Model: Republic Clone Trooper Armor, Mark I
Type: Combat Armor
Scale: Character
Cost: Not available for sale
Availability: 3, X
Game Notes:
Armor Protection: +2D physical, +1D energy, -1D Dexterity and related skills.
Comlink: Tongue-activated helmet comlink.
Body Glove: Climate controlled body glove allows operation in uncomfortably cold or warm climates.
MFTAS: Multi-Frequency Targeting Acquisition System; adds +1 to Perception checks in low-visibility situations, +1 to ranged weapon skill uses against targets moving more than 10 meters per round; polarized lenses prevent flashblinding.
Utility Belt: High-tension wire, grappling hooks, spare blaster power packs, ion flares, concentrated rations, spare comlink, water packs, 2 medpacs.
Background: Phase I clone trooper armor was the armor worn by clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic during the early stages of the Clone Wars.
To humans, the clone trooper’s armor appeared white overall, but to Kaminoans, clone trooper armor had many colors due to them seeing in the ultraviolet spectrum of light. Phase I armor was later replaced by Phase II clone trooper armor as the Clone Wars progressed.
With some design assistance from Jango Fett, the basic armor design became composed of twenty form-fitting plates of lightweight plastoid-alloy composite, sealed to a black bodysuit and weighed just under forty kilograms. Because the armor would be used by an army of physically identical clones, only one size was needed. It loosely resembled Mandalorian shock trooper armor, as a result of Jango’s participation in its design. The austere sensibilities of Kaminoan society resulted in the blindingly pristine white state of each set of armor, although command units originally had stripes of different colors, depending on their rank (yellow meaning commander, red meaning captain, blue meaning lieutenant, and green meaning sergeant). However, as the Clone Wars progressed, the colorized markings began to identify the troopers with specific units. The helmets usually had fins on the top.
As the Clone Wars progressed, some troopers began to show individuality, customizing their armor to adapt to their needs with items such as visors, rangefinders, pauldrons, kamas, enhanced communications gear, and jetpacks. A light source could be attached to the helmets to illuminate dark areas. Some troopers even painted unique designs on their armor and helmets according to personal tastes.
The armor was heavy, uncomfortable, and not very well liked by clone troopers, hence it being often referred to by non-clone GAR personnel as a “body bucket”. Its inconvenience was due to the Kaminoans’ lack of knowledge of Human anatomy. It did, however, have coolant systems to prevent overheating, and also included enhanced breathing filters inside the T-visor. The armor could take some modular attachments, like a bacta pack for a medic or small flamethrower for Advanced Recon Commandos. The armor suit also resisted vacuum environments, allowing the trooper to continue to fight outside of spacecraft for a short time (though recovery was needed).
During the later part of the Clone Wars, the Phase I sets were mainly replaced by Phase II armor. However, some clones chose to keep either some, or all of the elements of their Phase I armor.