Questions about planning a Centurion build

[Drage13]

Hello all,

 

Apologies if this if not the correct forum to post this request in; I didn’t know if the ANH or HWT subforums were better suited for this post, but decided since it’s really geared toward planning a Centurion build that this forum would be good.

 

I have decided that I want to build a Stormtrooper costume and am here for some guidance.  This will be my first time building any kind of costume like this; really the only relevant experience I have is that I’m a 40K player, so working with (certain kinds of) plastic/resin isn’t completely new to me, but I am under no delusions that this will come naturally to me.  I do plan on creating a different thread both here and on my local garrison’s forum, asking some more questions about advice on any special considerations for choosing armor (giving my measurements and goals of Centurion status, for example).  However, my first goal is determining the feasibility of my plans below.

 

I have also decided that I would like to build toward Centurion out of the box.  So, I proceed to look over the 501^st site to help determine which impression I’d like to do.  In addition to being drawn to a “typical†Stormtrooper, I was also quite drawn to the HWT impression.  Based on that, I went line by line through the HWT requirements (for Legion acceptance, EIB and Centurion), then also compared them, again line by line, to the RotJ, ESB and ANH (Stunt and Hero) requirements, to determine the best fit.  I did this to determine the feasibility of having a single “base†costume, but able to do two different impressions.  I feel like this information is probably out there somewhere and that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but oh well.  I did see that in the EIB Program Overview thread started by Daetrin that the differences between the ANH builds and the HWT was that the HWT just had a couple of extras.  However, on the 501^st site, it seemed as though there were some minor differences that may be relevant, so I want to be thorough.  That said, what I determined is that the ANH Stunt build appears to be by far the best match for going both impressions.  I have some questions below about some of the differences.

 

For almost all (if not all) of the armor pieces, the HWT build calls for everything to be “lightly scuffed, (battle worn), but not weathered like a Sandtrooper (TD)â€.  This detail is not listed on any of the “standard†Stromtrooper costumes, including the ANH Stunt build.  Would doing said “scuffing†make the costume ineligible for ANH Stunt Centurion status?

 

For the shoulder straps, the different between the two is that the HWT calls for “securely mounted in front and may free float in back. They may be affixed with rivets, Velcro, or adhesive†while the ANH Stunt calls for the same, but also calls for “The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back pieceâ€.  Is there any incompatibility here, or still can one way fit both criteria?

 

For the belts, it would seem that I’ll need two belts, one with drop boxes (for the ANH Stunt build) and one without drop boxes (for the HWT build).  Correct?

 

For the thermal detonator, the ANH Stunt build calls for “metal or metallic-appearing clips, approximately 1" (25mm) wideâ€, while the HWT build doesn’t mention fasteners at all.  Would following the ANH Stunt guidelines be appropriate?

 

For the thigh armor, the ANH Stunt build indicates the “solid head rivet attachment is painted whiteâ€, while no mention on the HWT build.  Will the ANH Stunt requirement be fine for both?

 

Lastly, the ANH Stunt build calls for a holster while the HWT one doesn’t, but that seems self-explanatory to me.

 

Again, thank you for your help and clarification on these points.  I wanted to make sure I had a sound strategy in place before I started more in-depth planning.

[Dday[501st]]

Hello all,

 

Apologies if this if not the correct forum to post this request in; I didn’t know if the ANH or HWT subforums were better suited for this post, but decided since it’s really geared toward planning a Centurion build that this forum would be good.

 

I have decided that I want to build a Stormtrooper costume and am here for some guidance.  This will be my first time building any kind of costume like this; really the only relevant experience I have is that I’m a 40K player, so working with (certain kinds of) plastic/resin isn’t completely new to me, but I am under no delusions that this will come naturally to me.  I do plan on creating a different thread both here and on my local garrison’s forum, asking some more questions about advice on any special considerations for choosing armor (giving my measurements and goals of Centurion status, for example).  However, my first goal is determining the feasibility of my plans below.

 

I have also decided that I would like to build toward Centurion out of the box.  So, I proceed to look over the 501^st site to help determine which impression I’d like to do.  In addition to being drawn to a “typical†Stormtrooper, I was also quite drawn to the HWT impression.  Based on that, I went line by line through the HWT requirements (for Legion acceptance, EIB and Centurion), then also compared them, again line by line, to the RotJ, ESB and ANH (Stunt and Hero) requirements, to determine the best fit.  I did this to determine the feasibility of having a single “base†costume, but able to do two different impressions.  I feel like this information is probably out there somewhere and that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, but oh well.  I did see that in the EIB Program Overview thread started by Daetrin that the differences between the ANH builds and the HWT was that the HWT just had a couple of extras.  However, on the 501^st site, it seemed as though there were some minor differences that may be relevant, so I want to be thorough.  That said, what I determined is that the ANH Stunt build appears to be by far the best match for going both impressions.  I have some questions below about some of the differences.

 

For almost all (if not all) of the armor pieces, the HWT build calls for everything to be “lightly scuffed, (battle worn), but not weathered like a Sandtrooper (TD)â€.  This detail is not listed on any of the “standard†Stromtrooper costumes, including the ANH Stunt build.  Would doing said “scuffing†make the costume ineligible for ANH Stunt Centurion status?

 

For the shoulder straps, the different between the two is that the HWT calls for “securely mounted in front and may free float in back. They may be affixed with rivets, Velcro, or adhesive†while the ANH Stunt calls for the same, but also calls for “The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back pieceâ€.  Is there any incompatibility here, or still can one way fit both criteria?

 

For the belts, it would seem that I’ll need two belts, one with drop boxes (for the ANH Stunt build) and one without drop boxes (for the HWT build).  Correct?

 

For the thermal detonator, the ANH Stunt build calls for “metal or metallic-appearing clips, approximately 1" (25mm) wideâ€, while the HWT build doesn’t mention fasteners at all.  Would following the ANH Stunt guidelines be appropriate?

 

For the thigh armor, the ANH Stunt build indicates the “solid head rivet attachment is painted whiteâ€, while no mention on the HWT build.  Will the ANH Stunt requirement be fine for both?

 

Lastly, the ANH Stunt build calls for a holster while the HWT one doesn’t, but that seems self-explanatory to me.

 

Again, thank you for your help and clarification on these points.  I wanted to make sure I had a sound strategy in place before I started more in-depth planning.

 

If you plan to go for a HWT, the basics are simple. Build an ANH suit, top to bottom. The only difference you need to pay attention to is that for the HWT is you will not put a holster on, and will need a backpack. Everything else will be the same, even up to centurion standards.

 

Centurion allows for weathering of the suit, but 100% be careful to not make it dirty. It is more of a very light touch for this.

 

I remember seeing that you and take a newspaper and rub it along teh raised edges to get a little blackening of the ridges and gaps. It should look slightly used, not dirty.

[The5thHorseman[TK]]

Hi Jason and welcome.

 

For almost all (if not all) of the armor pieces, the HWT build calls for everything to be “lightly scuffed, (battle worn), but not weathered like a Sandtrooper (TD)â€.  This detail is not listed on any of the “standard†Stromtrooper costumes, including the ANH Stunt build.  Would doing said “scuffing†make the costume ineligible for ANH Stunt Centurion status?

Armor scuffing/weathering does not make your ANH armor ineligible for Centurion. It's even better as most of the stormtroopers you see on screen have a battle-damaged look. And as Derrek said, you can use B&W newspaper, moist it, and then rub it against your armor's edges to make a light an easy good-looking weathering.

 

For the shoulder straps, the different between the two is that the HWT calls for “securely mounted in front and may free float in back. They may be affixed with rivets, Velcro, or adhesive†while the ANH Stunt calls for the same, but also calls for “The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back pieceâ€.  Is there any incompatibility here, or still can one way fit both criteria?

Make them free float at the back for both. There's no need for velcro at this location, the elastic bands are enought to keep them tight with the back plate and you will avoid possible trouble with ANH Centurion.

 

For the belts, it would seem that I’ll need two belts, one with drop boxes (for the ANH Stunt build) and one without drop boxes (for the HWT build).  Correct?

No, just make the drop boxes removable. There are dozen of ways to do that and it's quite easy when you think about it. e.g: once the elastic strap is looped around the belt, instead of riveting it to the inner drop boxe, just use a chicago screw or just a screw and a nut.

 

For the thigh armor, the ANH Stunt build indicates the “solid head rivet attachment is painted whiteâ€, while no mention on the HWT build.  Will the ANH Stunt requirement be fine for both?

Paint them for both ANH and HWT. The only rivet left unpainted is the crotch split rivet.

 

Lastly, the ANH Stunt build calls for a holster while the HWT one doesn’t, but that seems self-explanatory to me.

As for the drop boxes, fasten your holster to the belt in a removable way: pop rivets and snaps, chicago screws...

[Drage13]

Excellent!  Thank you both so much for your help.

 

Armed with this information, I'll start putting together a my strategy.

 

Again, thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!