Spider Tank: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|'''Artemis Gordon''': Ok, What does Loveless have? ''(notices factory complex)'' Oh... he has his own city.
[''out of nowhere a giant mechanical spider shows up'']
'''[[Will Smith|Jim West]]''': He's got an 80-Foot Tarantula.
'''Artemis Gordon''': Yes... I was getting to that.
|''[[Wild Wild West (film)|Wild Wild West]]''}}
A subset of the [[Real Robot Genre]], with a decidedly non-humanoid appearance. These are often used by sci-fi series that want to use giant robots, but feel that humanoid shapes won't fit the setting. Even if the setting doesn't use giant robots, and sometimes even if it ''does'', smaller Spider Tanks may be found as robotic drones. In series that use giant humanoid robots as well as spider tanks, you can bet that the humanoid robots will often be more agile than their multi-legged counterparts, despite the fact that the opposite logically would be true.
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A similar (and broader) concept is [[Tripod Terror|Tripods]]. See also [[Giant Spider]] and [[Giant Enemy Crab]] for their autonomous organic counterparts. [[Sub-Trope]] of [[Walking Tank]] and, depending on the type of Spider Tank, [[Starfish Robots]].
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
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** Fuchikomas and Tachikomas also have the ability to cling to walls and deploy wires that let them swing around or descend vertical heights, meaning that unlike most other Spider Tanks, these ones actually ''are'' basically spiders, or rather, they're Spider-Man, in Tank form. [http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h245/DRCEQ2/GITS/Tachikomas/Spiderkoma.jpg The Tachikomatic Days omake lampshade and parody this.]
{{quote|Tachiko-Man, Tachiko-Man, doin' the things a Tachikoma can....}}
*** [[Ghost in the Shell]] also features the Jigibachi attack helicopters which resemble wasps
{{quote|'''Tachikoma 1:''' [Worried about an impending confrontation with several Jigabachi] So, wouldn't anti-tank helicopters be like... [[Oh Crap|our natural predator?]]
'''Tachikoma 2:''' Hmmm... Mister Batou, can we go home? [[Blatant Lies|We have upset stomachs.]]
'''Batou:''' Stomachs? What stomachs? }}
* Staying with the Masamune Shirow theme: Spider Gun Platforms in ''[[Appleseed]]''. The fourth volume of the manga also features smaller Attack Drone robots with actual abdomens that are almost entirely made up of a [[Gatling Good|Minigun]] and its absurdly large ammo drum.
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* The Type IV Gadget Drones in ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]''. Fast, deadly, four-legged [[Mecha-Mooks]] with two sickles that slice through Barrier Jackets like butter. The manga also showed experimental versions of Type III Gadget Drones (those big ball things) that were six-legged walking tanks.
* In ''[[Fang of the Sun Dougram]]'', the spider tanks are improved model of [[Walking Tank]] ''Crab Gunner'' and ''Tequila Gunner''. They have lower profile and more mobile than their predecessor and come in two form. A six legs ''Desert Gunner'' and smaller four legs ''Blizzard Gunner''.
* ''[[
* A number of Scorpion-, Crab- and Insect-based [[Zoids]], notably the Death Stinger.
* A walking steam tank is shown for only one scene in ''[[Steamboy]]'', being used by the O'Hara foundation when fighting the British military's treaded tanks.
* All the mecha in ''[[Time Bokan]]'' are animal-shaped, from the insect-shaped robots used by the heroes to the assorted robots used by [[Terrible Trio|the Skull Trio]].
* The Takemicaduchi, A.K.A. [[Fan Nickname|Tank-kun]], in ''[[
** All the tanks seen in action are spider-tanks, but the Takemicaduchi is the most advanced tank ever built, a piece of [[Lost Technology]] .
* In the ''[[Soul Eater]]'' Anime, this is what Baba Yaga's castle can become. A giant spider ''castle'' tank.
* Even [[Gundam]] gets into the act. Although the Adzam Mobile Armor in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' is more like a hovering gun platform with four landing gear, the [[Gundam Seed Destiny|Zamza-Zah]] actually has fully-jointed legs (with retractable crab claws and [[BFG
* ''[[Cyborg 009]]'' had [[Monster of the Week]] Cyborg 0011, who's body was basically one such tank, with lasers, a cannon that shot a sticky substance {{spoiler|and a missile that, when exploded, unleashed a neurotoxic rain}}.
* Small, four-legged spider tanks appear in the ''[[Akira]]'' manga to enforce martial law after Tetsuo releases Akira.
==
* Anansi from ''[[Exoria]]''. Twenty-five meters tall. Carries ten chain guns and dozens of anti-tank top-attack missiles. Runs at three hundred kilometers per hour. Impervious to most conventional weapons. [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|Can jump]].
* The Nephilim Tsuchigumos of ''[[Aeon Entelechy Evangelion]]'' replace the useless canon Cthulhu Tech Nephilim. And yes, they are a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex|Tachikomas]].
* Go-Kun, of course, from ''[[Nobody Dies]]'', but more classically the Reego (or some of their bodies, at least). Tres even has most of the semisentient giant spiders in Australia worshiping her. ([[It's a Long Story|Long story.]])
== Film ==
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* ''[[Star Wars]]'':
** The original trilogy's AT-AT ("All Terrain Armored Transport") - heavy tank/APC - ''sort of'' qualify based on leg count, but ultimately they're less Spider Tanks and more Elephant tanks, as the AT-AT leg design and movements were based on elephants walking.
** AT-TE ("All Terrain Tactical Enforcer"), more of APC/UCV than a tank,<ref>it got 1 mass driver cannon and 6 anti-personnel laser turrets, with 5 gunners controlling it all, spotter handling the sensor suite, and carries one medical droid(!) and 38 troopers</ref>
** UT-AT ("Unstable Terrain Artillery Transport") - self-propelled artillery/APC - is a spider ''hover''tank: it got 16 repulsorlift skis, armored and structurally separate like a caterpillar's legs, so presumably even complete destruction of a few would not cripple the vehicle.
** On [[Attack Drone]] side of the spectrum, Spider Droids (large and small) from the prequel trilogy.
* ''[[Wild Wild West (film)|Wild Wild West]]'': The giant [[Steampunk]] robot spider.
** Producer Jon Peters repeatedly insisted a similar spider tank show up in early drafts of what later became ''Superman Returns'', as wittily recounted [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgYhLIThTvk here] by scriptwriter [[Kevin Smith]]. It also shows up in ''[[Superman: Doomsday]]'' (though admittedly, it kind of looks more like an ant with one pair of legs too many.)
** ''[[South Park]]'' sent the ''Wild Wild West''
** ''[[The Simpsons]]'': parodies the ''Wild Wild West'' spider tank more affectionately in where Skinner tries to maintain realism in a Civil War re-enactment, despite the interruption from some nearby [[World War Two]] veterans...
{{quote|'''Skinner:''' Tanks?! Oh, this is just too inaccurate.
''[Professor Frink appears behind him in a [[Wild Wild West (film)|giant robot spider]].]''
'''Professor Frink:''' Well then, you're definitely not going to like my steam-powered super-spider. [[With the Hurting|With the]] ''[[With the Hurting|stepping]]'' and the ''squishing'' and [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|the web made of NYLON]] }}
** Jon Peters' obsession with the vehicle goes beyond just those two movies. The most egregious example might be his attempt to fit the contraption into the proposed cinematic adaptation of Neil Gaiman's ''[[Sandman]]'' series.
* One of the rejected designs for ''[[Doctor Who]]'' : [[The Movie]] was a spider Dalek that would unfold its side casing into eight legs. Great, now even stairs won't stop them
* ''Comic Book: The Movie'': [[Kevin Smith]] relates (based on his experience with [[Superman Returns]] above) how the director of the movie Hammill's character is making a featurette on (with the ulterior motive to gain control of the production to prevent [[Adaptation Displacement]]) wanted him to write a scene where the hero fights a giant mechanical spider. At the turning point of the film {{spoiler|his realization that the movie must be stopped is conveyed by having him obtain a copy of the shooting script and discovering the words "Scene 37: The Giant Mechanical Spider".}}
== Literature ==
* ''[[The War Against the Chtorr]]'' sci-fi novels has four metre high Vigilante-class military spiders. Unfortunately they're not that smart, which causes the hero [[
* Richard Morgan's novels ''Altered Carbon'' and ''Broken Angels'' don't feature Spider Tanks directly, but they are mentioned by various characters. They (and various other robotic war-machines) finally make an appearance in ''Woken Furies''.
* In the ''[[Star Wars]]'' ''[[Jedi Academy]]'' trilogy, a group of Imperial loyalists breaks out the MT-AT (Mountainous Terrain Armored Transport), an eight-legged spider-tank designed for high and rough terrain. [[More Dakka|Each leg has its own laser cannon.]]
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== Tabletop Games ==
* The Chaos faction of ''[[Warhammer
** The 5th edition Necrons Codex also introduced the Triarch Stalker, although it's only six legged
* ''[[Rifts]]'' has both Spider and Scorpion Skull-Walkers for the Coalition States, and the Bug and Land Crab [[APCs]] for the New German Republic.
* ''[[Dungeons
*** Featured in ''[[Nodwick]]'': "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100817111515/http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/gamespyarchive/index.php?date=2002-08-15 Behold the wrath of Gygax!]"▼
▲*** Featured in ''[[Nodwick]]'': "[http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/gamespyarchive/index.php?date=2002-08-15 Behold the wrath of Gygax!]"
** Lolth uses a giant version of one of these as her headquarters in the adventure ''Queen of the Demonweb Pits''.
** ''[[Spelljammer]]'' elves got "Spirit Warrior" - giant (20' and up) undead insect carapace, operated by a pilot [[Bond Creatures|bonded to it back when the thing was alive]] (replacement bonding after the previous pilot died is possible, but dangerous), capable of leaping, transformed so that they have "hands" and can use specially made giant weapons; depending on the original insect, they also are quite good at fighting with mandibles and claws (mantid), has stinger modified for use as a greek fire projector (aphid) or can [[Gale Force Sound|emit bone-splintering screech]] (katydid). Zwarth is the greater version, with crew of 5-8 (though they all must bond to use it), a spelljamming helm and [[Amplifier Artifact|spell amplifier]] as range weapon. The drawback is that pilots [[Synchronization|get feedback damage]], but those things have better armor class than any elf alive.
** ''[[Dark Sun]]'' has Undead War Beetle. And when we say "beetle", we mean "elephant-sized giant rezhatta" (or sometimes watroach). The zombified carcass carries driver (spellcaster who animated it), commander, 9 troopers on the upper deck and another 9 in weapon ports. And it still can attack with mandibles, though cannot do anything at all without command.
* Four-legged ('quad') BattleMechs are a distinct minority in the [[BattleTech]] universe (starting with the ones from ''Dougram'' mentioned above), but they do exist. Their main in-game drawbacks are their lack of arms and more rigid firing arcs (partly due to lack of a twistable upper torso) -- in particular, the construction rules don't allow for weapons covering their ''side'' arcs at all, thus creating significant blind spots. On the plus side, they get minor maneuvering benefits and are less likely to fall down as long as all legs are still working.
* The [https://web.archive.org/web/20080130095108/http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=3600 Phyrexian Walker] from ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''.
** Ditto with the [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=194686 Hedron Rover], which is apparently a
* ''[[GURPS]]'' Ultratech has the Exo-Spider.
* Though not strictly tanks, the Leviathan and Harrower helljacks from ''[[Iron Kingdoms|Warmachine]]'' qualify well enough for this trope.
** The Cygnar Battle Engine the Storm Strider, can also count its a four legged machine that blasts its targets with lightning.
* The MTV in the sample adventure for ''[[Paranoia (game)|Paranoia]]'' second edition. Perhaps unique in being based on a ''submarine'' with legs bolted in place. (Incidentally, the manual control system consists of six joysticks, and is about as reliable and intuitive as learning to play the piano with your knees)
** You doubt the efficiency of Friend Computers creations? Please report to the nearest termination booth, on charges of Treason. Have a nice day, citizen. Happiness is mandatory.
* [[Dystopian Wars]] loves this - not only do the Empire of the Blazing Sun have one (the Taka-Ishi Heavy Walker), but the Covenant of Antrartica's small and medium tanks are quadroped walkers as well. Their Landship however is [[Giant Enemy Crab|far from a Spider, but also worthy of inclusion here]].
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** And a special variant in ''[[Halo Wars]]'', Super Scarab!
*** Don't forget the Scarab's little brother Locust from ''Halo Wars''.
* In ''[[
** The Colossus isn't a spider tank so much as it's a 4 legged tripod. The ''War of the Worlds'' influence is very obvious when you think about it.
* Arm's Spider and Invader, and Core's Roach from ''[[Total Annihilation]]''. The Spider actually has spider neurons in it's brain to coordinate the 8 legs.
* ''[[Shadow Complex]]'' has you fight these several different times as minibosses or (during the final boss fight) as [[Boss in Mook Clothing|as regular enemies]]. In one such fight you can't even damage the
* Countless units from ''[[Supreme Commander]]'' including the Aeon's Harbinger and Sprite Striker. The Cybran have many such units, including The Mantis, The Fire Beetle and The Brick. Two of the Cybran experimental units qualify: The [[Code Name|Monkeylord]] Experimental Spiderbot; and the Megalith: Experimental Megabot (see picture). The Cybran's Tech 2 Destroyer transforms into a giant spider tank to walk on land.
** Even more bizarrely, one of the Cybran Spider Tanks is a mobile factory that ''lays eggs'' which hatch into units.
** In the sequel, nearly all Cybran land units are spider tanks, and all naval units (barring the giant squid submarine) can become ''spider-boats'' and walk on land.
*** The UEF, Aeon and Cybran unit design philosophies are basically "Tanks", "Hover Tanks" and "Spider Tanks" respectively.
* The soviet [http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Sickle Sickle Tank] from ''Red Alert 3'' and its predecessor the [http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Reaper_%28Red_Alert%29 Reaper]
** The soviet Stingrays become [[Military Mashup Machine|this when they move from sea to land]].
** ''[[Command
** ''[[Command
*** ''Kane's Wrath'' introduces the Eradicator Hexapod. Granted, it's missing a pair of legs, but still it's gigantic freakin' bug. Also, the scrin have the gun walker, a much weaker and smaller
**** Don't forget Nod's Redeemer 'mech! It qualifies as a
** Eric Gooch, who did 3D modeling for the ''[[Command
* The [[Clockwork Creature|Clock]]/[[Steampunk|Punk]] Vinci faction in ''[[Rise of Legends]]'' have Clockwork Spiders. They also have the Land Leviathan, which is essentially a [[Steampunk|steam-powered]] [[Clockwork Creature|clockwork]] [[Ninja Pirate Robot Zombie|missile-launching subterranean Scorpion Tank]] [[Humongous Mecha|the size of a small city]].
* Spider Drones show up as [[Mooks]] early on in ''[[Xenosaga]]''.
* 4-Leg [[A Mech by Any Other Name|AFW's]] in ''Ring Of Red''.
* In his boss appearances in ''[[
* Quadraxis in ''[[Metroid Prime]] 2''.
** As well as the Quads in general, all of whicch are able to separate into a head and a body.
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** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'' had X-ATM092, a spidery robot who couldn't be beaten down and which had to be run away from, kind of an [[Implacable Man|implacable spidery robot]], of course [[Cutscene Power to the Max|it gets shot to pieces later on, despite 30 random battles with it won't put it down]].
*** It [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYIdW-DR-s could be beaten] if you killed it on the bridge and abused its weakness to thunder.
*** Now set to [https://web.archive.org/web/20130810040956/http://spoonyexperiment.com/2007/06/30/final-fantasy-viii-review-part-4/ the theme from ''Wild Wild West''!]
** ''[[Gaiden Game|Crisis Core]]'' adds a Guard Spider.
** Let's not forget the superboss Omega from ''[[Final Fantasy V]]''
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* ''[[Unreal Tournament 3|Unreal Tournament III]]'' has the Scavenger, a four-legged tank that can transform into a high-speed ball. Also, the Darkwalker.
* ''[[Armored Core]]'': Quad-legged mechs have been an staple since the beginning. They are surprisingly fast bastards, despite often having a high weight. I site Red Rum, of 4A as proof of how fast these fuckers can be (not to mention how [[Nintendo Hard|difficult]] the series can get) the only thing that keeps them from being perfect is the high energy requirements.
* ''[[Fallout]]: Tactics'' has a [https://web.archive.org/web/20130425064209/http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Scurry_Robot Scurry Robot]. They weren't made for battle, but ended up used as makeshift [[Goddamned Bats]], and they can bury themselves for an ambush. Their [[Walking Tank]] brothers are much bigger and meaner.
* ''[[Thunder Force]] V'' has [[Fun with Acronyms|Armed Armament Arm]] (A3), a spider mech that [[Transforming Mecha|transforms into a land vehicle]],[[Sequential Boss|then an aerial robot]] when damaged enough the first two times. After the third time, its gone for good. The sequel had Barbaric Berserk Beast, an obvious [[Expy]] of the above mentioned.
* The steampunky ''[[Arcanum]]'' has mechanical spiders of a highly realistic 8-legged sort, which you can find in a hostile rips-you-apart disposition or build yourself in a rips-other-people-apart disposition. A variant of the chassis comes with a healing kit instead of rending mandibles.
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* The final boss of ''[[TimeShift]]'' is one of these. Disappointly, you fight it from a rooftop across the street instead of in a cool freeform on-foot battle.
* ''[[Turok (series)|Turok]]'' : A Spider Tank is a boss in the 2008 [[Continuity Reboot]] game.
* In ''[[Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops]]'', a variation of the [[Metal Gear]] (known as the [http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_RAXA RAXA], and its mass-production model, the [http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Intercontinental_Ballistic_Metal_Gear ICBMG]) uses four legs instead of the usual two, possibly [[Invoked Trope|invoking this trope]].
* The ''[[Iron Grip]]'' series features several of these, including the Fahrong Confederation's [https://web.archive.org/web/20100106210720/http://www.isotx.com/uploads/Ome_Vince/st35ttankbig.jpg Recluse], [https://web.archive.org/web/20100106210741/http://www.isotx.com/uploads/Ome_Vince/st38mediumarach.jpg Warweaver] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20100106210631/http://www.isotx.com/uploads/Ome_Vince/artywalkerfahrong.jpg Widow] "arachs". The Widow is quite literally ''a gigantic self-propelled artillery piece.''
* The Playstation port of ''[[Time Crisis]]'' featured an infantry fighting vehicle modified with legs instead of wheels on its 'Kantaris Deal' side story, as the boss of the slowest possible route.
* The Playstation 2 game ''Steambot Chronicles'' features spider legs as a potential upgrade to the player's bot.
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* The ''[[Gradius]]'' series has the Shadow Dancer and variations in most of its final or penultimate stages, and in the third stage of ''V''. In many of its appearances, it is [[Hopeless Boss Fight|invincible]] and can only be dodged as it passes.
* Stalkers from ''[[Resistance]]''.
* The [[One-Winged Angel|second form]] of ''[[P.N.03]]'''s final boss somewhat resembles a scorpion. The first boss and some of the [[
* The SNES game ''[[Metal Warriors]]'' had one of these hidden in the first level; it could throw energy webs, use its head...thing...as a melee weapon, and climb on ceilings and walls.
* ''[[Battle Engine Aquila]]'' has these for both armies. The Aquilla itself is also a [[Transforming Mecha]]
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==
* Used in ''[[Girl Genius]]'' - "[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071109 war stompers]" of the Knights of Jove.
* In ''[[Homestuck]]'', as part of its [[Theme Table|extensive array of patterns and themes,]] each central character has some sort of futuristic vehicle connected to one of their personal
== Web Original ==
* In the "Black" trailer for ''[[RWBY]]'', the most dangerous (and resilient) of the robotic guards Adam and Blake face is a huge spiderbot.
== Western Animation ==
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** Shockwave from ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' normally turns into a tank, but as {{spoiler|Longarm Prime}}, he actually turns into a spider crane
* ''[[Jonny Quest]]'': A memorable one appears in the episode "The Robot Spy".
* ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'': Parodies ''[[Jonny Quest]]'''s
* The MOGURA in ''[[Skyland]]'' is a large spider-shaped robot that was created to drill for water on an ice-covered block. Once the water ran out, though, it needed to find more sources. As it happens, humans are largely water...
* The Spider-Slayers from the '90s ''[[Spider-Man]]'' (a black widow, a tarantula and a scorpion) doubled up as [[Combining Mecha]].
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* Vertex and Vett of ''[[Rollbots]]'' are sentient versions.
* Near the middle of ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'', the Beast puts Maurice inside one of these which takes him back the village he and Belle live in so that his daughter can take his place as the Beast's "prisoner."
* One of the mutant toys in ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'' is a toy car with legs instead of wheels.
* ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' has Professor Poofenplotz's "Me-Mobile" from "Isabella and the Temple of Sap", a [[Face Ship|giant version of her head]] mounted on spider legs.
* [[Star Wars: The Clone Wars]] has the [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Umbaran_mobile_heavy_cannon Umbaran juggernaut].
* In ''[[Young Justice (animation)|Young Justice]]'', the {{spoiler|Kroloteans}} have "mechs" that are Spider Tanks in all but name.
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* Actual vehicles have been built that use the motor configuration of arachnids. However, [[Cool but Inefficient|they move much slower than just using wheels.]]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ-Q8wmYyWI Big Dog] (from Boston Dynamics) may not be a vehicle, but just you wait. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170225213354/http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_ls3.html LS3] The in progress bigger brother.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ-Q8wmYyWI Big Dog] (from Boston Dynamics) may not be a vehicle, but just you wait. [http://www.bostondynamics.com/robot_ls3.html LS3] The in progress bigger brother.<br /><br />However cool legged machines may be, there are several disadvantages. Maintenance is a major concern, and walking tanks are pretty much guaranteed to have at least 16 high-stress (hip lateral, hip vertical, knee, ankle, multiplied by at least 4 legs) compared to 4 for tanks (just the drive wheels, an M1 could almost certainly get by without a few of its road wheels given normal ground pressure of ~15 psi). That's only for cargo walkers as well, actual combat walkers (as actually fit the trope) have to factor in armour, recoil, speed, etc. most of which count against walkers.<br /><br />All of this plus the touched on, but not explicitly mentioned ground pressure issue. A tank spreads its massive weight over a pair of equally massive treads resulting in ground pressure per unit of area no higher then a walking man. An armored walker of the same weight balancing on four much smaller pads would have massively higher ground pressure and could easily bog down in any sort of soft ground (ironically much like a wheeled vehicle). You could of course try to sort of counter this by making the feet huge like snowshoes, but this would be a weak work around and could make walking unwieldy to say the least. Or you could have extra "stability" legs that are used specifically at rest or when stability is needed, and leave them retracted on the move - like on some cranes and artillery pieces. It's a solution for self-propelled artillery rather than tanks, though.▼
** However cool legged machines may be, there are several disadvantages. Maintenance is a major concern, and walking tanks are pretty much guaranteed to have at least 16 high-stress (hip lateral, hip vertical, knee, ankle, multiplied by at least 4 legs) compared to 4 for tanks (just the drive wheels, an M1 could almost certainly get by without a few of its road wheels given normal ground pressure of ~15 psi). That's only for cargo walkers as well, actual combat walkers (as actually fit the trope) have to factor in armour, recoil, speed, etc. most of which count against walkers.
▲***
* Speaking of walking on soft ground...the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2V8GFqk_Y Timberjack] hexapod deforester which can walk on uneven ground effectively (albeit has very slow turning) is proudly claiming that its feet cause less damage to ground when compare to a normal caterpillar. What kind of magic it use? Rubber dampers.
* And that's why the cheap robots they're designing to wander Mars are called 'spider-bots'. They only have six legs, though. And they're kinda small. And there will be a ''lot'' of them. They're cheap, after all.
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* [http://wallpaper.zoda.ru/bd/2007/08/06/d16375f932d91a93a663d3bf637cf865.jpg This] is not Photoshopped, but it is just a statue.
* NASA's [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS-CU9VmS0s Athlete] project probably applies. They're six-limbed robots with wheels on the end of each limb, giving them the ability to walk or roll depending on the situation. The end goal of the project is to create a robot to carry cargo on the Moon.
* [http://www.mondospider.com/ Mondo Spider]. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz9kZh8PNVM See also on YouTube]. So far, it didn't surpass human walking speed, but yes, it turns on the spot. "1,700 lbs of Mechanical Mayhem" is moved by hydraulics powered with
{{reflist}}
{{Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism}}
[[Category:Mecha Tropes]]
[[Category:Vehicle Tropes]]
▲[[Category:Spider Tank]]
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