Peregrinus

Seeing a lot of mis-representation in here, almost certainly not deliberate. What I see missing most of the time is the accurate timeline of this whole mess. 1993: West End Games creates the "Storm Commando" for one of their supplement books (Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim). Artist Mike Vilardi was tasked with coming up with the look from the description of the trooper's role, and drew heavy inspiration from the ROTJ Scout Troopers he loves. But it is an utterly distinct and unique design. Form-fitting bodysuit and neck seal like a Stormtrooper, not a looser jumpsuit like a Scout. Stormtrooper boots in black rather than the Sierra Sneaker knee boots. Bigger and differently shaped waist pouches. Hard armor groin piece that somewhat resembles the Scout's "diaper". Armor on the chest, biceps, forearms, thighs, and calves that is nothing like what the Scouts have. The shoulders can be a straight swap, though. The knees are similar. The helmet has the blinkers flat across the top, rather than curved, and drastically cut back closer to the faceplate. There are a couple holsters hanging from the belt, taking the place of the drop boxes. One is an E-11, one is a Merr-Sonn Model 44. 1993-2000: Other artists do better or worse interpretations of Vilardi's original illustration in the WEG RPG and the Star Wars: Rebellion video game. 2000: WEG loses the RPG license to WOTC, and a new artist does a new interpretation of the Storm Commando that looks more like a WWII German soldier with a gas mask. No, I don't like it. 2002: The 501st has a big sit-down to come up with across-the-board agreed-upon costume definitions. Two pernicious and lasting misinterpretations make it into the clubs lore... Magma Troopers are defined as red Stormtroopers, despite the fact that they were never described or shown anywhere, and the one appearance of red Stormtroopers in the EU specifically called them out as Royal Guards in red Stormtrooper armor... And Storm Commandos are defined as black Biker Scouts, based on an apparently brief and uncaring glance at the extant reference. 2003: X-Wing: Rogue Leader miniseries showcases black Biker Scouts in a Storm Commando role. Their commander, at least, has unique armor that more resembles Storm Commando armor, despite still not getting it right. 2007: Hasbro releases an exclusive variant Biker Scout and speeder bike painted and labeled as a Shadow Scout. I hate seeing Mike's original illustration described as "a sloppy Biker Scout" or other things like that that I've seen over the years. He's very good at making the characters look like the actors, at making the vehicles and armor and weapons look like what they're supposed to be. His Storm Commando is exactly as he intended. With the later data the now-Legends EU added (and which I consider tacitly canon unless and until it's specifically overwritten), it's the final evolutionary step in the family line that started with ARC Troopers and Republic Commandos, and moved on to Imperial Commandos in the early days of the Galactic Empire. These guys were created post-Yavin to better address the increasingly-troublesome Rebellion. From '93 to 2000 or so, it was a matter of newer artists interpreting what Mike had initially laid down in later WEG supplements, in the Rebellion PC game, in the WOTC RPG... After that it became a game of "telephone", with misinterpretations creeping in and getting carried forward. Storm Commandos are not Shadow Scouts. That said, I am not against Shadow Scouts. I like them. I have helped build one. See... I don't see the "shadow" designator as an insult. It's a mark of elite status. There's the basic white Stormtrooper, and the elite veteran Shadow Trooper (and then the even higher Nova Trooper). There's the basic white Scout Trooper, and the elite veteran Shadow Scout. There's the Emperor's Royal Guards, and the Shadow Guards that are another order of magnitude of scary above them (and the even higher red-and-black Sovereign Protectors). I like both Storm Commandos and Shadow Scouts, but they're not the same thing. The other started out as a misinterpretation of the one, but it works in the larger scheme of things, so the whole is enriched by an error. I waffled over posting this for quite a while. I was involved in the early arguments on here about the Storm Commando and Magma Trooper, back around '07 or thereabouts. I don't feel like digging back to see. I never argue unless I have facts on my side, and my stubborn refusal to concede my backed-by-the-data position often makes me unpopular. I also hate getting dismissed because I'm not yet official, as if that somehow negates the validity of facts that exist utterly independently of me. These Detachments, when they're functioning as intended, are wonderful and dispassionate excavators of fact. Honest researchers are willing to abandon comfortable beliefs when presented with information that disproves those beliefs. Lord knows I've had to do that more than once in my life. I hate being wrong -- this is why I don't argue unless I'm sure. So anyone who finds themselves getting irate while reading through all this -- try to step back and ask yourself why. I'm not attacking anyone. I do this out of love for Star Wars, love for these specific costumes, love for the 501st, and a desire for the organization and those in it (including myself, at some point) to be the best it/they can be. For what all that's worth... --Jonah