shashachu

Hi Craig, Thanks for your patience. I apologize, but I do need another photo of the rear of your blaster to ensure there's a D-ring, which is a L2 requirement. I swore I posted about it already but I must not have submitted the post. You're almost there!

Hi Craig! I'm the DO who will be doing your review. Really nice job on your build, and thanks for already jumping on some of the issues that Glen has pointed out. Before we proceed, I'm going to need a couple small changes. First, as Glen pointed out, it appears your frown paint needs a little cleanup, as the frown paint shouldn't leave the 'teeth' and go onto the 'gums'. If you look at the reference photos, the screen-used helmets were actually almost underpainted. I've pointed out a couple areas that I can see, but definitely take a close look and see if there are any other areas that need cleanup. It hopefully should be a relatively simple fix; just a few minutes with some paint thinner or mineral spirits. (Note that for ESB reviews, we sometimes use ANH reference simply because of the lack of clear reference of ESB suits.) Reference photos: Next, could you please suit up again to demonstrate how your kit fits without the ab/kidney overlap? I'm fine if you only do the torso area (i.e. no need to do arms and legs or helmet), I just want to get a better photo of how the kit fits you without the dressing issue. Ideally the ab and kidney should sit flush with no gap, but also no overlap. Reference photo: Finally, can you post a photo of the *inside* of the rivet that connects your thigh ammo pack to the thigh piece? This is simply to confirm the type of rivet used. Thanks!

No worries. Thanks for the update, Justin. I just never want people to feel like they've been forgotten. We will definitely be here whenever you all are ready.

Checking in again - let us know if you need anything from us!

Hi KC, I appreciate your patience. Thanks for your application and for the frown paint fix. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting with the helmet, I know Anovos helmets come pre-painted and pre-assembled, but the vocoder paint could be cleaned up: Reference Images: Moving on to a couple dressing issues, keep an eye on your arm cover strip alignment when getting dressed. Of course it's going to change the minute you move around, but we like to look our absolute best during the L2 and L3 submissions. Next, as was already pointed out, your biceps are sitting a bit high. This may be necessary for mobility, but ideally we want to minimize the black gaps showing, and if you dropped your biceps and forearms you might be able to reduce the gap at the elbow and wrist. Reference Image: Next, it's correct that the belt should touch or slightly overlap the bottom ab buttons, but your belt is sitting just a touch too high. This is an area of some degree of variation, but most of the screen-used examples we can find don't have the belt covering the bottom buttons quite so much. Reference Image: Continuing on, it again could just be the photo angle, but your TD is sitting quite high, so you might see if you can push it down further, or possibly 'unroll' the clips so it sits lower. Reference Images: Next, your butt plate is sticking out just a bit so you might try double checking the strapping. I also noticed the return edge is quite thick, so you could consider trimming it back some so it lies flatter. Reference Image: Moving along, as was also already mentioned the sniper knees were trimmed in a more angular manner vs the softer curve you have. Should be a pretty quick improvement. Reference Image: Finally, another dressing issue. Next time you're getting suited up, have someone check the alignment of your calf closures. A very small detail, but it helps clean up your look. Reference Image: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting from the top, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your shoulder bell gap from the front looks great, but on the rear the gap is larger than we'd like. It may even be just a matter of adjusting the bells slightly so they are positioned more evenly. Reference Image: Next, your arm armor is very large compared to your arm size. We absolutely welcome troopers of all different body types, but we do expect that for our highest level of approval, the armor is sized appropriately to the wearer's body. From the side the arm armor looks the right size, but from the front and rear, they're quite large. We've noticed this a lot recently with Anovos armor so it may be a matter of how the arm pieces are shaped. In order to size down the biceps and forearms, you'd need to carefully remove the cover strips, trim back the pieces some, and re-glue them. A hot water bath may also be helpful in re-shaping the curve. Reference Images Next, I suspect this is actually more due to the angle of the photo than anything, but your dropboxes don't seem quite aligned with the end of your ABS belt. The L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. If necessary, you can add a drop of glue to the elastic holding the boxes on to keep them from wandering. Reference Image: Finally, a couple issues with your blaster. First, your Hengslter counter is mounted too far back. As you can see in the reference photos, the rear edge of it does not go past the rear of the sight. Second, as the T-tracks were black plastic on the real blasters, they shouldn't have any metal weathering on them, so we're asking you to just cover up those weathering spots with some black paint. Reference Images: And that's it! You do have a bit of work to reach Centurion, but you truly have a lovely build, and I have full confidence in your abilities to make the necessary changes. As always, please reach out to us or any of your fellow troopers for assistance. Until then, please accept our congratulations in reaching EIB!

Hi James, Thanks for your application and for the fixes with the hovi tips, paint, and shin. Those weren't small fixes, so we appreciate you taking the time to go the extra mile. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions First, a couple dressing issues. When getting dressed, ideally the left and right sides of your armor are as symmetric as possible. In your photos, your biceps are sitting at different heights, making your left forearm lower than the right, and it runs into your left handplate. Obviously everything is going to shift around once you start moving, but we like our EIB and Centurion submission photos to represent the ideal state of your armor, so keep an eye on those when getting dressed, and adjust any strapping as necessary. Reference Image: Next, as was already pointed out, your thigh armor is sitting quite low, leading to pretty large black gaps at the top of your thighs. Ideally we want minimal black showing, but when there are gaps, it helps to have them even. The current thigh position could be necessary based on the shape of your body/mobility, but if you can bring them up further, it would even out the gaps between ab/thigh and thigh/shin, leading to a cleaner look. Reference Image: Next, on the screen-used suits the ends of the TD clips are squared off, and the screws sit closer to the end of the clips. Obviously to correct this it would require getting new TD clips, so it's not a big deal but worth mentioning nonetheless. Reference Image: Moving along, your butt plate is sticking out a bit. You might consider tightening the strapping at the sides of the butt plate to keep it closer to your body. Reference Image: Another small issue is that on the screen-used suits, the sniper knees tended to be trimmed in a more angular manner, rather than rounded. Finally, really nice job on the coverstrip fix on your shin armor. As was already pointed out, your cover strip is a bit long so should be trimmed. Reference Image: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting from the top, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Yours actually look quite good, but we'd like you to try to reduce the gap even further, especially at the top. You can tighten the strapping holding the bells on, and I also noticed that your lower return edge on the shoulder bells is quite thick; trimming that back or completely off will really help bring the bells closer to your body. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Yours is sitting just a bit too low. On my own kit I added two small strips of Velcro to keep the front of the belt from sagging. If you check out the reference images, you'll notice that the ABS belt should touch or even slightly overlap the bottom ab button. Reference Image: Next, you've done a nice job on your left-side rivets; unfortunately the placement of the lower rivets are too low. The L3 CRL states: Three rivets, approximately 5/16"(8mm) diameter, are present on the left side of the abdomen armor. Rivets are equally spaced along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. Looking at the reference photos, you'll see the lower rivets are a good bit above the ridge separating the ab/cod so yours will have to be moved up. Note that once those are moved up, you may also need to move up the middle rivets as it could throw off the spacing. You don't need to take the measurements in the reference image as hard measurements (we won't take a ruler to your armor) but it they should look correctly spaced. It will require drilling out the rivets, then filling the holes with ABS paste. A good bit of work but many troopers have done it successfully. Reference Image: The last issue we're going to have you fix before applying to Centurion is your bicep and forearm sizing. There isn't anything specifically called out in the CRL text, but we use reference photos to do our reviews as well, and compared to the screen-used suits, your arm armor is very large compared to your body. Fortunately, this should be a relatively straightforward fix. You should be able to remove the cover strips, then trim the armor equally where they meet. A hot water bath to reshape them may also help. Reference Image: There are a few fixes necessary for your Centurion application, but we have every faith in your skills, and the DO team as well as a whole army of troopers is here to help you along the way. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything. Until then, please accept our congratulations on reaching EIB!

18 to go, congratulations to Scott, TK-41469 of the Dune Sea Garrison, Centurion #482!

Hi Scott, I appreciate your patience through this review process. Thanks for the quick fixes as well. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, your vocoder paint is a little rough around the edges. Of course there was a lot of variation on the screen-used helmets, but in the 501st we err more towards the 'fresh off the Death Star' look, so next time you're doing armor maintenance, we're suggesting you spend a few minutes to clean up the edges. Reference Image: As mentioned above, your helmet is sitting pretty high compared to the screen-used helmets, so if it doesn't affect your visibility and mobility too much, we're suggesting you reduce or remove the padding at the top of the helmet to get it to sit a bit lower. Reference Images: Finally, your biceps appear to be sized a bit large compared to your arms, so you could consider sizing those down to maintain a slightly sleeker look. Reference Image: And that's it! Congratulations on reaching Centurion. On behalf of the DO team and myself, please accept our hearty congratulations.

Hi James! Looking closely at your submission photos, I can't tell what color your TD screws are. They appear to be silver, but it could just be the lighting in the photo. If they are silver, they will need to be painted black for EIB. If they are indeed black, we'd appreciate another photo with clearer lighting so we can confirm. Thank you

Hi @Crow2xs, just checking in to see if there's anything you need from us. There is certainly no hurry, and you should work on your application on your own time, but I want to be sure that we're not blocking you. Thanks!

Thanks, James. Nice job bringing in the frown paint but after some discussion the DO team is requesting you clean up the edges a bit. We don't expect perfection, but we'd like to see it a bit cleaner. Should be just a few minutes with some mineral spirits and a cotton swab. Additionally, we noticed you missed painting the last bit of the frown.

Awesome work, James! If you wouldn't mind, could you please post a photo of you wearing the new shin armor? I'm fine if you just want to wear the boots and shin armor. Would just be nice to see the finished product on you.

Hey KC! Thanks for the closeups of the frown. It does appear that the teeth are *touch* overpainted. I've indicated in the photo where I can see, but you should check the tops and bottoms of each tooth and make sure there's no paint at all on the gums. It should be a pretty quick fix with some paint thinner and mineral spirits. If you look at the reference images, you'll see that actually most of the screen-used helmets actually err on the side of underpainting. You're almost there. You have a beautiful build, and you're definitely in good hands with Ardashir helping you out.

Hey Scott, Thanks for the ear screw fix, and apologies for the initial miscommunication. Could you please post close-ups of the wrist side of your forearm armor? The L3 CRL states No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed. I can sort of see them in your arms raised photo, but a closeup would be helpful to confirm that there's noreturn edge. Next, this was listed as a suggestion in your EIB application but per the CRL should have been a Centurion requirement. The L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Yours is sitting a bit low: Reference Images: I had this same issue with my Centurion app and have added a couple small strips of velcro to the front of my ab armor to keep my belt from sagging. I really appreciate your patience in this review; I have been swamped at work and have been peeking at applications on short breaks so I'm definitely not operating at full capacity. You have a great build and you're almost there - we'll get you over the finish line soon. Thanks, Sha Sha

I have no problem with these gloves. I'd wait for another confirmation from Mario or Joseph but I'd personally pass those.

Apologies; I looked at your application too quickly - I just saw you do have a photo showing the Han snap. To proceed with your application we'd still need an updated photo without the back/kidney overlap. I also noticed that it looks like your lowest right helmet screw is sticking out a bit more than we'd like. L3 CRL states Ear screws shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk and painted white. It wasn't obvious if your EIB application because the screw was partially covered by the helmet S-trim. Reference Image:

Hi Shawn, Thanks for your patience and for the fixes with your belt. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Nice job with the belt fix - it looks much better now. Ideally it'd still have bit of a firmer appearance - the originals were thick canvas. Not a blocker, but something to consider should you find yourself needing a new belt in the future. Reference Image: And that's it! Really beautiful job on your build. On behalf of the DO team, please accept our hearty congratulations on reaching Centurion!

Hey Scott, Looking through your photos, it still looks like you're missing the photo showing the 'Han snap', which is an L3 requirement: A single male snap on the top right corner of the ab plate is present. Reference Image: Finally, as Glen mentioned, we'd like no or minimal overlap between the back and kidney. The overlap isn't present in your EIB application which makes me think it's a dressing issue. Could you take a look and post updated photos? Thanks!

@Rob .T . It's really a formality, but could you please copy in the required information and the photos from your EIB application into your Centurion application? A lot of troopers used these threads as guides for their own builds, and your EIB thread had a lot of great updates to it, so we'd like to see all the latest and greatest photos here in your Centurion application. Thanks!

Apologies for the delay, Shawn. I'll be back to you shortly.

Looks much better, Shawn! One last request: could you please post a photo of a more head-on angle of your hovi tips? They look like they're pointed down quite a bit but it could also just be the angle you took your helmet pics. Yours: Reference:

Hi Michael! I'll be the DO doing your review. First I just wanted to check in to see if there's anything we can do to help. Definitely take as much time as you need, but please reach out if you have any questions. Next, I wanted to clarify that the only two changes we would *require* for your EIB submission are the frown paint fix that @TKSpartan indicated above, as well as reducing the ab/kidney gap on the right side since that is an EIB requirement Any gap between the abdomen and kidney armor is no more than 1/2" (12.5mm) wide. Any shims used to achieve this effect are of a similar material and color as the abdomen and kidney armor. Shims fit flush and seams are allowed. This isn't an area that we necessarily need you to break out the ruler for, but there is a significant gap on the lower part of the ab/kidney connection. Hopefully it can be corrected by tightening your belt, or you may need to add some strapping to bring the lower gap closer together. Note that a small gap is acceptable for EIB, but if you'd like to go for Centurion, that gap will need to be eliminated completely. Reference Image:

Hi Ardeshir, Thanks for your Centurion application. Joseph really nailed it in his answer above, but I just want to emphasize that on the whole, we go for the 'fresh off the Death Star' ideal trooper look. In order to come up with these guidelines we examine a lot of screen reference and try to come up with the most common look for that trooper. Now as we all know, there will always be exceptions (e.g. everyone's favorite Mr. No-Stripes). With ESB in particular, two things make this job difficult - 1) my understanding is that most of the suits were re-used ANH suits which were just trashed by the time the second movie came out and 2) there are actually very few scenes with TKs in ESB, giving us limited information to work with. When we do these reviews, we try as hard we can to maintain consistency no matter which DO is doing your review (this is why we have every application reviewed by the entire team before posting), but in the end we are only human and things definitely slip through the cracks. I also want to ensure that you and others know that we try to be clear what are requirements and what are suggestions. Suggestions are just that - things which we think will improve the look of your armor, but won't block L2 or L3 approval. With all that out of the way, let's get to what we're all really here for! CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions As already mentioned, just keep an eye on your cover strip alignment once you suit up. Of course the instant you take a step everything will shift around. Reference Image: Congratulations again on your fourth Centurion award!

No problem! Take your time.

@Firedog No hurry at all, just wanted to be sure you weren't waiting on us for anything. We'll be here when you're ready.