AT-TE Cargo Walker “Before the Attack”

Check out the Build Log.

What you didn’t see in the build log (aka I got distracted and didn’t take enough pictures):

Painting/Weathering

• A lot of the round buttons in the cockpit and crane controls were painted with oils, not acrylics.
• I used lighter oil paint to create highlights, particularly in the legs.
• I created custom Republic logo decals for the cargo

The Terrain

• I used Durham’s Rock Hard putty for the rocks. It is basically a plaster. Rocks were cast at different angles and later chipped to create new rocks.
• The rocks and the DAS clay had to be glued onto the foam board as they were applied.
• Most of the rock colors and highlights were done via acrylics and my airbrush.

The Figures

• I used Stormtroopers from the figure set, as well as Luke and Han in Stormtrooper armor.
• The black painting was done via oil washes, as they are easier to remove.
• The red markings were made from red decals. I used a punch set to “punch” out red circles from a larger red decal and used those on the helmets.
• Nearly all of the clones were re-posed in some fashion.

As part of an ever-growing need to move supplies across battlefields, the Republic retrofitted many AT-TE walkers as cargo haulers. These mobile platforms allowed troops and supplies to move in a relatively safer manner than flying in Gunships that could be easily spotted and shot down.

The primary modification to these walkers was the removal of the interior compartments, which were replaced by fuel reserves that could last months without refueling. Rear platforms and a new forward driver’s compartment were added. The upper platform featured flaps that the troops could raise for added protection or lower for additional cargo space. Most units also featured a crane that could load and unload supplies. Additionally, the platform had sealed compartments that could store hazardous materials, like warheads.

The driver’s compartment featured an open design allowing better visibility but required pilots to wear full armor in the event of an attack. Seated on the left, the driver utilized scanners built into his helmet, as well as terrain scanners at the front of the walker. On the other side, the radio operator manned an extensive com-station built onto the upper hull of the walker, just beyond the mid-section. Small lifts on either side of the cockpit allowed the driver and radio operator to enter the vehicle.

Clonetroopers on board could ride on walkways located on either side of the walker. These scaffolds were weak and unarmored, and some clones added additional armor plates to the sides.

For night operation, the walker featured heavy floodlights underneath the cockpit. Additional spotlights were located under each walkway that the troops onboard could manage.

The walker itself featured no weapons, but clones usually carried heavy blaster emplacements (E-WEBs) in addition to their usual blaster rifles.

Typically, a republic officer accompanied the walker and acted as a liaison to any local populations. A specialized scouttrooper usually followed as well, due to the need for advance reconnaissance for the unarmored walker.