1984 Machine Gun Defense Unit

Sometimes, it is better to be late to a party than to miss it altogether.  Such is the case with the Battlefield Accessories that were introduced into the G.I. Joe line in 1984.  While I was well versed in the Joe releases each year, toys that did not include a figure and weren't larger vehicles that allowed for figure interaction were not high on my list.  So, as the year progressed, I didn't really bother to pick up any of the small, boxed playsets that didn't seem all that interesting.  But, around 1986 or so, I discovered a couple of the playsets at my friends' home.  This intrigued me.  And, remembering that both Target and Toys R Us still had plenty of these available, even three years after their release, got me to finally buy a couple of the sets of my own.  My first was the Machine Gun Defense Unit.

I'm not sure why this Machine Gun playset was my first choice.  But, I do believe that it had to with the hope that the machine included with the set would be a great replacement for my long broken 1984 Roadblock's weapon.  I despised the 1986 Roadblock heavy weapon.  And, from the box back, it appeared that the weapon included with the Machine Gun Defense Unit was a better version of the 1984 Roadblock set piece.  The thought of getting a weapon that would bring back one of my favorite childhood figures who was otherwise lacking in my collection was of great appeal.  

Upon opening up the Machine Gun Defense Unit, I realized that the centerpiece of the set, the actual machine gun, was probably its weakest element.  While the gun looked fine, it was just too big for use with figures.  The handle is a thumb cracker, which immediately made it useless to me.  No figure could hold it.  The ammo belt and box were a neat idea.  But, they weren't enough to salvage the gun.  The big sign that came with it was useless.  And, with that, the entire playset was in danger of getting tossed into my shallow box full of unused, broken and unloved parts.  Then, though, I found the best feature of the playset: the iron crossbar blockades.

These little toss ins added so much value to my play setups.  My Joes now had some additional cover behind which they could hide whenever Cobra attacked.  They also had barricades that could slow down a Cobra advance and even hinder a Hiss Tank or Stun.  In short, they became vital elements to any base I would set up.  The Joes could toss them into the back of an APC and carry them into any battle to provide some support.  They could be cover for guys just returning cover fire with their infantry weapons.  It might be obstacles for smaller Cobra vehicles (like the Stinger or Dreadnok Cycle) that simply weren't powerful enough to roll over them.  They were versatile pieces that could be used to simply enhance the visual appearance of a play area or the functional play value that was the cornerstone of my childhood Joe experience.

The main use for the Machine Gun Defense was as part of the barriers that blocked my hallway from my room whenever I had Cobra attack.  I had one, small step into the actual bedroom.  So, I'd cover the entire wall to wall length with various parts and pieces to block on the oncoming Cobra onslaught.  I'd have everything from an overturned bridge from the Bridge Layer to leftover wings from my childhood TIE Fighters.  Filling the gaps between the bigger pieces would be things like this Machine Gun Defense Unit.  Sometimes, it would be manned by a figure with already broken thumbs.  Usually, that guy would die pretty quickly.  Other times, it was unused and available for a Joe fleeing from his now-destroyed vehicle to jump behind for both cover and additional firepower.  

The Machine Gun Defense Unit had a few releases.  After its retail run was over, it was a mail away for a while.  Some of these mail aways ended up being the European version of the playset.  The Euro version has slightly different colors.  The set was then released by Plastirama in Argentina.  Again, the colors are pretty similar to the Hasbro version.  But, side by side, they are easier to differentiate.  Time was, the non-US versions were very cheap, making them a fun alternative to expand any diorama.  But, the Argentine releases are stupidly priced by dealers with few otherwise appearing on the market.  And, the mail away/Euro releases have also gotten expensive if you want them bagged.  Those, though, can still be found loose for fair prices...it just may take a few months to find one.

With the market in such flux as prices plummet, there's a lot of options for complete Machine Gun Defense Units.  You can find complete ones for under $20.  But, some dealers will still get $35 or more for one.  That's dumb since this isn't a highly desirable piece, it's fairly easy to find, even complete and there are a ton of them out there.  So, if you can get one for $20 or less, that's probably a good deal.  If you're interested in a challenge, you can put them together from parts lots for even less.  That can be fun...and frustrating.  But, after collecting for decades, why not give it a try?  This is one of the playsets that I feel is probably worth the money.  The set is worth it just for the crossbars.