1/6 Hot Toys Stormtroopers Deluxe Version MMS514/515

[ZE_501]

One of my old Frankenstein'd stormtroopers...Marmit bucket and who knows what else. Might have been a Soldier Story S2.5 body. That belt doesn't look stock either...

 

[abake]

It's hard to come up with a better/more iconic design than OT Stormtroopers and Darth Vader, isn't it? Effing genius...

 

[jkno]

I don't understand your problem with this - it was a major burnout for you, but I'm having fun doing this, why judge me by your negative experience?

I've already made it 100% clear that I'm having a blast doing this, yet you keep dragging this "you're an OCD psycho!!" bs out? Seriously - why? A threat to your "diploma of stormtrooper expert-ology" on the wall (or that's hidden in a drawer but you still value it even if you deny it)?

And that stale old rivet counters put-down is so incredibly stupid. The same people who will say there's something not quite right about how a certain figure looks - um... because several minor details are throwing it off - are the same people who condemn others who pay attention to those minor details? I mean wtf - how incredibly stupid.

The difference between a Hasbro 12" Luke Jedi figure from 1998, then a Sideshow Luke Jedi figure from 2006, then a HT Luke Jedi figure of today isn't just quality of materials - it's ACCURACY. Which means that yes, someone at HT counted the number of rivets on Luke's gunbelt, or the precise width of each section of Vader's chest armor or the exact size of his chestbox and each button/switch on it. Isn't the unique shoulder armor on this ROTJ stormie "rivet counting"?

I mean seriously - what more moronic idea is there in a hobby that is about more and more accurate figs as time goes on - than the idea of "rivet counters"?




And cue the...

If you didn't get it by now, then whatever I do (or others), you won't get it. So I won't bother anymore, not worth my time. Also try to stop putting words in someone else's mouth. Like I said before, Talibane nickname fits your description perfectly.

 

[jkno]

One of my old Frankenstein'd stormtroopers...Marmit bucket and who knows what else. Might have been a Soldier Story S2.5 body. That belt doesn't look stock either...

View attachment 493689

Very cool! SSC blaster too I see. I still have my Marmit Stormie and Sandie (and TIE Pilot and AT-AT Driver). The Stormie armor and helmet might not be too sharp, but remains quite beautiful. Marmit had inside knowledge back then, which cannot be said about other companies with minor exceptions.

 

[TaliBane]

If you didn't get it by now, then whatever I do (or others), you won't get it. So I won't bother anymore, not worth my time. Also try to stop putting words in someone else's mouth. Like I said before, Talibane nickname fits your description perfectly.

That's umm... why I CHOSE it.

And I'll stop putting words in someone else's mouth when you stop projecting your OCD burnout onto someone else.

 

[Sixth Scale Man]

It's hard to come up with a better/more iconic design than OT Stormtroopers and Darth Vader, isn't it? Effing genius...

So true! The fact that they still resonate all these years later is incredible. Actually, the overall design in the OT still amazes me, especially when I look at my collection as a huge group. Makes me smile.


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[TaliBane]

I wonder what it is that makes the old Marmit Stormtroopers so good.
Is it the overall silhouette that they achieved? The overall proportions? There's just something so uniquely right about the way they look, despite the soft details -or is it maybe because of them?
I remember there was a fellow boardie who had a bunch of customised Marmits, and he posed and photographed them really well.
Sometimes I think about looking for a couple on eBay...

All the Marmits were VERY expensive for their time (and you had to actually "build" them...) but Marmit certainly knew something.

Here's my modded Marmit ATAT driver (I currently have this figure pulled apart to change to Sideshow chestbox pipes and Sideshow jumpsuit) next to the nicely finished, and far more recent - but much less accurate - Sideshow ATAT driver. And yes, the Sideshow figure is too tall by nearly 1/2".

 

[jkno]

So true! The fact that they still resonate all these years later is incredible. Actually, the overall design in the OT still amazes me, especially when I look at my collection as a huge group. Makes me smile.


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And not just Vader and Stormtroopers, the other characters too, the ships, the lightsabers, the blasters, the locations. They are so iconic and well thought, the people involved in making them from the sketches to the movies sets did a fantastic job, that transcends time. Well worth reading some of the behind the scenes books like Making of SW, Sculpting a Galaxy, SW Archives, Star Wars Art Ralph McQuarrie, Brian Muir books etc.

 

[Sixth Scale Man]

I have the Rinzler books and they?re stunning. Got the Sculpting A Galaxy and OT Chronicles (was going through the Chronicles book just the other day).
Those other ones sound good too. But yes, there?s something about the whole design aspect, the characters, props, creatures and ships. Amazing artists like McQuarrie, Freeborn and Tippett. The repurposing of everyday objects, kit bashing with greeblies. No matter the ups and downs with prequels, sequels and the like, it?s the imagination and work that went into the OT that will keep me in love with that galaxy.[emoji3]


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[jkno]

I have the Rinzler books and they?re stunning. Got the Sculpting A Galaxy and OT Chronicles (was going through the Chronicles book just the other day).
Those other ones sound good too. But yes, there?s something about the whole design aspect, the characters, props, creatures and ships. Amazing artists like McQuarrie, Freeborn and Tippett. The repurposing of everyday objects, kit bashing with greeblies. No matter the ups and downs with prequels, sequels and the like, it?s the imagination and work that went into the OT that will keep me in love with that galaxy.[emoji3]


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It is insane when you realize the unbelievable imagination these talented guys had. They used anything they could find for the movie props and the sets there. Vintage flashlights and Exactra calculator parts for sabers, microflame torches for Jawa props, elephants as Banthas, cheap kitchen rubber gloves for Stormtrooper gloves, Sherman tank scopes for E-11 scopes, Michell parts for various helmet greeblies, Stephens radiation dosimeters for Imperial code cylinders, etc. etc.

 

[jye4ever]

As near perfection as a custom job can achieve most collectors just don?t have the time, skills, patience, dexterity, stamina, tools, trust or money required to follow thru on achieving that level of accuracy so their next best option is HT.

Time and trust are definitely two of the big reasons, skills can be learned and money can be earned.

But time, yikes.

Just the research of the project alone is a killer forget work, school, kids, illness etc.

Trust is also an issue just be careful who you give your money too always a risk inherently built into custom projects.

Now for those that possess all that is required to create a custom bucket more power to you they look wonderfully accurate and sometimes the accuracy can?t be unseen.

But it is much easier for most to just plop down $300 and continue on with your life responsibilities and then magically the HT package arrives and you now instantly own a 90% accurate ANH stormtrooper that is shiny and sharp looking.

Does it look like a stormtrooper, YES!

Move along.

HT ANH is simply the must own best option for MOST collectors that desire that look and that certainly doesn?t make them any less of a diehard fan than a customizer trust me I don?t customize for accuracy but man do I over spend on SW toys, we are all big fans.

But forget accuracy there is an even more important reason why you shouldn?t taint your SW collection with a ROTJ trooper, they were easily killed by Ewoks lol

Just my 2 cents.


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[ZE_501]

[...]

HT ANH is simply the must own best option for MOST collectors that desire that look and that certainly doesn?t make them any less of a diehard fan than a customizer trust me I don?t customize for accuracy but man do I over spend on SW toys, we are all big fans.

But forget accuracy there is an even more important reason why you shouldn?t taint your SW collection with a ROTJ trooper, they were easily killed by Ewoks lol

Just my 2 cents.


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Years ago, I said the HT ANH stormtroopers were the best out-of-the-box option in any scale, and still believe that, although now if you like the R1 iteration they?re excellent, and SHF?s recent 6-inch version is one of the best I?ve seen; the latter need to be lit properly for the excellent sculpts to shine. Of course none of them are perfect.

As for Ewoks and ROTJ stormtroopers, I try not to think about it. [emoji38]

And I?m the poster-boy for not putting in the time on customs, my time has just gone elsewhere the last few years.


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[jye4ever]

Years ago, I said the HT ANH stormtroopers were the best out-of-the-box option in any scale, and still believe that, although now if you like the R1 iteration they?re excellent, and SHF?s recent 6-inch version is one of the best I?ve seen; the latter need to be lit properly for the excellent sculpts to shine. Of course none of them are perfect.

As for Ewoks and ROTJ stormtroopers, I try not to think about it. [emoji38]

And I?m the poster-boy for not putting in the time on customs, my time has just gone elsewhere the last few years.


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Yup yup.

There just isn?t enough time in my day that I can devote towards perfecting one bucket forget army building screen accurate buckets it just isn?t going to happen.

The disposable time I barely do have goes towards balancing a healthy SW collection that involves Hasbro, SH, Mafex, and HT including vehicles and just keeping up with those stock items keeps me busy enough lol

That doesn?t even include the required time needed to build a collection for other non SW properties!

Marvel
DC
Horror
Sci-Fi
Action

I can?t hyper focus on just ONE thing I just can?t.

HT Hoth Luke will just have to suffice AS IS!

Does HT 90% look like ANH trooper, yes it does!

Does HT 90% look like Hoth Luke, yes it does!

Although too much Dagobah leaning for my tastes.

Grant it that first SS con reveal of proto Hoth Luke was rather deflated and fugly put together but the HT proto brought it together into an acceptable package for me, no time to waste on grenade shapes and glove thickness, next collectible needs to be bought lol


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[TaliBane]

Yup yup.

There just isn?t enough time in my day that I can devote towards perfecting one bucket forget army building screen accurate buckets it just isn?t going to happen.

The disposable time I barely do have goes towards balancing a healthy SW collection that involves Hasbro, SH, Mafex, and HT including vehicles and just keeping up with those stock items keeps me busy enough lol

That doesn?t even include the required time needed to build a collection for other non SW properties!

Marvel
DC
Horror
Sci-Fi
Action

I can?t hyper focus on just ONE thing I just can?t.

HT Hoth Luke will just have to suffice AS IS!

Does HT 90% look like ANH trooper, yes it does!

Does HT 90% look like Hoth Luke, yes it does!

Although too much Dagobah leaning for my tastes.

Grant it that first SS con reveal of proto Hoth Luke was rather deflated and fugly put together but the HT proto brought it together into an acceptable package for me, no time to waste on grenade shapes and glove thickness, next collectible needs to be bought lol


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That's your problem right there - spread too thin.

I'm SW and Indy... and that's about it. And let's face it - most years you can count the number of Indy collectibles released on one hand.

And not only are you multiple IP lines, you're multiple scales and fig types. I collect the odd 3 3/4" or 6" SW fig (no other lines in those scales,) but the numbers have plummeted to a dozen or less a year - I'm pretty much 100% 1/6 these days.

Between being solely SW and solely 1/6, it keeps things simple, symmetrical and super clean. Like a HT stormtrooper helmet.

 

[chrisstbh]

 

[jkno]

Years ago, I said the HT ANH stormtroopers were the best out-of-the-box option in any scale, and still believe that, although now if you like the R1 iteration they?re excellent, and SHF?s recent 6-inch version is one of the best I?ve seen; the latter need to be lit properly for the excellent sculpts to shine. Of course none of them are perfect.

As for Ewoks and ROTJ stormtroopers, I try not to think about it. [emoji38]

And I?m the poster-boy for not putting in the time on customs, my time has just gone elsewhere the last few years.


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HT ROTJ Stormies are ok, wish HT had kept the original proto helmet though, it was a tad better. The poseability of the ROTJ Stormies is a bit improved over the ANH ones, not that I would care for crazy Spiderman poses with my Stormies. We should have gotten Wookiees instead of Ewoks, but we got teddy bears so this is what we have.

When a friend of mine and collector came to my house last week, we looked at Medicom figures too (they have some of the ROTJ tells there), and I realized the pleather blaster holster on the Stormie peeled off completely, just the textile part remaining - not too bad in the end. Just the regular Medi Stormie was affected, Shadow Stormtrooper and Vader are ok.

 

[jye4ever]

That's your problem right there - spread too thin.

I'm SW and Indy... and that's about it. And let's face it - most years you can count the number of Indy collectibles released on one hand.

And not only are you multiple IP lines, you're multiple scales and fig types. I collect the odd 3 3/4" or 6" SW fig (no other lines in those scales,) but the numbers have plummeted to a dozen or less a year - I'm pretty much 100% 1/6 these days.

Between being solely SW and solely 1/6, it keeps things simple, symmetrical and super clean. Like a HT stormtrooper helmet.

Yeah I am spread too thin but there are so many movies I love.

Imagine a Stormtrooper being in the same room with a Terminator, Batmobile, Godzilla, Jason Voorhees, Punisher, Alien, Superman, Predator, Rocky, Lightsaber, Shogun Warrior, Indy, Robocop, Y-Wing, The Shape, Helmets and Conan and you see my self imposed dilema lol

But hey at least I finally found something useful to do with my 6 inch FO trooper binoculars lol

There is no casket big enough to fit all my stuff so eventually my wife and son will either break, sell, lose, give away or throw away all my stuff.

Maybe the looters will just take my stuff.

sigh

But congrats in being dedicated towards a single focus it definitely comes with its own rewards.


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[ZE_501]

Very cool! SSC blaster too I see. I still have my Marmit Stormie and Sandie (and TIE Pilot and AT-AT Driver). The Stormie armor and helmet might not be too sharp, but remains quite beautiful. Marmit had inside knowledge back then, which cannot be said about other companies with minor exceptions.

Good eye...yes, something about the proportions of the SSC E-11s has always seemed that much better than HT to me.

 

[jkno]

Good eye...yes, something about the proportions of the SSC E-11s has always seemed that much better than HT to me.

SSC E-11 is indeed better than the HT ANH blaster.

Talking about ROTJ Stormtroopers, here are a few of these Stormies using ESB resin blasters, instead of the known ROTJ one.




Regular ROTJ MGC blaster, seen on the HT figure too:






And some Ewoks captured by the Empire, skinned, and eaten as delicacy by the Emperor himself. Ewoks lives matter...

 

[jye4ever]

I do agree that the RO trooper helmet is very kid friendly

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