AT-M6, The Metal Gorilla in Star Wars
The AT (All-Terrain) family were always very intimating throughout the entire Star Wars saga, from the six-legged AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer) of the Republic Era to the very famous AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) of the Empire Era. These walkers were always used like tanks, and with the AT-AT style of walkers, can intimate the crap out of everyone who faced it. The AT-AT were already intimating enough for many people, but the First Order (and it’s real-life designers) have taken it to another level. Introducing, the All Terrain Megacaliber Six.
History
The AT-M6 was (according to the Star Wars Wiki) created by the Kuat-Entralla Drive Yard (who belonged to the larger Kuat Drive Yard, who having been manufacturing walkers for the Galactic Empire for a long time, and also served for not just the First Order but also a smaller faction known as the Sith Eternal, who themselves served Empire Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker). Which they have been called on by the First Order to help them boost their military power after they have secretly comes to power after the Empire fall and the New Republic was in place. The First Order liked the AT-AT that the Empire have and so asked Kuat-Entralla to produce a successor for the AT-AT. And thus the Kuat-Entralla started developing the AT-M6. The AT-M6 was first revealed during the final battle scene of The Last Jedi (which is a movie that were very similar to The Empire Strikes back in many aspects), during the Battle of Crait. In which Kylo Ren (after the death of the First Order Supreme Leader Snoke) lead a number of these walkers (along with a pair of AT-HH to haul a large Death-Star level howitzer to blast down the heavy bunker which the Resistance is hiding in and numerous TIE-fighters, AT-ST, and snowtroopers. Not to mention about Kylo Ren’s own Command shuttle) against the Resistance.
Stats
For a walker, the AT-M6 is as intimidating as possible (probably the only thing bigger and more intimidating than it is the the All-Terrain Walking Fortress (AT-WF), that one only exists in fan fictions).
Length: 40.87 meters
Width: 17.95 meters
Height: 36.18 meters
Armament: one Megacaliber 6 heavy turbolaser cannons (mounted on the should hump), two medium anti-ship cannons (mounted on the side of the head), and two chin-mounted heavy laser cannons
Crew: (needed) 2 Weapon Engineers, 1 pilot, 1 gunner, 1 walker commander. It can also carry up to 12 storm/snowtroopers
Possible ways to defeat it
If, let’s say, the First Order, for some reason, decided to attack Earth and the United Nations. And they send out a whole bunch of AT-M6 to storm Europe first. Here is what you (as a commander) can do:
Go Russian mode and Rush B them: Sent out all of your fastest MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) and scurried pasted them and fire at their rear ends. A tank might be big, but it’s tiny when compared to the AT-M6. Use your anti-tank or Armor-piercing shots (like HEAT, APFSDS, APHE, APHEFSDS, APHEFSDSHECBC, APHEFSDSHEATTHECBC, or HESH) and keep firing until you blasted all the way through the rear armor and in to the interior. It is best to fire a mix of the shell mentioned above.
Go Stukas and dive-bomb them: If you happened to still have dive-bombers (or ground-attack fighters), then you can used them to a great advantage. For the AT-M6 does not any anti-aircraft defenses. If the your dive-bomber group got intercepted by enemy fighters (such as TIE fighters), sent out your own interceptors and fighter and dogfight them. Target the 4 drums that is attached to the lower back the walkers, destroying those means that you have disabled the the Megacaliber 6 Turbolaser, or at least have limited its ammo. You can also keep on dive-bombing until you have slam through the upper armor and in to the interior.
Go Navy mode and attack them with warships: If you have the power of the US Navy with you and the places the AT-M6 were attacking happened to be near to the ocean, you can use it to your advantage as well! A single Tomahawk cruise missile to a certain part of the walker can be very devastating. Or if you were WW2-style and have the traditional battleships, that is fine, too.
Conclusions
With the The Rise of Skywalker, the finial movie to the Star Wars saga, it’s isn’t likely that this walker will appear on the big screen (unless it’s a re-run). But you can still play out your fantasy adventure with things like the Lego First Order Heavy Assault Walker (Set 75189), The Bandai Spirits Vehicle Model 012 from Bandai, and others.
More Stories
https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/AT-M6
https://www.starwars.com/databank/at-m6-walker
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/60815
