Starships and other vehicles in TLJ

Cool! I also posted that Lego pic in another (Lego) thread but totally overlooked the TIE Bombers. This is getting more and more interesting.

For the walkers in TFA: It seems to me that as they were only used to fill up the background, the designs ended up as not-so-cool or being downright lousy. That’s a bit unusual for the high quality standards from Lucas Films Design department, at least in my opinion. Now as the get a more prominent role in TLJ, walkers get a much beefed up look and feel worthy of battlefield behemoths. Although to me the Hvy Scout Walker in its Lego appearance looks quite awkward to me - 8 legs? Come on!

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 6, 2017, Original Post Date: Sep 6, 2017 ---

It has been meanwhile confirmed that a requirement to the design department was, to avoid the tow cable Achilles heel this time. Those front legs, besides walking on their “knuckles”, are heavily armored.

Also, the walkers main purpose from the design point of view, was to act as a mobile heavy artillery weapon platform including heavy siege cannons. The leg and movement profile was also chosen in favor to stabilize the cannon.

Rian asked for something like an angry dog, but Kevin Jenkins (Design Supervisor) proposed the gorilla shape with a low balance point to allow for the above mentioned effects.



Although those Megacaliber Six cannons seem to have a bit space for rotation up, down and sideways, I can imagine that this is not enough to bring the angle downwards to hit very target on the ground take the high of the AT-M6 into account. Going with the usual SW philosophy, those cannons will not fire projectiles in a ballistics curve, but a kind of laser weapon, not unlike those mounted on the republics SPHA-T’s during the clone wars (heavy artillery turbolaser). I wonder how this artillery will perform in a ground assault.



Did you note that with the new vehicles, the term ‘Mega’ seems quite popular (Snokes Mega Star Destroyer)?

 

Ah, interesting. I wasn’t aware of that nearly confirmed state of Ilum. I just knew that it too was an icy planet, rich of Kyber crystals and nearly at the same position on the galactic map. Is there any more evidence?

I have high hopes for that battle, besides that this poster is “only” concept art. A joint air and ground assault would really be awesome to watch. But I wonder why would the First Oder deploy old AT-AT’s with what they have already at their disposal. Maybe that’s something that never makes it past the concept state, when it’s really just to show somebody the difference in dimensions and make the AT-M6 even more dreadful to the eye.

And when it comes to the design question, the Empire had won already in the 70’s and 80’s from my point of view as a kid back then. I always wanted to have a Scout Trooper Armor and a Speeder bike so badly to go to school with it.

Edit: What do you think, will they first use the orbital auto cannons of the new Dreadnoughts also to pave the ground for planetary assault on Crait, or will those just be used to level the base on D’Qar from afar?

2nd Edit: Talking about the coolest designs and armor, are there any official images out yet besides the Lego Figure regarding the AT-M6 Driver Suites?

 

The same sect should also come up with a good conspiracy theory, because behind the TIE silencer flies a classic TIE/in Imperial Tie fighter from around ANH.

So the Silencer model must be much older and predates the First Order by 30 years! Was it Palpatine’s or Vader’s secret model? How will Darth Plagueis fit into this then?