General Viers

Considering how the desert planet Tatooine always sneaks into the Star Wars movies, I felt that the Empire would be well advised to adopt desert camouflage for its heavy weapons. So here's my stab at desert camouflage on an AT-AT, employing counter-shading akin to British armor at Alamein. The photos were taken on the desert planet of Wittmann, Arizona, in the wash that runs behind my house.

I thought that General Viers, the most successful of Darth Vader's subordinates (in fact, maybe the only successful subordinate of Darth Vader) should have his own specially-marked command AT-AT. Note the kill markings on the nose (really a "mission tally" from an A-26 Invader) and the yellow tactical markings (really half of a "USAF" decal cut up a bit so they don't look like English letters from the same A-26). And in an egregious example of mixing up universes, I applied Star Trek "mirror universe" markings to the side - inappropriate, but too cool not to use. Meantime, a snowspeeder (now a sandspeeder?) zips past. Ha! Who's wearing the wrong camouflage NOW??

Sharp-eyed viewers may note the bird crap on the side of the AT-AT just below the mirror universe decal. I was going to clean it off, but became amused by the thought of some huge pterodactyl-like flying dinosaur pooping on an Imperial AT-AT and left it in place. But bird poop does seem to be a recurring theme, doesn't it? I really must remember to close the garage door more often.

Sandspeeders on the attack. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I think the counter-shading actually sort of works.

"What did you do at work today, dear?"

"Oh, I attacked General Viers's command AT-AT in a sandspeeder and got my ass shot off in the process. You know, the usual. How was your day?"