Debater2nd

Like the blaster! Very cool work! As for the armor, looks good overall. Your shins look a little big, the drop boxes should come down further, and your belt looks like it's sagging a bit on one side. Other than that, good work!

Yes, I can take it off...sorry, meant to do that, but forgot since I was at an event. Need a picture?

I finished (and debuted) my HWT kit this weekend (http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=13162&pid=159896&st=0entry159896), and figured I'd go ahead and shoot for making it an official EIB kit. This is my base ANH stunt EIB kit (http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=13062), with the HWT parts added. I want to make sure to thank Quartermaster for all his work on my pack, Lewis for the EXCELLENT Hyperfirm DLT-19, and Brian (tkrestonva) for all his help with the assembly and fitting. Details: MRCE modded helmet (chin seam filled, dark green lenses, correctly colored tube stripes. stunt teeth added) FX ANH armor (ANH handplates, correctly sized and colored ab buttons, side gaps shimmed, no drop boxes on the belt, no holster) Battlefront HWT game-referenced pack Hyperfirm DLT-19 Orange Shoulder Pauldron (http://www.shoulderpauldrons.com) 3 MP-40 ammo pouches (1 leather, 2 black-dyed canvas)

Thanks, Terrell! Glad the fixes worked!

Here are the updated photos of the fixes I made to the helmet seam and d-ring. The helmet seam was re-done with several layers of silicon caulk, sanded and smoothed. It's not perfect, but I think it looks better than it did.

Wow...very impressive! He'll have the best costume in the neighborhood for sure! When my son is a little older, I'd love to do something like that for him...right now, he's two and enjoys swinging a lightsaber at everything. Have fun, and post more pics!

Think it'd work with epoxy and regular paint, like testors or rustoleum?

Good idea! How did you mix and apply it?

That puts a new twist on "Blast 'em!"

Haven't heard from him yet...sure he's busy. Yeah, an AP seconds kit is in the future.

That comment wasn't directed at you, just general information. As to the helmet, kudos to you or anyone who does all the optional MRCE mods. I didn't want to, and I think it's a solid helmet with or without them. Like I said, if I want to do all that work, I'll get a helmet kit from one of the many sellers on the FISD...I probably will at some point, just not now. The mods you've pointed out are optional, and while they do greatly enhance the look of the helmet, the core problem with the MRCE, its' size, is not correctable, and the mods I did meet the requirements for EIB.

FYI, my current EIB info is wrong...it should be ESB, not ANH...I'm wanting to add ANH.

It's pretty easy to do. I used a Magic Eraser to remove the old stripes, then applied a set of Scott M.'s MRCE stripes. They look good to me, and I don't see a need to take the helmet apart and repaint...if I want to do all that, I'll just get a kit.

Figured as long as I'm doing the HWT build, I'd go ahead and get the ANH pictures done as well. Brian (tkrestonva) came over and helped me get these done, which I very much appreciated. This is a mixed-FX armor set, modded MRCE bucket, and modded Hasbro blaster. I've added (per my ESB Expert Infantry): Armor: Correctly sized and colored ab buttons Side shims Cut butt-plate and back plate (showing) Canvas belt with two rivets showing as per stunt requirements Holster attached behind the belt on the left side Correct ANH-style handplates (Thanks to tkrestonva) Helmet: Replaced tube stripes with correct colored stripes (thanks to Scott M. for his quick help with that!) Filled in chin seam with white silicon caulk Added brass, correctly sized ear screws to the ears Replaced the lenses with green welders lens Cut out the additional teeth needed for the Stunt build Blaster: Added d-ring Added folding stock Added power cylinders Added extra t-rack Added Hengstler counter

It's for pure awesomeness!

Good eye, Terry!

A bad idea. Overpriced, no pictures, and no armor information.

Good start so far! Your drop boxes need to be attached with with straps and lowered, and it almost looked like your butt plate was over your belt. It also looks like your shins need to be lowered, and don't forget to re-do your ab buttons with correct sizes and colors.

October 2010 FISD Newsletter In this Issue... 1. From the Commander 2. Academy Updates 3. The FX Helmet's Legacy 4. From the Provost Marshall 5. From the Communications Officer FISD News From the Commander Greetings Troops! The Legion census is now open for those that have not yet gotten the word. Our XO Terrell (SuperTrooper) will again be handling all the requests for additions/removals, so if you have any questions regarding your status please PM him or we'll create a simple post on the boards. I'm happy to announce that the Heavy Weapons Trooper now shows up correctly in the database as being under FISD, and also that the Incinerator Trooper has been added to the database as well. If you have either of these costumes, please check your 501st profile and ensure that you're marked correctly. In other Incinerator Trooper news, Mason Carson (TK-4603, dashrazor) became the first FISD Expert Infantryman for the ICN, and has also created the first flamethrower model for this costume. Kudos to Mason for his excellent work, and look for him as our CRL model when we make our Legion submission later this month. As always, we strive to give you the most up to date information from the field of white armor. Please drop us a line if there is anything you'd like to see us cover in the future, or anything else that's on your mind. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" (TK-8020) FISD Detachment Leader Academy Updates Intelligence Officer Report Greetings troopers! With Halloween just around the corner, there's no doubt that many of us are prepping our costumes for various events. Here's some great tips and details gathered over the past month. Screen accurate strapping techniques revealed Several members of the UK Garrison and Troopermaster have done it again with great reproductions of how the screen used suits were assembled. In the past, there were only a few photos showing the interesting strapping techniques used on the original suits. With some more recent photo reference, ingenuity and creativity, these skilled and talented troopers have recreated what is undoubtably some of the most accurate Stormtrooper replica builds ever! http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12218 http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12470 http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12775 Where to buy Stukatrooper's replica elastic strapping brackets http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12511 Some discussions on the types of brackets used for the elastic strapping http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12836 Rolf - TD252 Sandtrooper armor mods: Rolf over at the MEPD has been working on yet another fantastic TE2 build. He added some interesting modifications in terms of accuracy for matching the ANH TD armor, and some other details to make the armor more troopable. These include: - Adding a sharper return edge to the chest armor in the shoulder / armpit region (to match the screen look) - Adding the "ANH" style thigh top notches in the thigh armor - Shortening some portions of the belt to match the film belt - Revised left side ab hinge area with elastic, washers and rivets - Detail of the crotch / butt rivets - reinforcing the plastic for the chin strap inside the helmet - securing the ammo thigh strip - modifying an area below the 3 ab buttons to create 2 "strips", as well as adding the small circular impression on the ab button plate. This was a detail on the original suits and is captured on the TM suits. You can read his build thread here: http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=6800&st=80 Painting HIPS armor: Some great armor painting tips from Rogue Trooper / Tom on how to achieve a glossy look if you are planning to paint HIPS armor. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12577&st=0&gopid=153857 Terry "Pandatrooper" FISD Intelligence Officer The FX Helmet's Legacy What is the future for the FX helmet? The original FX helmet was created many years ago, and was one of the first widely available "fan sculpted" helmets. Fan sculpted meaning that it was sculpted from scratch, and it did not have any lineage to screen used or tour suit type armors / helmets. It has become regarded as one of the most commonly used helmets within the 501st Legion for some time, but in recent years - many more helmet options have become available. Unfortunately, the FX helmet and armor have been recasted many times over, and they are commonly found on Ebay for unreasonably high prices. Those that are just getting into the hobby may not understand the differences or inaccuracies of the FX helmet, and fall into the trap of making an uneducated purchase, and pay a lot more for something that may not even be "original FX". While its is definitely usable and still acceptable for use within the 501st Legion, the variety and lowered costs of other helmets have caused the original FX helmet to drop in popularity over the past few years. Image from StarWarshelmets.com This review hopes to point out some of the unique characteristics of the FX helmet, so that prospective buyers know what to look for and expect when purchasing the helmet of their choice. Overview: The FX helmet is constructed out of white ABS plastic. The helmet is generally considered to be oversized. It's the largest of all helmets available, and while for some this is a benefit (allows extra space inside for fans, mics, etc.) the proportions are quite different from the original screen used helmets. There are several parts to the helmet kit including: - the cap / dome - the "back" - the faceplate - left and right ears - left and right ear caps - separate vocoder / chin - smoke bubble lenses - rubber trim for the brow and neck opening - decals for the vents, etc. - adhesive and other assembly parts like hardware, etc. Parts detail: The original FX helmet cap / dome was a separate piece from the back. On screen lineage kits, the cap and back are 1 piece. The original dome itself had sharper corners, resulting in a flatter top than most helmets. The rear trap / vents sit much higher on the FX dome, resulting in the back of the helmet looking taller / bigger. Image from StarWarshelmets.com The back and face are bigger and wider than the original screen used helmets, and have less of a "curvy" shape to them. In particular, the cheek areas do not swell outwards as much as the original helmets. The eyes tend to be slightly bigger, and have sharper corners - where as the screen used helmets have rounder corners and a more curvy shape to the lower edge of the eye openings. The tear ducts are much bigger on the FX. The mouth shape is more straight, and doesn't conform to the shape of the face as much as the original helmets. There are 3 teeth sculpted into the design on each side of the mouth, which matches the Hero helmets - but the Stunt helmets had 4 teeth sculpted in. The nose or profile of the front of the helmet, seems to angle away from the brow, making the face seem longer or more pointy. Image from StarWarshelmets.com The most obvious change in proportions are the cheek tubes, in particular where they terminate at the front of the helmet. They are considerably larger on the FX helmet, and tend to angle down more than the original helmets. This tends to make the lower half of the helmet appear bigger than the top half of the helmet. Image from StarWarshelmets.com The ears and the ear caps were also sculpted much larger in size. The ear caps are separate (screen used was molded in) and they are also bigger in proportion. All of these factors contribute to the size of the FX helmet being much larger than it's screen used counterparts. The vocoder was a separately molded piece, and needed to be painted black and glued onto the chin area of the helmet. The decals included the tube stripes, grey traps / vents and even decals for the teeth (grey strip). These were created specifically to match the FX helmet proportions. The rubber trim that was included with the kit provided the details for the brow and the neck opening. While they did their job, the brow trim tended to be quite thick and tall in proportion to the screen used helmets. Since the FX helmet, discoveries have been made on more accurate and available rubber trim. Conclusion: The makers of the original FX kits - who now produce the AM armor, still offer the original FX helmet kit, but the dome has been updated to a more accurate shape (less sharp / flat top). This updated helmet is available with the new AM "Full" and "Lite" kits. AM has plans to update the sculpts for their helmet, to match their updated AM armor and look more accurate to the screen used helmets. Recently, Daetrin / Detachment Leader of the FISD conducted these polls and discussion threads to see if the majority of Legion members were using the FX helmet. Many websites and online auction sites tout that "90% or more of the 501st Legion" use the FX helmet, however this is far from the truth with even the 501st data showing only 25% on the helmet and approximately 50% for armor. While there may be higher concentrations of owners / users of FX helmets in the Central United States, some areas of the USA (in particular east and west coasts) and Western Europe favor other helmet types / makers. While it's not true that "90% of the Legion wears FX" it's indicative that FX armor is still being worn by about half the respondents, and that the armor still competes favorably to other makes whereas the helmet does not. You can read the results here: 501st Legion FX helmet forum poll While the FX helmet is still completely acceptable, we hope that this information will be useful for those shopping for a new helmet in selecting one that suits their trooping / costuming needs. To contact AM (Armor Master) or other helmet / armor makers, please see this thread here: Jez's site "Starwarshelmets.com" is the definitive resource for information on the film used helmets as well as fan made versions www.starwarshelmets.com From the Provost Marshall Security Report With Halloween fast approaching, I’m seeing the expected spike in new members – in particular those who are looking to get into a TK costume in time for Halloween. While I have my doubts about being able to put together a 501st Legion-worthy costume in so short a time, I certainly understand the desire. Whether it’s to dazzle your friends, bring squeals of joy (or shrieks of fear) to the neighborhood children, or win the grand prize at the big costume contest, who wouldn’t want to own a kick-butt stormtrooper costume? Isn’t that integral to the reason why we’re all here? However, I’m also seeing another expected but unwelcome trend – a rise in the number of “Want to Buy armor/helmet†threads. In particular, this seems to be happening among our newest members, and my “newest†I mean generally less than 10 posts. Let me reiterate one of the cardinal rules of the FISD when it comes to buying and selling merchandise: DO NOT POST WANT TO BUY armor/helmet threads. Violations will be deleted. This is the #1 rule in the Imperial Commissary section of the forum, and appears at the beginning of every buy/sell thread. There are very good reasons for this rule, among them being (1) we want to stay out of trouble with LFL, and (2) the FISD is not WalMart or Craigslist - meaning if you are here we expect you to be a good member and actually make some sort of contribution to the community. While it is very tempting to want to zoom in, pick up a completed costume, and zoom out, IMO you are much better off in following the time-honored process of educating yourself and getting to know the community before you commit what could easily amount to over $1K on a costume – and later regret it. On a related note, I want to state that pricing information is better handled via PM and email, and not on the open forum. Again, there are a number of reasons for this, foremost among them is out of respect for the wishes of the resident armor providers. Not to mention the constantly changing variables that play into the cost of a set of armor. For example, has anyone else noticed the spike in costume prices (TK or otherwise) and the number of people bidding on them at eBay? It’s called “supply and demandâ€, and it happens every year around this time. Although the idea of a posted “price list†has been brought up, I think with a bit of consideration most people will realize that it is ultimately an unworkable idea. We all take pride in knowing the best stormtroopers and armorers in the community call the FISD home. Our reputation for costume excellence is well-deserved, and is continually honed with practically every new build. However, if you wish to take advantage of all this community has to offer, please follow the rules. Happy Halloween, Troopers. Go easy on the candy – you still have to fit into that armor. There will be an open-ranks inspection on 1 Nov. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Brian (tkrestonva) TK-2918 FISD Provost Marshal From the Communications Officer What is your goal? The FX helmet has been quite the hot topic as of late, and I have heard people weigh in on both sides of the issue. On one hand, I have heard troopers talk about how they want to increase the accuracy of their costumes, and their main complaint with the FX helmet is the inherent design flaws. On the other hand, I have heard troopers say that they have what works for them, and they feel that the move away from the FX helmet is a way to for the 501st to become more elitist, and possibly push people out. I have heard both sides of this issue, and in my opinion, both of these arguments miss the point. Before I get into my reasons for that statement, I want to make a couple of things clear. First off, this is a discussion about the helmet, not the armor. FX armor is still very serviceable, and has a good reputation for both its' appearance and durability. The helmet is the issue here, and I believe that it must be viewed as separate from the armor, despite the fact that they both exist under the FX name. Secondly, absolutely no move has been made to "ban" the FX helmet. The FX helmet is still acceptable for basic 501st entrance. The only thing that the FISD has done is to state in our detachment EIB requirements that the FX helmet is not acceptable for EIB status, an optional goal for increased costume accuracy that we as a detachment have set for ourselves. Finally, this discussion is worth having, since we always have new members seeking their first set of armor, as well as existing troopers looking to upgrade their kits. Isn't it part of our job here to make sure that we provide people with the best information available? To get back to my previous statement, I believe that the point of this issue is neither design flaws nor people being pushed out due to old equipment. The point is whether we want to keep improving our gear, and how we choose to spend our resources to that goal. This is a process that everyone goes through, whether that involves repairing equipment, buying a better sidearm, or picking up that shiny new set of armor. Everything that we do is geared to improving what we do, and simply put, if we find something better than what we have, we then must decide what it is worth to us to obtain that improvement. Now, yes, the FX helmet has design flaws...that's a given. However, most things that we use here have design flaws. I'd be surprised if anyone has any equipment that doesn't have some slight blemish or imperfection. It so happens that on the FX helmet, the design flaws are pretty evident, and there are plenty of reasonably-priced, obtainable alternatives, which does seem to make a strong case for that upgrade, provided that you feel inclined to spend your money in that way. There really is no good reason not to change helmets, because unless you are just really strapped for cash, there are many good kits or even pre-assembled that can be obtained. This is simply a matter of making an upgrade, something that we do all the time with things like cell phones, laptops, and automobiles. Now, on the flip side of this, I do not believe that this trend against the FX helmet is designed to push anyone out of the 501st, create an elite group, or even to make troopers feel unwanted or unwelcome. As I said before, this is simply a matter of an upgrade for a product being available, with the question being not about flaws, but about whether the upgrade is worth doing. I have and will continue to troop beside people who have the FX helmet, and I suspect that many, if not most, of you are the same way. This is not an issue of troopers being forced to upgrade and facing repercussions if they choose not to, and this has nothing to do with elitism, since there is no issue with 501st membership having to do with the FX helmet. The bottom line is that the choice is up to you. We want to make sure that our members have all the information available to them when they chose what they will spend their money on, but the choice is an individual one. Whether you choose to upgrade or not, and whatever helmet you choose to join the 501st with is your call, provided, of course, that you meet the Legion requirements. I think I speak for many people when I say that I will gladly troop with anyone here, FX helmet or not, but I want to make sure that you have enough information to make good decisions. Keep trooping! With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer

No, Rubies is not a good kit, for a number of reasons that I'm sure others will enthusiastically explain about. This topic has been discussed over and over...please take the time to read through some of the threads about this topic. It's overpriced, inaccurate, and not acceptable (at least not without substantial modifications) for 501st acceptance, let alone EIB. However, if all you're looking for is a Halloween costume, then it might be a good route for you to go, since you could probably wear it out-of-the-box.

September 2010 FISD Newsletter In this Issue... 1. Celebration V news 2. Spotlight on the Academy 3. Update on the Costume Reference Library 4. Armor News a. Armor Master (AM) Lite Kit Armor Highlight and Review b. FX Armor and the Expert Infantryman Badge Celebration V News White Armor panel after-action report: Greetings Troops, Thanks for everyone who participated in, attended, or otherwise supported the Original Trilogy (OT) Troopers panel at C5 last month. By all accounts it was a complete success! Special thanks go to Dan Carlton (TD-2243), Stu Wilkshire (TS-0969) and Scott Magerfleisch (TB-4149) for being my co-presenters and representing their respective detachments. In addition, thanks go to Wellington Eng (TK-1755) for coordinating the entire series of panels and Luis Carazo (TX-3758) for acting as panel host, and of course our prearranged models Tom Musco (TK- 5625), Terry Handshy (TK-2055) and our impromptu panel models – including our own FISD Detachment Leader, Paul Hoeffer (TK-8020). For those who didn’t attend, we showcased the best examples of white-armored troopers from all 3 OT movies, along with our more specialized brothers from MEPD, Blizzard Force, and the Pathfinders. We really put our best foot forward, and showed the CV fans what a stormtrooper is supposed to look like. From what I could see, the room was at near full capacity, with close to 200 attendees – including the Legion Founder and current LCO, Albin Johnson (TK-210), who personally commented on how impressed he was with the panel. We’ve even gained a few new members to the forum as a result. Just as important, we have a product that can be used by the entire Legion for future cons and other opportunities to show off the FISD and the great costumes you all produce with your hard work and dedication. Kudos to all, and I look forward to continuing to spread the word and showing the entire community the best of the FISD. Brian's Top Three Celebration V Moments: 3. The FISD group photo and the march to the assembly area is definitely in my top three. Being a part of such a large gathering of troopers marching through the convention center as if we owned the place was awesome. 2. Stormtrooper laser-tag is my number two moment. Can you say "real-live laser battle between Imperial forces and 'rebel' forces - meaning lots of kids who were way too excited to follow even the proprietor's instructions?" I knew you could. Not only was it a ton of fun, it was much easier than I thought it would be, so much so that I've proposed to my garrison that we set up a charity fundraiser laser-tag event as one of our upcoming troops. 1. The White Armor panel has got to be my favorite moment. At some point, you can learn so much about something that your role naturally shifts from being primarily a student to primarily a teacher. It was intensely gratifying to share what I've learned with the audience, and to help solidify the FISD as the place to go for all things stormtrooper. Judging by the audience response and the surge of new FISD members immediately following C5, I'd say we've had a positive impact. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Brian (TK-2918) FISD Provost Marshal Update on the The Academy A Q&A with our Communications Officer There has been a lot of work done this year on the Academy, and we felt it was time for an update. Communications Officer Terry (pandatrooper) does the honors. What is the Academy? The Academy is a great opportunity for us to collect and present the most relevant and cutting edge information, tutorials, and purchasing links for Stormtrooper costuming in one location. The tutorials contained within the Academy contain the best ideas on how to build your costume. These tutorials will continue to be updated with the latest information and techniques to make your armor or prop the best it can be. This saves troopers of all experience levels a lot of time with their builds, no need to search through the entire forum for the information they need. Whether you want to submit your costume and join the 501st Legion, or add more detail and accuracy to your costume and apply for your “EIB" (Expert Infantry Badge), the content within the Academy is the best place to begin your journey. Why are we changing the name to "Imperial Trooper Reception Center?" We have decided to change the name from the “FISD Academy†to the “Imperial Trooper Reception Center†for a few reasons. “Imperial Trooper Reception Center†is more descriptive in of the intent of the site. We want to extend a warm welcome to everyone visiting the site and help them through easy and accessible information on how to best build their costumes. In addition we want to avoid any confusion with the “Galactic Academy†which is a great organization of younger costumed members who have not yet reached the age of 18 years old but want to participate in 501st Legion events. What type of content has been added over the last year? Over the last year we have created numerous tutorials to help guide individuals in the assembly of their costumes. Within these tutorials are helpful links to more detailed examples of armor or prop builds within the FISD, along with web links to sellers of the parts and supplies used. The armor section contains 11 articles. Currently, 8 are complete which include: - Neck seals - Ab and back - hands - Belts - Belt accessories - Thighs and Shins - Boots - Holsters The Blaster section contains 6 articles on the E-11 (the standard Stormtrooper sidearm), of which 4 are complete. These include: - Hasbro blasters and modifications - Scratch built blasters - Replica Blasters - Sterling conversions The "Tips and How to" section is a giant library of handy tips troopers have discovered over the years to make their costume builds the best they can be. What is your involvement with the "Imperial Trooper Reception Center?" As the Intelligence Officer of the FISD, I’m primarily responsible for writing, creating and gathering tutorials for armor and prop creation. There are many talented members within our community, so I often collect and save links of detailed builds or other tutorials that I think would be helpful for everyone, and integrate them into the Imperial Trooper Reception Center website. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned 501st Legion trooper, there are always things that we are constantly tinkering with to improve the quality or accuracy of our costumes. The Imperial Trooper Reception Center is a great place to gather and contain all of this valuable information. Any plans for the "Imperial Trooper Reception Center" going forward? The plan is to complete the armor tutorials before the end of the year and add addenda to some of the armor tutorials to capture the more detailed and screen accurate builds of late. Additionally the blaster and electronics sections will be expanded and developed further, and there will be more detailed reviews of each armor make. We'd also like to call on our great FISD community to contribute and provide feedback on the Imperial Trooper Reception Center! There is a steady stream of new innovations and discoveries made every day in the realm of Stormtrooper costume building. Whether it's a new construction technique or a discovery made in a detailed screenshot from the films, we'd like to gather this information and share it with the community. If you have an idea for a tutorial, or see a helpful link, you will have an opportunity to suggest it for inclusion on the Imperial Trooper Reception Center website. Stay tuned for a new thread on the forums where you can help make contributions and suggestions for the website. Costume Reference Library Update The Legion Costume Reference Library will be the visual guide to all 501st approved costumes and will serve as one of several tools for GML’s and anyone wanting to create a costume for 501st membership. While not formal requirements lists, they are nonetheless a key goal of the Legion this year. The Imperial Propaganda Machine (IPM) has been working tirelessly to get FISD’s submissions completed, and I’m very proud to announce that not only is the ANH-Stunt CRL live, but we’ve submitted three more for review (ANH Hero, ESB, Heavy Weapons Trooper), and work has already started on ROTJ. I bring this up because sometimes it may seem that these projects just ‘happen’, magically, for us to enjoy whereas each CRL represents many dozens of man hours by people behind the scenes. 7 Troopers - Bluehickey, Dmian, No’l, Stukatrooper, TK4702, TKDUENO, and Tray – all deserve your appreciation for a job well done and FISD is indebted to their service. While 5 of our costumes are done or near done, we are still looking for models for the Stormtrooper Commander and Incinerator Trooper. If you feel your kit is CRL worthy, please contact me as we’d love to hear from you. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" (TK-8020) FISD Detachment Leader Armor News Armor Master (AM) Lite Kit Armor Highlight and Review by Terry / Pandatrooper FISD Intelligence Officer As a continuing element of the Imperial Trooper Reception Center, we will be conducting detailed reviews of various armor makes to provide troopers a better idea of what the specific features and qualities of each kit are. This month, we have chosen to highlight the AM "Armor Master" Lite kit. The AM kit was released in late 2009 / early 2010, and is an updated version of the popular FX kit which can be used to build a TK, TD, or TX costume. The kit itself is available in 2 kit forms: the complete kit which includes the armor, updated helmet dome (with an FX face plate) assembly parts, adhesive, velcro, strapping, etc. The "lite" armor kit comes without a helmet or adhesive or velcro, but it does come with the elastic strapping. While both kits come with detailed printed instructions, many troopers like to combine the guidance provided in the instructions with tips or modifications found here on the FISD forums to create a more detailed armor build. The kit is considered "fans sculpted", meaning it does not have any lineage to the film or tour suit armors used by other makers. The armor is made from a very shiny and thick ABS plastic, which makes it very durable for trooping events. The AM kit is becoming a popular choice due to it's idealized look, ease of assembly, durability and affordability. For the full AM lite armor kit review, please refer to the complete article here: AM Lite highlight and review Getting FX Armor Expert Infantry Qualified Take the Plunge! I get this question asked a lot so figured now was a prime time do a write-up. Despite what people may say making your FX armor EIB acceptable actually takes comparatively little effort, time, and money. You can pretty much buy everything you need for $60 and a few hours’ worth of work, or if you have lots of free time can do it for about $20 and an afternoon. As you may know the FX helmet has to be replaced in toto but since that’s an all-out replacement and usually taken care of in one fell swoop, and the fact that most already have swapped out their helmet, I’d like to focus solely on the what’s more important for many, the armor. The five items that need to be done are: 1. Replacing the ab buttons 2. Replacing the plastic belt 3. Correctly mounting your holster 4. Cutting the butt plate 5. Closing the side gaps I’ve created a detailed HOWTO about this including pictures, links, and basic instructions to http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=12478 Be sure to check it out. I know many of you have made some of these steps already, and I hope this tutorial will help you take it all the way. Not only will your suit look even better, you can now apply for Expert Infantry status on FISD. We only need 20 more troopers to pass MEPD, so come join the fun. Related Tutorials "How to add T-racks to your Hasbro blaster" "How to add the D-ring to your Hasbro Blaster" With Unquestioned Loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" (TK-8020) FISD Detachment Leader From the Communications Officer Well, we're heading into that crazy fall season! The weather will hopefully start getting cooler soon, and we will start having troops where we don't have to sweat to entire time, which, in my book, will be a nice change of pace. Additionally, we will have the opportunity to start working with some of the holiday charities, which is always a good thing. One of the best troops I've had the pleasure to participate in was a "Toys for Tots" troop, during which we filled up two enormous bins with donated toys. As we enter the fall, make sure to pay extra attention to your kit, since you'll be using it more than normal, under what can be less than ideal conditions. The FISD staff have been hard at work on the Academy site and supplemental tutorials, which provide our troopers with a high-quality resource that is not available to all of the Star Wars trooping detachments. I would also encourage every trooper to pursue becoming part of the EIB program. It is very do-able...my kit is, in fact, an FX kit, and the heightened attention to detail is noticed by both spectators and my fellow troopers alike. Becoming an EIB is a great investment, primarily of time, and it will pay off as you troop throughout the remainder of 2010. With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer This post has been promoted to an article

Looks great, Mason!