But thanks to the AT-ATs, the trenches are a deathtrap for the soldiers manning them and don’t even slow the Empire down.īut then, the rebel forces do what most military strategists consider the hardest feat to pull off: They execute a well-organized retreat without letting it become a rout.Īs soon as they spot the AT-ATs, they know they’re outmatched. Why are there troops in trenches at all? Because they expected those TIE fighters to be providing air support for advancing stormtroopers on foot. The Imperial ground assault annihilates the rebel snowspeeders and lays waste to the defensive line of troops in trenches. War is chaos, luck, and - nine times out of 10 - a mismatch in forces. War isn’t highly organized armies meeting on a field, each perfectly executing their plans. This is one of the things that makes the scene feel so real to me. They’re horribly outmatched and outgunned. Able to manage any terrain and carry a complement of troops, so heavily armored they can shrug off ground-mounted artillery, and equipped with powerful blasters, they’re a threat the rebels are totally unprepared for. But that isn’t the battle the Empire brings.Įnter the AT-ATs - Imperial walkers. They’re well prepared for a battle against enemy TIE fighters, which would be the obvious option for a low-altitude attack. They’ve got a strong fleet of skirmishing fighters optimized for Hoth’s atmosphere and temperature: snowspeeders. The rebels have made their own catastrophic error, though. So what could have been a simple bombardment from space now has to be fought out on the ground. But then comes the first mistake and the countermove: the Imperial forces come out of hyperspace too soon, leaving the rebels time to get their orbital shields up. Unfortunately, the enemy forces find them and, well, the Empire strikes back. So they relocate to the ice planet of Hoth. They’ve destroyed the Imperial superweapon, but their main base at Yavin 4 is now known, and it’s just a matter of time before a massive Imperial fleet comes to erase it. Granted I don’t know the first thing about real combat engagements, but there’s such a satisfying flow of move and countermove to it, with a mix of realistic-feeling mistakes and smart tactical deductions.Īfter the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, the rebels are on the run. The rebel forces are absolutely smashed, forced to retreat under heavy Imperial fire, losing soldiers, ordnance, and military materiel that they can scarcely afford to lose.īut it’s not just the outcome that’s satisfying - it’s the intelligence and logic the screenwriters use to get us there. There’s no exploitable weakness in the enemy attack. But in the Battle of Hoth, there’s no such moment. Some brave stand or unexpected reenforcements will turn the tide at the last second. The stakes are high, you fear for the characters’ lives.Īs a viewer, you go into a battle scene expecting the heroes to win the day, no matter the odds. It’s one of the most convincingly detailed and logical sci-fi battles ever shown on film. And nowhere is that more strongly demonstrated than in the Battle of Hoth. But none of those come without setbacks, failures, and defeats. Star Wars is a story of bravery, destiny, valor, and perseverance. In this installment, Andy Weir, author of The Martian and the new Project Hail Mary, discusses why he loves the centerpiece action sequence from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In My Favorite Scene, invites special guest writers to discuss which one scene or moment in the saga resonates with them most. The acclaimed author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary on the storytelling feats of the Battle of Hoth.
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