For my first post, I would like to share a few photographs of a Star Wars-inspired special operations squad I just recently completed. This project represents the most technically and financially demanding endeavor I've taken so far in this hobby, and I am thrilled with the outcome.
The team consists of a core of four Storm Commandos (or Shadow Scouts) and one Shadow Trooper, but I've also entertained the idea of including some HT Death Troopers, increasing the number to nine. The Commandos (my personal favorite EU military unit) are heavily-modified SSC Biker Scouts, and the Shadow Trooper is from Hot Toys (largely just the stock figure, with a few extra pieces of gear). I built two commandos in conjunction with Joel Haase, an amazing Instagram-based customizer/figure-builder, who I commissioned to do the painting and some of the mod work -- he did an absolutely phenomenal job, and some particular highlights for me include the insane weathering detail, helmet conversion to flip-up style, and the skull visor art on the center-most figure. As for my contributions on the two figures, I handled the design, procurement, and final construction of all of the gear. This proved a fairly laborious task, as well as a rather large exercise in organization. As for the other two commandos, one I commissioned directly from Joel (the one with his visor flipped up in the group shot), and the other I found listed on eBay by one of his former clients (one with the silver lenses).
Overall, I had a lot of fun doing this, and while the two commandos that I helped build certainly aren't perfect (referring solely to my contributions -- Joel did an absolute top job) and look a little too busy in some areas, they represent the best figures my current skill will allow me to produce, and they are about as close as I can come to making a physical iteration of an idea that I had, at one point, thought was doomed to the confines of my imagination. Always satisfying when you can complete a personal passion project!
Thanks for taking a look.
The team consists of a core of four Storm Commandos (or Shadow Scouts) and one Shadow Trooper, but I've also entertained the idea of including some HT Death Troopers, increasing the number to nine. The Commandos (my personal favorite EU military unit) are heavily-modified SSC Biker Scouts, and the Shadow Trooper is from Hot Toys (largely just the stock figure, with a few extra pieces of gear). I built two commandos in conjunction with Joel Haase, an amazing Instagram-based customizer/figure-builder, who I commissioned to do the painting and some of the mod work -- he did an absolutely phenomenal job, and some particular highlights for me include the insane weathering detail, helmet conversion to flip-up style, and the skull visor art on the center-most figure. As for my contributions on the two figures, I handled the design, procurement, and final construction of all of the gear. This proved a fairly laborious task, as well as a rather large exercise in organization. As for the other two commandos, one I commissioned directly from Joel (the one with his visor flipped up in the group shot), and the other I found listed on eBay by one of his former clients (one with the silver lenses).
Overall, I had a lot of fun doing this, and while the two commandos that I helped build certainly aren't perfect (referring solely to my contributions -- Joel did an absolute top job) and look a little too busy in some areas, they represent the best figures my current skill will allow me to produce, and they are about as close as I can come to making a physical iteration of an idea that I had, at one point, thought was doomed to the confines of my imagination. Always satisfying when you can complete a personal passion project!
Thanks for taking a look.
