Retrofire

If you're just going for basic then no modifications are required to your blaster. You would only have to do that if you decide to go lvl 2. While we do encourage troopers to take their armor to the next level the most important step is to get that basic approval first and join up with your garrison. Do not feel that you have to overwhelm yourself by shooting for Lancer out of the gate. We're more than happy to help you prep for Lancer if that is where you would ultimately like to go but take it in bite size chunks and get basic first then if you want step up to Lancer. The most important tool you have at your disposal is the CRL here: https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TB_Scout_trooper That is guiding document for your costume and what your GML is going to use to approve you. They do not look at the Optional parts of the CRL when approving a costume. I salute you for doing the research and encourage you to keep doing it. Keep those questions coming and know that you WILL NOT wear out your welcome here. We've all been doing this for more than a few years and there are a ton of amazing and incredibly talented people here that are 100% behind you and are more than happy to help.

Greetings Pathfinders! Time is now upon us for the yearly Legion census. For those of you that are new this year the census is a requirement of membership and can be found in the Operations Protocol under Active Members here: https://databank.501st.com/databank/OperationsProtocol#Active_Members Each Garrison has a different method of handling their Census so make sure you log into your Garrison boards and read any messages that your CO/XO have written. The GMLs are typically responsible for the census so if you have any questions you would usually reach out them. Garrisons are handling trooping during the COVID19 pandemic differently so be sure to communicate with your garrison staff if you have any questions. Link to the 2021 Legion Census on the 501st Forum: https://www.501st.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=109332 This is also a great time to check and verify your Detachment Affiliation in your 501st profile. This is CRITICAL if you desire to vote in next years election for your detachment staff. You can update/change this in your profile by selecting "Edit" in "Your Unit Affiliation" and updating the fields with the detachments that you have approved costumes in. Remember that you MUST have an account on that detachment forum in order to be affiliated with that det. Doing this while your filling in your census will save you, and the det staff, a lot of time when elections come up in the following year. Stand up and be counted Pathfinders! For the Empire!

Hey Dennis. I like that you’re going for a new costume and I think that’s awesome. As a former GML and used to working with the LMO I would caution you on using parts of one costume to make up two costumes. The Legion typically desires that each costume be a separate whole costume and not made up of bits from other ones that are already approved. I think it’s a good idea to reach out to your GML and get a read on what you’re planning and make sure they’re good with it. Just want to make sure you avoid any “Imperial Entanglements” trooper:)

Outstanding work Pathfinder and way to keep with it! A well deserved welcome to the Legion Phil!

Take everything a step at a time and know that we’re here for you should you need us. We’re here to help you be successful so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Congrats Pathfinder!

Hey Dave! The cod is spot on and we’re good with it. The bund and belt fitment are still causing a bit of consternation. It looks like you took these pics during a troop and your bund is slipping below your chest armor and under your belt. In order to keep this from happening you can add some Velcro to your vest to hold it tight. When you get a chance we’ll need one more photo showing your bund sitting on the belt. The rest of your punch list is good so we’ll just need to see your belt and bund properly positioned. Outstanding work and we look forward to your pic!

Sounds exciting Gus! Keep us in the loop and if there’s anyway we can help please feel free to reach out at any time!

This is looking much better! Great work on this Dave!

Good on ya for taking a shot at sewing! It’s slow to start but once you start getting a bit of experience behind you it’ll get easier. With duck cloth and vinyl you’re going to want to switch to a stronger needle so keep that in mind when you get there. Keep up the great work and keep those great WIP posts coming!

Hi Dave! My apologies for the delayed response. Work has been a bit of a bugger of late so I'm behind. The new cod is looking better but still needs a bit more to get you over the top. The cod itself needs to be shaped out using a bit of foam and here's how I fixed mine. I used an exacto knife to make two incisions on the back of cod above and below the arch then I shaped some soft thin foam pieces and pushed them inside and formed the cod. Then I hand sewed the opening shut and viola' a shaped cod. The other thing I did to help was to loosen the cod strap as I had it too tight. Check out the side by side pic that Chopper did below. We are almost exactly the same here as this was the last thing I needed to do to get me over the line to get my Lancer. The last touch is be careful of your belt and bund as they are drooping a little bit. This is a fitment issue and you just should need to pull them up a touch. You've done an amazing job and should be very proud of your work! You are right there!

Looking good Chris! Just need to bump those boxes up to about 1.5” from the belt. Keep up the great work!

Buckets off. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Chris did my second pair of boots to replace the first that I wore down. He did those too. If you’re in the market for boots, and don’t want to do those yourself, it’s worth adding that to the list to ask him about.

Congrats Lancer! We’ll done!

You’re not out of touch at all! It’s all new and that’s understandable. Typically cons, especially local ones, are handled at the Garrison level so it may be best to check in with your Garrison command team. For example our Garrison supports the Phoenix Fan Fest every year (COVID cancelled it last year and this year) and we have a whole section on our Garrison boards dedicated to dates/times, roles, etc. All cons are somewhat different as they have differing rules on weapons, masks, costumes, etc so it’s best to touch base with your command as to how they plan on trooping the event. For the big cons like the huge SW convo in Anaheim the DL will usually put something together for the det to meet and greet and get together for a det photo.

Hi Donovan. There have been problems in the past with this vendor but he seems to have fixed his issues. There are more than a few scouts that use his soft goods. It’s recommended that you add tracking to any purchases so you can keep tabs on the shipment. I think it’s great that you are going for Lancer status but I’d like to caution you that there are no “Lancer Spec” items out of the box. It all comes down to how it fits the individual trooper. I would encourage you to check out the Lancer Deployment Forum and look though this thread: You’ll need basic approval first before applying to Lancer but I applaud you for building to that spec from the start. We’re here to help you be successful so please keep asking these great questions and let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

That sounds great Dave. Thanks for getting those addressed. We’ll need a front, left and right side photos once you have everything ship shape in Bristol fashion. You’ve done some amazing work and have just a few more items left to finish so keep it up!

Hi Dave! Thanks for being patient! Ok you've done a great job addressing most everything on your list and we have these few findings remaining: Cummerbund Bund appears to be tucked in to the belt. Ideally bund should sit on top of the belt. This typically happens during dressing. Recommend putting on your belt then "seating" the bund on top before dressing your chest/back armor. Codpiece Cod crunchies. Need to add stiffener and/or loosen the crotch strap a bit. Dropboxes These are looking a but too high after you adjusted them and need to be loosened. If you look at your left side profile above you can see they are resting against the belt. The team created this side by side picture for you to have a better idea of how the bund and cod should look. You're just about at the finish line and have done a marvelous job! Keep it up!

Hi Jason! Have you tried poking around the 501st forums? That's where I found my scout chatter and bg sounds. You might get a hit there.

Nice work on the bucket as the DL mentioned we’re looking forward to seeing the rest of your kit come together! We’re here for you should you need to don’t hesitate to reach out.

Congrats Pathfinder!

Hi Dave! My apologies for the late replies. My wife and I took a long overdue holiday and we’ve been caring for our grandparents so I’m running a little behind. I’ll get with the team and take a look at what you’ve done and we’ll get back to you soon.

Blaster is looking great Dave thanks for taking the time to get that addressed. Ok if you feel you’ve ticked all the boxes on the list then it’s time for another suit up and round of pictures. Just a front, back, right, and left this time. Take care to get everything adjusted just right i.e. biceps, cod strap, bund, etc. So take your time with this set to ensure everything is perfect. You’re just about at the finish so keep up the great work!

Outstanding work Dave that’s exactly what needed to be done. Your attention to detail is really great.