Imperial Vehicles
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The A-9 Vigilance Interceptor is an Imperial short-range fighter. It has no shields or hyperdrive, and its weapons consist of two forward firing laser cannons, which are more powerful than the X-wing's. It is also faster than the TIE Interceptor, but is no more manoeuvrable. Kuat Drive Yards promised a superior fighter, but the Empire found that the combat results for the A-9 Vigilance were disappointing. |
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The heavy-armoured AT-AT (or All Terrain Armoured Transport) walkers are primarily ground attack units, but are sometimes used as transport for troops and light vehicles. They are usually the first to be deployed in combat, assaulting enemy structures with two heavy laser cannons and supporting with two medium blasters.
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The AT-ST's (or All Terrain Scout Transport) are small, agile walkers. Although they were designed as reconnaissance units, they are used mainly as ground support for infantry and the much larger AT-ATs. Unlike the AT-AT, the AT-ST has only two legs, which makes it much faster (with a top speed of ninety kph, compared to the AT-AT's sixty kph), but can also cause the vehicle to topple over in battle. The crew (pilot and gunner) are held in a highly manoeuvrable cockpit above the legs. |
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The Death
Star was the most powerful weapon in the Empire. It was
designed by Chief Engineer Bevel Lemelisk, and it was
built in secret in orbit of the planet code named
"Despayre". Its Superlaser was capable of destroying entire planets at Palpatine's command, and was used only twice before the Death Star's destruction during the battle of Yavin. The Superlaser was first used to destroy Despayre, and then to obliterate Princess Leia's homeworld of Alderaan. The rebels used captured plans to find a weakness to the Death Star, and sent in two squadrons of X-wing and Y-wing starfighters to get passed the defences undetected. The ultimate weapon of the galaxy was destroyed by just a small proton torpedo fired down a vulnerable exhaust vent.
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A second Death Star was built by the Emperor, around the forest moon of Endor. This new Death Star's main weapon, the resurrected Superlaser, had been improved considerably. It had increased power, so it could recharge in a matter of minutes instead of hours, and it's power-control and targeting systems were also improved so it could be used to destroy capital ships. 20,000 turbolasers were also added to the design to protect it from small starfighters. During the Battle of Endor the second Death Star was destroyed, and so was the Super Star Destroyer. The Emperor and Darth Vader were killed, and the Empire was no more.
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The Executor was the
first of four Super-class Star Destroyers to be built by
the Empire, and served as Darth Vader's command ship
while he searched for the Rebel Alliance base. On a
mission the Super Star Destroyer wasn't very practical,
and a smaller ship could carry out any assignment much
more effectively. Instead the Super Star Destroyers just
represented the unlimited power of the Emperor. The
Executor alone could terrorise worlds into submission,
without even opening fire. The Executor was destroyed at the Battle of Endor after Arvel Crynyd, a Rebel fighter pilot, crashed his A-wing into its bridge. The command ship lost control and collided into the Death Star, exploding on impact.
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The I-7 Howlrunner is a short range Imperial fighter that was introduced during the return of the Emperor. Its fast compared to the X-Wing and Y-Wing, but it is no match for the E-Wing or the TIE Interceptor. The I-7's forward-firing laser cannons are as accurate as those of the TIE Interceptor but not as powerful, and the targeting systems are nothing special either. It can take as much punishment as an X-Wing, due to its dedicated shield generators, and its low mass makes it very manoeuvrable. An I-7 could destroy a B-Wing in a head-to-head battle, but they usually rely on numbers when attacking most fighters. |
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The Imperial-class Star Destroyers form the core of the Imperial Navy. Their weapons enable them to attack or disable enemy ships, and they can also be used for planetary assault. The Imperial Star Destroyers have two launch bays, containing starfighters, shuttles, ground forces, and cargo ships. The starfighters on a standard Imperial Star Destroyer would include seventy-two TIE fighters, as well as TIE interceptors and bombers. The support ships normally consist of eight Lambda-class shuttles, fifteen stormtrooper transports, five assault gunboats, and a number of Skipray blastboats and Gamma-class assault shuttles. Also, the ground forces on-board include twenty AT-ATs, thirty AT-STs, and 9,700 ground troops, which are usually deployed by walker landing barges and drop ships during planetary assault.
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The Interdictor cruisers look like Star Destroyers, but are easily distinguished because of their four prominent globes. The Interdictor cruisers' primary weapons are their gravity-well projectors, which, when activated, stop any nearby vessels from entering hyperspace. The ability to stop Rebel ships escaping into hyperspace became invaluable to the Imperial Navy. The cruisers resemble a small Star Destroyer, but are also easily distinguished by the four globes that stick out of its hull. They also have 40 quadlasers which are used for close range assault on other capital ships. In battle, the Interdictor cruisers would stay away from combat, and target precisely where to place the gravity-wells to halt escaping Rebels. The only drawback of the gravity-wells is that it sometimes takes more than a minute for them to charge-up, so the enemy has a chance to escape before they can be deployed. |
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The Lambda-class shuttles are passenger and cargo transports designed for the Empire by Sienar Fleet Systems. They have a crew of four, and can either carry up to eighty tons of cargo, or twenty passengers instead. Unlike most Imperial shuttles, the Lambda shuttle has a hyperdrive, so it can transport shipments between different fleets. They are used as transport by several Imperial officials, and even the Emperor and Darth Vader have been known to travel in highly modified versions of the Lambda shuttle. The Lambda shuttles have three wings, and when in flight they look like an inverted Y. When they land, the two lower wings fold up and the shuttle rests on two landing legs. Lambda shuttles are armed with three double blaster cannons and two double laser cannons, and are protected by two shield generators and a reinforced hull. The stolen Lambda shuttle Tydirium was used by the Rebel Alliance to transport a squad of Rebel commandos led by General Han Solo to the forest moon of Endor.
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Speeder bikes are popular personal transports and recreational vehicles. They travel at speeds of up to five hundred kilometres per hour, and are extremely manoeuvrable, making them superb reconnaissance vehicles. The Aratech 74-Z model is used by Imperial scout troops, and was favoured over several other models because of its reliability and speed. With just a blaster cannon and armour plating to defend itself, the 74-Z is not designed for combat. |
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The TIE Bombers are the main assault bombers of the Empire. Although they are slower and less manoeuvrable than standard TIE Fighters, they have a lot more weaponry. The TIE Bombers armaments include two laser cannons, proton bombs, orbital mines and thermal detonators. Also, depending on their mission, a TIE Bomber can be armed with either eight concussion missiles or four proton torpedoes. TIE Bombers are used by the Empire to attack Rebel capital ships and space stations, and for ground bombing missions. Their targeting systems can level specific buildings without damaging the surrounding area.
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The TIE Defender is a prototype starfighter that was developed before the Battle of Endor. The vessel is similar to the Alliance fighters because it is protected by two shield generators and a hyperdrive. The TIE Defender's weapons, consisting of laser cannons, ion cannons and Concussion missile launchers, have the ability to engage multiple enemies at once. The vessel is one of the fastest starfighters used by the Empire, and is even more manoeuvrable than a TIE Interceptor. |
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TIE Fighters are short-range starfighters that are incredibly manoeuvrable. A single TIE Fighter is very vulnerable, but they attack in large numbers and are difficult to hit in combat. Multiple squadrons of these vessels are garrisoned at every Imperial stronghold and on every Imperial cruiser across the galaxy. TIE Fighters are used to defend cruisers and to attack enemy starfighters, and they also escort other Imperial vessels such as TIE Bombers that are vulnerable to attack. TIE Fighters are desinged so that they are fast and manoeuvrable, they have no hyperdrive, shield generators or secondary weapons so their weight is minimised. The vessel also has no onboard life support system, so pilots are forced to wear flight suits with self-contained atmosphere converters. The pilot is held in a spherical command pod, where his feet control speed and manoeuvring, and his hands control navigation, targeting and weaponry.
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TIE Interceptors were designed using ideas from the prototype TIE Advanced x1. They are more manoeuvrable than the standard TIE Fighter, and their speed almost matches that of the Alliance's A-Wing, making them lethal in combat. A TIE Interceptor's weapons consist of four laser cannons, which have advanced targeting for incredible accuracy. The vessels have little protection, and rely on manoeuvrability to successfully engage heavily armed and armoured enemies.
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The Victory-Class Star Destroyer is an older star cruiser design than the Imperial Star Destroyer. They are 900 metres long, and are armed as standard with quad turbolasers, double turbolasers, concussion missile launchers and tractor-beam projectors. They can carry two squadrons of TIE Fighters, as well as 2,000 ground troops, drop ships, troop transports, AT-AT walkers, and Juggernaughts for planetary assault. |
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