All-Terrain Attack Transport (AT-AT)

from "Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Scale: 1:100
Initial Release: 1981
Medium: Styrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

Introduced in "The Empire Strikes Back"'s Battle of Hoth sequence, the All-Terrain Attack Transport (AT-AT) was a large, slow-moving assault vehicle designed for ground combat in a multitude of environments. In addition to being a mobile weapons platform, the AT-AT also carried a platoon of Imperial stormtroopers it could quickly disgorge during ground assaults.

The vehicle has often been likened to the giant war elephants used by ancient armies from North Africa to the Far East.

Although tough and well-armed, the AT-AT was of limited tactical value, it's primary purpose being that of a terror weapon. The damn thing was just so BIG that it would strike fear in the hearts of its enemies.

About the Kit

MPC first released its 1:100 scale AT-AT kit in conjunction with 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back," and then re-issued it three years later with new box art in conjunction with 1983's "Return of the Jedi." In the early 2000s, the kit was released yet again by AMT/Ertl.

The model itself was good-sized, but frequently criticized for its lack of screen accuracy. It featured a flexible head and neck held in place by a rubber band.

This model was built from an original issue, painted as it appeared in 1983's "Return of the Jedi."