izzi

Nope. Leave it black. -iz

Done. -iz

These come with silver flat lenses. I actually wanted bubble lenses as they look cool, and mine was just for display. -iz

I thought it was: "A family that troops together, kills rebels together." -iz

Nice! The shoulder-bells seem a little loose, but it's a great looking suit! So when is your mom going to come over here, say hi and join the detachment? -iz

Listen to troopre... Wisdom pours from his posts like water from a fountain... -iz (I have no clue what possessed me to type that)

Then don't miss out on the armor run that's going on now. -iz

So are you bringing two armors to CV or just that one? -iz

Moved to top post

Hmm... What colors did you use? I may have something to do with my current kit when the new one comes in... -iz

I think you have enough references to get this approved. If you can try to get more in game references of the model in the color you plan on making this, and follow that paint job and markings as close as possible.\ Can't wait to see you finish this up! -iz

I'm anxiously awaiting more progress pics! -iz

Don't count on the old members to make TXs... Attract some new ones! -iz

If you build it, they will come... Actually, that's true! I was first Blackhole in the 3 states my Garrison used to cover... Now we have TXs popping up left and right! -iz

CONGRATS!

Really? I felt like I could use it as a hammer to crack walnuts if I needed to. -iz

Backpack are EASY! They just take some time and patience. That was my first attempt at a Backpack. BFGs can be found all over the place. Mine is the cushman paintball's DLT-19 -iz

Mine was 190 something or other... It's currently back in a box in my garage, as I haven't made a place to display it yet. -iz

Your progress looks great! Keep us updated! -iz

I left out the differences between padding and a suspension system, as I consider that a modification you do to the bucket after you've chosen which one to go with. This was just about getting one that will fit on your skull.

This was bound to happen. Since I wrote the eFX review, I've had a few people ask which helmet I thought would be right for them. Sounds like it's article time! The first fact to know about TX buckets is what helmets are considered what size category. Most accurate bucket sculpts are the smallest buckets out there. They're nice, but not for everyone. The new eFX helmets are merely the old Master Replicas (MR) molds under a different name. The new AM armor has the same face as the old FX (a.k.a. GT) helmet, but it has a new dome made for it. Basically sizes are as follows: X-Large: GT/FX, AM Large: MR, eFX Medium: CAP, CAP-W, AP, TE, TE2, ATA Left to Right: GT/FX, eFX, CAP-W Stunt, CAP-W Hero Left to Right: GT/FX, eFX, CAP-W Stunt So, why isn't there a small size listed? Simply, because there isn't one. I wear a size 7 3/8 ball cap which translates into a Medium/Large when you go to more generic sizing charts. I just consider myself to have a medium length nose and ears. Since this is my article, I'm using my own head as a reference, since it's what I know. My main bucket is a CAP-W that fits perfect without any room to grow. The Second fact to know when choosing a TX bucket is that the helmet itself will be the first impression of the costume to others. If you're even to mod and improve any part of your armor strictly for appearance, start with the helmet. Also, You're proportionate width to the helmet will matter more to the overall look than your proportionate height. If you're a 5'10" trooper with some mass, an FX helmet may not look as strange as the 6'3" trooper who's thin as a rail. So your body type will help determine the finished look. The third fact to know is: When you are choosing your TX bucket, ignore fact #2. Simply put, the size of your noggin, not your body will determine what kind of bucket you can wear. If you have an X-large head to hold your X-large intellect, then please don't squeeze your head into a CAP-W. I don't want to call the Fire Department for the jaws of life every time you suit down. Your best bet is to join your Local garrison on a troop or two. You'll most likely be able to find at least one member with an FX, on with an MR and one with an AP or TE. Ask to try them on, and see how they feel. Contact your garrison's Hard Armorer. That person will most likely have multiple helmets to try out. If you're face is getting squashed go to the next size up. If you have to play around with the helmet to even try to get it over your crown, then you may want to skip up two sizes. Other factors such as ears and noses can come into play as well. You're head may fit great in a ATA, but if the tip of your nose is rubbing against the mesh, it'll get sore after a couple hours trooping. If you can't try buckets on for whatever reason, you're just going to need to play it safe and order the largest bucket possible, or take an educated guess. You can do this by finding your hat size and comparing it to my description. Though I can't claim that method to be 100% accurate. Remember, armor suppliers are individuals doing things for the love of the hobby. They are not a business and will not accept returns if an item doesn't fit. If you grab an accurate bucket and it's too small, then it's up to you to re-sell it if you need to make up the cash. Since MR and eFX helmets are licensed movie replicas, you are probably safe with trying to return those, if your noggin can't fit inside. Still that will depend on the return policy of the store you purchased from. Glory to the Empire! -iz

I think I found something to cure your bobble-head blues, bro. I'll do some tests after CV. Yeah you got to see this in person though. What did you think of it then? -iz

As long as you can change it back when asked, you should be fine. -iz

Yeah, the eFX really is the perfect "mid sized" helmet in my opinion. However, since I've already put quite a bit of work into my CAP-Ws and they fit and look great (at least in my opinion) I won't be buying an eFX to troop in any time soon. Thanks, Fearless Leader! Yeah, I'm sure when you add the padding it'll change the fit. I could fit my glasses in it too, which is something I couldn't do with the old FX after I put in the suspension. -iz

Okay, they say pictures say 1000 words, so first I'm going to let them do the talking: As you can see it's a beautiful shiny bucket! Nice glossy ABS plastic. Sturdy. The appearance of nice flat mirrored lenses. The flat black tube stripes are great with no need for changes. It has a flat black chin that also stands out well. The crown indents are gloss black, but flat black for these is a preference, not a requirement. And just look at these beautiful Hovi mic tips! Seems like a dream come true! Upon further inspection a few problems come to light... I for one don't really like the "pinched" nose that it seems to have, but that's really just a preference I'll show later. Unfortunately, it still has the big crack under the teeth as well as a smaller one across the front of the tube stripes. However, since the helmet is already black, it's hard to notice and I'm not sure it would be worth filling it in, as doing a spot paintjob over the filler would probably stand out just as much, if not more than the crack shows on it's own. The "mesh" behind the frown is more of a paper than a cloth. It'll probably fall apart eventually and doesn't look great anyway. If you're trooping in the helmet, swap this out. The inside of the helmet is a joke. Seriously, why do they even try to add padding. Tear it out and replace it with your choice of hard hat suspension or foam. Poking around in there, I found out how thin the lenses are as well. They work great, and your eyes won't be seen so it's not really an issue, but they seem sort of flimsy and may need to be replaced after some time of heavy trooping. COMPARISON SHOTS! Left to Right: FX, eFX, CAP-W Stunt. From the front you can make out the "pinched" nose when it sits right next to the CAP-W helmet. I'm not really a fan of that look. You can also see that it's as tall as the FX, and almost as wide. This may give a more accurate alternative to all FX users out there, except for those with the most exceptionally large craniums, needed to guard their massive intellect. You can also see how the ears stick out of the eFX, unfortunately. Kind of detracts from the nice lines of an ST helmet. (Stop eyeing my beer in the background, too!) Also, as it was stated back when the MR helmets came out: When the TK helmets gain symmetry, something doesn't quite look right. The asymmetry present in the TKs and Vader helmets just helped sell the look to me. From the sides you can see that there aren't any screws visible on the earpiece. However, the FX helmet never had screws visible either and it's still perfectly acceptable, so unless you want to add that touch, I wouldn't bother, as I can't see the LMO ever requiring it. You can also see that this one has the little curve towards the bottom of the ears, where the FX just goes straight down. Also you can see how the slope of the dome is a little steep like the FX, where the CAP-W has a more even dome. Usually, flat lenses means stunt. However the frown in this would seem to speak more hero, so here are a couple shots of it next to my CAP-W hero that I use for my Nova. It looks pretty much the same as when compared to the stunt. Pinched nose and more of a downward slope of the dome. However nothing that screams, "inaccurate!" In closing, if you want a study bucket that you won't have to put alot of work into, or if you're going for a more accurate look for your larger head, go with the eFX. Though it's up to the LMO, I can't find a reason why one of these wouldn't be approve-able out of the box. (Well, if you had padding to add for your head) Ultimately that's up to the LMO though. I personally have not found a reason to upgrade to eFX over my CAP-W. The eFX is going to make a kick butt display piece though, which is a good thing as that was my original intent for it. Hope these pics help some people out when they're choosing what bucket they want to don with their TX armor. -iz