All Terrain Scout Transport/Legends

"AT-ST's will no longer be deployed on planets with an abundance of trees or other known obstacles such as rock-wielding primitives."

- AT-ST service manuals, post-Battle of Endor

The All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) was a bipedal walker used by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars and, later, the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War.

Description
Also known as a "chicken walker" because of its shape and walking motion, the AT-ST was a heavily armed light ground combat vehicle. It was equipped with a chin-mounted double medium laser cannon, a concussion grenade launcher on the left side of its head, and a blaster cannon on the right.



The chin guns had an effective range of 2 kilometers and were used for anti-vehicle attacks, while the blaster and grenade launcher provided close-range protection. AT-STs are piloted by a crew of two drivers.

The bipedal propulsion system was one of the primary weaknesses of the AT-ST. While on even terrain the walker could achieve over 90 kilometers per hour, on uneven or shifting terrain a walker could easily become unbalanced enough to fall over.

History
The earliest models were deployed by the Grand Army of the Republic during the latter stages of the Clone Wars, the same conflict that saw the debut of several other bipedal walker designs, like the AT-XT, the AT-RT, and the AT-AP.



The AT-ST was viewed by Imperial commanders as a highly versatile weapon, excelling against infantry and light armored vehicles, but also useful for protecting vital units and patrolling hostile areas.

At the Battle of Hoth, several AT-STs were deployed to provide cover for the larger AT-AT walkers. These were of a different model than the more regular AT-ST seen on Endor. The chin-cannons had longer barrels, the light blaster cannon was of a different make, the "head" of the walker was not as blocky and it had longer legs, making it slightly taller than the stock-version.

It's possible this model was more specialized for escort/assault missions, although not as heavily as the 10 meter tall AT-ST/As. The walker was also a specially-modified model for polar climates, as were all the vehicles used on Hoth.

The AT-ST's problem with shifting terrain was demonstrated during the Battle of Endor, when Ewoks released a large pile of logs and stones to roll down the hill into the path of an AT-ST. The walker was unable to handle the rapidly shifting ground, and despite attempts by the pilot to stabilize the vehicle, it fell on its side and was destroyed.

Behind the scenes

 * An early scout walker concept was used in the Revenge of the Sith comic adaptation. This was derived from Episode III concept art made by Ryan Church.


 * The script referred to the AT-RT walker as a "modified scout walker", which may imply that this two-man design was the basis.


 * The AT-ST model recieved some cosmetic changes for its extensive appearance in Return of the Jedi, thus explaining the minor differences in the models used for the two films.

Appearances



 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith novelization
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Empire at War
 * Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire
 * Star Wars Empire: To the Last Man
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Super Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars: Demolition
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Star Wars: Force Commander
 * Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * X-wing: Rogue Leader
 * The Courtship of Princess Leia
 * ''Darksaber
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * The Unifying Force