Droidagem's Artillery Stormtrooper Build Thread

[Droidagem[TK]]

Hey everyone, I've been slowly making progress on my first build I'm trying to join the 501st with. Since it's my first build I'm focusing more on base approval rather than aiming for lvl 3 certification. I have the pauldron from Trooperbay, the new era undersuit, gloves, neck seal, and boots from KeepTrooping, and a Rogue One TK armor kit from 850 Armorworks. I 3D printed and begun sanding the munitions pack (files by Oxprops over on E̶t̶s̶y̶ Cults3D). I've also been modifying a black series helmet.

 

So far I've assembled and fitted the 850 AW kit, and I've begun sanding it. I've made a decent amount of progress on the black series helmet. I've extended the jawline, lowered the brow, cut out the blue vents, cut out the grey side and back vents and replaced it with 3D printed parts used in Oddvikings Black Series build thread, and I've painted the front part (although the grey teeth and side details need to get repainted). 

 

At the moment I'm sort of on the fence if I overdid the weathering on the front yellow details. Comparing it to the CRL it looks like it's a little more than the CRL model, but comparing it to other reference images it seems to be a closer amount, albeit in different places. Which also leads me to another question. Should I be trying to replicate the exact chipping found in reference images, or is it fine if it's different as long as it's the same level/amount of weathering done?

 

I'll make sure to add to this build thread with more photos as I make more progress through the next few weeks

Edited May 26, 2025 by Droidagem
OxProps' Etsy shop has been closed and they moved to Cults3D. Felt I needed to change that since without their files I would not have my backpack or a chance to make a mortar

[Shanester[TK]]

Wow, very cool! I do hope you'll continue your progress shots.  I will be eagerly watching.  Welcome aboard!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Hello and welcome, you don't have to make the weathering exactly, although I would with my OCD, I did that with my TFU stormtrooper build 

 

Good luck, looking forward to seeing your build progress 

[Sly11[Admin]]

Welcome, Alice, will be good to see another Artillery trooper approved.

Looking forward to seeing more progress photos

[revlimiter[Staff]]

On 4/23/2025 at 11:50 AM, Droidagem said:

Should I be trying to replicate the exact chipping found in reference images, or is it fine if it's different as long as it's the same level/amount of weathering done?

 

Just my own humble opinion, but I think for weathering, more is MORE. I don't feel like it's a case of "less is more" until you get quite far with it. I think more chipping shows more experience and like your trooper has lived more life. As long as it's still a stripe, I say weather it as much as you want.  Or as little as you want.

 

Weathering is beautiful. The more the better.

[JBar[TK]]

I don't think you have a wrong choice weather you want more or the same weathering. I think either would look great with how well you're putting it all together

[Droidagem[TK]]

A couple updates. I've redone the yellow details on the front part of the helmet, since I looked closer at reference images and realized I had based it more on the Hot Toys figure, when the shape seen on screen is quite different.

Edited April 30, 2025 by Droidagem

[Droidagem[TK]]

I also have filled up the holes I made for the vocoder, as they were too far apart, and I was having trouble getting it to work the way I wanted to. I'm going to do the method 11b30b4 used in his black series thread for the vocoder instead, as I already own most of the stuff, and I think I'll find it easier for me to do.

 

I've also painted the front of the chestplate, although the white parts need another coat as some yellow got through 

 

I also feel I should share the paint I've been using for the yellow for anyone curious or thinking of pursuing an artillery trooper. It's caterpillar yellow on top of orange primer. I've found it matches my pauldron and references well, and is what the people over at 850 AW told me they likely used for the CRL model's armor

Edited April 30, 2025 by Droidagem
Added the type of yellow paint I use

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work, looking forward to see more progress 

[Droidagem[TK]]

I've done more work on the parts of the helmet. The front part needs the weathering and chipping redone on the yellow. I might also get rid of or try improving the weathering I did under the right eye depending on if it would be allowed or not. From reading and looking at the crl the white parts are also able to be lightly weathered, and if I keep it, I might make it more brownish like some reference photos show bits of the belt boxes and leg armor to be

 

I also have some apoxie sculpt shaped into the vocoder, and I'm just waiting for it to harden so I can prime, sand, and spray it with some liquid rubber

Edited May 2, 2025 by Droidagem

[Droidagem[TK]]

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Although we have one as the CRL you can also use screen references, weathering is sometimes a hard thing to show in photos as I've found out previously. 

 

 

[Droidagem[TK]]

I've done more work to the helmet, such as painting the grey details, and adding the black outlines. I dropped the back piece of the helmet and unfortunately the battery tab popped out. I made sure to glue it better back in place, and I'll have to work to fill in the new cracks. Plus side is I noticed that there were a couple bumps and imperfections on the back that should be getting fixed up anyways

 

 

I've also added the vocoder, Hovi mic tips (from Trooperbay), the mouth screen, as well as the blue and black fabric on the inside. However I'm currently working on filling in the weathering I made earlier under the eye so that it's more smooth, since looking at the references the weathering on the helmet is more like very faint debris/dirt splatter rather than any chipping on the white. I might add more little bits of weathering on the yellow around the sides by the hovi tips to better match the amount of weathering seen on a lot of the reference images. Otherwise it seems like the helmet is close to being finished

 

Edited May 5, 2025 by Droidagem

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Good call painting the yellow on the gums, not sure if you noticed but the CRL model has grey on the gums, that is incorrect and will need an update at some stage 

 

 

Also note the insides of the Hovi's (mic tips) should be black and no white rim, same as ROTK

[Droidagem[TK]]

Quite a bit got finished on the helmet this time around. 

I fixed both the back piece and the weathering under the right eye. 

I added more weathering to the yellow, as well as added small dirt/debris marks here and there on the white

I fixed the white inside on the mic tips, added the neck seal (I used some truck edge seal stuff found in 11b30b4's black series build).

I also darkened the lenses by cutting and putting a welding visor behind the green lenses.

I also figured I should add a before and after picture as well to better show some of the changes made.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looking good

[Droidagem[TK]]

Progress on the rest of the armor has been going well. I've started painting everything except for the belt and calf armor, which still need to get sanded and primed. I've also just started filling printer lines on some parts of the munitions pack as I wait for all the paint to dry before adding more yellow detailing and weathering.

 

I also did a test fit of the chestplate and abdomen armor (all still partially assembled, not fully strapped together) with the helmet, pauldron, and undersuit to get a better idea of how the parts were coming along. Admittedly I need to adjust the pauldron to get it sitting better than it was in the photo, but I figured it's best to hold off on fixing that until the shoulder plates can be added

Edited May 17, 2025 by Droidagem

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Good call, will sit differently once you have your shoulders attached. 

[Droidagem[TK]]

I've finished the rest of the arm armor, and I've painted the thigh armor, however I've noticed some mistakes I wanted to point out that would help anyone in the future pursuing an artillery trooper. 

 

When I did the yellow details for the thigh armor I mistakenly only used the CRL images when taping it off, but looking at the screen used references, there's a very different shape. Particularly on the front of the thigh on the side pointing inwards. In the CRL it goes out straight a little, before curving down, but on the screen used it doesn't go straight out

 

Left image is what I did, middle is screen -used, and right is CRL. I'm working now to fix and tweak the detailing I did

Edited May 20, 2025 by Droidagem

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

There were a few items on the CRL application which were not quite right but at that time we only had the one applicant and he had already made a lot of suggested adjustments, as well as some things where allowable for base level costume approval. Over time as we see now someone with an eye for detail will build the costume and find things not previously mentioned and hopefully the CRL for this costume will get an update, once we have updated photos to add hint hint 

 

It's all about references, CRL is a guide but screen references is what we ultimately look towards when making a costume. 

 

Great to see you are taking it to the next level of accuracy 

[Droidagem[TK]]

So I've fixed the thigh armor, painted the abdomen (although I still need to make some small adjustments to some of the buttons), and I started painting the calf armor, now I'm waiting for the white to dry over the next two days before adding the yellow details. In the meantime I'm now focusing on the belt, which I'm going the route of printing the updated files in this thread here:

Instead of using the boxes I got from 850 AW

 

 

Also something that always stood out to me when looking at both the Hot Toys and screen used references was that the top of the right thigh is heavily chipped compared to everywhere else, and I tried copying that the best I could.

Here's a better look at specifically the thigh armor

 

 

Edited May 21, 2025 by Droidagem

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

And keep any references you have used as sometimes a GML (garrison membership liaison) may only be using the CRL images and ask for your references 

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

On 5/20/2025 at 11:35 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

hopefully the CRL for this costume will get an update, once we have updated photos to add hint hint 

The text we can fix, photos well that takes a trooper 

[Droidagem[TK]]

Smaller update, but I've made good progress on filling the printer lines for the munitions pack. Most of the work left for sanding is with the small box details and the imploders + detonators. I plan to try and make one of the thermal detonators removable, and so far my best idea is maybe velcro, but I'm not sure if that'll make it stick out more or not (this would be the TD on the farthest right side). I'm open to any suggestions that might work better for that though

 

I've also had to redo the white on the forearms because I completely missed both in the CRL text and in references that the stripe on the indents is only on the top, not on the sides. I'll likely give another update tomorrow or Wednesday as I have the whole day off to put more work into the belt, calves, and munitions pack

 

 

Edited May 26, 2025 by Droidagem

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

That's a lot of work in that pack, I've looked at printing this a few times, then think "too hard" "makes life sized droid