shashachu

@MrFlavaFlave Thanks for the photos! I was wondering if you might be able to post a few clearer photos of your blaster, maybe under better lighting? The ones you have are a bit blurry. Thanks so much! Edit: and one of the rear of the blaster, showing the rear D-ring, which is an L2 requirement.

Hi David! Thanks so much for your application. There's a number of photos missing showing the necessary details for an EIB approval. I'd suggest looking at the ROTJ CRL and make sure you're showing detail photos that cover all of the blue L2 items as well as look at past approvals to see which photos are necessary (attached an example one). Let us know if you have any questions!

Hi Eric, Thanks for your application and for the quick fix with the frown paint. You've clearly done your research - this is a phenomenal build! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, although Anovos helmets come pre-painted and pre-built, looks like the trap decal is overlapping the upper ridge a bit. If you find yourself motivated enough, you could either replace the decal, or go totally screen accurate and paint the details. Reference Image: Continuing on with the helmet, we're suggesting that you sharpen up the paint on the vocoder to define the shape a bit more: The shape I've drawn in green is just an approximation; it doesn't have to follow it exactly. But if you compare to screen-used helmets, you'll see that the shape is a lot more defined. Reference Images: Next, just a dressing issue. It really cleans up the look of your armor to have the gaps equally sized and the armor pieces lined up. Especially viewed from the back, you can see the bicep/forearm gap on your left arm is larger than the right arm, so we're suggesting you double check the strapping and see if it can be adjusted to be more even. I might suggest bringing the left forearm up, as it looks like it may be running into the left handguard a bit. All in all very small details, but ones that really bring your armor to the next level. Reference Image: Next, just worth noting that on the screen-used TDs, the screws were a bit closer to the ends of the clips, and the ends were squared off, not rounded. I understand that Anovos armors also come with the TD fully assembled, so I'm simply mentioning it for your information. Reference Image: Finally, just a small detail that on the screen-used suits the shape of the sniper knee was a bit more angular than yours. Reference Images: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting from the top again, as Joseph already pointed out, the lower ear screws on your helmet will need to be replaced and countersunk per the L3 CRL: Ear screws shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk and painted white. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. I believe it's largely due to the way you're holding your arms in the front photo as your rear gaps look pretty good, but we'd like to see if you can close the shoulder bell gap any more. This is not an area we're extremely picky about due to differences in troopers' body types as well as differing sizes of the bells from different makers, but one thing to double check is that you've removed all the lower return edge from the bottom of the bells, and when you take your Centurion photos, please take the front ones with your arms relaxed at your sides. Reference Images: Moving down, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your belt is just a hair too low, so you'll need to raise it a bit. If you look at the reference photos, you'll see that many TKs actually had the belts overlapping the lower ab buttons. On my own kit, I added two small strips of velcro to my belt to keep the front from sagging. Reference Photos: Next, the L3 CRL states: A single male snap on the top right corner of the ab plate is present. This is also known as the 'Han snap', and I suspect it's present on your armor, but none of the photos you submitted showed it, so I'm mentioning it here. Reference Photos: And that's it! Once again, this is a superb build, and it's just a few small fixes to get you to Centurion. We hope to see your application, soon! Congratulations again.

Hi Roy, Thanks for your application and for the fix with the shoulder bell. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Besides the items already noted, I have only two additional items. First, it could just be a shadow, but it looks like you may have a very slight overlap between the back and kidney. It's not so much as to block Centurion, but worth noting if you're really looking for that sleek look. Reference Image: Finally, it does still look like you could drop your left bicep (and forearm) a cm or two to really dial in the symmetry. It's especially obvious if you note the larger gap between the forearm and wrist on your left arm. Reference Image: And that's it! When we can finally get out and troop, I hope you will wear your armor very proudly. Please accept our congratulations in reaching Centurion!

Oops. We don't track Centurion numbers as closely as EIB but you're right - this should be 462. I'll update

Great job! We'll be with you shortly.

Hi Gaines, Thanks for your application and for all of the fixes! It's really inspiring to me to see a trooper bringing an older set of armor to EIB (and hopefully Centurion!). We're glad to see you here. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, the painting on your vocoder is a little soft compared to the screen-used examples. It would improve the accuracy and look of it if you make the outline a bit sharper. Reference Images: Next, as was already pointed out, just be careful that your shoulder straps aren't tucked underneath your back plate when you're kitted up: And I'll mention is simply as a note of accuracy but I don't think it's possible due to your height - on the screen-used suite, the rear part of the shoulder strap did not have the large tab. If you were shorter I'd suggest you remove it, but as it is, it would likely make your straps too short. Reference Images: Finally, your thermal detonator clips should be flush against the plastic panel. This won't be blocking since it's not visible while you're dressed, but if your TD can take any more tweaking, we're strongly suggesting you replace and reposition your clips. Reference Images: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting at the top, the L3 CRL states: Ear screws shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk and painted white. The lower screw on your right ear is sticking out just a bit. Should be easily fixable. You can lightly turn a large drill bit in the screw hole if you need room to countersink it. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Yours actually look quite good, especially from the front, but it does look like you may have some room to bring them in. The right shoulder bell especially looks like it could have it's strapping shortened to bring the top of it closer in. You'll also want to double check that you've removed all the lower return edge of the shoulder bells. This isn't an area that we're extremely picky about due to the wide variation in troopers' body types, so do your best. Reference Images: Moving along, the L3 CRL states: The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece. I'm not sure if it's there and I can't see it, but it doesn't appears you have the elastic in place. It should be about 1/8". Unfortunately elastic is extremely difficult to find these days due to folks sewing masks, so you may need to wait a while if you don't already have some. Reference Image: Next, the snap on the ab plate (the 'Han' snap) should have the white paint removed. This isn't specifically called out in the CRL, but the reference photos are clear. Reference Image: Moving on, the L3 CRL states: Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. You do look like you have room to close that gap on both sides of the ab/kidney. Viewed from the front, I actually wonder if you could close the left side gap with a bit of a hot water bath on the kidney to help it curve around your body better. Reference Images: Moving on to the belt, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. As compared to the screen-used suits, your belt is sitting a bit low. You can see that the top of the ABS belt can even slightly overlap the bottom ab buttons. On my own kit, I added two thin strips of velcro to my ab plate to keep the belt from sagging. Reference Images: Next, the L3 CRL states: Canvas belt must be firm / sturdy in appearance. No creasing or sagging  I'm not sure what material you're using for your belt, but it definitely seems to be creasing. I'm not sure if it would need to be completely replaced for Centurion, or if you might be able to open it up and put a layer of sturdy canvas or other stiffer material inside. Reference Images: Finally, regarding your blaster, the L3 CRL states: The blaster may have minor weathering or base metal exposure however, T-tracks and grips shall have the appearance of black plastic. Since the T-tracks on the screen-used blasters were made of plastic, they shouldn't have any metal weathering on them. Just a few minutes with some black paint should fix that right up. Reference Images: And that's it! It's a number of fixes before you can apply for Centurion, but I hope you'll enjoy the process of making your armor even more screen accurate. It really strengthens the idea that our costumes are never truly 'done.' Please accept hearty congratulations from me and Joseph on achieving EIB!

Hey Roy, Nice job on the fixes! Your shoulder gap as seen from the rear is still a big bigger than we'd like. You appear to be a broad-shouldered gentleman so I don't want to ask for the impossible, but it does look like the left shoulder bell strapping can be shortened some, especially compared to the right, which looks nice and tight. Can you take a look to see if you can bring it in at all? If you're able to and can take new photos, we did also notice that in the rear photos your right bicep looks to have dropped a lot. Not sure if it came unstrapped or unhooked, but keep an eye out for that in your new photos. Thanks, Sha Sha

Hi Jon, Thanks for your application and well done on the fixes! CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions I mentioned in your EIB review that your forearms were overlapping your biceps and handguards a bit. They look improved in your Centurion photos but there are still some areas where they overlap or nearly overlap, so I'd still suggest reexamining the strapping for your arms, if for no other reason then it will likely improve your arm mobility. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Reference Image: And that's it! Although we're not able to be out trooping now, please accept our congratulations for achieving the rank of Centurion.

Hi William, Thanks for your application and for your patience. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions As mentioned in your EIB review, we'd ideally like to see the ab paint a bit smaller, but ultimately the choice is yours. Reference Image: And that's it! Hopefully we'll all be able to get out and troop soon, but until then, please accept our hearty congratulations on reaching Centurion!

Jose - apologies for letting this review sit for so long. I hope the wait is worth it! Congratulations on reaching Centurion!

Hi Jose, Thanks for your application; I apologize for the delay! Fantastic job with the fixes, especially the shim seam! CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions The CRL actually calls for 'flat soled' boots, and it looks like your boots may have a very slight ridge to them. This is a very minor detail and nothing anyone would ever see, but you might see if you can eventually get a pair of boots that is flat soled to bring your kit to the ultimate level of screen accuracy. Reference Image: And that's it! Superb job on your build; I can tell how much pride you take in your armor. I'm very happy to join Joseph in congratulating you on reaching the rank of Centurion!

Great work, William! I'll be with you soon.

Hey William! Good to see your Centurion app already. We need a few more fixes from you before proceeding with your application. First, your shoulder bell gap is improved, but there's still a visible gap at the top. Is it possible to shorten the elastic holding it on any more? I don't have a good sense of how broad your shoulders are compared to the bells. Reference Images: Next, the horizontal dropbox alignment looks great, but they appear to be hanging a little low. It might just be the photo perspective, but if there is a gap, we're asking you to shorten the elastic so the top of the dropbox sits just at the bottom of the ABS belt. Reference Image: You're almost there!

Awesome job, @Vengeance! Really glad to see you tackling all of these changes so quickly. I'll be with you soon.

Hi Roy, I appreciate your patience. Thanks so much for the quick turnaround with the fixes! I do agree with Joseph that your bucket does look better without that top padding. Hopefully you can still see! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions FIrst, it appears you're using white nylon strapping to connect your chest and back. That is totally fine, but we do know that the screen used suits used white elastic, so if you're going for that next level of accuracy, you could consider swapping it out. Reference Image: Continuing on, a couple dressing issues. First, it appears your left bicep is riding just a touch too high. Ideally we like to see symmetry and evenness in the gaps between armor, so it might be a simple dressing issue, or you might need to adjust the strapping a bit. Reference Images: Onto your belt, a lot of troopers prefer the weathered look which is absolutely fine, but we're suggesting you give your belt a bit of a haircut to trim off some of the extra threads. Reference Image: Next, the screws on the end of the TD clips should ideally be closer to the end of the clips. Obviously this would require you to replace your TD clips so it's merely a suggestion for those who want to go the extra mile. Reference Image: Moving along, the left part of your butt plate appears to have popped above your kidney. I'm not sure if it's a dressing issue or something that would require a strapping adjustment, but that's something you'll want to keep an eye out for. I have also heard folks adding small ABS tabs to their butt plates to ensure they stay tucked under the kidney. Reference Images: Next, an extremely minor detail, but it really makes everything look super clean if you make sure your cover strips are aligned. You can see your calf pieces are a bit off kilter. So next time you're out at a troop (and we all hope that we'll be able to troop again sooner rather than later), have a handler give you a once over just to be sure everything is lined up. Finally, another super minor issue with your left calf closure. That's one of those areas that's impossible to see yourself once you're suited up, so again just have a handler take a look for you and make any necessary adjustments. Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. The L3 CRL states: Ideally there is no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Your right side gap looks fantastic, but we'd like you to try to eliminate more of the gap on the left side. This could just be a dressing issue, or you may need to tighten the strapping between the left side of your ab and kidney. I personally use nylon strapping (vs elastic) on my left side to try to prevent any gap from emerging. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your belt positioning is pretty good, but should be brought up just a tad. You'll see in the reference images that many troopers actually have the plastic part of the belt slightly overlapping the bottom ab buttons. On my own kit I added two small strips of velcro to my ab armor to keep the belt from sagging. Reference Images: Continuing with the belt, the L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. It may just be the camera angle, but it appears your drop boxes have a bit o fa tendency to wander. Most troopers add a bit of glue to the drop box elastic to help keep it in place on the belt. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: Ab button paint shall not extend beyond the bottom of the actual raised button. It's a bit hard to tell, but I believe you'll need to make some small adjustments to your ab button paint. If you take a look at the reference photos, you'll see that the ab buttons are actually a but underpainted. It shouldn't be more than a bit of time with a toothpick or cotton swap and some paint thinner or mineral spirits. Reference Images: And that's it! A few required changes for Centurion, but we have full confidence in your ability to tackle them. Congratulations again, and we'll see you at Centurion! Stay safe.

Hi Gaines! Thanks for your application and the quick fix with your frown paint. I'll be doing your review. Before we can proceed, you will need to make one other very small change. The L2 CRL states: Correct 'Hovi mic' aerator tips are present. Screens used shall be of a wide type mesh, with the rim of the mic and the inside white or painted white. Everything on yours looks great except you are missing the white paint on the rims of your hovi tips. Should really just be a couple minutes to fix. Reference Image: As a couple of other folks have mentioned you are also missing a few required pics for your EIB application: * Closeup of the left side of your sniper knee (like the closeup you've already included of the right side) * Inside of the thigh ammo pack rivet (to verify rivet type) * Closeup of TD screws (to verify color + type of screw) * Rear of blaster (to verify presence of D-ring) * Action shot Could you also include a couple closer photos of your gloves? I can't really tell what they're made of. The L2 CRL states that Gloves shall be rubber or rubber-like chemical gloves, in black. I'm particularly interested in this seam (or what appears to be a seam): I've also attached a photo checklist to be sure that you (or I) haven't forgotten anything else. EIB_Centurion Photo Checklist.pdf Thanks a lot!

Hi William! Sorry for the delay. @ABS80 (Mark) does have a point in that we're basing the L3 requirements on a small set of data, which in this case is mostly the photos that came out of the Shepperton Studios/LFL lawsuit, because those were some of the clearest images we had ever seen of a screen used ANH suit. The language in the CRL is a little ambiguous, but the idea is that the button paint should really stop short of the edges of the ABS button, as you can see in the following photos (all of the same suit): I think it is certainly a possibility that this particular suit was actually an outlier, but as it is, it represents the clearest images we have access to. That said, the CRL is always in flux, and as we learn more about the armor (which is incredible given they're 40+ years old now) you'll see requirements come and go. I did go back and look at the last several EIB approvals for AP suits and we have consistently requested the button paint change, so if we're wrong, we're at least consistently wrong. In the end L2 and L3 approvals are always optional and should never be source of stress, just a nice way to try to get a consistently high quality look across all armor types in the 501st. Hope this helps, Sha Sha

Hi William, Thanks for your patience with your application, and thank you for the quick fix with the sniper knee! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions You've done a fantastic job with your build, so we have just a couple suggestions to improve your look. First, since you are rather tall, gaps in the armor are inevitable, but we like to see troopers minimize them and even them out. You do have a somewhat significant gap between your back piece and kidney piece, so you might see what you can do to adjust the strapping to minimize it. Since you're now also a pro with the hot water bath, you could also see if you're able to straighten out the tabs at the top of the back piece to get it to sit lower. I did the reverse on my own build (bent the back tabs to get the back piece to sit higher) since I'm very short. You can also see if you can simply lengthen the white elastic strapping connecting the back and chest. Reference Image: Next, another spacing issue. From the front your thigh and calf pieces look pretty even, but from the rear you have a pretty significant gap at the knees with a smaller one between the butt plate and thighs. This may just be due to your particular proportions, but if you can drop your thighs just a touch without impeding your mobility, it would make things look a bit cleaner. Reference Images: Finally, a suggestion with your ammo pack location. Ideally we like to see the thigh ammo pack centered. On applications where it is extremely off kilter we do require them to center it, but since yours are fairly close, we're leaving it as a suggestion. Reference Images: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting from the top, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. The gap at the front looks great, but you have a larger gap in the rear. Things you can do to help minimize it is to shorten the strapping holding the bells on, and trimming off all of the lower return edge on your shoulder bells. It may even simply be a matter of how you're holding your arms when you're taking your photos. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. Your drop boxes will need to be moved so they align with the ends of the plastic part of the belt, and it also appears the elastic could be shortened just a touch. Reference Image: Finally, it pains me because your ab buttons are just so perfect, but you'll need to strip back some of the paint. The L3 CRL states: Ab button paint shall not extend beyond the bottom of the actual raised button. While extremely clean, the paint on your ab buttons is a bit too big. If you take a look at reference photos, you'll see that they should err on the side of being a bit too small. This should be pretty easily fixable with a bit of mineral spirits or paint thinner. Reference Image: And that's it! We have full confidence in your ability to make these few small changes, so we hope to see your Centurion application soon. Congratulations again!

Hi Roy! Thanks for your application. I'll be doing your review. As @TKSpartan pointed out, we require a few more detailed photos for your application. If you're unsure what they should look like, please take a look at previous approvals. In the meantime, I do see a few corrections that will be required before we can proceed with your application. First, I know it's tradition in the UKG to have the shoulder bell decal, but unfortunately that will need to be removed for your application. You are more than welcome to add it back after you have been approved for EIB (and hopefully Centurion!) Reference Image: Next, as Glen pointed out above, you'll need to remove a bit of the grey paint from your teeth, as they're bleeding out onto the gums area, but the CRL states: Frown is painted gray and does not leave the teeth area. I've only marked up the upper teeth because that's what I can clearly see, but you should also ensure there's no paint on the lower gums. If you look at the reference photos, you'll see that you should err on the side of underpainting the teeth. Reference Images: Finally, you'll need to add a bit of white paint to the rim of your hovi tips. Correct 'Hovi mic' aerator tips are present. Screens used shall be of a wide type mesh, with the rim of the mic and the inside white or painted white. The inside of your hovi tips does appear white, so should just be a couple minutes with a paintbrush and some white paint. Reference Images: Once you've made these corrections and supplied the additional photos, we can proceed with your application. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Hi Jon, Thanks for your application and for the quick fix with your frown paint. You have a really nice build and it's clear you really did your research. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, a small suggestion with your vocoder paint. Compared to screen used helmets, the shape of your vocoder is a little soft, so we're suggesting you spend a few minutes cleaning it up. Reference Images: Next, onto your forearms. While it is ideal to see a minimal amount of black showing through the armor, your forearms are overlapping your biceps and handguards a bit. It would improve the look as well as likely help your arm mobility to try to adjust the positioning. At a glance, it appears you may have some room to bring up your biceps, which should allow you to bring your forearms up a bit as well. For troopers who are very small (I'm 5' 3"/1.6m) it is completely approveable up through Centurion to actually trim off a notch on the forearms so that would be an option for you as well, but I highly doubt you'd need to. Reference Image: Next, in one of your photos, your kidney is overlapping your chest piece. A simple dressing issue, but worth pointing out. When you're out trooping, just be sure to have a handler give you a quick look to ensure nothing is out of place. Reference Image: Moving along, a lot of troopers prefer a weathered canvas belt which is totally fine, but in the 501st we tend to err a bit more on the side of an ideal look, so we're suggesting you give your canvas belt a bit of a haircut just so there aren't so many long hanging stray threads. Reference Image: As was already mentioned, if you're going for ultimate screen accuracy, the ends of your TD clips should be squared off, not rounded. A minor detail for sure but worth mentioning. If you do decide to make this change, note that the clips would need to be repositioned so the ends are still flush against the plastic panel. Reference Image Next, as was already pointed out, your drop boxes tend to get caught on your thigh pieces. I have the same issue with my right dropbox, and some of us are just unlucky enough that our dropboxes hit in exactly the wrong place. I've been considering using some sort of magnet system to keep them in the right place on my thighs, but haven't done anything about it yet. I'd consider this more of a dressing issue, but you can try adjusting strapping a bit to see if you can get them to fall in a slightly different place, or see if you can adjust your thighs to make it less likely to happen. When you're taking your Centurion photos, just make sure they're sitting in the proper place. Reference Image: Finally, a tiny nit. I see you've already backed the gap in the rear thigh ridge with ABS which is great, but you could also go the extra mile and fill it with ABS paste for a super clean look. Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. The L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. From the front, your shoulder gap is textbook perfect, but the gap in the back is a little bigger than we'd like. We realize all troopers' bodies are different, but we'd like you to try to minimize the gap in the rear. We'd suggest ensuring the top strapping is short, trimming off all the lower return edge on the shoulder bells, and even being aware of how you're holding your body. Reference Image: . Finally, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your belt is sitting just a touch too low. As you can see from the reference photos, you can even overlap the bottom button slightly. Reference Images: And that's it! I have no doubt in your ability to make these couple small adjustments, so I'm looking forward to seeing your Centurion application soon. Congratulations again!

If you're not used to using a heat gun, yes a hot water bath is a good idea. I personally used the heat gun a ton when I was doing my build, but if you're not used to it, you can do some real damage to your armor. A hot water bath is a lot more forgiving.

Hi William! I'll be doing your review. You've done a really nice job with your build. Troopers who are on either end of the height spectrum have more work to do, and you've done a nice job fitting the armor to you. I will need you to make one correction before we can proceed with your application. The L2 CRL states: Sniper knee plate must be aligned with the ridges on the shin. You've done a nice job with the left ridge, but your right ridge is a ways off: Reference Image: It will take some careful clamping and gluing and it definitely doesn't have to be perfect, but in looking at previous AP approvals, you'll see that you should be able to get the alignment much closer. Reach out if you need any assistance or clarification. Thanks!

Hi Jose, Thanks for your application and thanks for the quick ab button fix! Pretty funny nobody noticed it earlier. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of Joseph and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, it looks like some of the paint on your helmet might have gotten smudged or bubbled up. Although we know the screen-used helmets took a lot of abuse, we tend to go more towards the clean fresh-off-the-Death Star look, so you can consider cleaning up the paint. Reference Image: Next, your forearms seem to be sitting a little low. Ideally there is minimal black showing anywhere, but when there is, it's nice for it to be even, so you can consider shortening the strapping between your biceps and forearms to bring them up a little higher. Reference Image: For your TD, if you want to be super screen accurate, you can consider moving the screws closer to the ends of the clips. This of course would mean you would need new TD clips, but it's worth mentioning for those troopers who want to do everything they can for screen accuracy. Reference Image: Next, while it's very close, your butt plate is sticking out a little bit. You should see if you can adjust the strapping a bit to keep it more in place. Reference Image: Another minor dressing issue. From the back you can see your left thigh is sitting noticeably lower than your right. You should try to see if you can adjust the strapping to make it more even. On my own armor the back of my right thigh would sag, so I added an extra piece of elastic to keep it high enough. Reference Images: Finally, a very small nitpick. You can see a bit of a line where your left thigh pieces come together. We're suggesting you fill that gap with ABS paste to make it seamless: Reference Image: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Again starting from the top, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Every trooper's body is different, but your shoulder bells look like they have room to come in. Suggestions for narrowing that gap are: shortening the strapping holding the shoulder bells on, as well as trimming all of the return edge off the bottom of the shoulder bells to bring them as close to the chest and back as possible. Reference Images: Next, you've done a pretty good job at filling the seam for your kidney piece shim, but you can still see the seam. This is totally fine for EIB but for Centurion, it needs to be seamless. Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Abdominal and Kidney Plate align horizontally at top. A single visible seam line is present. You'll just need to add a bit more ABS paste and do a little more sanding. Finally for the drop boxes, your left dropbox looks good, but your right one is a little bit far in. Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. Reference Image: Usually people add a little bit of glue onto the elastic holding the drop boxes on to keep them in place. And that's it! Congratulations on reaching EIB and we'll see you soon at Centurion. Most importantly, stay safe, my friend! We're thinking of you and all of your brothers and sisters in the Spanish Garrison.

Great! Looking forward to it.