I am tempted by the Rubie's Supreme Set, please advise me

[Yoma_mafat]

2 main reasons:

 

(1) So far from my own research, I cannot seem to find a fan-made one, for around the same price of the Rubie's one which is roughly £600ish pounds for me. I would not like to spend £1000 for an entire set(armour and helmet).

 

(2) I really want to get a ready made one, instead of having to trim and build it myself, because I am very anxious with doing that. I understand it may not be the best fit, but I am standard size.

 

So my question is, are there any others available that are relatively cheap(my budge being around £600ish to £700ish) and ready made to wear?

 

Additionally, I would like to wear it for trooping around!

Edited February 20, 2012 by Yoma_mafat

[Locitus[Admin]]

600 quid spend on rubies is 600 quid wasted. Might as well throw it out the window. I recommend saving up some more if you have to get one pre-built. You should reconsider building it yourself. It's not as hard as it looks and you have all the help you can ever need right here on the forum.

[jnnfr72[TK]]

Hello,

I was looking at some older posts, and these might be good to read.

 

http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=9437&hl=rubies&st=0

http://forum.whitear...opic=10336&st=0

 

Just keep researching on these FISD boards, and you will find your answers.

Good luck! (Please, really consider NOT buying a Rubies to save yourself a headache later.)

Edited February 20, 2012 by jnnfr72

[Yoma_mafat]

An alternative for me is the SDS kit, I've read tons about AA's bad rep, it doesnt bother me because he has a package that offers the battle helmet + armour for £750. But from what I gathered, the armour has not been assembled. Does anyone know how hard it would be to assemble it? What would I need? Im a total beginner

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

Rubies?!

 

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According to the googles: UK£ 600 = 951.72 U.S. dollars

 

If you have patience you may be able to find fan made armor someone is selling used here on FISD that is already built. The crap shoot is that since most folks tailor their amor to fit their body type, you would need to be almost their size. You may find it as much work if not more buying pre-assembled armor to get it to fit you.

 

Or you can dive right in and buy a full set of armor unassembled (maybe with an assembled helmet) for around £600 and have fun assembling it. There are also a million little bits and pieces that go with our costume that are above and beyond just the armor and helmet. That tends to drive the total cost of ownership fairly high.

 

Take a look at the getting started forum and especially-------. Maybe you might change your mind and put together your own kit.

 

The UK Garrison folks may be able to help you. I suggest poking around-------- too.

 

Aloha,

 

-Eric

Edited January 24, 2021 by gmrhodes13
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[Yoma_mafat]

Yeah, I find that the contention here is, I really REALLY dont want to assemble anything myself. And people are telling me dont go for that assembled Rubies' crap(which I think looks alright). BUt no one gives me an alternative, when they keep saying its cheaper to get some fan-made ones!

[Arnie_DK[TK]]

You'll regret buying Rubies. It will never get accepted, unless you spend almost as much time modding it, as you would building your own.

[Arnie_DK[TK]]

Yeah, I find that the contention here is, I really REALLY dont want to assemble anything myself. And people are telling me dont go for that assembled Rubies' crap(which I think looks alright). BUt no one gives me an alternative, when they keep saying its cheaper to get some fan-made ones!

 

Have you at least tried looking at the links people have given you?

There are plenty of alternatives in them

[Solcar23[TK]]

Just don't do it!!!!! Read more here, do research, be more patient and you'll save yourself a bunch of money, have a great time, connect with an amazing community and be satisfied in knowing you made the right decision!! We've all felt the impatience, my motto is if you're going to do it, just do it right in the first place! Everyone is here to help!!

[Yoma_mafat]

hows the quality of Rubies for trooping though? Is it ABS too?

[Griffin-X[TK]]

Run from the Rubies... If you search around you will find a much better alternative that is accurate and can be approved.

[Yoma_mafat]

Ive found a few ive even contacted sellers, but all are not-assembled. They are just kits. I really want one thats pre-assembled ><!

[Locitus[Admin]]

Some kit-makers can assemble their kits for a fee.

 

Seriously though, taking the easy way out is never the right way. Also, the rubies might look decent on that promo pic they always use in the online stores. In reality it looks nothing like in that picture. It's nothing but false marketing.

[tkrestonva[TK]]

Despite the marketing propaganda you will find online, this is what your fully-assembled, out-of-the-box ready to wear Rubies kit really looks like:

 

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This photo was taken by a 501st member a few years ago at a trade show - here is a direct quote from his assessment:

 

This armor is so flimsy it isnt even funny. If you have seen the plastic masks that come with the kids costumes, this plastic is about twice as thick as that stuff and just as bendable. The helmet is laughable. It does not have shoes. The shoulder bells were completely warped and pitted. It was held together by black velcro strips (some of which were pulling away from the armor on the manequin)

 

I suppose for anyone wanting a costume to wear to the bar in hopes of winning some cash this would work. But it doesnt hold a candle to the quality of armor found in the 501st. If someone is serious about joining the 501st, avoid this like the plague.

 

Switch out the helmet (it is beyond saving) and spend a crap load of time reworking, reinforcing, and resurfacing...maybe. If people can turn the Rubies Vader into an acceptable costume, they can do it with this trooper. But if you are going to spend that much money, there are far better armor makers out there who's armor would require 1/4 of the time and effort to assemble and be 501st ready.

 

At some point, we were all total beginners. Furthermore, you have a vast knowledge base right here at your fingertips - a collection of knowledge that many who went before you had to scrape together over many years of painstaking research and trial-and-error experience.

 

If you give in to your temptation, impatience and (temporary) lack of confidence by going the Rubies route, you may scratch your immediate itch but you will DEEPLY regret it the moment you stand next to someone with, well, pretty much any other kit. As Mathias aptly put, 600 quid spend on Rubies is 600 quid wasted - no if's, and's, or but's about it. Good luck trying to resell it on eBay as well, as the word has been out for some time just how bad the Rubies Supreme Stormtrooper really is compared to a fan-made kit. Furthermore, don't even try to get cleared by the UKG with a stock Rubies - I can only imagine how much of a crushing experience it would be.

 

The reality is that this is not a hobby to be done on the quick and cheap. Period. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. If you truly do not want to assemble your own kit (and I strongly recommend you reconsider), then keep saving your money until you have enough to buy a kit that has been built by one of the vendors here to the body measurements you provide them.

 

You asked for an alternative? Buy a kit, then contact the UKG Armourer team and have them help you assemble it.-------- (UKG Chief Armourer) is a outright genius in assembling stormtrooper armor, and has vast experience in working with just about every kit available, not to mention every body type. Furthermore, as I understand it, the way the UKG Armour Team operates is that once you get your kit you don't have to go solo or rely solely on forum-based help - they will physically come to you.

 

By the way, have you posted an introduction in the-------------section?

Edited January 24, 2021 by gmrhodes13
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[Yoma_mafat]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess its back to hunting. Money is an issue for me too, Ive contacted RT, who indicated that it would cost an additional 175 to assemble it for me ><

[carbonitekid]

On 2/21/2012 at 2:27 AM, Yoma_mafat said:

hows the quality of Rubies for trooping though? Is it ABS too?

 

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Edited February 27, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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[xaoslord]

Buy a kit, then contact the UKG Armourer team and have them help you assemble it. Billy Haggis (UKG Chief Armourer) is a outright genius in assembling stormtrooper armor, and has vast experience in working with just about every kit available, not to mention every body type. Furthermore, as I understand it, the way the UKG Armour Team operates is that once you get your kit you don't have to go solo or rely solely on forum-based help - they will physically come to you.

 

*THE* best advice that you are going to get. The problem with pre-assembled armor, it that you end up having to modify it to fit properly, anyway. It is better to be able to test fit it as you go. If you want to be able to troop around, it needs to fit you VERY well. Otherwise you will be miserable. Good luck!

[stormtrooperguy[501st]]

Yeah, I find that the contention here is, I really REALLY dont want to assemble anything myself. And people are telling me dont go for that assembled Rubies' crap(which I think looks alright). BUt no one gives me an alternative, when they keep saying its cheaper to get some fan-made ones!

 

A readymade suit is unlikely to fit well. The armor really should be customized to the wearer.

 

I think the reason no-one is offering an alternative is that cheap + well fitted + pre-assembled is a rare beast indeed. You'd have to find someone exactly your height and weight that was selling a suit.

[dubVADER[501st]]

just do not.

[Drftfan[501st]]

I may be letting go of my fx armor in my pic. Check the for sale area

[TrooperVenger]

Rubies = POS. You might as well throw £600 in the bin.

My set of armour cost me £500 and I think it looks pretty nice but you can get even nicer looking ones for less than what I paid.

Also remember that NO suit will fit you out of the box. Even if you bought one 2nd hand from someone. Unless they were the exact same size, weight and - well basicaly everything, it'd not fit you and you'd need to trim it.

Oh and if you do look for a set of armour 2nd hand, make sure that you don't buy it from someone who's way smaller than you.

No good buying armour from a fella who's 5'7" and 10 stone if you're 6 foot tall and 13.

 

Take a look at the 'getting started' thread. I'm sure you'll find other makers for less than £600.

 

Andrew ainsworth does make a nice set of armour and his helmets are great, but for a grand you can get so much better for far less.

[Bushido]

Just to give my experiences here, I too once considered a Rubies brand on ebay but what stopped me was not only that every picture of the armor was the exact same one which raised suspision, but it doesn't even look right compared to the ANH, ESB, or even RotJ versions. I'm sure a lot of us here would rather not build it ourselves but fact is from my experiences with building my armor is that it is extremely more beneficial and will give you your money's worth. You can proudly say when people ask where you get this, you tell them, "I built it myself."

 

I don't blame you for not wanting to build it yourself but like everyone says here, it is more beneficial to you if you do it yourself. Look at it this way, from what I understand, you have a set budget but do not want to assemble your armor. It's either you spend less and build it yourself or spend more past your budget and get someone to make it for you which may or may not fit comfortably when it gets to you.

 

By the way I don't believe you've elaborated on why exactly you don't want to assemble it yourself.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Bushido

[Mopar McNeer]

I think you are on the right track contacting RT-Mod about a complete suit. I was going to suggest just that as it should fall within your budget and RT-Mod offers the service to finish the kit.

[TD-3425]

Also remember that even if you find someone who will assemble your armor, you still may have to modify it to fit your body. If it doesn't, you might not be approved. Second, once you get your armor, put it on and stand around for 2 hours. Try to walk fast in your armor. 15 minutes in your living room won't be any comparison.

 

You never know what you'll end up doing on a troop, and that armor bite will hurt like a mother. Which means you're still going to have to modify/cut certain areas to fit properly. Truth be told I think I spent the first 5-6 troops modifying things to the point where I wasn't getting armor bite, as bad. I still get it here or there depending on what we end up doing.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Trooper324

[TK_LEPER]

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Edited January 24, 2021 by gmrhodes13
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