Micro Galaxy Squadron AT-ST Custom

MGS Comparison

Modified Cockpit

Brass leg tensioners

Oil paint streaking

This Micro Galaxy Squadron AT-ST Custom started off with me wanting to repaint the MGS AT-ST because the coffee wash was just too heavy. Then I decided I should cut off and reglue the chin cannons because there were too far apart. Suddenly, I was doing a thousand other modifications to it. I corrected the toe cutters with styrene. I replaced the viewport hatches and the side cannon armor with styrene sheet. I used a concussion grenade launcher from another toy to replace the molded-on version. In a bit of madness, I decided to cut out the molded-on railing and use brass wire/solder to replicate it accurately. I added brass leg tensioner strips. Finally, I cut out a hatch from another AT-ST and added it to the custom, which allows it to open and close. I used a 1/72 MG34 as the hatch blaster.

Painting video

Weathering video

After the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Jakku, Imperial Remnant forces scurried to secure whatever ships and armaments they could before leaving the central worlds. AT-ST walkers were in high demand because of their flexibility as patrol, sentry, and scout vehicles. Even broken-down AT-STs often had value, not only with Remnant armies, but on the black market as well. Factions would purchase parts from various AT-STs to repair the working units they had. Therefore, it wasn't unusual to see grey AT-STs with red primer replacement panels attached. White circles often emblazoned the sides where painters would later add the Imperial roundel, though this was often overlooked as unnecessary. Paint was a costly commodity, particularly when the money was better spent on concussion grenades or power cells.

Due to lessons learned during the Battle of Endor, Imperial ground forces often attached repeater blasters to the roof rails. While the gunner would need to be exposed, these "buzzer" cannons offered extremely effective protection from surprise attacks. Blasters could slide along the rails and engage targets in any direction, often faster than the AT-ST's head could turn. And even though the blasters had limited range and power, they still could dissuade most aerial attacks, particularly from primitive native forces.