ESB Boba Fett Hopeful from Portland!

[LuigiFett]

Hi all!

My name is Matt, and I'm in SW Portland. I've always kind of wanted to join the 501st, but never seriously got around to looking into it. I had started on an ESB Boba Fett about 10 years ago, but then life got in the way and it went into storage. I just recently dug it out and had forgotten how far I had actually gotten on it. It still needs a good bit of work, most notably adding a jetpack, a sidearm/holster, adding the correct shin tools, redoing the paint/colors on the gauntlet grappling hook, get the correct ESB blaster, and adding some extra weathering to the boots (among other things) to get it up to snuff.

Here's a couple of shots of where it stands now https://imgur.com/gallery/Z1Amlg9, I'd love to connect with anyone who has suggestions on where I can find (relatively) affordable additions to bring it closer to 501st standards, as well as other suggestions on improvements I can make (I'm sure there are plenty!). I'm also curious - does the garrison allow members as spotters while they work toward 501st approval?

On an unrelated note, I've had such a good time putting this one together I'm almost tempted to make some room in my budget for a TK at some point, although I'd be willing to invest in anything the garrison might need.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to (hopefully) connecting with everyone!

[Fox]

Looks pretty good so far but I'm not a Boba expert.

[Lidocaine]

Welcome to the boards Matt! You're definitely well on your way to getting your ESB Fett towards completion! I'm currently the person assigned to review any Bounty Hunters locally, so hopefully I can give you some insight into where to go and such.

For all things ESB Fett, I would constantly refer to the costume reference library that the 501st has posted for him. This is the criteria that everyone uses to evaluate the costume, and can be found here: https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:BH_Boba_Fett-ESB. Just at a glance, your blaster is closer to the ROTJ version than the ESB, so I'd either upgrade to the ESB version or leave that out of your approval pictures. Blasters aren't required for approval, fortunately.

Fett is one of the more complicated costumes in the Legion, but absolutely something you can do for your first costume. If you're still on the hunt for Fett parts, if you haven't come across The Dented Helmet, it's basically THE place for all things Fett. https://www.thedentedhelmet.com/forums/. I'd stay away from anything on eBay, and definitely feel free to ask about any vendors from Facebook, Instagram or Etsy, etc.

Please feel free to post more questions here, or you are totally welcome to shoot me a message anytime! Best of luck, it's always great to have another Fett in the garrison!

[LuigiFett]

Oh, that's great to know about the blaster! It's been a while since I've looked at the 501st requirements, I didn't realize it was optional. If I'm remembering correctly, I bought that blaster off eBay when I first started  before I really knew what I was doing and I'm almost positive you're right - it's the ROTJ, not ESB. Most of the other parts I did end up finding through the Dented Helmet:

- Bucket = Animefan
- Soft parts = Arkady
- Armor/Knees/Gauntlets = RedKraytDragon (I think?)
- Gloves/Cape/Boots/Belts = ManOfWar
- Wookiee braids = Etsy (can't remember the vendor)

I'm really impressed by the ManOfWar jet pack, but I'm also curious about whether there are other more budget-friendly options for that? I did recently come into a 3D printer (long story) and wasn't sure if a 3D printed part would pass muster for the 501st. I painted all of my current setup myself, but I'm intimidated by the thought of trying to paint a jetpack. Feel free to DM me if that's easier than posting in this thread. Thanks so much!!

[Lidocaine]

3D printing is totally allowed, with the caveat that there shouldn't be visible print lines once it's painted up. It's typically a cheaper alternative to a lot of the other options but may be more labor and time-intensive than other routes.

I originally had a ManofWar pack for my ROTJ fett, and it's a bit heavier than some of the others for sure. I eventually ended up with a fiberglass pack from 7CS studios, found here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/951709206/star-wars-classic-z-6-jetpack-raw
He does have a few months of lead time, but he's a little bit cheaper than MoW I believe.

To answer a few of your other questions, there are no requirements to be a spotter prior to becoming a member, and it's a great way to meet other members and check out their completed costumes as well. If there's a need for spotters, the event coordinators will usually post them up in this section: https://www.cloudcitygarrison.com/forum/index.php?board=52.0

For other costumes, we have a wide variety of costumes in the garrison and if there's another costume that calls to you as well I'd recommend going for it! Having a stormtrooper and a Fett is a great option, as it allows you to attend events as a stormtrooper if another Fett has already signed up. Everyone loves a classic stormtrooper too!

[LuigiFett]

Oh yeah, the 7CS pack looks a lot more in my price range, and a manageable paint job. I'll start looking into getting on the list for that one.

I'll keep an eye on the spotter threads and try to get signed up for something. Are the meet and greets and armor parties also open to hopeful members? I'd love to get to come to one of those as well.

Thanks again for all the information!! I feel like I'm full of dumb questions!

[Nathanzx10r]

Welcome, Looking forward to meeting ya.