A snowtrooper is depicted, clad in their specialized armor for frigid environments.
The Galactic Empire's cold weather assault stormtroopers utilized snowtrooper armor as their protective gear. This armor was specifically engineered to shield the wearer from intensely cold conditions, incorporating elements such as insulated ice boots, a kama, a heated rebreather, and polarized snow goggles.
Within the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps, snowtrooper armor represented one of the many variations of the standard armor employed by its troopers. Because cold weather assault stormtroopers operated in extremely cold environments, their armor was modified to improve performance in these conditions, most notably by its white hue. Unlike the standard armor, it lacked cuisses and greaves for leg protection, opting instead for knee guards and insulated pants to enhance mobility and flexibility. The body armor featured a plackart similar to that of the Imperial Officer Corps' battle armor, along with shoulder armor and short vambraces. A codpiece attached to the utility belt rounded out the standard snowtrooper gear, although hip armor was an occasional addition.
The design of snowtrooper helmets prioritized both maximum protection from the cold and defense against enemy attacks. The helmet itself, similar to those used by the officer corps, covered the head, while a protective hood concealed the face. A rebreather and polarized snow goggles were worn under the hood. An external battery pack, capable of powering the helmet's heating system for up to two weeks, was carried on the trooper's back.
The armor incorporated rugged ice boots, an insulated kama extending from the hips to the feet, and a survival backpack with a grappling gun, ion flares, and a homing beacon to protect snowtroopers from blizzards and icy conditions. A heating unit, powered by the battery pack near the survival backpack, heated the entire suit. Troopers received specialized training to endure arctic temperatures.
A modified version of the snowtrooper's heating backpack was created for integration with standard stormtrooper armor. This version resembled the survival backpack used by desert stormtroopers, but it featured a longer antenna and a larger canister.
Scout troopers deployed in cold climates could utilize a snowtrooper armor variant, including the chest armor, pauldrons, and vambraces. Their modified helmets combined the macrobinocular viewplate and heavy-duty rebreather of the standard scout trooper helmet with the heating capabilities of the snowtrooper helmet. These cold assault scout troopers wore an insulated body suit, and their battery pack was designed for detachment and transport on a 74-Z speeder bike to support the operations of fast-moving scouting teams.