OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To redesign the eight hundred year old AT-AT into a newer variant with updated weaponry and technology for the Imperial Army
- Image Source: Here.
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/All_Terrain_Armored_Transport/Legends
- Manufacturer: The Galactic Empire
- Model: All Terrain Armored Transport
- Affiliation: The Galactic Empire, Closed-Market
- Modularity: Yes, but only with the rear vehicle bay, which can be modulated to hold smaller walkers, repulsorlift tanks, speederbikes, or battlefield equipment/cargo.
- Production: Minor
- Material:
Quadanium-lined Durasteel Hull - Titanium-reinforced Alusteel Frame
- Transparisteel Viewports
- Turadium Blast Doors/Shutters
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Classification: Heavy Walker
- Role: Armored Assault Troop Transport
- Size: 20 meters in length, 22.5 meters in height/depth
- Weight: Heavy enough to crush smaller vehicles, approximately 67 metric tons (?).
- Minimum Crew: 3
1 Pilot - 1 Co-Pilot/Gunner
- 1 Commander
[*]Optimal Crew: 5
- 1 Pilot
- 1 Co-Pilot/Gunner
- 1 Commander
- 2 Deck Officers
[*]Propulsion: Quadrupedal
[*]Speed: Slow, Maximum speed of 60 km/h
[*]Maneuverability: Very Low
[*]Armaments: High
- x2 Fire-linked Light Turbolaser Cannons
- x2 Fire-linked Medium Repeating Blaster Cannons
- x4 Quadanium-reinforced Durasteel Footpads
[*]Defenses: High
- Reinforced Armor
- Reinforced Knee-Joints
[*]Squadron Count: 2
[*]Passenger Capacity: 40
[*]Cargo Capacity: Large enough to be able to fit two smaller walkers (i.e. AT-ST), or four repulsorlift tanks/scout walkers (i.e. 2-M, AT-RT), or sixteen speederbikes.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Armor strong enough to resist laser cannon and light turbolaser blasts.
- Flexible armored 'neck' that allows the command 'head' to angle itself, also gives access to cockpit from troop staging area.
- Walker Servo Motors
- Walker Fusion Drive Systems
- Walker Hazard and Damage Control Systems
- Walker Life Support Systems
- Walker Navigational Systems
- Walker Sensors and Targeting Systems
- Walker Communications Systems
- Walker Environmental Control Systems
- Holonet Transceiver and Encryption/Decryption Networks
- All troops will debark for ground assault: The main goal of the AT-AT is to ferry troops across the dangerous battlefield in the confines of its armored body. The Mark IV variant still maintains this through being able to host around forty Imperial stormtroopers in the central staging area as well as different amounts, depending on the modulation, of smaller walkers, repulsorlift tanks, or speederbikes in a rear vehicular bay.
- Prepare to target the main shield generator: Complimenting its role as an armored troop transport are several weapons systems to combat those that may attempt to hinder their enemies, including two fire-linked light turbolaser cannons mounted on the 'chin' of the command head and two medium repeating blaster cannons position on the 'ears' as a lighter alternative to complete destruction. Astonishingly, the walker can even use its durasteel footpads to crush smaller tanks and infantry.
- That armor's too strong for blasters: The AT-AT Mark IV, instead of already strong durasteel, is constructed out of a deluge of durable materials such as titanium-reinforced alusteel, quadanium-reinforced durasteel, transparisteel, and turadium. All of these materials work in tandem to absorb or reflect lasers under the destructive potential of a standard turbolaser, garnering the walker serious protection against almost anything that an enemy force can muster against it.
- Use your harpoons and tow cables, go for the legs: Even though the entirety of the upper body has been overhauled to be able to decimate any enemy, the legs still remain the paramount weakness of an AT-AT, and while the knee-joints have been reinforced to prevent blaster fire from piercing it, tripping the armored walker with tow cables, or other means, still remains an extremely viable option.
- Vulnerable neck and underbelly: The walker features a flexible 'neck' that serves as an access point to the cockpit from the troop staging area as well as allows the command 'head' to move around, increasing the field of fire for the AT-AT. Due to the flexibility, it is made out of less resistance materials, meaning the blasters that couldn't pierce the armor before can easily do so to the neck. Another vulnerability is the underbelly, where the servo motors and power plants are located in the open, requiring commands to have smaller walkers guarding the AT-ATs flanks.
- Slow Speed and Maneuverability: Weighing approximately 67 metric tons unloaded, the AT-AT moves at a 'sluggish' pace at best, its maximum speed being 60 kilometers an hour. Even worse than this is its maneuverability, due to the fact that the walker has to individually position its legs to initiate a complete one hundred eighty degree turn
The All Terrain Armored Transport was first conceived during the Clone Wars, sporting a more rectangular shape than its Imperial successor. Unfortunately the design was scrapped after the Battle of Jabiim due to the walker's legs sinking into the mud, resulting in the Republic's army favoring wheeled vehicles such as the HAVw A6 Juggernaut. Before the disastrous Battle of Yavin, an Imperial officer named Maximillian Veers was paramount in resurrecting the concept by designing and testing a new version of the AT-AT on Carida, which turned the tide of a battle on that same planet after the Rebel Alliance attempted an ambush.
Afterwards, the AT-AT would be pushed into production, hundreds of them being produced by the Battle of Hoth, where General Veers led several of his creations known as 'Blizzard Force' to overwhelm the hidden Rebel base after being unable to carry out orbital bombardments on their position due to a strong deflector shield in place. In the next eight hundred years the walker would serve to supplement the armies of various governments, many of them being descendants of the old Galactic Empire. One of those governments, ironically this era's version of the Galactic Empire, decided to revamp the entire walker design in order to combat the ever intense technology race between galactic powers including the Galactic Alliance and the First Order. Dubbing it the AT-AT Mk IV, it would serve to improve on the walker's advantageous properties while attempting to nullify its weaknesses.
Several of these improvements involve mounting light turbolaser cannons in place of the standard chin-mounted heavy laser cannons, retaining the medium repeating laser cannons that were position on the 'ears' of the cockpit. The light turbolasers are capable of completely obliterating unshielded enemy vehicles, most likely evaporating the shields of those that do feature such. Being able to dish heavy hits, the walker is capable of taking them too; instead of just durasteel, the mark four variant has been constructed out of numerous alloys such as titanium, alusteel, quadanium, durasteel, turanium, and transparisteel, garnering it even better resistance. The armor, with all of these durable metals, can easily absorb or reflect any laser save anything at or above the capabilities of a standard turbolaser cannon.
Unfortunately this is neutralized slightly by the vulnerable neck which had to be constructed of less durable, but more flexible materials to allow the head to move, as well as the completely unarmored underbelly which houses the walker's servo motors and means of generating power, which is further hampered by the AT-AT's slow speed an maneuverability, which is common place in some of the bulkier All Terrain models.
In the interior of the walker is an expansive troop staging area which can house around forty Imperial stormtroopers, which are deployed either through rappelling down onto the battlefield in small groups, or by the AT-AT kneeling down to a few meters off the ground so that the large rectangular bays positioned on the flanks can deploy boarding ramps for troops to debark on. Next to this is an equally large rear vehicle bay which can house differing numbers of smaller vehicles depending on their size, so far the bay can only hold two small walkers such as AT-STs, or four repulsorlift tanks such as the 2-M, or sixteen speederbikes for fast transport for troopers.
