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This is all speculation based on this page from the official site databank:

http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/sphat/eu.html

I know the databank has many errors and isn't a good source. But perhaps the info is leftover from an omitted page from Ep. II ICS. Bear with me, this page got me thinking.

In AOTC, we only see the continuous beam turbolaser assembly used. I thought this was odd because based on the damage it inflicted on a Core Ship, I think it would be too powerful to use against ground targets so close to their own troops. Why send all that artillery out there if it can't realistically put fire on targets to support the troops?

Perhaps, the clone commander or whoever planned the strategy for the battle while they were in transit from Kamino knew that Core Ships were unshielded(Trade Fed ships are all over the galaxy and based on the obvious lack of military strategy shown by the Neimodians in TPM, I'm inclined to think they do not conceal the capabilities and weaknesses of their vessels) and told the support crews to equip the artillery only with Turbolasers.

I think they planned on shooting down escaping starships that are loaded with troops since Yoda probably had the same plan in mind as Mace did: Stop the war before it starts, only difference, Yoda had the sense to bring a real army. Shooting down escaping ships means less troops to fight in later engagements.

As for the other weapons. the Ion cannon is interesting. It could have been used on Geonosis to bring down ships but the clones may have wanted to use their most powerful artillery weapon, just to be sure they had enough firepower to bring the big core ships down. It was their first real battle after all.

The anti-vehicle laser cannon, I imagine is used to take out enemy armor and perhaps small troop concentrations. The guns would probably have to be smaller than the turbolaser to give them a faster traverse rate so they can hit small, moving targets.

The last, the concussion missile launcher is interesting because it makes the vehicle like a modern MLRS and solves the limitation all the other weapon systems have: line of sight.

Just thought I'd throw this info out there.

The one problem I have with the SPHA is that it looks like it would have trouble aiming its cannon below horizontal, which would make it difficult to hit low-profile targets such as troop formations or tanks.

Robert Treder wrote:The one problem I have with the SPHA is that it looks like it would have trouble aiming its cannon below horizontal, which would make it difficult to hit low-profile targets such as troop formations or tanks.

Indeed, and judging by the power of the main gun and it's slow deployment rate I would say it was never intended to be used against ground troops or vehicles.

Well, it can be fitted with an "anti-vehicle laser cannon" instead of the turbolaser seen at Geonosis. Perhaps that module includes a joint to allow it to aim downwards.

Captain tycho wrote:

Robert Treder wrote:The one problem I have with the SPHA is that it looks like it would have trouble aiming its cannon below horizontal, which would make it difficult to hit low-profile targets such as troop formations or tanks.

Indeed, and judging by the power of the main gun and it's slow deployment rate I would say it was never intended to be used against ground troops or vehicles.

Thats what AT-TEs are for.

Robert Treder wrote:The one problem I have with the SPHA is that it looks like it would have trouble aiming its cannon below horizontal, which would make it difficult to hit low-profile targets such as troop formations or tanks.

I hated the SPHA-T. It was the one purely exotic/pretty little uberwank creation GL made for clones and I hated it. It is stupid.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:I hated the SPHA-T. It was the one purely exotic/pretty little uberwank creation GL made for clones and I hated it. It is stupid.

Fair enough.

Robert Treder wrote:The one problem I have with the SPHA is that it looks like it would have trouble aiming its cannon below horizontal, which would make it difficult to hit low-profile targets such as troop formations or tanks.

I had suspected that too. From the looks of the vehicle, the only way it could hit ground targets is by turning to it's side.

Whoever wrote the databank page on the official site must've noticed that problem and came up with the modular cannon idea.

Robert Treder wrote:The one problem I have with the SPHA is that it looks like it would have trouble aiming its cannon below horizontal, which would make it difficult to hit low-profile targets such as troop formations or tanks.

I would think it is more of a siege vehicle, used against fixed, heavily shielded and armor structures.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:I hated the SPHA-T. It was the one purely exotic/pretty little uberwank creation GL made for clones and I hated it. It is stupid.

I doubt you are very alone in that opinion.

For starters, they should have stuck to the original tracked design... the "caterpillar" legs are fucking stupid.

Wicked Pilot wrote:

Illuminatus Primus wrote:I hated the SPHA-T. It was the one purely exotic/pretty little uberwank creation GL made for clones and I hated it. It is stupid.

I doubt you are very alone in that opinion.

The EU creation is almost superior. It's bigger, designed to work against whole hardened bases and starships, and has a repulsor, so it can fly and not mechanically track things, allowing the entire device to be dedicated to power.

You can't use many artillery systems close to troops; some modern pieces have danger spaces into the kilometer range. The main usage of the SPHA-T is probably to bombard and destroy shielded fortifications or heavily entrenched areas. Dealing with something like the later Prefab garrison base using only AT-TE.

We also saw that even the puny Gungan shield was proof against the weapons of midsize tanks. An SPHA-T would have won that battle in one second. But its likely that more advanced armies have larger more powerful versions mounted on much larger chassis like that of the AT-TE or SPHA-T. They'd be quite useful for warding off orbital bombardments by small weapons and guarding against tactical air attacks.

Crayz9000 wrote:For starters, they should have stuck to the original tracked design... the "caterpillar" legs are fucking stupid.

My theory is the things weight is actually supported by repulsers, but like the Acclamator it uses legs for stability and possibly forward motion.

The legs are indeed stupid. Tracks would have made a lot more sense. But in the SPAH-Ts defence, it does a good job for what it was designed for. I doubt its for hitting ground forces with a multi-MT/GT assault, thats pointless for an LOS weapon, where missles or space bombardment would work better. Instead it seems its used for hitting heavily shielded/armored bunkers and starships. Although, I think it would have been best to have put it on a hover sled or something, so it could increase its range and speed.

(from Starwars.com) His initial concepts had the self-propelled cannon be mounted on treads, but George Lucas instead suggested that it be a walker like its AT-TE cousin.

DAMN!

Thank GL for another brilliant-fucking idea rising out of AOTC to go with 1.2 million clones and all stormies = clones.

I hated the SPHA-T. It was the one purely exotic/pretty little uberwank creation GL made for clones and I hated it. It is stupid.

How exactly is it "uberwank"? Explain why you don't like it rather than just throwing out vague terms.

I personally thought it was fine except for the caterpiller style legs it had.