Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Body detail shot

Underside view

Lower body detail shot

Bottom view of the body.

Legs and feet.

Open the top hatch to see the cockpit interior.

The interior cockpit detail is excellent too.

1/48 AT-ST - Articulation is less impressive than expected... As you can see, the range of motion is pretty limited comp

Articulation is less impressive than expected...
As you can see, the range of motion is pretty limited compared to those long, flexible-looking legs.
Seems like an intentional design choice to prevent the joints from weakening and the body sagging down.

1/48 AT-ST - On top of that, to prevent the model from sinking down during long-term upright storage, the center pin in

On top of that, to prevent the model from sinking down during long-term upright storage,
the center pin in the articulated joint section is provided in two versions — a fixed type and a movable type.

The body section swivels nicely on a ball joint.

The toe tips move slightly too.

The front cannons can only move up and down.

The top and front hatches aren't hinged — open/closed states are achieved by swapping parts instead.

You can also pose the Chewbacca figure hanging out of the top hatch ^^

The stand's detail feels relatively plain compared to other kits.

You can also apply battle damage effect seals to the front and other areas like this.

Blaster bolt effect parts are included, just like with the TIE Fighter.

1/48 AT-ST - It can stand on its own without the stand, but the center of gravity leans too far back so it feels pretty

It can stand on its own without the stand, but
the center of gravity leans too far back so it feels pretty unstable.
This is definitely one you'll want to keep on the stand.

1/48 AT-ST - An action pose of sorts (1/4)

1/48 AT-ST - An action pose of sorts (2/4)

An action pose of sorts

Blaster firing pose

1/48 AT-ST - Hatch open, Chewbacca deploy~ (1/3)

Hatch open, Chewbacca deploy~

Together with the 1/72 TIE Fighter released at the same time.

Straight build

Bandai's Star Wars lineup has been on fire in 2015, and this time it's the AT-ST in 1/48 scale. It's a mech that's just as familiar to Star Wars fans as the X-Wing or TIE Fighter. True to Bandai form, it comes as a highly detailed kit that snaps together solidly with 100% snap-fit construction.

The detail is well-executed throughout, with plenty of three-dimensional piping and nicely rendered surface detail on the key areas. The front and rear interior detail inside the cockpit is faithfully reproduced, which makes for a really satisfying visual experience. Functionally, the front and top hatches can be displayed open or closed via part swapping, and a decent Chewbacca figure is included so you can stand him up in the open hatch. Blaster bolt effect parts are also included to recreate a firing scene, just like with the TIE Fighter.

Those long, multi-jointed legs make it look like it should have great articulation, but the range of motion is actually quite limited. Each joint has intentional restrictions built in — probably a deliberate design decision to prevent the body from sagging or the proportions from going out of whack as the joint strength degrades over time. Still, it barely moves compared to what you'd expect, which is a bit of a letdown. -_-

And as if the already-limited range of motion wasn't enough, the movable pin in the middle of the leg joint can also be swapped out for a fixed pin. It seems to hold up fine without using that part, but clearly those slender legs were a major concern. As for the feet, they peg into the stand with fixed pins, so it stands nice and steady when mounted — but without the stand on a flat surface, it does stand up, just with the center of gravity leaning so far back that it feels nerve-wracking. For your own peace of mind, it's best to keep it on the stand.

The straight build looks pretty good as-is, but I'd strongly recommend panel lining to bring out all that detail. Since it's such a monochrome kit, the difference with and without panel lining is pretty significant. Either way, this is a high-quality kit worthy of both Bandai's and Star Wars' reputations — a fantastic kit that'll make any Star Wars fan very happy. :-)

1/48 AT-ST | 2015. 2 | ¥2,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.