Trade Federation AAT (Armored Assault Tank) - TCW [SOTDS] - Vehicles

The marriage of repulsorlift and heavy armor has resulted in formidable floating tanks known as AATs. These assault tanks form the front line of Trade Federation armored infantry divisions during the siege of Geonosis. A crew of battle droids drives the tank and operates the laser and projectile weaponry carried by the vehicle.

How many times can Hasbro reuse a vehicle mold? Probably forever if there is another reason to make a new one. Thankfully, with the Trade Federation AAT (Armored Assault Tank) there is indeed a new reason to bring it back out again. Making its first appearance in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, it has been a staple vehicle in the first Star Wars film as well as various battles throughout the many Expanded Universe stories in Star Wars history. More recently, Hasbro has been focusing on the vehicle and its involvement surrounding The Clone Wars storylines. With each appearance, it has looked unique. From tan to gray to blue to brown, the Trade Federation AAT really gets around in Filoni’s The Clone Wars television show in particular. Showing up in no less than a dozen episodes (and the feature film as well) to date, expect this vehicle to continue to play an important role in helping to tell many more exciting The Clone Wars adventures.

Developed in 1999 during the Episode I era, not much has really been done by Hasbro to change the vehicle and enhance it aside from a few different paint jobs. And to be honest, Hasbro really doesn’t need to do much with it. It has been a great vehicle from the start. (We of course would like to see an all-new sculpt one day, but for now, this model will suffice. Although we’re not crazy about the action feature (when the Battle Droid flips to a battle-damaged Battle Droid), the vehicle is an almost perfect replica (maybe a tad too small in scale) to what we have seen in Episode I as well as what we’ve seen in the many episodes of The Clone Wars TV series. Hasbro decided to get this mold back out again and looked for a new way to make it interesting. Relying on the very popular episode Landing At Point Rain already for great basic and exclusive action figures, Hasbro also used this episode to bring forth the latest flavor of the Trade Federation AAT (Armored Assault Tank) vehicle. The AAT looks incredible and we really prefer when the vehicle can be sourced to specific episodes of The Clone Wars. This one does.

The toy comes with some rather simple, albeit fun, features. The top hatch opens so you can pilot a Battle Droid in there if that’s your preference. The hatch split into two pieces via a right and left door. The vehicle also comes with a large rotating turret. It turns left and right as well as up and down. It’s very well-articulated for an older sculpt. The AAT also houses four launching missiles in its hull and when activated shoot very quickly from the vehicle. (Watch those eyeballs!) And lastly, the action feature we don’t like, the battle-damaged Battle Droid “reveal” functionality is just plain silly. Hasbro could carve out that whole area and make room for extra Battle Droid storage or some sort of command area for a Battle Droid Commander. (But that’s just our two cents.) The Trade Federation AAT (Armored Assault Tank) is a good vehicle. It is beginning to age and is in definite need of some refreshing. We hope Hasbro does some enhancing before some straight rereleasing next time. But until Hasbro does, this (and its subsequent releases) should fill the need for now.