Death Trooper Armor kit advice

[LondonValient]

Hello everyone, 

My name is London, I’m 15 (meaning I must wait till 2024 before I can join). I want to get a Death Trooper armor kit so that I can try to apply for the 501st once I am 18. Of course I must do some saving first before I can do so. I found 2 vendors that I am interested in and I have already emailed someone in my local garrison about the kits, they said they would both be approved if assembled correctly. I am not quite sure what he means by assembled correctly, but maybe someone can help me with that.

 

Here are the links for the Armor Kits as well, maybe you guys can help me figure out which one is the best to get as well:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/714801695/death-trooper-costume-armor-kit-star
 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/604813828/death-trooper-armor-kit-v3-gel-coated

Thanks in advanced to anyone who is able to help me. Have a good day everyone!

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

@LondonValient

London,

Welcome to Spec Ops, your path to joining the 501st Legion is going to be an exciting one and at times overwhelming. There will be times when you feel like you are up against a wall and in need of some advice. When those occasions arise make sure you turn to our Community as there is a plethora of knowledgeable individuals here who  have been where you might be. There are no "dumb questions" ever in our group and the only dumb question is the question not asked.

Now, to your request for advice. There are several things a Trooper should consider when taking that leap to purchase their first set of armor etc.

What is your budget? How good are your crafting skills? How accurate do you want your build to be? Do you have other Legion builders who are near you (Local Garrison/Outpost) that can assist? These are the biggies.

Next you will want to do some research on the armor and supplier that you are considering. 850 Armorworks and The PlasticArmsDealer kits are both quite capable of being approved. Keep in mind that no kit is ever "approvable" straight out of the box. Some kits require more work that others, some kits are more "screen accurate" than others, but all kits will require trimming, assembling, and fitting to be "approvable." The best research you can do is search through the Death Trooper build threads that members of our Community have posted. Look for ones that have built the kits you are considering and see what their "pros" and "cons" have been during their builds.

Some things to keep in mind about the materials that are used in the construction of a kit. ABS kits are light weight plastic kits that have been heated and then vacuum pressed against a mold. The end results can be very good on larger less detailed pieces, but for pieces that have smaller intricate details, the details are less "sharp" and considered "soft pulls."  ABS kits tend to be less expensive than other kits due to the cost of the materials. Fiberglass or resin constructed kits are a little heavier than ABS but the smaller details are usually very sharp and look more like the kits used in Rogue One and the Mandalorian.  These types of kits that are available now also require less "modifications" to achieve the higher level of "screen accuracy." Fiberglass and resins kits are a little more pricey but some builders have found that the money they saved buying a less expensive kit, they ended up spending on modifications to achieve that higher detailed appearance.

If you want to get an idea of how much work a kit will need in terms of modifications etc, you'll need to read the Costume Reference Library or CRL for the Death Trooper and then look at each piece of a kit you are thinking about and see if the CRL details match the kit's details. For example ( I am not recommending any one supplier, only providing an example of how different kits can be from the CRL basic Level 1 and Specialist Level 2 requirements) the CRL for the helmet states that the center piece of the nose bridge has the appearance of a weathered matte black and brushed aluminum/silver surface as depicted in the reference and gallery photos. It also consists of the following:
4 to 6 small horizontal rectangular vent/ribs extending from the top of the nose bridge to approximately ¼ way down.
6 to 8 larger horizontal rectangular vent/ribs run from ⅔ towards the bottom.
7 to 9 vertical vent/ribs connect from the nose bridge to the snout.
Two vent tubes in black rubber or matte black paint are evident on either side of the face plates.

That is for basic Level 1 approval, then for Level 2 which is considered more screen accurate, the same piece must have "Nose bridge vents/ribs have in these number in order from top to bottom; 6, 8, and 9."

So when you look at the two suppliers helmets you are considering: 850 Armorworks helmets vent ribs are top to bottom; 6, 6 (maybe 7), and 9, nit picky I know, but it is the difference of having a Level 1 or Level 2 armor kit. I have seen where 850 has been upgrading their kits with resin printed/cast parts that give the smaller details the crispness that this unique armor deserves so that should be researched. The PlasticArmsDealer's helmet is screen accurate but the body armor kit still has some differences that need to be addressed to reach a Level 2 build. 

There are a few other suppliers you can research by going to the Death Trooper Parts Vendor post at the top of the Death Trooper sub forum. 

One last thing, I know there are some Death Trooper build groups on Facebook and they are a great resource of information but as with any social media platform, there are also some posts that contain misinformation. When in doubt, use the Spec Ops Forum, any information you get here I guarantee will be the most accurate, thus saving you time and money.

I know this has probably made you feel like you are taking a drink from a fire hose, but that's how it is sometimes, you just have to try and "gulp" down as much as you can and then just keep coming back until you have it all. 

One last thing, the best way to get your questions answered and have them all in one place is to start yourself a build thread way before you even purchase anything and then keep the thread updated with your progress and questions until completed. I can't emphasize that enough, it is the best way to do this, start to finish.

Best of luck with your build and reach out if you need any advice. 

 

[LondonValient]

@Chaos

Hello Chaos,

Firstly, holy cow thank you so much for the long essay of advice. Luckily I have a good amount of time to research and a group of people that can help me out.

I do see what you mean by it’s the way you build it, the kits are in pieces (I guess you can say that). So if you know how to build it properly it’ll have a higher chance of being approved, of course if you do a terrible job you’ll have less of a chance.

On the bright side I have a idea of two vendors that will be great for buying kits from. Of course the assembly will be the harder part, thank god I have the internet and you guys to help. 
 

But anyways, I saw on your profile you had a email set up today. If I ever need any help in the future maybe I can email you so it’s easier to stay in touch. If that’s ok with you of course.

Anyways thank you so much for the help and I hope I’ll be able to join the 501st sooner then later.

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

@LondonValient you can email me or send a message through the forums anytime, either way is easy for me, so its what ever is best for you. 

[Dropkick[CMD-XO]]

Hi & welcome @LondonValient

One thing to keep in mind is that all our costumes are built fitted to each member's body size.

At you current age, you probably have some growing still to do. So keep this in mind if you are looking to build something that may fit you now & may need to be adjusted in a year or two with any extra growth.

My son is 14 & I built a jawa for him as he is part of the Galactic Academy. This costume was made to my height & he wears a belt so the costume fits him & doesn't drag on the ground. As they years go by & he grows, we eventually won't need to use the belt as he grows into the costume.

Unfortunately, any costumes built with ABS / resin/ 3d printing will be much more difficult to adjust with your growth. 

Best of luck with your costume research.

[LondonValient]

@Dropkick

 

Thanks for the advice,

One of the kits I saw said that it was easy to adjust to any size in the description. I don’t know how legit that is, but at the end of the day I’ll probably get the kit when I’m closer to 17/18 since I need a job and money. But I will keep that in mind.

 

I appreciate the help everyone, have a good day.