might want to rely on the heavy firepower of either a stormtrooper or clonetrooper division rather than 200 Jedi.

Hmm, 200 Jedi versus Godzilla like creature. Wonder whether the local Fantasy board has done this one before...

Similar and Godzilla win unless Yoda is engulfed and hammers his way out.

Nah, Yoda'd just give him gas. Obi-Wan would have to use the Force to summon the Giant Boxing Nun to fight with Godzilla, and then they'd win.

(cookie for the reference)

[Executor32]

Whoops, hit submit instead of preview.

I also meant to add that I think a stormtrooper division would probably be the best option, considering the numbers and equipment that make up the stormtrooper division. The Feddies, OTOH, would get their asses handed to them very quickly.

[aten_vs_ra]

Stormies or clones. Stormtroopers might have better walkers, but clones have gunships and blasters that can mutilate droidekas at hundreds of meters.

And the clones are too bad-ass.

Also, what kind of air support does a stormtrooper division have?

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Wasn't that 200,000 battledroids?

Also, Jedi refers to a huge variety of levels. If you are talking 200 Jedi Masters, that's one thing, but there are plenty of average Jedi.

It also depends on what is the "hostile native lifeform". If it is something like a single, Godzilla type thing, I might want to rely on the heavy firepower of either a stormtrooper or clonetrooper division rather than 200 Jedi.

Hmm, 200 Jedi versus Godzilla like creature. Wonder whether the local Fantasy board has done this one before...

Similar and Godzilla win unless Yoda is engulfed and hammers his way out.

Nah, Yoda'd just give him gas. Obi-Wan would have to use the Force to summon the Giant Boxing Nun to fight with Godzilla, and then they'd win.

(cookie for the reference)

Godzilla vs Lando Calrission, from that guy who uses Kenner toys to make Star Wars perversion come to life.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Godzilla Versus Disco Lando, actually, by Evan Mather (EdickieM Films).

[Boyish-Tigerlilly]

Would Clone troopers have better/more training combat comfortability than a stormtrooper division? I guess they are trained longer, harder, and theyget to know each other more. I don't know.

[Striderteen]

Stormtroopers are semi-elite assault troops like United States Marines, wheras Clonetroopers are elite fast-strike airborne troops like United States Army Rangers. Respective effectiveness depends on the mission parameters; in this case I suspect the Clonetroopers would do better due to their heavier individual weapons and superior close air support, even though the Stormtroopers have much better heavy mechanized units (AT-ATs).

[Praxis]

a) most efficiently (ie in the shortest possible time and or least casualties with most resources intact)

b) quicker

I would say 200 Jedi for a, with Clone troopers in second place.
I would say 200 Jedi for B, with Clone troopers in second and Droids for 3rd.

Percentage wise, the clone troopers and jedi would probably take the same amount of losses, but numbers wise, the Jedi have far less to lose, and therefore lose less (and also have lightsabers for defense- clone troopers can't defend, only attack).

Speed, again Jedi cause they can mind trick, blow stuff up with the force, shove doors in, AND Defend against attacks, etc. They can just tear right through stuff.

Clone troopers are more resourceful than droids, though the droids have the advantage of being all one mind (being controllled from the same droid control ship).

[Elheru Aran]

Stormtroopers are semi-elite assault troops like United States Marines, wheras Clonetroopers are elite fast-strike airborne troops like United States Army Rangers. Respective effectiveness depends on the mission parameters; in this case I suspect the Clonetroopers would do better due to their heavier individual weapons and superior close air support, even though the Stormtroopers have much better heavy mechanized units (AT-ATs).

I'm not so sure about your analysis of the Clone Army. You're pretty much right on about the stormtroopers, incidentally.

About why I'm not so sure about the CA--

#1. There's a LOT of 'em. A full army. Making all those troopers "elite" would be prohibitive cost-wise.

#2. While the CA is indeed "fast-strike airborne troops"-- you're right on that point-- they're not necessarily special forces. For one thing, they have artillery, they have armor, and they have CAS. I don't think Rangers regularly pack around 155mm howitzers...

I would regard the CA as being more the SW equivalent of a Marine Amphibious Ready Group, with extra toys. ARG's, IIRC, have several thousand Marine troops in their ships, along with Cobra gunships and landing craft. It's not all that much of a stretch to extend the metaphor to the CA, is it?

[harbringer]

To make life easy except for the Jedi (I imagined the sort of task force sent to genosis) use the troop figures for stormtrooper divisions except use appropriate support and equipment for that force. Instead of 16,000 odd clones plus walkers and gunships make it 9700 clones plus gunships and walkers (including SPAH-T). Yes your average redshirt hasn't much of a hope but I gave trek an option ... I could have said a division of Klingons (if you want you can try to argue this option too). I forgot Star fleet actually have a verhicle that dune buggy thing (ie the one you have when nothing else is available). As for resistance a well armed rebellion say something like in the Corellia series of books. You may not use any characters (after all janeway would only have to make a continues holo broadcast to the population to win!! eeewww).

[IRG CommandoJoe]

If the redshirts had a commander with brains, they could just use widespread stun blasts to quickly and efficiently pacify the populace. But then again, it's extremely rare for Feddies to have brains and use the widespread stun settings.

[Dave]

If your talking about efficancy, I would say Battle Droids. After the battle (assuming you win) you can mop up the pieces and fix the damaged droids w/ salvaged parts (thus less total losses). And we did see droids taking cover in TPM, during the grand hall firefight: droids were moving back toward the pillars
on either side of the hall (presumably for cover)

[Striderteen]

Stormtroopers are semi-elite assault troops like United States Marines, wheras Clonetroopers are elite fast-strike airborne troops like United States Army Rangers. Respective effectiveness depends on the mission parameters; in this case I suspect the Clonetroopers would do better due to their heavier individual weapons and superior close air support, even though the Stormtroopers have much better heavy mechanized units (AT-ATs).

I'm not so sure about your analysis of the Clone Army. You're pretty much right on about the stormtroopers, incidentally.

About why I'm not so sure about the CA--

#1. There's a LOT of 'em. A full army. Making all those troopers "elite" would be prohibitive cost-wise.

Decent point, but I think you're forgetting the sheer scale of the Star Wars galaxy. A few million Clonetroopers for a galaxy-spanning civilization is a much, much smaller percentage of the total population than a full regiment of Army Rangers for a country confined to a single continent on a single planet.

#2. While the CA is indeed "fast-strike airborne troops"-- you're right on that point-- they're not necessarily special forces. For one thing, they have artillery, they have armor, and they have CAS. I don't think Rangers regularly pack around 155mm howitzers...

Good point. Perhaps the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions would be better analog? They definitely have CAS and armor support, or at least did until Clinton decided to take it away from them.