Acadian Snow Trolls

Acadian Snow Trolls, commonly referred to as Snow Trolls or Trolls, is the largest squad in Acadia. Established to participate in the Greenland Expedition, the Snow trolls grew steadily over the past 78 years to become the most influential squad in Acadian lifestyle. Members of the Snow Trolls have participated in all major engagements that Acadia took part in.

The Trolls start their training from the age of 16 and receive a general combat training until they are ready to specialize. Aside from general combat requirements, little technical knowledge is required to qualify for expeditions. Most Acadians prefer to join the Snow Trolls because of their flexibility; every member is free to pursue any skill or specialization they want as long as they meet the general requirements.

Background
The Greenland Expedition was initially planned to be handled by the HMCS St. John's personnel. When they were destroyed in an American air strike, they left a gap which could not be filled by the untrained personnel left in HMCS Halifax. The Acadian SDF was established to train people for the expedition, but there were many people who weren't content with the SDF's efficiency.

In 2047, the SDF members Eliyahu Rotem and James Connacht proposed a more effective training and management system but they were met with strong opposition from the high ranking members. After presenting their proposal to ANN, they were allowed to train 16 Acadians and compete against the Acadian SDF for the expedition rights. With Connacht's training skills and Rotem's combat experience, the 16 trainees were trained over 12 months and they defeated the SDF in the competition for expedition rights. Following their success, the Snow Trolls was formally established in 8 March 2048.

After 4 years of successful expeditions in Greenland, the Snow Trolls quickly rose in popularity. 90% of the Acadians who reached the age of 16 between the years of 2052 and 2065 were recruited by the squad by the Snow Trolls and by 2073, more than half of the Acadians were member of Snow Trolls.

When the White Knights was established in 2052, James Connacht spent more time training the White Knights rather than the Snow Trolls. Since most of the Snow Trolls were against the idea of Acadian social outcasts having their own squad, they quickly became the rivals of White Knights. The leader of Snow Trolls at the time, Eliyahu Rotem, leading the opposition, was able to rally all Acadians against the White Knights, but ANN resisted all their petitions to dissolve their squad. Eliyahu Rotem was murdered in 2055 and the Snow Trolls used it as an act of war against the Acadians. Using the panic and uncertainty of the period to prevent any investigation on the murder, the Acadians united under Snow Troll leadership and exiled the White Knights from Acadia. Over the decades that passed after Eliyahu Rotem's murder, the hostilities ended but the Snow Trolls maintained their policy of non-cooperation while the White Knights remained isolated.

Even though the skill and success of Trolls was eclipsed by the White Knights and the Foreign Legion a long time ago, they are still the most numerous and popular squad in Acadia. Most minor squads in Acadia were founded by the Snow Troll members and the Snow Troll training system has been adopted by most squads.

Roles
The Snow Trolls have 4 roles. A member becomes a Striker when they do not specialize in any specific form of combat or skill. Those who take time to specialize become Hunters, Heavies, Technicians, or they remain Strikers, if they wish.

Striker
Striker is the most common role in the Snow Trolls. The members who do not specialize in a specific form of combat resume their combat training and take general combat training. Their training covers the tactics used by the Strikers and use of all Acadian equipment as well as common equipment found across Europe. When sent to expeditions the Strikers commonly prepare for close to medium range engagements, but there is no official restriction on what they can do.

Hunter
Hunters are the Snow Trolls who specialize in long-range combat. Generally trained in the use of sniper rifles, the Hunters can also learn how to use other long rifles to get a similar effect. Because this specialization has very high requirements, very few applicants end up becoming Hunters.

Hunters are very well-respected among the Snow Trolls because they are responsible for the safety of everyone in their expedition. Hunters always stay behind to delay the enemy advance if their team has to retreat, even if their death or capture is inevitable.

Heavy
Heavies are the support personnel of the Snow Trolls. Even though the term first came out to refer to the machine gunners, most heavies are trained with the use of explosives and they are armed with mortars, missile launchers and grenade machineguns. To be prepared for the missions that would not permit the use of explosives, Heavies are proficient with AN-29, Acadia's standard issue assault rifle. As the missiles or shells used by the Heavies tend to be heavy, they are usually carried by other team members.

Technician
The Troll Technicians are, as the name implies, the personnel with extensive technical knowledge. After the Acadian Mounted Support Unit (AMSU) was established, it was seen that this role could be distributed between the other squads. Technicians came as the Snow Troll response to this need. The technicians know how to operate all Acadian vehicles, but only a few Technicians are allowed to fly the Acadian aircraft.

The Technicians are also capable of handling explosives and using drones in various situations. They also carry specialized tools useful in salvaging high-value components from machinery or repairing them.