Converted Star Wars toy

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Back in the 1980s, Palitoy in the UK (Kenner in the US) released a series of small vehicles for their Star Wars figures. The range was called Mini-Rigs.

The Mini-Rig vehicles, which did not appear in any of the three films of the Star Wars original trilogy, were fairly inexpensive models designed to carry one character and thereby increase play value at a lower cost than the larger toy vehicles.

One such Mini-Rig was the MLC-3 Mobile Laser Cannon, a small, one-person tank used by the Rebel Alliance on the planet Hoth.

The original MLC-3


A few years back, I managed to pick up a MLC-3 from eBay. It was missing the transparent dome and as a result was relatively inexpensive.

Somewhat inspired by a TX-225 GAVw "Occupier" combat assault tank (seen in Rogue-One), I decided to convert the MLC-3 into a tank for 28mm gaming.

Now, in what might appear to be sacrilege to Toy Collectors, I took the off the lifting hatch. I then used plasticard to fill gaps, to cover the various holes and to suggest crew access hatches.

Once the filler and glue had dried, I then undercoated the tank with primer. I then tried weathering with a variety of grey paints to give it a used look. I held off adding mud/dust as I didn't want to tie it to a specific geographical area.

The tank can be used as a tank, a cargo transport, a troop transport or even as an anti-aircraft platform (the guns move up and down!).

So, a toy from the 1980s now has a new lease life for 28mm Star Wars gaming.

Location: Southampton, UK

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