It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?
Even before the arrival of Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s ominous first teaser in April (“it’s time for the Jedi to end”), there have been rumblings that the First Order was about to beef up its arsenal in time for Rian Johnson’s galactic sequel. And sure enough, The Star Wars Show has unveiled blueprints for two of Snoke’s most formidable weapons: the Dreadnought warship, and the hulking AT-M6.
Proving those initial rumors to be true, the latter is essentially a super-sized version of the Empire-era AT-AT walkers, only this time around, the engineers over at the First Order have gone one step further to attach a MegaCaliber Six laser cannon to its back. That certainly explains the gorilla-like stance, as the machine’s elongated front legs help stabilize the WMD during the heat of battle. The Dreadnought, on the other hand, is the First Order’s gargantuan HQ, one that’s big enough to house a 24 point anti-aircraft defense system across its saucer-like exterior. X-Wing pilots, look away now.
To coincide with those blueprints, the Star Wars website posted new intel on each weapon of mass destruction, and perhaps more than anything else, they serve as pointed reminders that the First Order will be packing serious heat by the time The Last Jedi opens in December.
The Dreadnought is classified as a Mandator IV-class warship, featuring two enormous orbital autocannons for large-scale bombardments and 24 point-defense anti-aircraft cannons on its dorsal surface. It’s also big — 7,669.72 meters in length, or 25,162.8 feet.
The AT-M6 (All Terrain MegaCaliber Six), named for the laser cannon on its back, dwarfs the Empire’s AT-AT; its simian-like gait stabilizes the cannon.
All of this doesn’t exactly bode well for the Resistance, which has been left in a “very, very vulnerable” state in the aftermath of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Can Rey and Co. pinpoint Snoke’s whereabouts and bring an end to his reign of terror? We’ll be able to form a clearer picture of the Resistance’s plight once The Last Jedi shoots into theaters on December 15th.
