Introduction
Glad to see that you have decided to continue with your Vehicle Specialist training. In this part of the course you will learn about the Century Tank and will then be introduced to your first Imperial Walker in the form of the All Terrain Personal Transport, better known as the AT-PT.
The Century Tank
Name/Model: Century Tank
Designer/Manufacturer: Santhe/Sienar Technologies
Combat Designation: Light Assault Vehicle
Scale of Vehicle: Tracked Vehicle
Height: N/A
Length: N/A
Crew: 1
Cargo Capacity: 30 kg
Weapons:
2 Forward firing (linkable) laser cannons
1 Underside swivel light turbolaser
Maximum Speed: 90 kph (In open ground)
The century tank is a cheap mass-produced ground vehicle that was first produced by Santhe/Sienar Technologies about a year and a half before the death of Grand Admiral Thrawn at the battle of Bilibringi. While the real name of the vehicle is indeed the Century Tank, Stormtroopers around the galaxy, including those within the Hammer’s Fist have come to call it the TIE Tank or TIE Crawler after the vehicle’s command pod which is taken from the standard Imperial TIE Fighter which is made by Sienar Fleet Systems a sister cooperation of Santhe/Sienar Technologies.
The vehicle is a simple combat machine with modular components and simple controls. It the perfect light assault vehicle (LAV), with a light drive system and respectable weaponry. It requires only a single crewman (Vehicle Specialist), who handles both the driving and the gunnery work.
The Century Tank uses the same central pod used in the Standard TIE fighter. Using this pod in the construction of the Century Tank cuts the cost of the tank by thousands of credits per unit. However it does make it difficult for old-line troopers, who are used to standard driving controls of a AT-ST or a speeder bike and not the setup of a flight control yoke. This is why in the Hammer’s Fist there is the separate course to teach our Stromtroopers how to drive the Century Tank. Another benefit of the use of this command pod allows wash our TIE Fighter cadets from the Emperor’s Hammer’s TIE Corps to be retrained as Hammer’s Fist Stormtroopers and then be fast tracked through the Century Tank driving course. This has significantly increased recruitment numbers and provided us with troopers with a different approach to combat. While this is sometimes difficult, it has much improved cooperation between the Hammer’s Fist and the TIE Corps.
The twin Scanthe SSct power generators are attached to each side of the pod and drive tread wheels. The Century Tank has a top speed of only ninety kilometres per hour, which is far slower than most repulsorlift vehicles. However, the drive system of the Century Tank is simple enough that many drivers are able to fix it themselves in the field if it is damaged. As well as this, components for the drive are common and cheap. Due to this, a fully equipped repair kit along with some important components is stored in a compartment directly behind the hatch for the underside swivel light turbolaser on the belly of the vehicle.
The Century Tank can navigate most terrain without problems, crossing obstacles that would stop an equivalent repulsorlift or walker class vehicle. Due to this the tank fills an important gap in the Hammer’s Fist deployment profile and has already proved itself priceless in combat situations.
Currently the Hammer’s Fist does not have a great deal of Century Tanks as their full-scale production is still in the process of being fully developed. However a Company of one hundred and eight Stormtroopers (plus 3 PCs and 1 CC) can expect to be able to draw upon forty Century Tanks, enough to equip one of its three Platoons.
The All Terrain Personal Transport (AT-PT)
Name/Model: All Terrain Personal Transport (AT-PT)
Designer/Manufacturer: Originally designed by the Old Republic
Combat Designation: Light Walker
Scale of Vehicle: Walker
Height: 3.1 Metres
Length: 2.1 Metres
Crew: 1 (1 extra passenger can be carried in an emergency situation)
Cargo Capacity: 25 kg
Weapons:
1 Nose Mounted Twin Blaster Cannon
1 Chin Mounted Concussion Grenade Launcher
Maximum Speed: 60 kph (In open ground)
The All Terrain Personal Transport (AT-PT) was an experimental single-person walker design that was originally designed by the Old Republic. It was meant to turn a single soldier into an armed force that could take on and defeat an entire squad of troops. Ultimately, the AT-PT project was cancelled. The majority of the Old Republic's AT-PT’s were on the Katana Dreadnaught Fleet; after it was lost the momentum to furthering the AT-PT project was lost as well. Imperial Engineers later used many of its concepts when they were designing the AT-AT and the AT-ST.
The AT-PT was intended to be a major component of the Old Republic's ground forces, also they planned to assign platoons of soldiers to AT-PT’s, which would give a single platoon the firepower of nearly a company of ground troops; AT-PT platoons were to be equivalent to light mechanized infantry units, but at a substantially lower cost. Also, with their speed and their extended comlink ranges, the platoon could patrol a far larger area than other comparable ground forces could. The AT-PT would be devastating against conventional ground forces.
The project designers developed the walker to be used for open ground, shallow water, jungle, mountain terrain and urban areas. The independently adjusting leg suspension system allows this vehicle to scramble over inclines and obstacles that would normally block repulsorlift and treaded vehicles. The drive legs can be fully extended upward for high-speed movement or to give the pilot a much superior observation position. The opposite can be done, where the walker is put into a "half crouch" position for cramped conditions. The AT-PT's drive system gives superior balance compared to the larger AT-ST.
Small side hatches allow access into the AT-PT. The cramped central command pod is equipped with a primitive combat sensor package for navigation and also the pod houses the main drive unit. The heavily armoured command pod offers the pilot outstanding protection, making the AT-PT virtually impenetrable by small-arms fire.
After finding the designs and schematics for the AT-PT in old Imperial records, engineers within the Hammer’s Fist brought their idea to revitalise the AT-PT project before Surface Marshall Ares. So impressed was he with the possible tactical applications of the walker that he put sizeable resources at the disposal of the engineers. Within a very short period of time prototypes of the new AT-PT were finished and put through rigorous testing on Carrida II. Finding the AT-PT performance surpassed even their highest expectations; the engineers were delighted to display them before an audience of the Hammer’s Fist General Staff. As impressed with the finished model as Ares had been with first designs, they order the AT-PT be put into full production.
The Hammer’s Fist now has an ample supply of AT-PT’s, with each Platoon being issued with twenty models. This is enough to fully equip to squads of the Platoon, the Platoon Commander and his bodyguard and still allowing back up units. These walkers are most often carried into battle by Sentinel-class Landing Shuttles as a suitable drop ship is yet to be found or designed.
Standard Hammer’s Fist AT-PT’s are armed with a nose mounted twin blaster cannon and a chin mounted concussion grenade launcher although Hammer’s Fist the engineers have specially modified the walker to accept modular weaponry. This allows the weapons systems to be quickly and easily selected and changed to suit almost any mission profile.
Several AT-PT’s can be found in the ranks of mercenaries and pirates who stole them, bought them on the black market or salvaged them from battlefields. The Rebels also got their hands on at least a couple of examples of the AT-PT when Rebel Commandos stole them from a secret Imperial Weapons Research Facility on the planet of Fest. It is as yet unsure what the Rebels intend to do with their information, however it is thought they may plan to produce their own variant of the walker.
Passing this part of the Vehicle Specialist course will allow you to purchase an AT-PT from the Hammer’s Fist shop(the cost in Imperial credits can be found by logging into the shop by in the admin section of the Hammer’s Fist homepage). You will be able to customised this AT-PT to your own specifications and know it inside out, giving you a decisive advantage in combat.
It will prove beneficial for you to know the AT-PT inside out. For this reason I have included a set of the vehicles blue prints below, make use of them.
