The Modded Hasbro Toy Blater

[WhiteCommando[501st]]

I am 6'1" and my thought about your remarks are not so hot.

 

 

Look me up next time you are in Dallas so I can throw a drink in your face. any thoughts?

 

Just kidding. Tee hee.

 

This topic is about blasters, not about if our brothers here need to be excluded due to their size.

 

question then..if "elite" should truely be elite..then technically anyone 5'9" below and over 6 should automatically be disqualified..any thoughts?

ef

[WhiteCommando[501st]]

Yep, I had to go take a valium.

 

EDIT: YAY! My 100th post I am a Lieutenant now. So, efrang... drop and give me a thousand.

 

I think that's taking this beyond common sense.

[efreng]

Yep, I had to go take a valium.

 

EDIT: YAY! My 100th post I am a Lieutenant now. So, efrang... drop and give me a thousand.

 

 

thatll be the day

[efreng]

I am 6'1" and my thought about your remarks are not so hot.

 

 

Look me up next time you are in Dallas so I can throw a drink in your face. any thoughts?

 

Just kidding. Tee hee.

 

This topic is about blasters, not about if our brothers here need to be excluded due to their size.

 

 

im 5'6"..drinks? dont try me

[Apollo]

he 501st doesn't require any blaster for acceptance (at least they didn't for clones the last time I checked. I assume it's the same for stormtroopers)

[Daetrin[Admin]]

That is correct, blasters are not required for pretty much any character. The only exceptions I believe are Sith Lords (light sabers) and sandtroopers (who need a BFG, but no blaster).

[WhiteCommando[501st]]

Hmm... petite. Anyways, try Ewok Ale... I heard it comes in baby bottles. Oh, and try... you? Why would I? There is no try, there is only do.

 

im 5'6"..drinks? dont try me

[Scott M.[TK]]

he 501st doesn't require any blaster for acceptance (at least they didn't for clones the last time I checked. I assume it's the same for stormtroopers)

 

This is a true statement regarding TK's, but I believe the question at hand was more about Elite Status. The 501st does not require accurate ab buttons per film (i.e. grey/blue for ANH and ESB, black for ROTJ) , not do they require the side gaps to be covered. The idea here is to take the costume to the next level, which a few have done, and many more may simply need to just apply and attain.

 

I will agree this is a very good topic, and I am also becoming very convinced in regards to the discussion. Lots of good ideas on both side, and a very civil discussion. I think it was Bernard who made have made the best point of all, which had something to do with making the status worth enough to work for. Here is where we can get challenged, because I can see the water is murky based on where you start.

 

Take an AP vs. FX suit. Both can be used pretty much out of the box to get 501st status, but we can all agree that it takes much more to get an FX ready for Elite Status than it does an AP suit. Now, you are all asking how does this relate to the blaster; it does in the sense that it is where you start.

 

Many TK's now would probably say they started with an FX because they did not know any better. I know I did. I certainly know what my options are now, but when I began, I did some basic searches on Stormtrooper armor, found several listings, and bought a set. Now I know better, but when I started, all I knew was FX. The same is true, in my opinion, for blasters. Did I know there were so many blaster options before I started down the Hasbro road, no.

 

Now I am partly to blame for not doing "enough" research, but I found the Hasbro blaster mentioned all over, as well as the conversion kit, so I thought this was a great option. Fast forward several months, and now I know that was not the road I would have followed had I known then what I know now.

 

So now, all of you are asking, WHAT"S THE POINT????

 

My point is education is the way to better the FISD. Helping all TK's know what the options are is key. I also agree making the standards attainable, yet difficult, is the only way to make them worth going for. So, lets keep the discussion going, help educate all the TK's out there, and work to "encourage without discouraging" all the new TK's that are applying for the 501st. When the Hasbro blaster is not an option for Elite Status, we all better make sure that when someone does a google search for "Stormtrooper blaster", ALL the options are presented, and many of those point back here.

 

As you were.

 

[Daetrin[Admin]]

My point is education is the way to better the FISD. Helping all TK's know what the options are is key. I also agree making the standards attainable, yet difficult, is the only way to make them worth going for.

Yes, yes, YES!!! Perfect summation

[TK4205]

I've pretty much stayed out of this because I really had no oppinion one way or the other. I like the idea of having a higher standard for deployed/elite stattus, but one might consider also that it's sometimes not practical to carry a more accurate blaster; I'm not sure what a converted sterling weighs, but I do know I wouldn't want to troop with one. I bought a very nice accurate fan built blaster that lasted 3 troops before I retired it from breakage.

I personally enjoy my hasbro conversion. It's light, easy to handle, good for righties and lefties. I took the time to convert a toy into something completely different. To me that's costuming.

 

Most of all, I can hand it to a kid for a picture.

[Apollo]

This is a true statement regarding TK's, but I believe the question at hand was more about Elite Status.

 

I only mentioned that because someone said that the hasbro should not even be acceptable for 501st acceptance

[RBJ[501st]]

..I too have kept my big mouth shut and read this post from the beginning...at first I thought that eliminating the Hasbro was wrong, but after reading through the intire discussion, I agree that if the Elite standard is to truly represent the highest level of TK costuming, then the Hasbro should go....but not before the FX bucket...

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Here's some more food for thought...

 

Even if Elite means no Hasbro, it doesn't mean you can't troop without one. What I mean is that while MEPD requirements specify that you have to be *able* to troop as 100% MEPD, it doesn't mean you have to. For instance, at times I just troop with an E-11 instead of a BFG, or at a con or other place with little room I might ditch the pack. So even if we ban Hasbro from Elite and you use a nice resin job to get Elite status, you're perfectly free to troop with your Hasbro should you wish too.

 

I guess in light of this I'm more in favor of dis-allowing it. The question is this: how to codify it? I mean, if someone scratch builds an E-11, how do we determine it's Elite quality as opposed to Hasbro quality?

[ItchyNutsDesign]

I guess in light of this I'm more in favor of dis-allowing it. The question is this: how to codify it? I mean, if someone scratch builds an E-11, how do we determine it's Elite quality as opposed to Hasbro quality?

 

 

That one's easy... On its individual merits.

 

The issue with the kenner isn't its finish (we've seen some lovely kenner blasters in this thread), it's the fact that no matter what you do to it, it's NEVER going to be the right shape and size.

 

Assess the blaster in exactly the same way as a costume would be assessed for clearance. If things need doing to it, point this out to the applicant in a constructive way, offering solutions. Maybe for elite status, you should have applicants submit a left and right close-up of their blaster too.

[TK8280]

I agree that the hasbro hengstler is pretty bad, but that's one of the things that the mod kits fix.

 

It doesn't really fix the toy blaster, it just trys to mask it

[TK8280]

I've pretty much stayed out of this because I really had no oppinion one way or the other. I like the idea of having a higher standard for deployed/elite stattus, but one might consider also that it's sometimes not practical to carry a more accurate blaster; I'm not sure what a converted sterling weighs, but I do know I wouldn't want to troop with one. I bought a very nice accurate fan built blaster that lasted 3 troops before I retired it from breakage.

I personally enjoy my hasbro conversion. It's light, easy to handle, good for righties and lefties. I took the time to convert a toy into something completely different. To me that's costuming.

 

Most of all, I can hand it to a kid for a picture.

Please remember that this discussion is not about trooping with the more accurate blaster, its having one when submitting your photo's for elite status

[TK8280]

..I too have kept my big mouth shut and read this post from the beginning...at first I thought that eliminating the Hasbro was wrong, but after reading through the intire discussion, I agree that if the Elite standard is to truly represent the highest level of TK costuming, then the Hasbro should go....but not before the FX bucket...

 

Yes! I have turned another one muahahaha

[Apollo]

Actually Bernard, I would say that taking off the old hasbro hengstler and replacing it with the resin cast that comes in many mod kits would, in fact, fix the problem to which I was referring. Not just mask it

[Scott M.[TK]]

Please remember that this discussion is not about trooping with the more accurate blaster, its having one when submitting your photo's for elite status

 

This is a valid point, but would someone want to buy a screen accurate helmet (or any other part of their armor), and not use it? I have only left my modded blaster at home once, and it was because I bought a second, non-modified version so if the kids dropped it, I would not be upset. I could not see getting a screen accurate blaster and then never taking it out of the package, except to get my Elite Status.

 

I am not saying I disagree, but what is the point of having a costume if you are not going to use it? It would be like joining the 501st, then never donning the armor and trooping. This really has no bearing on your argument here, which is a valid one, I just could not justify getting an accurate blaster if I never trooped with it.

[TK8280]

Actually Bernard, I would say that taking off the old hasbro hengstler and replacing it with the resin cast that comes in many mod kits would, in fact, fix the problem to which I was referring. Not just mask it

I was saying that it doesn't fix the blaster just helps to mask one of its many flaws

[TK8280]

This is a valid point, but would someone want to buy a screen accurate helmet (or any other part of their armor), and not use it? I have only left my modded blaster at home once, and it was because I bought a second, non-modified version so if the kids dropped it, I would not be upset. I could not see getting a screen accurate blaster and then never taking it out of the package, except to get my Elite Status.

 

I am not saying I disagree, but what is the point of having a costume if you are not going to use it? It would be like joining the 501st, then never donning the armor and trooping. This really has no bearing on your argument here, which is a valid one, I just could not justify getting an accurate blaster if I never trooped with it.

 

Well Scot, it has everything to do with my argument...that would mean that the elite status would then be placed at a higher bar than the 501st standards...these standards are there for those of us who want to achieve them, not for those who want to troop in screen accurate armor remember this pleas......remember that this is about attaining the elite status, not trooping, and not being apart of the 501st...being apart of the 501st is an option for members here such is the elite status, just because you are an elite trooper doesn't mean that you are in or want to be in the 501st <_<

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Actually this is what you want Elite for Bernard, but for others it may be a different reason. Remember that this is a detachment for *all* 501st stormtroopers. Some people join the 501st to troop, others are mostly collectors, and some are mostly prop builders. Some folks troop several times a month, some once a year.

 

The Elite standards are already higher than the current 501st standards. They were never designed nor intended to be the ultimate of what can be achieved in terms of accuracy. They're meant to lead and inspire members to achieve a higher standard, not put the standard so high it's only attainable by a few.

 

I'm not sure what the MEPD Officer percentages are out of all 501st TDs, but I bet it's pretty high. This to me is a sign of a successful program, not having only 10 people who went the Mike Harrison route. And yes, when the majority are "deployed" then it's possible to raise the bar yet again.

 

If we really wanted something that meant the most accurate of the accurate, I'd suggest some other designation in a different program.

[TK8280]

Actually this is what you want Elite for Bernard, but for others it may be a different reason. Remember that this is a detachment for *all* 501st stormtroopers. Some people join the 501st to troop, others are mostly collectors, and some are mostly prop builders. Some folks troop several times a month, some once a year.

 

The Elite standards are already higher than the current 501st standards. They were never designed nor intended to be the ultimate of what can be achieved in terms of accuracy. They're meant to lead and inspire members to achieve a higher standard, not put the standard so high it's only attainable by a few.

 

I'm not sure what the MEPD Officer percentages are out of all 501st TDs, but I bet it's pretty high. This to me is a sign of a successful program, not having only 10 people who went the Mike Harrison route. And yes, when the majority are "deployed" then it's possible to raise the bar yet again.

 

If we really wanted something that meant the most accurate of the accurate, I'd suggest some other designation in a different program.

 

 

I was trying to address Scott's comment about trooping with an accurate weapon such as a de-milled Sterling, I was just trying to point out that you don't have to troop with the accurate weapon, this is about the "elite" status, mainly the ANH and if you don't want to go the extra mile and get a more accurate weapon, then don't that’s all I really wanted to point out...just because the elite standards are high doesn't mean that they are not able to be achieved

[Scott M.[TK]]

I was trying to address Scott's comment about trooping with an accurate weapon such as a de-milled Sterling, I was just trying to point out that you don't have to troop with the accurate weapon, this is about the "elite" status, mainly the ANH and if you don't want to go the extra mile and get a more accurate weapon, then don't that’s all I really wanted to point out...just because the elite standards are high doesn't mean that they are not able to be achieved

 

And I do agree, I just meant that having a blaster for elite status but never trooping with it, IMO, is not a good use of time, money, whatever. If I buy a screen accurate blaster, I am going to troop with it!!! Others may not, and that is OK.

 

Also, I believe you have to be a member of the 501st to achieve Elite status, at least to be recognized by the FISD. Paul and/or Ed may need to correct me, bt I think 501st membership is required to be acknowledged in this detachment as an Elite trooper.

[Apollo]

I was saying that it doesn't fix the blaster just helps tt tray and mask its may flaws

 

Much the same way that making any modifications to FX armor does not fix it, the mods would just cover up its flaws.