Apologies for the triple post, but I've been busy...
Next up is the All Terrain Tactical Walker
The AT-TW (All Terrain Tactical Walker))
(Props to WhiteFeatherMoon for the pic)
Name: AT-TW
Role: Armored Cavalry/Assault
Class: Walker
Manufacturer: Balmorran Arms, Rothana Heavy Engineering
Height: 8 Meters
Maximum Speed: 75 Kp/h
Sensors: Balmorra TruTrak VII w/ ECM
Armament:
2 Light Repeating Blaster Cannons
2 Repeating Light Laser Cannons
4 Missile Tubes
Targeting Laser
Defenses:
Armor
Crew: 1; 2 (optional)
Passengers: none
The Galactic Alliance, although renowned for her hover vehicles, did fall back upon Imperial Doctrine, and use Walkers. These Walkers were not nearly as common as their other forces, but they were effective. Several years before the beginning of the War, the Alliance was forced to modernize her Walker forces, but didn’t have the budget to create multiple walkers for both Light and Heavy needs. They needed a middle of the road unit, that could fulfill both adequately. The All Terrain Tactical Walker was born.
This walker would be able to move at a fast speed, and still have enough armor to take a beating. The AT-TW fulfilled both needs, being able to max out at 75 Kilometers per Hour. Her armor is heavier than AT-CW, but is nowhere near the thickness of the AT-RD. She has a good rate of survivability however, partially due to her design, which minimizes exposed points. She’s shorter than the AT-ST, and her frame is more squat, and has none of the balance issues of its predecessors. She also features an ECM suite, making her very hard to track by Active Sensors, oftentimes simply vanishing from enemy screens. They prefer to operate in squads of 3-5, being able to support Infantry Pushes, and a squad of AT-RWs can pose a serious hazard for heavier armor.
As far as weapons go, the AT-TW can be re-equipped with a variety of loadouts, but they all feature a pair of Light Repeating Blaster Cannons in an independent turret, that moves rapidly, and can tear lightly armored targets apart. This turret can either be controlled by the Pilot, a secondary gunner, or the Walker’s advanced Fire Control systems, which allow it to target and engage targets of opportunity and threats to the walker flawlessly, leaving the Pilot to handle the heavier weapons. This does have its disadvantages, because it doesn’t typify targets the same way actual gunners do, which is why several have a secondary gunner position. The heavier weapons are a pair of rapid-fire Light Laser Cannons, which make short work of other walkers and tanks. They can also pulse fire their weapons for a massive spray of energy, which requires cool down time. This is good for hit and run strikes, as the damage generally sows no small amount of chaos. For the real punch, there are a series of 4 missile tubes, which can engage mobile targets with ease, and are especially devastating against air speeders and other targets. Against other walkers and tanks, these warheads can literally obliterate them in a single strike. She also carries a targeting laser to call down Artillery Bombardments when necessary.
There are drawbacks, however. The Missile Tubes are exposed, allowing for critically damaging hits at very unpleasant times. The Magazines for the warheads are located near the warheads as well, so these critically damaging hits are often times fatal. The armor around the Arm joints is weak, so with enough damage at that point, the AT-TW can lose a significant piece of her firepower in a single attack.
An interesting factor in the AT-RW is her versatility. Her weapons can vary. She can carry heavier weapons or armor, at the expense of speed or armor protection. It takes a week to complete a full switch though, so switches during missions or battles are unlikely. Some pilots prefer to remove the missile tubes for heavier armor and getting rid of that vulnerability. Sometimes they add another pair of laser cannons instead, but this version has a much more difficult time with sustained fire, as the heat and power requirements are unconscionably high. A rarer variant, however, is one that has a thin layer of Optical Camoflauge added to it. This allows it not complete invisibility, but removes the needs for a Camo paint-job. Combined with their ECM capabilities, this makes them dangerously capable of Infiltration. This is a very rare variant, as OC materials have a high price tag.
The AT-RW was never a staple of the GAA’s ground forces. She was expensive, and upkeep could at times be difficult. She did excel where she was deployed, however. There are not many of them left. The surviving AT-RWs are believed to be in the hands of the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet, but sightings of them in Rebel hands have made Imperial Ground Commanders wary of engaging them head on. Engaging a squad of AT-RWs can be a costly mistake…
