freakengine

Spoken like a marketing genius. I'm a few pounds overweight...maybe 5-10 considering my body type...but cut a brother some slack, wontcha? Hey, if you're not the nominal size for something, you just gotta deal with it, right? I mean, you can't really be 4' 11" and expect to be a decent Vader for events, even tho you could do it for fun. I'm actually a good match for Vader, but since there can only be one Vader at each trooping event, only the elite ever get to troop in the suit. I do, however, want the suit to look proportional on me. The height issue concerns me more than the girth. -Tom

Thanks a lot for the opinions so far. All valid points. I have to admit to considering a combination of sorts...maybe starting with an FX kit, and upgrading to a better helmet later if it looks terribly oversized on me. A couple of follow-up questions: I've read that GT and FX are the same. Is that true? Would it be better to start with an FX since it's cheaper and I might make some mistakes while assembling it? -Tom

Hi all, I've been a SW costumer for some time, but am going to take the plunge and work up a set of stormtrooper armor and join the 501st, with my eventual goal being to apply here for deployment with the MEPD. Of course, the first step is purchasing a kit. What I'd appreciate advice on is this: should I bother with an FX kit, or save my money for one of the new TE sets that's rumored to be coming out, or maybe a SDS set? I'm not rolling in dough, so the FX is appealing, but I keep reading lots of posts where people say they started with an FX and a year or two down the road they upgraded. Is the FX really as bad as it's said to be? Mind you, I'm a pretty big guy(6'3"-230lbs.) so I think the bigger bucket might actually benefit me. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! -Tom