Dominion Trooper

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"Troopers, we are green, and very, VERY, mean!" - A Dominion Sergeant during the Great Schism

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The Trooper, is a generic slang term referring to the Infantrymen of the Fifth Dominion Army, although it is also used to name other Army personnel in general. Being a mainstay in the Army for the past 1,000 years, Troopers have played important and decisive roles in many wars and conflicts.

History
Troopers have always been the mainstay of the Fifth Dominion Army, and the Republican Army which followed. Since the beginning of recorded history, the various forms of land-based military units raised by the inhabitants of Aerinoth, and later, their Empire, were predominantly infantry based.

The first primitive form of an Army was the numerous raiding parties formed by the men of the Kingdom of Aerinoth (405BC - 90BC). When the Holy Empire (205BC - 5BC) conquered the Kingdom in 90BC, the raiders of Aerinoth were employed as auxiliary light infantry units.

However, over time Aerinoth became Imperialised and by the time the martial law in the Protectorate of Aerinoth (90BC - 23BC) ended and the Fifth Dominion of the Holy Empire (23BC - 43AD) was declared, the auxiliaries had all adapted heavy infantry tactics.

The Holy Empire renamed itself the Great Imperial Empire (5BC - 1097AD) after a spate of successful conquests, and this further reduced the need for Fifth Dominion soldiers to become light infantrymen, as the newly-conquered Dominions could now fit the role. Indeed, when the Fifth Dominion returned to the rule of a native Aerinothian as the Duchy of the Fifth Dominion (43 - 1097), it was expected to provide only heavy infantry and galleys to the Great Imperial Army.

Thus, until the Imperial Civil War, the Fifth Dominion was primarily concerned with naval warfare, as heavy infantry were conveniently able to repulse boarding attacks on ships.

When the Empire fractured and the Fifth Dominion regained independence as the official successor state called the Holy Empire of the Fifth Dominion (1097 - 2028), the Dominionites were forced to adapt. No longer able to rely on the other Dominions for certain specialisations, the Fifth Dominion once again raised light infantrymen and professional archers.

In 1476, the Army was massively overhauled, with armour on soldiers being dramatically reduced, and archers being replaced by musketeers. This focus on gunpowder weapons would remove heavy infantry from the rosters until the invention of "heavy weaponry". This period is referred to as the First Revision.

In 1765, melee units were massively reduced, and the few remaining melee troops were assigned to defend the now mass-produced artillery. To counteract the sudden loss of a close-quarters asset, bayonets became universal, as well as sabres for all troops. Artillery became the main focus of the Fifth Dominion, as a few well placed shots could wipe out entire regiments of enemy troops, while also being extremely useful for maintaining a naval hegemony. This is referred to as the Second Revision.

In 1897, melee weapons were completely scrapped in favour of the pistol. Rifles, which replaced the musket back in 1798, now had magazines: allowing faster reload, and destroying the rank-and-file system in combat: replacing it with smaller squad or individual-based combat. Bayonets were still used, albeit as a last resort only, as determined charges still had the potential to rout the enemy. The Gatling Gun was also introduced, to great effect, forcing Officers to rethink their tactics and use cover. The Army of this period is referred to as the New Model Army.

By the mid 20th century, heavy infantry once again became a mainstay of the Army, after over 500 years of absence. New developments such as assault rifles and heavy machine guns forced the Army to fight in smaller formations, while inventions such as kevlar vests and reactive plating made it easier to fight in smaller formations.

In the 21st century, however, technology advance phenomenally. Shielded Powered Exoskeletons, referred to, colloquially, as Power Armour allowed soldiers to stay in the firing lines for longer periods of time and with a greater chance of survival than before, as well as allow them to perform feats normally requiring great strength, endurance or speed. With the power armor, all infantry became heavy infantry by default, with secondary specialisations applying to these infantrymen, such as the role of scout, sniper, medic or sapper. To counteract this advance in defensive technology, laser, and later plasma weaponry would be developed, reducing the number of wounded and reciprocally increasing the number of dead. This is the current form of the Army, maintained, with slight technological advances through the later years of the Holy Empire of the Fifth Dominion (1097 - 2028) and through the entirety of the Holy Interstellar Imperium (2028 - 2080) and the Free Interstellar Republic (2080 - Current).

In Game
The Trooper at the beginning of the game is the best infantry unit, shot-for-shot, when compared to enemy infantry. However, once enemies start to upgrade their infantry, the Trooper will fall into mediocrity, thus it is advised to make use of Exterminators once they are available. Troopers are actually rather cheap to train, with an average build time, and their rechargable energy shields make them a good cannon fodder late game. Troopers will not be able to contend with large numbers of skirmishers or vehicles and will need to make use of the Fifth Dominion's special vehicle trait which allows all vehicles to transport infantry in order to be protected from enemy fire. Troopers, when used in conjunction with support units such as Chaplins, Officers, Republican Guards and Paladins, can become a deadly force to contend with.