ESB Stormtrooper - any help?

I originally wanted to join the 501st as Vader, but I do not have the girth for it. Then, I considered Boba, but don't have the cash for it. I've settled on an ESB Stormtrooper, and need some guidance.

First of all, I can not build my own gear. I am anything but a handy man, and need to know where to buy really authentic equipment.

I guess there's no second of all, since I basically need to know where to buy stuff.

Any advice?

I have a AuthenticProps ESB already built and strapped in the CARGO HOLD--check my thread.
I've had some interest, but haven't heard back from them in a few days.

You should check out FISD, First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment There you can find everything you need to know about stormtroopers and also a big for-sale section.

hey again, definitely checkout FISD. also the armorer in your garrison should be able to help you as well.. and of course you can always ask me, since i am an ESB TK tk8549.

you would fall under the Great Lakes Garrison :: Michigan Star Wars Costume Chapter of the 501st Legion if you are up in Michigan.. Im in the Ohio Garrison and i have also worked with guys in the Carida Garrison (mostly the West Virgina area guys), but we are all pretty friendly with each other, we even share trooping events since our states touch.

-Jimmy

Yes, definately check the FISD. (First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment)

Also once you pick which maker to go woth, contact your local garrison and see if theyt have armor parties where members get togther and build armor and help new recruits build armor. That would be your best bet.

Buying an already built suit can still require quite a bit of rebuilding and for the most part, your better off building it to your body. heres the info i have on our garrison new recruit forum.

The pics didnt copy over but you get the idea.

Ok new recruits! So you want to join the imperial ground troops of the galactic empire, but have no clue what the armor differences are? who the makers are? Heres a quick guide to give you an idea. Please visit the official stormtrooper detachment, "First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment" at First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment for further information

Quick guide on plastic types:
ABS: (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) The most durable type for armor/helmets. Does not need to be Painted.
HIPS: (High Impact styrene) Less expensive, but not as durable for trooping armor. Tends to crack at stress points. Needs to be painted
PVCpolyvinyl Cloride)Similar to ABS. Not much armor is made from this at this time.

First and foremost...

There is no one 'best' armor. There is a 'best' armor for *you* depending on a few factors:
1) Your budget
2) What your body size is (yes, different armors lend themselves for different body types) *
3) How experienced are you at building armor
4) It's not the kit, it's how it's fitted to the wearer that counts *

While The Empire City Garrison or the first Imperial Stormtrooper Detechemnt do not endorse any particular armor maker, below are sellers who have proven themselves time and again in terms of customer service, honesty, and quality.

All makes below can be made to be both 501st and FISD acceptable.

MATERIALS
Armor is made from either HIPS or ABS.
HIPS
--- Pros: generally less expensive, easier to trim.
--- Cons: needs painting or serious polishing to look shiny. Most HIPS will not be as durable as ABS or take the stress of ABS
--- Suitability: will hold up fine for regular trooping

ABS
--- Pros: no need to paint, high durability
--- Cons: may lack the detail of HIPS, usually harder to trim
--- Suitability: will hold up fine for regular trooping plus take a lot of abuse

OTHER TERMS
Untrimmed: means the kit comes untrimmed and you'll have to trim the parts before starting assembly.
Trimmed: parts are pre-trimmed and you can start assembling right away
ANH Derived: traces back to a screen used helmet. Armor came from an incomplete ROTJ suit that was supplemented with parts from a tour suit, with this base being modified to be more ANH accurate in detailing. Parts will need to be butt joined with a finishing strip glued on top.

* ON SIZING
ANH Derived armor (TE2, AP, ATA, CAP-W etc) was sculpted for a typical UK actor circa 1976, e.g. 5'10" and 165lbs. While good for smaller body types, it has been successfully made to fit people as large as 6'4" 235lbs though requires a bit of shimming to pull this off.

1. If you are taller or larger in frame/girth, you may want to consider AM, RT, or TM armor makes for easier fitting.
2. If you are shorter, while ANH derived armor may lend itself to your size, even FX armor (now called AM armor as of 2011)has been made to fit and look good on people as small as 5'6" and 115lbs (and smaller!).
3. RT has upsized his helmet by 4-5% which makes it equivalent to the size of the old FX but is more accurate in appearance.

So, while it's true that every kit has a certain ideal body type, every make has been made to fit every body type and still look good.

Who to Avoid
1. Be aware that this site - http://www.stormtroo...s.com/home.html - is not considered commercially available. It is run by a person selling recast parts, and at a healthy premium over what you can buy direct from vetted sources. You've been warned...
2. Do not buy from e-bay - kits are over-priced, the quality is often dubious, and always recast.
3. E-bay seller Stormtrooper_supplies. 100% recast, kits are over-priced, the quality and service is dubious

VETTED MAKERS
While there are many other sources for armor, the list below contains those who have a proven track record of honest business dealings, quality craftsmanship, and that are free from recast debates. You are certainly free to buy where you will, but if you vary this list we strongly encourage that you at least do your due diligence inquiring about the seller's quality and reputation before parting with your money.



TE2 Sandtrooper- TD-6908
Type: TE2
Country: USA
Contact: HDPblues on FISD
Kit: HIPS, untrimmed, ANH derived
Availability: No known problems though there may be a waiting list. Sometimes only produces set numbers in runs.
Assembly: armor needs to be trimmed, parts butt joined with finishing strips, then painted.
Comments: Helmet is considered one of the most screen accurate available, though some don't like the bumpy cap and back.


AP ANH Stunt Stormtrooper - TK4702
Type: Authenticprops (AP)
Country: Canada
Contact: authenticprops@hotmail.com
Kit: ABS, untrimmed, ANH Derived. Helmet is screen derived but cleaned up with a smooth cap and back. Armor similar to TE2 but with some parts being different. The left inner shin is actually a duplicate of the right outer shin. The arms (Bicep, forearm and shoulders) are the same, there is no unique left and right arm. The AP helmet comes with sink faucet aerators, which are not acceptable for EIB use. The lens material is a thin light weight acetate like material.
Availability: No known problems obtaining this, though there may be a waiting list.
Assembly: Seams are overlapping joints making it a reasonably easy build, though one can use finishing strips instead.
Comments: Packing doesn't seem to be too great either, which means that parts can get a little scratched during transit. The armour is ABS, quite white, but not particularly glossy.



ATA ANH Stunt Stormtrooper - TK-9336
Type: ATA (Affordable Trooper Armor)
Country: USA
Contact: Supertrooper on FISD/ATAworks@yahoo.com
Kit: HIPS or ABS, untrimmed, ANH derived
Availability: No known problems though there may be a waiting list.
Assembly: armor needs to be trimmed, parts butt joined with finishing strips, then painted.
Comments: Being a later generation from ANH, details are not as sharp as TE2. However quality of HIPS material is such that it the most durable of all HIPS armor makes.



TM ANH Stunt Stormtrooper - TK-2959
Type: Troopermaster ™
Country: UK
Contact: Please see info contained in for sale threads when posted.
Kit: ABS, untrimmed, fan sculpt. Reputedly the most accurate fan sculpt. Seams on legs and arms are butt-joins with capping strips.
Availability: As slots become available, for sale threads will be posted. Kits are very limited and offered infrequently.
Comments: This is really beautiful armour and extremely movie-accurate. It comes at the price of being pretty tricky to assemble though, with potentially a long wait for supply. TM now supplies all his armour in acrylic-capped ABS. His ABS suits are incredibly glossy and, if assembled with care, look fabulous. Not for very tall troopers. Armour is more generous than SDS or AP, but not as large as RT-mod.

Type: T/MC
Country: USA
Contact: tray@traynichols.com or PM Tray on the FISD boards
Kit: .090 ABS, untrimmed, ANH Derived. Helmet is screen derived. Armor similar to TE2 and AP but with some parts being different and others being modified. The left inner shin is a duplicate of the right outer shin similar to AP. The arms (Bicep, forearm and shoulders) are the same, there is no unique left and right arm. The helmet comes with resin cast hovi mic tips, which are acceptable for EIB use, and all assembly material excluding paint. Comes with your choice of Smoked gray bubble lenses or flat dark green lenses. This is most comparable to AP with some slight changes.
Availability: No known problems obtaining this. 4-8 weeks for delivery and sometimes sooner than that.
Assembly: Seams are overlapping joints making it a reasonably easy build, though one can use finishing strips instead.
Comments: The armor is ABS, not bright white and glossy like FX. Due to material thickness lines are a little softer than some other makers. Should shine well with Mr Sheen.
NOTE: available in black too!


Type: RT-Mod (RT)
Country: Canada
Contact: trooper7@shaw.ca
Kit: ABS, trimmed, fan sculpt. More accurate than FX/AM but not as much as TM/TE2/AP. Ears lack bumps, but can be added if you ask.
Availability: Available to order, but there can be about a 2 month wait.
Assembly: Parts are trimmed and designed to be easy to put together. Helmet comes assembled.
Comments: Designed especially for taller/larger body types and has more capacity to fit these troopers (without shims) than TM or AM. Arm and legs molds can be adjusted up or down to custom fit measurments supplied by trooper.
The helmet is 4% larger than an original helmet. The difference is subtle but better matches the scale of the (RT)suit.



Type: Armor Master (AM)
Country: USA
Contact: troopergear@gmail.com and tupperwaretk@yahoo.com are the two reliable, lowest cost, and best vendors of this armor. Both lite (helmetless) and full kits are available.
Kit: ABS, trimmed, fan sculpt. More accurate than FX and the armor is Expert Infantry ready out of the box. Availability: No known problems though there may be a waiting list.
Assembly: Parts are trimmed and designed to be easy to put together - along with RT is the easiest kit to make.
Comments: Armor is good accuracy though the chest and back tend to be larger and sharply defined. Very durable. Helmet is a bit larger than scree-derived, and the face is the least accurate acceptable (though the dome is fine).




Type: FX
Country: USA
Availability: FX is not currently being sold. Do not buy from e-bay - kits are over-priced, the quality is often dubious, and always recast.
Contact: N/A
Kit: ABS, trimmed, fan sculpt. Comments: It's good, robust armour that will hold up to a lot of abuse. While the helmet is fading away, the armor continues to be popular and will be in the Legion for some time.


COMMERCIALLY AVAIABLE STORMTROOPER ARMOR
MRCE/EFX STORMTROOPER helmet
These helmets ARE acceptable for 501st basic standards, and the Stormtrooper detachments "expert infantry" status.They are however NOT accepted for the FISD Centurion status.

For standard 501st /ECG clearance you need to:
1. Swap out the lenses for darker ones
2. Fill the seam on the lower face of the helmet that extends from under the frown with White tile caulk
3. File the holes between the "teeth" to be taller vertically.
4. Add 3 flat head screws to the ears. One in the center above the comlink, (grey rectangle area)one in the
center below the comlink, and one all the way on the bottom edge of the ear.
5. Replace the tube stripes with decal tube stripes that are the proper blue (The ESB EFX helmets do not need this mod)

To be a bit more accurate,or go for "Expert Infantry" on the Stormtrooper Detachment, you should also:
1. Swap out the "ears"for more accurate ones.
2. fill the seam on the lower face of the helmet that extends from under the frown with bondo or equilalent filler and sand and repaint the entire helmet.
3. Replace the tubestripes and other decals with more accurate ones.
4.raise the brow slightly (for stunt/ESB versions)

You can go to an even higher level of accuracy going for Centurion status on the FISD.
Sign up on those forums and check out what else you will need to attain this level of accuracy!

RUBIES SUPREME STORMTROOPER

Although its highly discouraged, you CAN get into the 501st/ECG with this costume. It will however, only work for a ROTJ Stormtrooper due to its casting configuration. The Mods, will be VERY extensive. It is more cost effective, and screen accurate to get a fan made kit, but if you already have one of these, you CAN work with it.
1.The suit basically needs to be completely disassembled and re-assembled to fit your body correctly.
2.The Ab button section needs to be removed and reattached upside down.
3.All the elastic /strapping it comes with will need to be replaced and redone.
4.The boots need to be replaced.
5.The helmet needs to be replaced.
6.The body suit needs to be replaced
The cost of this suit is actually higher than the fan made suits which are more accurate and easier to get into the Legion with. Contact our GML for information where to get these fan made suit kits.