Bandai AT-ST -- Empire Strikes Back modifications

This is my Empire Strikes Back version of the 1:48 Bandai AT-ST (not the smaller mini-kit). The "head" on this version has different proportions than the ROTJ one and the legs and chin cannons are longer. The way Bandai engineers its kits, however, makes major surgery a challenge. With the AT-ST, the interior cockpit walls are integrated into how the exterior pieces fit together. If you modify one piece, it creates a chain reaction of modifications to a dozen other pieces. Since the window shutters on the TESB version are closed, I could forget about the interior completely except where it was needed to hold the exterior together. I lowered the roof section of the head to make the overall profile squatter and more angled. The original studio model had a slight curve to the roof that is nearly impossible to replicate, but I sanded down the front of the roof above the window shutters to make it as close as I could. Other pieces of armor plating had to be trimmed and resized. Not perfect, but it'll have to do. The two round gun mounts on either side of the head are smaller on the ROTJ version, so I replaced those parts with bigger ones. I had some leftover replacement domes from the 1:350 TOS Enterprise kit that were defective that I cut down and shaped until they were the right size. The chin guns were a simple modification by just adding some short lengths of styrene tubing over the ends of the existing guns. The last modification was to lengthen the middle section of each leg to make each roughly twice as long as in the ROTJ version. Bandai has this section of the leg as three pieces, so each needed to be lengthened before final assembly. I just cut the original pieces apart and used some styrene filler to extend the length. I didn't work too hard to make the modifications invisible since I knew I'd be hiding the sins with paint and battle damage.

I still need to modify the left side "ear" guns to more closely match the original and I need to paint the small red emblem on the left side of the upper cockpit. My goal was to spend no more than a weekend from start to finish.

Nice work. The head size and leg length mods go a long way to achieving the look of the ESB version. :thumbsup

Wow. That looks superbly good.

Thanks guys! Yeah, I'll admit, I prefer the proportions of the TESB version of the AT-ST better than the ROTJ one. The ROTJ version was adjusted to better match the live-action set piece (probably a difficult thing to build and erect, especially in a forest), but the larger, chunky head reminds me of the ugly boxy Chrysler K-cars from the early 1980s.

BTW, I made the mistake of using a turp-based wash after painting with Tamiya acrylics and I encountered the same cracking plastic problem others have mentioned with Bandai kits. Don't use anything on these kits that can act as a solvent. If I try to re-position the legs they just crack now. Not cool.

Hunk a Junk said:

BTW, I made the mistake of using a turp-based wash after painting with Tamiya acrylics and I encountered the same cracking plastic problem others have mentioned with Bandai kits. Don't use anything on these kits that can act as a solvent. If I try to re-position the legs they just crack now. Not cool.

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I know folks have had this issue with other Bandai kits but more often than not, it seems to be the AT-ST that succumbs to the plastic disintegrating. Maybe something to do with the stress on the legs. I used enamel washes on mine and thankfully didn't encounter any issues, although I was very careful not to flood any areas. I should maybe inspect it as it's possible I just haven't noticed yet. I have a very unscientific theory that it mostly affects the early Bandai SW kits.

Great work!

Looks pretty good! I liked this version much better than the heavier clunky RotJ version.

Here are some ESB-ATST model reference photos
https://www.facebook.com/5465095787...509578715505/1311222142244241/?type=3&theater

Richard Baker said:

Here are some ESB-ATST model reference photos
https://www.facebook.com/5465095787...509578715505/1311222142244241/?type=3&theater

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Those are super helpful, thanks! I know I didn't get every rivet right on mine, but I also wanted to move through the build and get on to other projects quickly. The Bandai kits are also tricky to modify. The rear of the cockpit head, for example, is taller on mine than on the original, but because of the way Bandai has pieces fit together it is virtually impossible to fix (at least within my time frame).

Very nicely done!

I agree that the ESB walker has a certain elegance to it that the ROTJ version lacks. I remember seeing Jedi when it came out and thinking, man! That walker just looks wrong!

nkg said:

I remember seeing Jedi when it came out and thinking, man! That walker just looks wrong!

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I understand, from a practical standpoint, their need to shorten the legs on the full-size version. The design is inherently top-heavy and they wanted to lower its center of gravity, But I wish they'd have left in the slight curve to the hull and the larger round gun mounts. The larger gun mounts give it a closer design lineage to the AT-AT (and I like that they look like eyes from the side). In fact, I really like the Rebels AT-DP for just that reason.

Thanks for hinting about your build! Missed it before. Beautiful!

Kyuzo said:

Thanks for hinting about your build! Missed it before. Beautiful!

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Thanks, man! Of course, now this reminds me that I still have some touch-up work to do. My models are never finished, they're abandoned. :lol