Bo-Katan's helmet
Mandalorian Shock Trooper Armor reffered to the combat armor variant used by Mandalorian warriors, mercenaries and terrorists during the Clone Wars era. This style of armor was distinguished by its use of plated sections, helmet style, and common additions like jetpacks. The individual plates covered select sections of the body as opposed to heavier armor which would often utilize thicker, heavier and larger segments of metal. In turn these plates provided greater protection than lighter combat suits while offering superior maneuvering quality at the same time.
The Shock Trooper's helmet most often featured a t-shaped visor seen in all Mandalorian armor styles for centuries. The t-shape itself was thought to be inspired by the appearance of the near Human Taungs, the species who gave birth to the Mandalorian culture. Death Watch member Bo-Katan sported a more personalized and uniquely styled visor akin to the face of a barn owl. In addition the helmets would generally be fitted with range finders.
Additional Equipment[]
Death Watch members use their jetpacks
Due to their warrior lifestyle Mandalorian soldiers sought to carry and use as many weapons as possible to give them an edge in combat. Thus their armor reflected this consideration in its inclusion of multipurpose gauntlets and equipment packs. It was common for warriors to have:
- Miniature flamethrowers capable of shooting jetstreams of fire across several feet.
- Dart launchers which shot tiny, often poisonous, projectiles which could be extremely useful when a warrior wanted to kill theirs opponents quickly and quitely.
- Retractable blades for use in hand to hand combat.
- Cable launchers which could be used to subdue an enemy as several Death Watch members demonstrated against Ahsoka Tano. The launchers also would naturally gave users advantages when climbing.
- Jetpacks which provided additional maneuvering capability allowing for easier escape and/or infiltration. A jetpack might also contain weapons of its own like missile launchers for additional tactical advantages.
Clone Armor[]
Rex in Mandalorian-based armor
After Jango Fett accepted the offer to become the template for the Grand Army of the Republic Fett incorporated numerous Mandalorian combat and cultural influences into the training of the clones. The Clone Phase 1 armor reflects the heavy Mandalorian origins in its design due to the plated sections and rangefinders included in it.
Furthermore other cultural traditions like the Jaig eyes markings which would be displayed on the traditional armor of Mandalorians who displayed great courage in battle would also incorporated into the combat armor of the Clone Troopers. These markings on the clone armor share the same meaning as those seen on past Mandalorian warriors.