Morgi

Thanks! Thank you! Who would have thought I'd marry this young, lol [37] 03.12.2022 -- NSQ Christmas Party in the Lasertag Arena, Hamburg Time for the last trooping weekend of the year! I arrived with a terrible cough, half-frozen from the temperatures outside and with a lot of motivation to have a nice last weekend accompanied by DZ-15925, the current youngest member of the German Garrison, if I remember correctly. The two of us had a slight debate as for who should get to carry the candy cane, but eventually the Jawa won that debate, by simply taking it and running away. All of our stun shots missed, so we didn't get it back. Instead my bruised pride got treated by the local medic. After the bacta infusion I felt a lot better, but that table was so comfortable, I simply fell asleep again, until it was time for the actual festivities. The food wasn't as good as anticipated, but we had free access to all the softdrinks one could need and the opportunity to trade merch. All in all a successful evening. [38] 04.12.2022 -- NSQ Christmas Troop in the Outpost One, Dassow Start transmission. It's working? Awesome! Well, we're back at the Outpost One with some exciting news about how the NSQ Christmas Celebration was interrupted by the most interesting drama on the Death Star since the Alderaan Disaster yesterday. We actually stumbled across this Protocol Droid and whilst the cross-reference in the database isn't quite finished yet, I'm convinced that he's one of the droids they recently lost on Tatooine. Win One for the troops in shiny white over our dirty colleagues, who are stuck in the sun and the sand. Also, I managed to snag this amazing Selfie with Tarkin himself! He wasn't too amused, but was luckily unable to get my designation, so I don't expect this to come back to bite me in the butt-plate. Even more interesting was this old dude running around, though? Hasn't he ever heard of the uniform regulations we all must adhere to? Last I checked, Vader was on his way to deal with him, so good luck old man... Aaaaand I just got my transfer request to Hoth because of the Tarkin debacle. Sounds like a boring planet, but maybe I'll get to make a Snow-Stormtrooper in my free time. Who knows, maybe I'll even get to pet a Tauntaun or stumble across a Rebel snowspee- wait what? Gotta report this in. TK-66744 signing off

Don't worry, it's a common reaction when people find out I was born in 2003

Yeah, the space inside the armor is a huge help at times. Without it, I would have had to make mobility cuts by now, as there's definitely a lack of space between my armor plates As long as you manage 80° angles in your legs and got a flexible chest-strapping, most of these things are possible, no matter if you get that angle because of mobility cuts or the space inside your armor. Here's a (not really) helpful tutorial on sitting down in armor by myself. And maybe the fact that I'm 19 is also a help, I'll get back to this in 30 years to compare to my mobility at age 49 Thanks for the compliment! As before, I'm awaiting your feedback (anxiously)

Disregard? I think we both know that won't happen, now that it's been pointed out With 10cm I face the additional challenge of storing everything, I'm not sure if I could fit that much into my current storage (113L), even if I made it removable. As I'm currently on my way to work I can't watch the video, but I suspect it's gonna look a lot similar to what I already have in my armor. Theoretically the next step would indeed be removing the return edge, but I am reluctant to do that, as to me the return edge in your picture above simply seems to be in a tighter bend, not gone. I'll figure something out, thanks for all your input and ideas. But let's hope I'll be able to do that once I got my Centurion badge, so that I can properly focus on such improvements, as well as my ESB TK details

This is nothing about the belt and it can't really be fixed with foam-- Unless we're going for 10+cm. To put this into perspective: I'm 5'10 (177cm) and weigh 117 lbs (53kg) on good days. Thus I am severely underweight. For most armor parts, foam does work, but I've tried such with the abplate and if it doesn't even begin to help when I got 7cm, I look for a new solution. This one is my strapping, which let's me slide my armor into the correct position, not only for approval pictures. Maybe I should have adjusted my sliders incrementally, if so, that's on me for prioritizing trooping over Centurion, but I'll wait for the DOs to give me feedback on that. All I can say is, if I loosen the sliders even further, chances are it won't look any better, as the edges already align in the picture above -- I just don't have enough mass to fill the armor so well that there won't be any shadows from unfortunate lighting. A close-up, showing the alignment. As you can see, the shadow comes from a sidelight due to the shape of the abplate, not from any overlap. By not having any lights on my front, I could have avoided the shadow, but I don't think it's gotta do with my strapping/padding (unless we artificially push out the kidney, which would look pretty bad on the inside as well as from the outside -- should there be any different lighting, perspective or camera angle), nor do I think a change there will help with wearing or trooping the armor. Thanks for your feedback, Glen, hope I could explain my choices and armor a bit better EDIT: thanks again, I've had a few minutes to think a bit about it and already found a few possibilities to fix this: adjustment to my strapping, magnets... However, I want to take this opportunity to implore the DOs to not make me retake the pictures, as the last time taking pictures for Centurion took me a few months. Also, the fact that the following were recently approved (congrats guys, and please don't take this as criticism regarding your Ab-Kidney connection... just as a desperate argument for the DOs by myself, lol), so there should be no immediate need for more pictures:

Haha, it was about time The Meme is strong in this one Thanks guys! Thank you! It's got its fair share of weathering and a few cracks, but I love it Well, 38 official troops plus half that unofficially have left their marks, so it's not as shiny as it used to be, but I love the weathering There shouldn't be much, if any overlap in the pictures as I've got a fairly rigid strapping and Biggi double checked, but thanks for the mention. Let's see if the DOs think this needs to be corrected, I hope not, as I'd probably end up with a gap between the two plates... Thanks, Sir Awaiting your feedback! Of course! Here's a clearer picture, hope this helps: Don't mind the angled shot, but this perspective really highlights the ABS paste, so it's easier to spot what I did: the curve correction at the top of the abplate, as well as the former rivet positions Thanks for the overwhelming amount of feedback so far, I'm really happy how excited everyone is

Awesome troops, they look like so much fun! Please, make that happen! Whenever I tried to get one done, the horses were either ponies and therefore too small, or they were scared of our armor

2022 Reflection My first full year of trooping ended, counting 34 Troops this year. I had so much fun, got my EIB and ended up forming the Chaos Division Fireteam with my Trooper buddies. Thank you to all, who made this year so special! And as long as we still have a few days left in this year, it was finally time to tackle the last big challenge for my ANH Stunt TK. I can sit, kneel, lie down. I got my EIB. What's left? Obviously the one thing still on my to-do list since September last year. Let's see if we can get this done in 2022 as well Centurion Application Well, finally the time has come, and I've submitted my Centurion Application . I'm very happy that I finally had an opportunity to take these pictures and tackle the last modifications with the help of my TK-sister @Swoby. Thank you, sister! Last Modifications One of the modifications I've struggled with the most was my thighs not being a similar shape. The difficulty was, that I had no way of controlling how the back shape of my thigh looked without someone to help me out. Now, with someone to look everything over, I managed to find a good mix between cutting the armor to size and adding padding. Aside from the regular paint and repair work, I had one more challenge: getting the ab and kidney gap to line up. I'd accidentally managed to have an angled cut at the top, so I had to put a filler ABS piece there and fill the curve up with ABS paste. I'm very happy with this one, as you can't even notice it anymore Now, I've still got a few things on my to-do list, but I'll keep those secret as long as my Centurion Application is ongoing. Don't wanna give anyone ideas Enjoy the holidays

It's a Christmas Miracle, but here's my Centurion Application. Thanks for your consideration! Mandatory Information Armor = RS Propmasters, assembled myself Helmet= RS Propmasters, assembled myself Blaster= Troopacoola, assembled by @T-Jay Optional Height = 177cm Weight = 53kg Boots = Imperial Boots Canvas belt = RS Propmasters Hand Plates = RS Propmasters Electronics = not applicable Neck Seal = RS Propmasters Holster = Darman's Pictures Full Body Action Shots Alternative ideas: Helmet Shoulder Detail Codsnap Interior Strapping Thermal Detonator Ab Detail Neckseal Gloves Boots Knee Ammo Belt Sniper Plate Belt Forearm Openings E-11 Additional Pictures angled Hengstler Counter Buttplate-thigh gap fixed as per EIB Feedback, other recommended fixes are documented in my build thread If there's any pictures missing or you need another close-up on anything, please let me know. I'm looking forward to your feedback!

... and here I thought RS Commissions were cheaper than 1K for the helmet alone

[35] 26.11.2022 -- Comic Con Stuttgart, Saturday One last Convention before the winter break, with lots of guests: Austrian, Swiss, French, Ukraine, Malta and Dutch. Throughout the Day we went from one duty to the next, from one picture to another. Looking back, I can't remember much of the convention, just that it was pretty fun and I got to see lots of cool costumes. One special highlight from Saturday was my marriage. I had a small photoshooting with a friend of mine and when we went to the Garrison booth, a visitor stopped us and handed us a 70's Kenner Stormtrooper figure as a wedding gift. We explained that we hadn't married, but they insisted we keep the figure. So, obviously, our next step was to get married in the eyes of the Empire, blessed by none other than the Emporer. Now a newlywed I managed to miss the German Garrison parade and instead got to be the first Trooper for the group photo afterwards. It was an awkward five minutes in the middle of the picture space with no other troopers around, aside from our Command Staff who were doing their best to keep the area free from visitors. After the convention day ended, we went to the aftershow party and ended up dancing way too long, considering we had to get up early next day. [36] 27.11.2022 -- Comic Con Stuttgart, Sunday On Sunday we were less troopers, but that just meant more trooping opportunities for us, as there were lots of duties that needed to be done and fun to be had. Again, we met lots of other cosplayers and even got to be part of a second wedding: this time between Spider-Man and Deadpool and just as real as my wedding the previous day. Additionally, we supervised a Stormtrooper Building Event, this time I got to participate in the parade and had our group picture. Even though the previous we had 3 members of the Chaos Division present, only Sunday was an official Fireteam troop with TK-70815 joining me as a Stormtrooper. As of now, most troopers I know are at home in their beds, trying to recover from anything between a simple cough and the C-virus. Even with my sore throat, the fun was worth it, as was the travel time and getting to see so many friends again. TK-66744 signing off

Thank you all so much for the congratulations! They make for an amazing start in the day! Haha, I'm not surprised. Thanks Glen! Although I get a feeling that the EIB will take me at least as long as my ANH Stunt EIB did As always, I'll keep all of you updated on any and all progress. Thank you so much for your interest and support

As predicted by Glen, luck wasn't needed -- I got my ESB TK approved yesterday evening without any remarks. On to EIB? Of course I hope to get this to the next level eventually. Here's what I need to do to achieve that: - Adjust Ear Position - Fix Brow Position - New Canvas Belt + Ammo Belt Snaps - Get an ESB E-11 Additionally there's a few things that I want to redo in general and will document those in my ANH Stunt Build Thread. If you notice anything, feel free to let me know

Congratulations! I'm sure you'll head on the Centurion soon

Yeah, also the belt is a little crooked and I haven't gotten around to replacing my shoulder bell connections... Additionally, I'm not really happy with my holster position. Alas, we had like 10 minutes until sunset, so we were too hurried to do more than having me stand in the correct position and take the picture, so there were no adjustments to any parts once stationary. Definitely stuff to look out for in the future though, so thanks for your feedback! Very kind of you to say that! I'm cautiously optimistic for this one, but if you say I don't need any luck, I'm sure I'll get an easy pass

Thanks, it means a lot to hear that! Yeah, I thought it was too terrifying, so I didn't choose it. I'm already regretting that decision though Although the (definitely spot-on) Spider-Man pose in the fourth picture is a strong contestant

Approval Pictures I met up with one of the local recruits to have a small photoshooting with his scout and towards the end, we used this opportunity to take the Approval pictures for my ESB TK. Remember to use a contrasting background, unlike myself (Glen has an excellent guideline for this) and to take the pictures with good (natural, indirect) lighting and with the camera at face height. Here's the classic front, left, right, back overview (if a bit trimmed due to the collage). Then there's the buckets-off picture, a close-up on the holster and similar important details, as well as the action shot (all cropped differently for the collage!). Since I don't have an ESB E-11 yet, I went with this pose instead. Don't forget to try out different poses, so you can find one that you like All done, I submitted the pictures to the GMOs/GMLs and am now waiting for feedback. As always, thanks for reading along!

Oops, I did it again~

I- I love this

[34] 30.10.2022 -- 2nd Fleamarket Wendeburg To close off this busy weekend of traveling and trooping, we visited the fleamarket in Wendeburg with the goal of collecting money for a local children's hospice. With the stuff bought at the fleamarket and donations for pictures with us, we raised well over 1000€ in a matter of hours. In between pictures we got to walk around on our own as well, got crêpes and bratwurst (well, no bratwurst for me) and had an overall wonderful time. For a few minutes we even ran into yesterday's kid, who recognized us and went to get a picture and a hug from TI-31866. On our way back to the dressing room we had a small break in a local sauna to relax a little. Afterwards I went to buy some cool DVDs I'd seen laying around previously, and we made campfire twist bread. Overall an amazing, if busy and exhausting, weekend. The only casualty were my gloves ripping for the second time. TK-66744 signing off

[33] 29.10.2022 -- Celebration for a recovered Child; Wolfsburg Some time ago this young child recovered from a stage four brain cancer and since every year the young Star Wars fan gets a visit from a galaxy far, far away for his birthday. Requested were a Chewbacca and Stormtroopers, so we appeared. It was truly heartwarming to see the kids eyes light up and the sheer enthusiasm everyone greeted us with. The fact that I had a nerve-wracking train ride and less than five hours of sleep to get there were forgotten in the face of such delight. Once the enthusiasm of seeing us had worn off, we headed off to walk around, interact a bit with everyone else, talk with the adults and go visit the playground. All in all it was a good photo location and with a Chewbacca at our side we had to take this opportunity for some fun pictures. Before I head on to the next troop of the day, I'll leave you with something the kid's dad told me: "The cancer could return any time. And if you don't know how many you have left, you celebrate every birthday." Hopefully, we'll get to meet this strong warrior again next year for his birthday celebration. [XX] 29.10.2022 -- 40th Birthday Surprise, Wolfsburg Heading on directly from one birthday celebration to another, TK-71384, TK-92227 and I got ready for the next birthday surprise -- this one unofficial regarding troops and as official guests of the party. From enjoying our cake, we went to a backroom to get suited up and with the sound of the Imperial March playing we interrupted the start of dinner to hand over the present. Following that, TK-71384 and I decided that this party needed a little dancing, so here's a short exempt of us dancing the Macarena. Afterwards we headed out for a short stroll through the streets, took a few pictures and surprised the few people still out and about, before asking the busdriver if he could take us to the Death Star. Alas, he could not and we had to walk back to enjoy the rest of the party outside of our armors. TK-66744 signing off

[32] 28.10.2022 -- 18th Leverkusener Kunstnacht Reporting in for a very special troop, as this one meant traveling to troop with my old Squad and a lot of Troopers that I'd missed trooping with. The Empire was alerted to a showing of imperial art, so we arrived in numbers to cheer up the visitors and protect the artwork. For the first time since my first troop over a year ago I got to troop with my attaché TK-61276 and even though we had gotten to see each other a few times over the last year, this was the first time we were both in armor once more. In between taking pictures and conversing with citizens ("yes, the Scouts are definitely worse shots than us Stormtroopers"), we also got the opportunity to admire the displayed artwork and talk with the photographer behind these amazing pictures. After the event there was time for relaxation outside of our armors and it was awesome to get the chance to catch up with everyone, especially TK-61276, TI-8646, ID-11813 and ID-56347 (who doubled as my driver and let me stay on his sofa once more, thank you, Captain!). Got a lot of wonderful ideas for future posts on here thanks to @T-Jay -- I'm sure he's already looking forward to my endless messages about them. TK-66744 signing off

Of course I did! Us fun-and-crazy TKs gotta stick together So many amazing pictures and memories, it's awesome to see how far you've come in one year. Congratulations and here's to the next successful year of TK Mischief

I'm back Well, it's been a while, but here's the last few things I have to do. That is an excellent point. A few things are a bit off on this helmet and I got a list with things that I'll either re-do or fix when I build a new helmet in the future. For now this is the best ear-fit I can get based on the shape of the back-and-cap, so I'll leave it as-is for now. As long as I don't have an ESB E-11 I won't have to worry about higher levels after all, and I'm sure it won't be an issue for basic Holster Well, although Caleb already brought up the wonderful idea of simply switching the straps, a wonderful friend and fellow Trooper (TK-70815) took it upon him to craft me an entirely new holster as a gift. Due to... reasons... I decided to stick with my old belt for basic approval (not acceptable for higher levels!!!), so I simply took out my ANH holster and added the ESB one. Looks and fits nicely. Gloves and Handguards Despite some really excellent reasons as for why I should sew the handguards onto my gloves, I decided to go with rubber gloves and an elastic strap for now. I'll probably change this in the future, but as of now both versions are acceptable for higher levels, so this is easier at the moment. I bought the gloves online (heavy duty chemical gloves), removed the print with acetone and went over it with a black permanent marker to fully hide the lettering. It turned out really well and as I repeated the process with another pair of gloves as well, I now always have a spare in case my gloves (ANH or ESB) rip. For the third time. Yay. Trimming the handguards was a matter of a few minutes, simply removing all extra material and return edge, before cutting it to size, as they were a bit too large for my hands. Then I glued an elastic strap from one end to the other, so I got a tight hold. I'm currently considering gluing some velcro into the handguards and on to the gloves, so there's even less of an opportunity for the handguards to slip, but this already holds very well. Next Up My next step will have to be taking approval photos. For that I will need to repair one or two things on my armor and I'll need to find the time and space to actually take pictures. I'll keep you updated on that. Thanks for reading!

[XX] 22.10.2022 -- Photoshooting Belgium How far are you willing to travel for a few pictures with your friends? Yes. After a long journey we all met up Friday evening in the Netherlands with ID-14447, so we could stay the night before continuing on to Belgium for an imperial photoshooting. Unfortunately, one of us had lost their car key the previous evening, so we used up our morning breaking open their car to get at the costumes before we could even continue on to the Netherlands. Proudly representing the Empire, we unfortunately had a lot of curious citizens surrounding us and continually walking into our pictures. Aside from that, we all had a great time and got some amazing pictures out of it. The pictures shown right now are behind-the-scenes by DZ-41122 (Pati_seine_Bilder), as we're still waiting on the official photos. Looks awesome, right? [XX] 23.10.2022 -- Photoshooting Netherlands As one photoshooting wasn't enough and it's pretty rare to get everyone together, we headed out early on Sunday with four TKs, one officer, our photographer and a supporter, as well as several Clone helmets for a spontaneous photoshooting in Dutch nature. (Again, only behind-the-scenes pictures, this time taken by our supporter.) We even spent about half an hour inside the water, freezing off our toes and finally getting some confirmation that TK boots are waterproof to the extreme -- as in, they did an excellent job keeping all the water inside our boots once we got in far enough. Having a litre of cold water slushing around in our boots wasn't the most comfortable feeling, but it was very much worth it. Two Videos for your entertainment: Taking off the boots | Walking through Water TK-66744 signing off