by Jason Smith

The Empire uses a variety of vehicles to enforce the peace throughout the galaxy. While the traditional AT-ST is a common sight on the front lines no matter what the terrain, something different was sometimes needed to police the urban sprawls. To achieve this, the UT-ST was created. Slightly smaller than an AT-ST, the UT-ST is a one-man transport with a single wider, view port. It is armed with a differing array of weaponry suitable for the urban setting and ground control. The UT-ST is not a common sight within the urban complexes of the Empire. (This kit was inspired by the fan film I.M.P.S.: The Relentless.)

This model started out as a simple kit bash, but it didn’t end up that way. Originally I had just planned on modifying the head of the model. I removed the face and built a new face and view port from sheet styrene. The side panels were sanded down and plated. The weapons domes were sanded smooth and the mounts rebuilt. The near detail that came with the kit was discarded and new detail was added. The side weapons were scratch-built, and the chin guns modified with brass tubing.

This is where I had planned to stop. I then decided to change the stance of the kit. I cut the ankle joints and repositioned them. The legs and feet were then detailed using styrene bits. The cutting toe claws were removed and new ones were made to add more realism. The knee joint protectors were added and the heal tensioners discarded in favor of a thinner one.

When preparing to test fit the kit together I noticed that the waist section did not match the aesthetics of the rest of the model. Outside of a bit of minor detail to the top, and the head mount, the entire waist was scratch-built. It was built with a more open stance give it a relaxed at rest pose.

The base was completely scratch-built to represent a section of an elevated urban walkway. It was made of numerous layers of styrene sheets and strips. The walkway surface was scribed to give its texture and pattern. Very thin strips were added to create the rail sectioning.

To finish the model off, two Star Wars miniatures (a Rebel and a Stormtrooper) were combined. The leg section of the rebel had wedges cut out of the joints, including the toe of the left foot. The waist was modified to give it the desired position. The Stormtrooper’s wrists hands and head were then added to the body and legs. The joints were then filled with Magic-Sculpt, as well as creating the backpack, and belt pouches. This was also used to build the troopers helmet visor.

The whole model was painted with acrylics then covered with a flat clear coat. A gloss coat was added to the armor sections of the trooper. This whole build turned out to be much more involved than I had originally intended. The result is now one of my favorite models.

Image: Rear view

Image: Overall, from above

Image: Closer look

Image: Right side

Image: Left side

Image: Business end

Image: Overall