Tri-Pod Laser Cannon

The second "Action Figure Accessory" I'll cover on the blog is the coolest one - the Tri-Pod Laser Cannon. First issued in 1982 in Empire Strikes Back packaging, the version packaged in the Return of the Jedi box is considered one of the most common vintage toys. This means that they are readily available at a reasonable price, which is great because it's an awesome piece! 

Of course, a lot of the coolness is due to the fact that the prop on which the toy is based enjoyed some significant screen time in Empire, being featured prominently in the Hoth battle scenes.

A pretty simple box tableau here - just a lone Hoth snowtrooper and his trusty laser cannon. To be honest I'm a bit surprised that the box art didn't include a couple more troopers or maybe even an AT-AT Commander. Originally I'd thought that Kenner was the dictating force behind what ancillary toys were used in the box art, but after asking Kim "The Man Who Shot Luke Skywalker" Simmons this question at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, I have come to a different view... but that's for another blog post :-)

Here's the second tableau - a close-up of the snowtrooper with the "energizer unit" and hose. As shown below, the hose neatly stores away inside the unit.

Original instructions came with the toy, showing in detail how to assemble and disassemble the cannon from its component parts.

The cannon rotates and elevates of course, and makes "machine-gun" clicking sounds (why lasers in the Star Wars toy universe always sound like machine-guns, I have no idea)…

All in all, a very cool little toy. I can see why so many were made - the low-ish price point combined with the significance of the subject must have made it a hot commodity back in the day.