Death Trooper WIP - Ottawa, Canada

[berzerker[501st]]

I'm a good way into my build and wanted to share some of the progress and process.

 

My intent was to take my low-accuracy AM ANH TK and convert it to DT armour, using new NE armour to replace my TK/HWT but I became displeased with the NE during the build and decided to use all the NE limbs and AM torso for my DT.  If you got through that sentence and understood it all, you're a Stormtrooper.

 

I bought a DT helmet off the 501st forums.  Thrilled with the look and the price, it seemed a no-brainer.

 

Following a reference thread on the FISD, I took the suggestion to buy a Zombie latex mask off ebay.  The mask would be cut up to show the face and other parts would be used in breaks in the armour to represent necrotized flesh.

 

As nice as the helmet was, I wanted more face to be visible so I took a chunk out of it, then added some wires and internal electrical greebs.

 

I love the look of the inner tube so I took a chunk out of the tube stipe area and exposed the innards here as well.

 

Wanting to be a scary DT, I knew I had to make a decision on the face.  Make-up?  No.  Too long to apply each wearing.  I get enough of that with Darth Maul.  Appliance made and attached to the helmet?  No, the vision is too limited as it is and to have it away from my face would make me effectively blind in the left eye.  The last option was to wear the latex mask direct on my face but it is designed loose so I adhered it to a vac form shell of my lifecast (again, a left over from my Darth Maul costume)

 

Cut out essential areas:

 

Adhered latex mask to vac form:

 

Added other elements of the face:

 

Finished out the head as the helmet has a large hole in the head:

 

Used hot glue to fill seams, then primed it for paint.  Wasn't happy with the natural colours and wanted a more green/grey dead flesh look.

 

Greys:

 

Bone colour:

 

Reds for some skin colour:

 

Blacks for depth:

 

White for bone and teeth:

 

Blood:  I used a gloss black in pools and let gravity take it where it would when in the natural position.  I then added Tamiya X-27 (clear red) to finish the blood look.

 

RAWRRRARARRA!

 

Like my Wookiee, I saw the need to black out the natural skin under the mask.  I also threw in a Maul lens for effect.  I plan on white-out lenses when I debut the costume.

 

 

Still need to put a black screen behind the mouth so my skin is concealed.

 

 

So head's done.  Yay!  On to the arms.  Left forearm has a defensive would on the inner exposure.  It's made from the collar bone of the mask and glued in place:

 

Photobucket has kicked me so more later!

 

[berzerker[501st]]

Left forearm:

 

Right forearm has a number of slashes in it and bandage tape.

 

 

 

 

 

Took a lightsaber slash to this shoulder.

 

 

Early left forearm.  Once I found the bravery to cut more away the look I wanted started top develop.

[Raintrooper]

Oh my god this rules!!!  Combining the zombie and Star Wars love!  I was WAY into horror movies and comics for a long time..  I kinda felt like the whole zombie thing was getting played out...  but THIS, Wow!   I think I need to read that Death Trooper novel!   

[HeloTrooper]

Exceptional effort, Andy. 

 

I'm doing the same thing with my Armor FX kit from 14 years ago... I can think of no better way for that kit to live out its natural life (and death).

 

Been wrestling withthe same issues re: latex mask and visibility INSIDE of the helmet.  I like your solution alot.

 

Looking forward to seeing some more...

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Some amazing work there

[Jancelot[TK]]

Impressive detail!

 

 

[berzerker[501st]]

Did a tad more work today.  Had the idea to have a rivet repair on the armour.  It was a risk.  I like the look but wonder what Ken and Damien will think when I submit for approval.  Still needs more weathering with browns and green.

 

Thoughts?

 

[swmand4]

I like the look of the rivet repair. It tells a story and helps sell the look. Don't know if it will pass approval, but Death Troopers aren't ever shown on film or in games so I don't see why some liberties and improvisation would be a problem.

[berzerker[501st]]

A couple hours put into weathering today.

 

 

 

 

Still need to add some skin and electronic effects behind the cut outs.

[Arnie_DK[TK]]

Wow!!! That is going to be awesome!!!

[berzerker[501st]]

Added some electronic components into the knee boxes and hit them with a lighter to give a scorched look.

 

[dlord98]

Wow you're very talented, you're an artist

[berzerker[501st]]

Wow you're very talented, you're an artist

 Ha!  I'm a lazy stay at home dad with lots of time on my hands and a great desire to build things and tinker.  Thanks for the compliment though.

[berzerker[501st]]

Ending a productive Sunday with aesthetic touches.

 

Glued spandex strips into inner shin for simulated torn undersuit.

 

Same with shoulder bell.

 

Shin from outside.

 

Shoulder

 

Prepping 'skin' strips for shin placement.  Still using the zombie mask for skin parts.

 

Bloodwork

[Infernotrooper481]

are you crazy the nice amour ^^

 

great work love it. do you work in holywood?

[kpresseault]

Can't wait to see this in action at an event! Of course, you're going to give me nightmares. I hate zombies

[berzerker[501st]]

Happy Holiday here in Ottawa, so more time to work on this.

 

I got overzealous with the dremel and the hole in the right guard is larger than I want.  So be it.  The black fringe is torn jersey material to silumate the nomex glove I'll be wearing.

 

For fun, here is the AM vs. NE handplate comparison.  I used my AM's for the DT saving the NE's for my TK.

 

Subtle work on the ab.

 

I took a blow torch to the thermdet.  I really love the way it came out.

 

Cut and burned a hole in the buttock area.  ABS, spandex and latex all burned with blow torch.

 

Couldn't do anything here.  That would just be wrong.

 

Belt with some circuit board exposed.

 

That does it for the armour.  All hard parts accounted for.  Need to redo my harness system and pad out the helmet, add a little more blood on today's parts then submit pics to my GML.  I'll share my submission pics soon.  Thanks for joining me on the ride.

[RampantLion[TK]]

Very cool. Thanks for all the pics.

[dereferenced]

Awesome build.

[berzerker[501st]]

Mostly ready for showtime.

 

I love the praise but I need the criticism.  Tell it like it is.  this is mostly AM armour and as such it has limitations for EIB/Centurion status.  I'm not looking for that level accuracy - FYI.

 

My notes on areas for improvement:

-helmet still to be padded

-zombie face to be worn

-zombie contact lens to be worn

-shoulder bells need to be rolled forward

 

-shoulders

-raise chest plate

 

-raise the back plate

 

-shoulders, chest and back as mentioned

 

-dirty up shoes

 

-I like it

 

-need to black out logo on pants

 

 

Overall

-add more brown/green weathering.  Still quite white.

 

Thanks for the feedback.  Off for a week then finalizing details for approval submission.

[Arnie_DK[TK]]

If you havent done it already(hard to tell from the pic) you should add the elastic in the shoulderbell that keeps it to the arm. Would also help keeping them in place

 

Still, simply love your suit

[berzerker[501st]]

Almost done but ready for submission.

 

White out lens.

 

Death stare.

 

 

Fingers crossed.

[berzerker[501st]]

Still waiting on word on approval but still lots to do...

 

I added a few bucks worth of parts and made this 'sparking' electrical effect for my helmet:

 

These are the parts for the light:

4.5V LED

4XAAA battery pack with switch.  One battery slot is jumped for 4.5V rather than 6V.

mercury switch to give the quick on/off function necessary for the effect to work.

 

I also added sound using some parts from my Tusken Raider sound gloves.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Awesome work, well done

[berzerker[501st]]

Had my first outing in the DT over the past weekend at FanExpo.  Huge impact with the crowds.  I loved the attention.  Good recognition of the character, lots who thought it was just a cross over - zombie stormtrooper and some haters out there too.

 

It was used by the local TV station closing the news on Friday https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200861286507437&l=4428391772803946656

 

Just got word from Damien J that my TK: Death Trooper designation has been approved.