Leaderboard

Dec 2018 Troopers, it's been brought to my attention that Locitus' name has not been brought forth yet on this thread, yet he is a recipient nonetheless. This is entirely an oversight on previous administrations, which may and truly have been one of my own! Either way, we should ensure that the reasons are posted transparently so that the integrity of the award is beyond doubt. Mathias (Locitus) has been on staff many years as you can see from his staff award badge, including being a former DL. However there have been years where this is not the case, and Mathias has many times over not only been a tremendous help and resource for new members, but has been one of the key players in keeping our forums up to date, recovering them when an upgrade has proven unstable, and put in many hours resolving technical issues that otherwise would bedevil this detachment that few outside of the command and site admin team will ever know. He is truly an FISD legend and clearly deserving of this merit.

http://i.imgur.com/1sVQJsi.gif http://i.imgur.com/1sVQJsi.gif In Memoriam Detachment Leader Executive Officer Deployment Officers Pre Approval Forum 3D Section Hall of Fame Fire Teams Just For Laughs Trooping Imperial Attaché Program EIB & Centurion: What do these terms mean? Advanced Tactics Awards EIB - The March To 1000 Merch Reform Merchandise Public Relations Follow FISD It is sad news that we report the loss of another legion member, Amanda Lilly, DZ-54559 of Garrison Corellia passed away on the 26th November. Amanda’s diverse costume service extended to the Rebel Legion's Freedom Base and Ghostbusters – West Virginia Division. In each community Amanda is remembered for sharing her exuberance and genuine joy. Through her study in clinical psychology she helped children better cope with Life and was eager to lend an ear to her fellows in need. Amanda is also known for her acceptance of others and support of diversity. Amanda is survived by costuming partner and Love of her Life, Kelller Lindsay. Our condolences go out to her family and friends. "Buckets Off" Seasons Greetings Troopers! Just in time for the holidays, merchandise runs are in progress again. We’ve concluded a new round of coins, FOTK racer shirts are in progress, and really soon patches will come again. As many who have been around FISD for a long time know, FISD’s culture is to focus on supporting troopers with their stormtrooper costuming, ensuring our CRLs are easy to read and use, and fostering an esprit de corp amongst our members. During the holiday season gift giving is common in many faiths and cultures. Gifts are meant to express love and appreciation for someone, but as anyone with kids knows it can become over-used when people start expecting a certain amount of items from their friends and relatives. Merchandise can be a fun way to share the joys of membership and build esprit de corp, but they are a small part of why a detachment exists. Too much of anything is never a good thing, and so we keep the amount of items we do small and purposeful vs. turning out items ceaselessly. It also ensures that we are ever mindful to spend the majority of time on our primary purpose - troopers helping troopers – instead of distractions. It’s kind of like eating right? Eating a little bit of dessert can make life enjoyable, too much will have negative consequences for your health. I wish you and yours a happy and joyful holiday season, and am grateful for all you do to help make FISD the best detachment in the Legion. With Unquestioned Loyalty Paul Hoeffer TK8020 “Daetrin” Detachment Leader Greetings Troopers My gosh, where has the year gone!! Together we have accomplished many things in 2018, it’s been quite a blur when you think about it. We’ve taken some large strides towards future proofing the Detachment and continue to grow in the right direction, so let’s re-cap on just a few FISD achievements. We started with a server move in the early part of the year leaving behind our outgrown platform, and moved over to the much larger and faster Legion servers. The move gave us better performance and support compared to where we were, sure we had some initial teething problems but for the most part it has been business as usual. Another assault on the CRL’s was undertaken, updating information, correcting inconsistencies and I’m sure you will agree, we are know in a very good position with wording and accuracy across our portfolio. Phasma CRL was revised and good improvements made on the EI and Centurion aspects plus the team are putting the finishing touches on the FN-2197 CRL. The team have all put in extra time to make these CRL’s the best they can be. Many members are involved in creating and fine tuning these CRL’s and there is no doubt the Detachment truly appreciates your time and effort. As always FISD likes to stay ahead of the curve and although we may have been a touch behind the ball with our Social Media previously, this year we really stepped it up. An SM policy was created, Admin staff levels across our SM outlets was increased, and we really started to use them as an extension of our forums and a conduit back to the boards where all the juicy information resides. Well done SM team. We saw staff changes throughout the year, mostly increases to staff in higher activity areas. The Deployment office program has been one such change with the addition of two deputies. This has allowed the Deployment office to move swiftly, actioning and approving EIB and Centurion applicants faster than ever before and maintaining the high standards we have all come to expect. Tony and Joseph head up the team, joined by Dan (CableGuy) and ShaSha (ShaShaChu) Now this brings with it another mile stone, our very first female Deployment Officer Deputy. Its been a long time since we saw a lady Staffer in the FISD and I personally think ShaSha was the perfect choice and will bring a fresh new perspective to the role. Congratulations Do’s, keep up the outstanding work. Merch has been a topic of hot debate not just at our Detachment but Legion wide, With the coming of new merch regulations we may well see new restrictions on the type and quantities of aloud to be approved. Watch this space. This year we have had several coin runs including First Order versions, patches, our OT TK Detachment shirt run and now the long awaited First Order Detachment race shirt run, just open over week ago. We are blessed to have design savvy members always willing to step up and bring together awesome ideas and great looking merch, so if you haven’t already, order your shirt today. Thanks Glen and Brien These are just some of the great things that have become part of FISD history this year but none of it would have been possible without the hard work, dedication and cohesiveness of the command team. We are guided by you the members, your ideas, your dreams and we are here to serve you in the best way we can. I would like to personally thank all those that have helped me learn new skills, offered advice when I needed it and guided me to understand the intricacies of driving FISD forward from the co pilot seat. It has been a fun and inspirational year. To everyone, I wish you all a safe and joyous holiday period surrounded by those who you love, have a happy New Year and we shall see you all for the January edition. With Unquestioned Loyalty Andrew Franke TK-11469 "Sly11" Executive Officer Hello fellow troopers, as we close out 2018 I'd personally like to thank each and every FISD member for making this a very memorable year. I'd also like to thank the Deployment Officer crew (including Sly11) for doing a fantastic job this year cranking out the EIB and Centurion approvals. In addition I like to welcome our first female DO officer, Sha Sha Chu, as well as thank the entire DO team Joseph, Daniel and Sha Sha for bringing a new level of enthusiasm that makes a sometimes daunting task, fun. As Andrew mentioned 2018 was full of changes, challenges and success stories. Through it all the FISD has become a stronger, more informative and more diverse family than ever before. As we continue into the holiday season I'd personally like to thank all the FISD staff for coming together as a team no, family diligently working through some rough times. I also want to thank Paul (Daetrin), Tim (Dark CMF) and Andrew (Sly11) for your leadership, the entire IT crew for your relentless pursuit of perfection with the old and new websites, the Attaches for your continued efforts raising the bar on build threads, and to the remainder of the FISD staff for your support. As we head into 2019 let's continue to strive for excellence while encouraging and helping one another to reach goals and fulfil dreams. As you troop with your garrisons and for the 501st legion remember you also represent the finest group of plastic spacemen in the world, the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment  Deployment Officers With Unquestioned Loyalty Tony Jobe TK-10116 "ukswrath" Deployment Officer With Unquestioned Loyalty Joseph Pedigo TK-10963 "justjoseph63" Deployment Officer Deputy Deployment Officers With Unquestioned Loyalty Dan Branton TK-142911 "CableGuy" Deputy Deployment Officer With Unquestioned Loyalty Sha Sha Chu TK-19233 "sashachu" Deputy Deployment The FISD is pleased to announce the addition of a new area in the Advanced Tactics forum dedicated to those ready to submit for basic 501st TK approval. This section will allow future Troopers the opportunity to submit photos of their completed build to be reviewed by the Staff, Imperial Attaches and others in preparation for forwarding it to their GML for approval. Any and all advice/suggestions given will be specific, constructive, helpful and respectful. Please note that this program will NOT take the place of your local GML, as Detachments are not chartered for costume approval and can not override a GMLs decision, but is instead a peer review program designed to help you look your best and offer guidance and positive feedback. You will have the opportunity to ask questions about your completed armor, weapons (if applicable), accessories, etc. and get accurate information from the experts here at the FISD.. the definitive home of TKs worldwide. For more information on this program, please visit the link here Don't forget to check out the new 3D section, and please contribute where you can, also see the link at the bottom for the new Contributor award details Contributor Awards Main forum title: 3D Parts and Technical Sub topics: 3D Printer owners Your place to discuss what printer/s you own, recommendations, tech talk and the like, It’s a place to learn something new 3D CAD Designers Home of talented 3D cad designers, show off your 3D renders, of FISD related costume parts and accessories. Offer help and advice on programs, or offer to commission a piece for a fellow member 3D File Depository A home for 3D file sharing, Troopers helping Troopers is what this section is all about; yes a single location to keep any 3D files offered up by our extremely generous membership. This will be a 501st member’s only section and rules will apply to any usage of the content. I will be looking for content to get these new sections started so If you are interested in helping drive these new forums, then please send me a PM and let’s get the threads and the filament flowing. 3D printer heads will understand that last comment Here is a link to the New FISD 3D Contributor program. With Unquestioned Loyalty Andrew Franke TK-11469 "Sly11" Executive Officer With the winter weather starting to roll in, a lot of us are putting in our transfer chits to Scarif. How better to spend the time waiting with my TK Boots propped up on a foot stool, coffee, and this month’s Field Exercise Reports - envious of those not having to wear their thermals under their armor. This month I would to welcome a Trooper who I joined the ranks with a couple of years back, developed one of the first TK audio apps, a fellow Attaché, and one of the many foundation posts that continues to support our great Detachment. Please join me in honouring - TK-10911 Chris Congratulations Trooper and welcome to the Stormtrooper Hall of Fame! With Unquestioned Loyalty Aaron Gibson TK99725 "Pyrates" Imperial Propaganda Greetings Troopers. I just wanted to touch on the Fire Team program for some of the newer members that may not be familiar with it. Here is the original posting describing the program: The Fire Team program is completely optional, and is intended to help form a common identity and spirit of camaraderie among 501st Legion stormtroopers in the same geographic area/garrison that troop together. Fire Teams are not officially recognized by the 501st Legion nor the FISD, although they will be able to access a Fire Team sub-forum on the detachment website. Because Fire Teams are unofficial groups, they cannot have any 501st or FISD markings, including 501st Legion, 501st, Legion logos, Vader's Fist etc. on their branding or logos. However, Teams will be allowed to use any unique markings at informal events provided they follow these guidelines. Guidelines No 501st or FISD markings. Period. Any active Legion member with a valid stormtrooper costume in the specified geographic area can join. The Team can create a name, logo, backstory, etc. for itself (names usually contain Fire Team, though this isn't required). A list of each Team (with their specific "Teams Name") with a current list their members will be kept in the Fire Team sub-forum on the Detachment website. A Team member must troop at least twice per year to maintain status as a member. Two or more Team members must troop together once per year to keep the group active. Merchandising Again, no 501st or FISD markings. Merchandising will only be limited by the imagination of the Fire Team. Any merchandising should be submitted to the detachment, or through proper Legion channels. A master list of all Fire Team merchandise (with photos) will be posted in the Fire Team sub-forum. If any of these guidelines are violated, the group will be disbanded. Here is a link to the Fire Team area: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/130-fire-team-area/ 501st membership is needed to view this area. This is a great program that is strictly just for fun and it also allows fellow TK's get to know each other better. I would love to help any Garrison/area get a Fire Team started, just let me know what I can do to help. With Unquestioned Loyalty Mark Ryner TK-4584 "captsafe66 " FISD/Fire Team Director Want Your Troop to be Included? Just a reminder if you would lie your troop added please post your troop report in the Field Training Exercises section here Those with troop logs please post a separate troop report as it is easier to link too. November - December Perth Zoo Members Only Christmas Night More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 St Petersburg Christmas Parade  More here By: Mike, WhiteWalker, TK82666 Star Wars A New Hope in Concert  More here By: Mike, WhiteWalker, TK82666 Armadale Christmas Parade More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 RAC Channel 7 Christmas Pageant 2018 More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 Wedding - Oakford More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 Special Children's Christmas Party More here By: Glen, gmrhodes13, TK85421 Serve proudly, ladies and gentlemen, and as Tim (Dark CMF) says: "Keep doing what it is that got you here"! Are you an approved TK that spends more time on the boards than the average Trooper? Do you enjoy using your knowledge to help out future and existing Troopers? If so, we would like to invite you to join the Imperial Attaché program! Members of the I.A. team are chosen to help out not only those here on the boards, but on a local level as well. Our aim is to have at least one in each and every Garrison, Squad and Outpost in the entire legion to be the eyes and ears of the FISD on a local level. A suggested level of EIB or above is preferred, as part of the duties include assisting those aiming for levels 2 and 3, but is not a requirement. Being active on the boards on a regular basis , welcoming new members and helping out where you can is, though. Some of the benefits: 1. Access to exclusive Attaché merch., including patches, etc. 2. Having the Imperial Attaché title under your name. 3. Being a part of the team that welcomes new and prospective members of the FISD. 4. Being the "go-to" person in your Garrison, Squad or Outpost. 5. Exclusive access to the Attaché HQ area, Imperial Propaganda Machine (newsletter) and merchandise discussions. We are currently in need of Attaches in many units, especially International Garrisons/Squads and Outposts. For more information on this program, please head here and if you should have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at any time. (Pretzel) For a complete list of Imperial Attaches, go here NEW ATTACHES! Please join me in welcoming our newest Imperial Attaches! 1. Matt @Bud Spaklur hails from New Jersey and NER garrison. An active Stormtrooper here on the FISD with over 800 posts. He makes sure to give great advice and welcome all newcomers. We look forward to his contributions. 2. D'Angelo @Dstep is a new and exciting member hailing from Vancouver, WA. He has already started greeting and encouraging troopers on their build threads. We can't wait to see his work continue. Serve proudly, Gentlemen, and as Tim (Dark CMF) says: "Keep doing what it is that got you here"! IMPERIAL ATTACHE AWARD Imperial Attaché Award for those attaché's who have gone above and beyond [minimum 1 year of service] This month we Salute! Brien (Harbinger) CCG Awarded November 2018 Brien has earned this award for his countless contributions for the FISD & Attache Program. Most merch that you have purchased, may have been designed by this trooper. His continued efforts on his graphic skills are something that should be celebrated and recognized. Today we salute you Brien! You can find a list of prior recipients here ATTACHE MERCHANDISE Attaché Patch NOW AVAILABLE For those of you on the Imperial Attaché staff, I am pleased to announce that the official I.A. patches will soon be available... again! Here are the details.. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! Patches will be limited to TWO per person, and will only be sold to those who are current FISD Imperial Attaches. These patches have been graciously DONATED to the FISD, so all you will need to do is cover the cost of shipping and PP fees, which will be $1.00 each for those in the U.S. and P.R. and $1.50 each for those outside the U.S. What a deal! You can find the thread here Attaché Ambassador Fellow Attaches, THANK YOU for your continued service on the FISD boards. You have all done well on welcoming new members and providing build advice to members making the journey into the White Zone. With Unquestioned Loyalty Preston Christman TK-91488 "Pretzel" Attaché Ambassador So what exactly are EIB (Expert Infantry Badge) and Centurion levels? These programs were designed for those who choose to take their armor above and beyond the minimum requirements for basic 501st Legion approval. It gives you the chance to show a level of dedication and pride that takes your armor closer to being as "screen accurate" as possible, without as much extra work as you may realize! It also works on giving a better look to the Legion as an entity, and you can bet others will take notice of your hard work. The 501st has a list of detailed requirements for Basic approval, (level 1), EIB, (level 2) and Centurion, (level 3) which can be found here in the Costume Reference Library, (CRL) http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:FISD_CRL Here are a few of the questions people may be wondering about: 1. "I am a (tall/short/heavy/thin) Trooper. Can I still apply? Of course! These programs are open and encouraged for all sizes of TKs, as long as the costume is correct and meets the guidelines. There are many specific build tutorials to every option, as well as a vast network of fellow TKs on the FISD to help you out and offer suggestions. 2. "How much extra will I have to pay for extra items"? The cost is actually quite reasonable, considering the few extra supplies you will need, which are listed in the requirements area. While it may run you a little more to implement these additions to your costume, they will go a long way to improving accuracy. All needed items can be found for sale on this thread: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/16-ongoing-sales-project-orders/ While blasters are not required for basic approval, for EIB and Centurion levels they are, and may need upgrades (also listed in the CRL). 3. "I haven't even got my kit yet, is it too early to start planning"? Actually, aiming for Centurion is easiest to do right out of the box. 4. "I have my basic TK approval, can I still get in these programs"? In a word... absolutely! 5. "Are there any "perks" to this extra work and cost"? Besides knowing that you have a great looking set of armor, the 501st and FISD believes you should be deservedly recognized for your achievement(s), and allows you to wear the appropriate embroidered "rocker" badge of rank (available for a very minimum cost) on your shirt, helmet bag, etc., as well as rank decals to put on your armor bin. You will also have access to select "challenge coin" runs, receive (free) a cool certificate for your new rank, and have your title posted below your name in your FISD signature. Plus, once you reach these levels, you will have the extra knowledge to help out those who are looking to apply as well. 6. "Is it hard to apply, and what happens then"? After basic approval, all you do is make sure your armor is up to the standards set forth in the CRL, post a thread with the required photos in the appropriate area (see below), and wait a bit for the D.O.s (Deployment Officers) to address it. (Hint: Studying other people's threads before you submit can be a GREAT help). These are also listed on the main page of the FISD site. While waiting for approval, you will get some comments from others who will offer suggestions and constructive advice to help you out. If you should need any changes, the DOs will let you know, so you can adjust accordingly. Don't be dismayed if you do need changes... it's all for your benefit! After you are approved for EIB, then you can submit for Centurion. EIB https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/19-request-expert-infantryman-status/ Centurion https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/72-request-centurion-status/ Just remember that the FISD is here to help you every step of the way with whatever other questions you may have, but if you can't seem to find what you are looking for in your research, just ask away here on the forums! With Unquestioned Loyalty Joseph Pedigo TK-10963 "justjoseph63" Deployment Officer This area lists all those who have gone above and beyond basic approval toward screen accuracy. FOR November-December the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment would like to congratulate: Expert Infantry Badge Award: Eric E. "Erice3339" TK 14056 EIB 868 Jaime G. Mendoza "darKcito" TK 29173 EIB 869 Darren Thorne "DT_FETT_TROOPER" TK 16473 EIB 870 Matt Growick "Bud Spaklur" TK 72715 EIB 871 Davin Aldridge "Battrooper" TK 41948 EIB 872 Wesley Gorman " theblueslime" TK 11937 EIB 873 Nizam Nain "xniamx" TK 32158 EIB 874 Eric Ripley " Scimitar" TK 17529 EIB 875 Chris "Ru4scuba" TK 11917 EIB 876 Rodney Hupalo "thehup" TK 21169 EIB 877 Daniel Melin "TheSwede" TK 99665 (Approved) 4th EIB Award! Congrats!! GREAT job on your approval, now on to Level 3! Request your free EIB certificate here Centurion Badge Award: G "G" TK 1 Centurion 418 Frederik Gajewski "Freduster" TK 19511 Centurion 418 Daphne Bloklamd "Athenall" TK 62317 Centurion 419 Matt Growick "Bud Spaklur" TK 72715 Centurion 420 D'Angelo Stepanoff "DStep" TK 42050 Centurion 421 Outstanding job on reaching Centurion, Troopers! Request your free Centurion certificate here If you see any of these Troopers around your Garrison or Squad, be sure to congratulate them! As many of you are aware, the FISD is currently in our March to 1000 program. Our goal is to reach the one thousand mark of Troopers who have earned their Expert Infantry Badge, and although we are well on our way to this goal and have just reached the 875 mark! The amount of approved submissions is increasing (over 80 this year alone) thanks to the dedication of those willing to go the "extra mile" toward screen accuracy. Here is a brief description of EIB as written by Paul (Daetrin), our founder: "Expert Infantryman status is not required for members of this detachment. It should be viewed as an optional set of requirements for those who wish to take the accuracy of their costumes to the next level, and be recognized accordingly. We're a costuming club - think of it as an award for costuming excellence and you get the picture. The requirements will not replace or supersede 501st standards, but only serve as an inspiration for the level of accuracy that can be achieved. The standards are meant to be high but achievable..." Besides the added pride you will have in your armor, those reaching this level can purchase exclusive EIB gear (patches, decals, coins etc.) and get a free certificate for your accomplishment. If you are interested or would like more information about the program head here that will help. You can also contact myself "Pretzel" or any Imperial Attaché, and we will be more than happy to assist you! FISD FIRST ORDER RACING SHIRTS ARE HERE! You have until midnight on the 31st December to order. Please make sure you read ALL of the info in the thread, there is a lot but it is important so don't skip the fine details. Big thanks to Chris "Berbs42" TK6427 for heading this run. You can find the order thread here Interest Thread - Award Badges Matt "Bud Spaklur" has posted an interest thread for award badges, at present these cover Centurion, Expert Infantryman, FISD Achievement and Attache. If you are interested in any of these you can find the thread here The pins would be of the following: Expert Infantry: Centurion: FISD Achievement Award: Imperial Attaché: Newsletter Hoping to see some great holiday troop photos, please send the in to any of our PRO team, they will gladly share them. Wishing everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year. With Unquestioned Loyalty Glen "Q" Rhodes TK85421 "gmrhodes13" PRO - Newsletter Facebook & Twitter With Unquestioned Loyalty Daniel Lauber TK55550 - "Ripper_L" PRO - Facebook Page Instagram We have surpassed over 2k Followers on our account! Feel free to message the official @fisd501st Instagram account to be featured! Please provide your TK# and Garrison you represent! With Unquestioned Loyalty Preston Christman TK-91488 "Pretzel" PRO - Instagram FISD Facebook Group With Unquestioned Loyalty Marcus Dohring TK-14057 “JODOKAST” PRO - Facebook Group Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! NEW Facebook Group: 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment (FISD) Official If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st follow FISD on Twitter! Instagram: www.instagram.com/fisd501st On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff and the Imperial Propaganda Department

Hi all, after a few hints here and there I doubled my efforts to please the emperor and here it finally is: my first build thread. It will be based on the following components: - DoopyDoo's resin kit - the famous E11 completion kit from Tino (a.k.a. T-jay) - M38 1942 resin replica scope from Bulldog Props Japan (a.k.a. Brian) - BlastFX + mini scope electronics from TRamp (you can find him on Facebook) - 3D printed parts from Shadow Defence Systems on Shapeways Let's start with a picture of test fitting the scope rail, made from an aluminum strip: 20181202_191234 (Note that it still shows the original DoopyDoo's scope) This was to make sure that I didn't require the scope rail option for the completion kit. Speaking of which: 20181208_154125 And on the same day the scope kit arrived: Untitled 20181208_102248 First work on the resin kit included washing in hot soap water, and then on to some drilling and dremeling to install the mods from Tino's completion kit: 20181210_220647 (Note the green stuff in the first hole of the folded stock, which was a repair due to a drilling mishap ) Started easy with these mods: 20181209_191721 Then I went on to drill the additional row of holes in the main blaster pipe: 20181209_202712 And when the repair on the folded stock had dried I continued the drilling and gutting: 20181212_215904 Let it snow let it snow... 20181213_200426 Well, that's about it for now... Cheers!

Hey Troopers! I'm finally getting around to building my HWT pack. From the very beginning of my ANH Stunt armor build, I have wanted to have the ability to also troop as a Heavy Weapons Trooper. I loved the original Battlefront series and there is something undeniably cool about the look of a Stormtrooper who has been through the rigor or battle and is equipped to stay in the field and provide fire support for his squad. I have read through and looked at many, many pack builds at this point and I am very thankful that my fellow troopers have already researched and gone through most of the trouble to provide visual reference and figure out how this build should be done in the first place. I have to give a large amount of credit to Tony and Joseph for their pioneering into the HWT trooper and the building resources they have provided. I will be using previous build threads as a basic outline to my plans, but I will be trying to match my pack as closely as I can (within my meager ability) to screen capture reference. I will be eyeballing most of the measurements and building to match what I see on screen in an attempt to put that item in hand (or on my back as it were). Let's get started! My first points of reference where the screen captures provided here on FISD: And secondly, previously built packs which have been approved: I also wanted to bring in a sense of real world "used" technology, just like props from the Original Trilogy. I ended up looking at Vietnam War era radio and communications packs.: The weathering on these radios and also the way the metal is finished and pressed gives me some inspiration on what this pack would actually look like in the real world. The screen reference can only take us so far when taken from a videogame with low res models and textures. Lastly, I also wanted to use OT screen used props (and their replicas) as reference as well. Packs seen in the films such as the ones Sandtroopers wore give me ideas for weathering, scale and detail. The radio seen on the Sandtrooper's pack is a real life found object and helps give a sense of what "real" Imperial technology would look like. To begin, I had to get a base for the pack. Most, if not ALL, builds use an oil drain pan and mine is no different. Why fix what isn't broken? I toyed around with different depths and sizes in deciding which pan to get. I ended up finding one on Amazon made by Garage Boss. It is relatively thin, which will keep me from being super thick while trooping. The first thing was to remove the center area to give my back plate room to rest. I brought out the Dremel cutting wheel. Mountains of black plastic dust later, the center was removed. This hole is also going to give me access to the inside of the pack for attaching the boxes, etc. in the future with bolts and/or pop rivets. I also removed the yellow plug for good measure. I will be covering that hole later: I have decided to go with ALICE style backpack straps for their comfort and versatility. I bought this hooks to attach them. They are standard ceiling mount hooks: Measured out and placed the mounts. I tried to put them in a placement that would be similar to how they are used on an actual ALICE backpack, then I marked them for drilling: Moving on, I decided to use my reference pictures to freehand sketch the layout of my radio. My plan is to use a sheet of PVC to build layers of depth and detail similar to what would be seen on screen. When I look at this picture, I see what seems to be multiple levels of varying depth that create different shadows across the radio. To be completely honest, I also see screws and/or rivets that are in different spots than what the CRL shows. I don't mean to rock the boat, but I am going to place my fasteners where I see them in the screencaps. Going by the second image, I also see some patterns that have not been addressed in the previous builds. I am going to attempt to recreate all of this. I used the recommended photo storage box from previous builds. The dimensions are 11.2 x 7.8 x 4.5 inches. So I got this sketched out with a rough idea of how many layers I will need to lay down to achieve the look I want. Front: Side: And that's where we're at for now. I will be out of town for the coming weekend, but I plan on getting some more work done once the Holiday Season winds down.

I just picked up on of @fieldmarshall's new all aluminum blaster kits. This is a thing of beauty. Since I'm building my new Bapty out of this kit I have some (a lot) of parts left over. Luckily I just so happen to have an unfinished Doopy kit so I will be using my unused parts from the FM kit on the DD kit. First up, the Tunisian "Bapty" E-11 (Sandtrooper Blaster) I got these wonderful cast aluminum parts from @bigwam. The grip and rear end of the blaster will be solid aluminum. Need to do some finishing work on these but I am so excited to have a Bapty made with real cast metal parts. To go along with it I have a real magazine. A great replica Hengstler (courtesy of Field Marshal again). A real Sterling folding stock. and a real 1942 M38 scope. Got a lot of mods ahead of me on this one. But I'm excited to have a fully metal Bapty build. Hard to get in the states without re assembling a cut up Sterling. Next up, the standard E-11 This is a blend of the rest of the Fieldmarshall parts and the Doopy kit. As much as I would like to, I doubt ill be able to get the bolt to fit in this thing sadly, same with the barrel, so I will probably be selling those parts off. Keep an eye out if interested. I am super impressed by the kit. It is super fun to put these parts together, the folding stock and grip/trigger were so much fun to build. The grip details are insane. And it came with switches and whatnot to put electronics in it. This second kit should pull together much faster than the Bapty. But this will probably be my new main trooping blaster. The Bapty will be on display in my Sandy shrine lol. I'm excited to start these builds fast so I can get to my favorite part, the weathering. Thanks to Fieldmarshall for such a cool kit, sorry I'm splitting it up, I know some are probably thinking I'm crazy of doing it this way, but Sandy's are my first love and I'm going to uber accurate on that blaster.

Nice start. :-)

Really great work

Show off hahaha

Thank you, but as I have access to free 3D printing, I will use that option for now. My models might not be perfect, and a few small details have been omitted, and some smaller holes will have to be drilled after it has been printed. But I think I can make them work.

All signs are pointing to them being afraid of how the truth will be received by their customers. I think they have known all along what the real delivery dates are going to be. They already seem to struggle with cash flow as evidenced by how hard it is for people to get refunds. If they told people back in Spring that they would have missed their projected ship date by 9 months minimum, they would have likely had an avalanche of refund requests that they wouldn't have been able to honor. To be clear, I think Anovos customer service is just as in the dark as the customers, they get fed the "on track to ship by X" and that is what they regurgitate.

Tis the season of the Heavy!

Been reading and watching for a few weeks now(after speaking to the UKG at birmingham comic con)

Looking great!

Did a little weathering on the lid and added the Hovi mics.

I'm still here. Hahahaha. End of the year is always insanely busy for me. I should be picking things back up after the 1st. Nice Staind reference. [emoji41] Sent from my MSE-6 droid using Tapatalk

that is absolutely incredible

Congrats trooper!

Warping can occur if you put too much glue on the snap tabs or apply pressure to the snaps tabs whilst the glue cures. I find the best way to fit the snap tabs is to run a thin bead of E6000 around the edge of the webbing tabs and simply tape them in place until the glue has dried. Clamping the tabs in place usually results in warping. This can happen with ABS snap tabs too, because they are too rigid. Webbing is the best material to use because it conforms to the shape of the armour effortlessly.

It gives me great pleasure to announce the promotion of ShaSha from the attache ranks to the position of Deputy Deployment Officer. Shasha brings with her experience in assisting our vertically challenged troopers in armour modification and assembly plus a keen eye for attention to detail. Congratulations Shasha, we have every confidence you will do a fantastic job.

BBB DAY HAS ARRIVED! Sent from my MSE-6 droid using Tapatalk