Darth Hilarious

Or are we talking about pipe built kits? Doopy's ain't just Doopy's There's a few kinds, with varying durability Mine is an aluminium pipe, so it's probably tougher than a PVC one or a solid resin one Hard to think how it would compare to a Hasbro (the Hasbros are durable for different reasons, there's a lot less resin to break, and they're lighter, so they're less likely to 'damage themselves' as it were, by bumping your leg in the holster and such) Anyway Literally hundreds of kids have handled my blaster, none have ever broken bits off Sure, I wouldn't want to drop it or anything But it has never struck me as fragile (also note I used a stupid amount of glue and hidden screws all over the place) And yeah, Hyperfirms are totally more durable (being almost indestructible)

LOL the mobile site has never worked for me

you say that now But he's getting armour soon I already made this mistake Once you say "best/coolest/most awesome ever" you don't leave yourself any headroom

I dropped mine onto a linoleum floor from about 3ft once (accidentally, of course) It lived

you did say 2k was your upper limit That suit is top shelf The option is there

yeah, that Centurion award means it's ultra-accurate Just to slightly scare you, and so you know the amount of extra detail we're talking about look at this list http://www.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TK_esb To get in the 501st you have to do all the stuff in black I had to do the blue ones too for my shiny Expert award But look how many red things there are And Bluey did them all Also it's in ESB style, which is the best if you ask me

to build your own blaster is generally in the $100-$150 range (upwards a long way if you use a real gun or scope) Ingrid makes some good points here (but then she always does)

AM is actually not available atm, he's working on new improved molds Also note his stuff is made to fit bigger guys (but smaller guys can use it, with a few mods to make it fit better, Pandatrooper is a great example)

the best way to avoid doing things wrong is asking questions (you've come to the right place for that) and getting help from your friendly neighbourhood troops Building is handy, because it teaches you the skills for maintaining the suit Shipping/wait times vary depending on who you buy from

oh, you don't usually have to paint them besides small details (the little bits of colour on the helmet and bellybuttons) Most kits are shiny white plastic

at 5'9" and 135 he is pretty well the exact size of the movie troopers Which makes things a bunch easier for you The big decision will be whether to surprise him with the whole suit or the joy of making it himself

it should be pointed out that the TM and RS kits Steffen refers to are the absolute best and most accurate available

YES GET HIM BATTLEFRONT 2 IT IS THE GAME ABOUT THE 501st Now I feel bad that I already said best gf ever Didn't leave myself room for escalation

okay well stay right away from the Rubies suit It's comes ready to wear, but it looks horrid, really sad stuff As Steffen pointed out, it's usually a fair bit more expensive for ready-made suits It would be tricky to build in secret (impossible if you live together) Unless there's a 501st member selling one secondhand, building might be the only option under 1k Does he like building things? The build can be super fun... Another important thing is what size is he? (height/build/weight) That can be a big factor in choosing a suit And seriously, he's a fool if if doesn't wife you after this effort

lol, you type faster than me! When you say 'legit', Do you mean 'officially licensed by Lucasfilm' Or 'actually looks just like the ones in the films'?

I'll echo some of those points, What's your budget? Does it need to be ready to wear? What quality level are you after? (keep in mind a lot of the bad stuff out there isn't any cheaper than the really good stuff) And also add BEST. GIRLFRIEND. EVER.

I can troop in character without a problem. I did so at the TPM 3D premiere. Events like that don't require carrying your phone and keys. Other events do. Last week I participated in a 7km funrun in my hometown. I left my house in full kit and walked to the start line from there, this meant taking my house key. And when I walked alongside Jabob from Moe to Morwell (18km), it was crucial to have my phone on me so I could arrange a lift back. Even with a bucket on, it's handy to have your wallet at a convention. And some troops (such as last Friday's Bandanna Day) simply cannot offer change areas. Would you have refused to participate? That's good for you, but it doesn't help the kids with cancer. I would never turn down an event just because they don't have a fancy green room and a big bowl of M&M's with all the brown ones removed.

PM notifications are working for me again at present She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.

I usually switch my phone off and leave it in my crate If I carry my wallet, it's just shoved in down my ab plate Sometimes I've forgotten it was even there You can stash tons of stuff in there (well, I can) WARNING: Never stick your phone down in your thigh armour to carry it! I did this at the Armageddon convention My Trooperfunk soaked into the keypad and the sweat shorted out all the buttons (phone was out of commission for the rest of the weekend, cue hilariously angry girlfriend)

Find an optometrist who's a Star Wars fan You'll probably have to pay for the lenses But you'll totally make his day/week/year

Whatever works for you is cool So long as it's black There's no requirements or anything (otherwise they'd probably want it greenish) That plasti-dip stuff looks pretty good, btw

the butt plate doesn't line up with the side seam on the movie suits, it comes further to the front (as yours does) I do not have a screenshot available right now, but if someone can get one In ESB During the carbon freeze scene The very last TK you see a shot of in the scene (he's standing at attention, viewed straight on, by/in front of some stairs) He has no belt And his butt plate can be seen coming around the front Really sorry I don't have a screen of it for you But check it out dude

It is, quite simply, not easy to see through TK lenses in poor lighting And that's with 20/20

that would be quite rude If someone builds multiple suits And they all meet Cent. Requirements Doesn't seem right Do you recall where you heard that?

Nice! While it may not be 501st approvable, it's a sweet replica!