Saturday, November 15, 2008

CT42 / 66-9123 (Combat Engineer)

CT 42 / 66-9123 is a combat engineer assigned to Sarlaac Battalion A of the 41st Elite Legion, under Commander Gree.

Parts: Head (Cast from the Battlefront II Engineer), Body (Kneeling Clone Trooper from the RotS Army Builder 3-pack).

Supplies: Paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Battlefront II.

Step One: The basic figure, one of the troop-builders from the Revenge of the Sith Clone Trooper 3-pack, was not changed much at all. I just popped off the head and replaced it with a cast of the Battlefront II Clone Engineer (special thanks to PBarny at FFURG for the head cast). I wanted to make one of the clone Engineers from the Battlefront II video game. In keeping with my previous trend, I decided to change the Trooper's unit. In the game, all of the characters are from the 501st Legion, whereas all of mine are members of the 41st Elite Legion.

Step Two: The new paint scheme is a variation on that of the 41st Elite Legion's regular Phase II armor. Once the 41st paint scheme was finished, I modified it a bit to be similar to the 501st Legion Engineer released by Hasbro (tan colored circle markings on the helmet and at the left underarm area). After painting the armor, I also applied battle scarring using several different techniques, including drybrushing and scraping off small areas of the original armor markings. To accomplish the scuffing and scratching that is common to all military equipment, I used the edge of my X-acto knife to carefully scrape all of the armor's prominent edges. These are the areas that are most likely to brush against things and become worn or scratched.

Step Three: A light coat of Testors Gloss-Cote was applied to protect the paint and enhance the shiny appearance of the armor.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

CC-7567 Captain Rex (Commanding Officer of Torrent Company - 501st Legion)

During the Clone Wars, Captain Rex was in command of Torrent Company of the famed 501st Legion. Rex and his men were assigned to patrol the sectors of the galaxy within the Outer Rim. Anakin Skywalker's second in command during the Clone Wars, Captain Rex was a freethinking, tough, and aggressive clone trooper. Rex voiced his professional opinions to even the highest-ranking Jedi.

Parts: Head (Order 66 ARC Trooper), Torso (Order 66 ARC Trooper), Arms (Order 66 ARC Trooper), Legs (Order 66 ARC Trooper), Helmet (Order 66 ARC Trooper), Shoulder Pauldron (Commander Appo), Equipment Belt & Kama (Clone Commander), Blaster Pistols (Clone Commander), Blaster Rifle (Evolutions Clone Commander).

Supplies: X-acto knife, sandpaper, file, super glue, brushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I actually used my son's Captain Rex figure as the reference for this (thank you, Adam). I wanted to do a realistically styled version of this character, but I felt the need to keep the detailing as close as possible to the original.

Step One: First, I used the X-acto knife and the sandpaper to remove all of the figure's hair.

Step Two: Next, I carefully sanded off all of the yellow armor markings. Once this was done, I re-painted the armor with the dark blue markings. The kama was painted black. The straps for the holsters were painted white. The jaig eyes on the helmet were done by hand with a very fine paintbrush (yes, I had to do them more than once before they were satisfactory). I may eventually decide to go back and give him some battle-scarring, but for the time being I like the clean look of the paint job.

Step Three: Finally, a coat of Testors Dull-Cote was applied to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Muunilinst 10 (ARC Trooper Squad)

The ARC Trooper Squad led by A-77 Captain Fordo, was instrumental in the attack on Muunilinst, infiltrating the city and disabling a massive artillery cannon. Known as the "Muunilinst 10", they also aided Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi in a surgical strike on the enemy headquarters, leading to the capture and surrender of key members of the InterGalactic Banking Clan leadership. Shortly thereafter, they helped defeat the formidable bounty hunter Durge. After the end of the Battle of Muunilinst, Kenobi reinforced the surviving members of the Muunilinst 10 with heavy gunners and deployed them to Hypori to rescue a doomed Jedi task force on the planet from the clutches of the dreaded Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies, General Grievous. Despite taking casualties, they held their ground and succeeded in driving the fearsome droid commander away with a hail of heavy weapon fire. Their efforts undoubtedly saved the lives of the surviving Jedi.

Parts: Most of the figures and parts came directly from The Hunt for Grievous Battle Pack. Additional parts were taken from a RotS AT-TE Gunner.

Supplies: X-acto knife, Dremel, sandpaper, file, super glue, brushes, Testors paints, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: The Clone Wars animated series. Basically, these figures are all "improved" versions of what Hasbro released.

Step One (A-77 Captain Fordo): I was pretty happy with the Captain Fordo figure. He got a new paint job using a brighter red, and some of the details that were missed at the factory got painted (such as the webbing for his holsters, buckles on the kama straps, etc). He also got a new pair of pistols. Although the original ones were probably more accurate for the realistic sculpt, I really liked the longer barreled pistols he was seen twirling (something he seems to have inherited from Jango) in the Clone Wars micro-series. The new pistols were made by cutting the stock and part of the receiver group from a standard DC-17 rifle. The barrel and pistol grip assembly were super glued together and the barrels were hollowed out with the Dremel.

Step Two (Z-6 Rotary Gunner): I wanted this Lieutenant's legs to be more articulated, so I used the Dremel with a cutting disc to cut the pelvis and legs off the figure. I then used super glue to attach the pelvis and legs from an RotS AT-TE Gunner. Once the kama was added at the end of the process, the seam where these two major parts were joined cannot be seen at all. Next, I repositioned the right arm by a cutting wedge-shaped pieces from the inside of the elbow. I applied a small dab of super glue inside the cut and then held the arm in the desired position until the glue dried. The left arm was already positioned correctly for my purposes.

Step Three (Reciprocating Quad Gunner): This Lieutenant was already accurate except that the blue marking on his armor were a much different shade than that of the other ARC lieutenants. He was simply given a new paint job to match the color used on the others.

Step Four: The remaining figures are all ARC Lieutenants that came from The Hunt for Grievous Battle Pack. They were all given new markings with the same blue paint used on the Rotary Gunner and the Cip-Quad Gunner.

Step Five: All of the ARC Troopers received a bit of battle-damage to their armor. Finally, a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote was applied to each figure to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Juno Eclipse (Human Pilot)

Juno Eclipse was a female Imperial pilot during the Great Jedi Purge. Following the Battle of Callos, she was tasked with piloting the Rogue Shadow, transport ship of Galen Marek, Darth Vader's secret apprentice. After being branded a traitor by the Dark Lord, Juno joined Marek on his mission to create a Rebel Alliance. During their adventures Juno and Marek fell in love but, theirs was a future not meant to be as Marek died fighting the Emperor. Juno was present at the birth of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and went on to become a pilot in the Rebel forces.

Parts: Head (Juno Eclipse), Torso (Juno Eclipse), Arms (Juno Eclipse), Legs (Juno Eclipse), Helmet, Hoses and Control Box (TIE Fighter Pilot), Gloves (TIE Fighter Pilot), E-11 Blaster Rifle (Juno Eclipse).

Supplies: Dremel, Super Sculpey, super glue, X-acto knife, file, emery board, brushes, Polly Scale paints, Testors Gloss-Cote and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None. In the novelization of The Force Unleashed, the author states that prior to being assigned as the pilot of the Rogue Shadow, Juno was the commanding officer of an elite TIE fighter squadron.

Step One: Using the Dremel, I hollowed out the helmet. It took a while, and I had to be careful not to go too far, but it fit perfectly on her head once I was finished.

Step Two: I cut off the lower, skirt-like portion of the tunic. I sanded the belt so that it did not have such a pronounced edge where the lower tunic had been cut away.

Step Three: I also cut off the lower arms at a point equal to the size of the gloves I took from the TIE pilot figure. I then super glued the gloves onto the arms.

Step Four: I used Super Sculpey to sculpt the torso armor. I had another TIE pilot on-hand as a reference. After sculpting, I cured the Super Sculpey by repeatedly dunking it in a mug of boiling water. Once it was cool and dry, I sanded the armor smooth.

Step Five: I painted the figure to match my male TIE pilots.

Step Six: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine. Gloss-Cote was used on the torso armor to maintain the shiny appearance.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Wedge Antilles (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

When Wedge Antilles' parents were killed by pirates, he set out to even the score. With the aid of long-time family friend Booster Terrik, Wedge attacked and destroyed the pirates' ship. He bought a freighter and spent some time smuggling, mostly weapons for the Rebel Alliance. Soon, he gave that up and joined the Alliance full-time. He was the only member of Red Squadron, besides Luke Skywalker, to survive the assault on the first Death Star. Following the Battle of Yavin, Luke and Wedge founded Rogue Squadron. Wedge remained with Rogue Squadron until his retirement from active service at the rank of General. At the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Wedge returned to active duty and participated in several of the battles therein. After the fall of Coruscant, he was placed in command of the military forces assigned to cover the retreat.

Parts: Head (Wedge Antilles), Torso (Wedge Antilles), Arms (Ponda Baba), Hands (Han Solo), Legs (Wedge Antilles), Jacket (Ponda Baba), Helmet (Wedge Antilles).

Supplies: Emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: There are a number of comics from Dark Horse with good pictures of Wedge. Additionally, Michael A. Stackpole gives a pretty good description of him in his series of X-wing novels.

Step One: First, I replaced the Wedge arms with the Ponda Baba arms.

Step Two: Next, I cut off the Ponda Baba hands.

Step Three: Then, I put the jacket on Wedge. In Dark Horse's X-Wing Rogue Squadron comics, Wedge is often seen wearing an orange jacket over his flightsuit before or after missions.

Step Four: After adding the jacket, I super glued the Han hands to the arms.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Wedge Antilles (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Periodically, the Rogues needed to blend in with the local scenery during missions. This is Wedge in his street clothes.

Parts: Head (Wedge Antilles), Torso (Ceremonial Luke Skywalker), Arms (Ceremonial
Luke Skywalker), Legs (Ceremonial Luke Skywalker), Jacket (Cantina Han Solo), Blaster (Han Solo).

Supplies: Paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: There are a number of comics from Dark Horse with good pictures of Wedge. This figure was based on the picture of Wedge in street clothes from Dark Horse's Rogue Squadron Handbook.

Step One: First, I replaced the Luke head with the Wedge head.

Step Two: Next, I put the jacket on Wedge.

Step Three: Then, I painted the figure according to my references (I chose to keep the jacket black, rather than paint it brown as in the picture).

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Corran Horn (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Corran Horn was an officer of the Correllian Security Force (CorSec) who defected to the New Republic. When Wedge Antilles put out the call for "hot-hand" pilots to rebuild the famed Rogue Squadron, Corran jumped at the opportunity. Corran was assigned to Rogue Squadron until the kidnapping of his wife forced him to leave the squadron and begin training as a Jedi, in hopes of finding her.

Parts: Head (Dash Rendar), Torso (Biggs Darklighter), Arms (Biggs Darklighter), Legs (Biggs Darklighter), Helmet (Blastshield Helmet Luke Skywalker), Lightsaber (Any).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board or file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: This figure was intended to be Corran Horn as he appeared in the X-Wing books by Michael A. Stackpole. Because I could not find any pictures of him from that timeframe, I had to rely on descriptions from the books.

Step One: First, I remove the Biggs head using the boil-n-pop method. I attached the Dash head and allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Next, I cut the boots off the legs. I cut about 1/8 of an inch off the boot-tops and used super glue to re-attach the boots. Although I don't know his exact height, Corran is supposed to be a fairly short man, so I performed this step to ensure he would be shorter than the rest of my Rogue Squadron pilots.

Step Three: I used the X-acto knife to carefully shave the beard off the head. A bit of sanding was required to get the smooth look I wanted.

Step Four: I painted the flightsuit a dark green. I also painted dark green trim on the helmet. The belt and legs straps should be either grey or white. Corran's hair should be very dark brown. I tried painting his hair a lighter brown and then dry-brushing a darker color over it. I was very happy with the results.

Step Five: Then, I attached the lightsaber to Corran's belt with a small drop of super glue.

Step Six: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Derek Klivian (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Derek "Hobbie" Klivian was a young Imperial pilot who, along with Biggs Darklighter, led a mutiny onboard the Imperial freighter Rand Ecliptic and defected to the Rebel Alliance. He flew a snowspeeder at the Battle of Hoth, and participated in the Battle of Endor. He remained a fixture in the squadron until being assigned a tour as a flight instructor. Immediately following that tour, Hobbie managed to be reassigned to Rogue Squadron. Following the defeat of Warlord Krennel, he was promoted to the rank of Major.

Parts: Head (Cale from Titan AE), Torso (Biggs Darklighter), Arms (Biggs Darklighter), Legs (Biggs Darklighter), Helmet (Wedge Antilles).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used descriptions from the books and pictures of him from the earlier comics by Dark Horse. The Rogue Squadron Handbook by Dark Horse provides detailed pictures of the artwork on most Rogue Squadron helmets.

Step One: First, I removed the Biggs head using the boiling water method. Then, I attached the Cale head and allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Next, I painted the helmet to match Hobbie's. I also painted his hair a very light brown.

Step Three: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Nrin Vakil (Quarren Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Nrin Vakil joined Rogue Squadron immediately following the Tatooine Campaign. He flew many missions with them, becoming a very close friend of Ibtisam. Nrin was so deeply affected by her death, that he left the squadron. He later returned to the squadron as a Major, after the defeat of Warlord Zsinj.

Parts: Head (vintage Squidhead), Torso (Biggs Darklighter), Arms (Biggs Darklighter), Legs (Biggs Darklighter), Helmet (Wedge Antilles).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used descriptions from the books and pictures of him from the comics by Dark Horse. The Rogue Squadron Handbook by Dark Horse provides detailed pictures of the artwork on most Rogue helmets.

Step One: First, I removed the Biggs head and glued on the one from the vintage Squidhead.

Step Two: Next, I painted the head a light orange-brown. Nrin has some darker brown spots on the top of his head (see the comics for exact placement).

Step Three: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Myn Donos (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Previously a sniper in the Correllian Armed Forces, Myn Donos became a young brevet Captain in the New Republic Starfighter Corps. When his entire squadron was wiped out in an ambush, Myn lost his confidence. Wedge Antilles took Myn into the newly formed Wraith Squadron, where his fellow pilots assisted Myn in regaining his previous ability. When Antilles left the Wraiths to rejoin Rogue Squadron, Myn was also assigned to the squadron. Sometime thereafter, he was promoted to the rank of Major.

Parts: Head (William Riker from Star Trek), Torso (Biggs Darklighter), Arms (Biggs Darklighter), Legs (Biggs Darklighter), Helmet (Wedge Antilles).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: To my knowledge, there are no pictures of Myn Donos. However, Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston give descriptions of him in their series of X-wing books.

Step One: First, I replaced the Biggs head with the Riker head.

Step Two: Next, I painted the helmet, as desired (Myn is Correllian and most Correllians seem to favor the color green, so I went with that). Myn's hair should be black. During his time in the Correllian Armed Forces, Myn earned the honor of wearing Correllian Bloodstripes (just like Han Solo wears). Myn's are described as black stripes down each leg of his flightsuit.

Step Three: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Inyri Forge (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Inyri Forge was the younger sister of a Rogue Squadron pilot who had been killed in combat. Despite her less than honorable past, Inyri was given the opportunity to follow in her sister's footsteps. She joined Rogue Squadron following the taking of Coruscant, and remained with them through the end of the long-running war against Ysanne Isard. At that time, she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

Parts: Head (Amanda Kirby from JP3), Torso (Hoth Leia), Arms (Hoth Leia), Legs (Hoth Leia), Boots (Cantina Han Solo), Gloves (Snowspeeder Pilot Luke Skywalker), Chest Box (Snowspeeder Pilot Luke Skywalker), Leg Band (Snowspeeder Pilot Luke Skywalker), Helmet (Snowspeeder Pilot Luke Skywalker).

Supplies: Dremel, Super Sculpey, super glue, X-acto knife, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used descriptions from the X-Wing books by Michael A. Stackpole.

Step One: I assembled the parts using the boil-n-pop method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Next, I cut off the Hoth Leia boots. I glued the leg band from the Snowspeeder Luke figure onto the left leg. I cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the left boot (so it will fit with the leg band) and then glued on both boots.

Step Three: I cut off the hands and forearms and glued the Snowspeeder Luke gloves to the arms.

Step Four: I used Super Sculpey to make the flight vest and the loops around her legs.

Step Five: I carefully cut the chest control box off the Luke figure and attached it to the vest.

Step Six: I painted the figure, as desired.

Step Seven: I used the Dremel to hollow out the helmet. Then, I gave it a new paint job.

Step Eight: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Monwa Ackbar (Mon Calamari Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Flight Officer Monwa Ackbar is the nephew of Admiral Ackbar and the younger brother of Jesmin Ackbar, who was killed in action as a member of Wraith Squadron. He was assigned to Rogue Squadron following the campaign against the Imperial Warlord Admiral Krennel.

Parts: Head (Mon Calamari Officer), Torso (Biggs Darklighter), Upper Arms (Biggs Darklighter), Lower Arms (Mon Calamari Officer), Legs (Biggs Darklighter), Helmet (Mon Calamari Officer).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I created this character to help fill up my Rogue Squadron diorama.

Step One: I removed the Biggs head using the boiling water method. I then cut the collar at a forward sloping angle, so that there is no collar in the front. I super glued the Mon Cal head to the collar and allowed it to dry completely.

Step Two: Next, I cut the gloves off and attached the Mon Cal lower arms to the figure.

Step Three: I painted the figure, as desired.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Luci Case (Human Pilot - Rogue Squadron)

Lieutenant Luci Case is member of Wedge Antilles's Rogue Squadron. Formerly an investigator with the Corellian Security Force (CorSec), Luci is highly skilled in covert operations and marksmanship. She is an exceptional pilot and is very well liked within the squadron.

Parts: Head (SOTE Leia), Ponytail (Jedi Duel Obi-Wan Kenobi), Torso (POTJ X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker), Arms (POTJ X-Wing Luke Skywalker), Legs (POTJ X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker), Helmet (POTJ X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None.

Step One: I began by swapping the Luke Skywalker head with the SOTE Leia head.

Step Two: Then, I used the X-acto knife to cut off the gloves and boots. They were reattached with super glue in slightly different positions (this makes the figure look a bit different from the original X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker figure).

Step Three: I carefully filed off the bun on the back of the head and then super glued the Obi-Wan ponytail in its place.

Step Four: I painted the helmet with a different color scheme than the original. Luci's hair was painted light brown.

Step Five: I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and allowed the figure to dry.

Koyi Komad (Twi'lek Mechanic - Rogue Squadron)

Koyi Komad was a student at the University on Mrrlst when Rogue Squadron ran into trouble there. She assisted them and later, after graduating, joined the squadron as their chief mechanic and remained with them for many years.

Parts: Head (Oola), Torso (Amanda Kirby from Jurassic Park 3), Arms (Amanda Kirby from Jurassic Park 3), Legs (Amanda Kirby from Jurassic Park 3), Grease gun (Episode One Anakin Skywalker).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: There are several good pictures of Koyi in various issues of Dark Horse's X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics.

Step One: I removed the existing head using the boil-n-pop method and then attached the Oola head.

Step Two: I changed the angle of her left arm a bit and filed off the "torn" effect on her left pant leg. The rest of the figure was not modified.

Step Three: I glued two thinly sliced pieces of plastic tube to the headband to make Koyi's welding goggles.

Step Four: I painted her coveralls dark tan and the boots dark brown. The skin was painted a medium flesh tone.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote.

Merrik Wonstan (Human Mechanic - Rogue Squadron)

Merrik Wonstan is one of several mechanics assigned to assist Koyi Komad in keeping Rogue Squadron's snubfighters up and running.

Parts: Head (Space Force figure), Torso (AT-ST Driver), Arms (Kyle Katarn), Legs (AT-ST Driver), Belt (Corps! figure), Toolbox (Corps! figure).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I created this figure based on pictures of the Rogue Squadron mechanics from Dark Horse's X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics.

Step One: I began by swapping the AT-ST Driver's head and arms with the new ones I'd selected.

Step Two: The coveralls were painted tan and the boots were painted dark brown.
Step Three: The toolbelt and toolbox were taken from a Corps! figure. The toolbelt was painted dark brown and the toolbox was painted grey.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Ralrachuk (Wookiee Mechanic - Rogue Squadron)

Ralrachuk is a Wookiee mechanic assigned to Rogue Squadron. He exhibits mechanical and electronic aptitude above what is normal, even for Wookiees. Any device that Ralrachuk can't repair, probably can't be repaired at all.

Parts: Head (POTJ Mechanic Chewbacca), Torso (Roworr), Arms (Roworr), Legs (Roworr).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, file or emery board, super glue, Testors Dull-Cote, Paints and Brushes.

Reference: This character is one that I created while adding to my group of Rogue Squadron support personnel.

Step One: I carefully cut off the Roworr head and then super glued the new head in place

Step Two: I used the Dremel to remove the silver boxes from the bandoleer on the torso.

Step Three: I gave him an entirely new paint-job.

Step Four: I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and remove the shine.

Rayne Alor (Human Mechanic - Rogue Squadron)

Rayne Alor is a Corellian mechanic assigned to Rogue Squadron.

Parts: Head (Slave Leia), Torso (Ewok Celebration Leia), Arms (Ewok Celebration Leia), Legs (Ewok Celebration Leia), Boots (Flashback Luke Skywalker), Belt (Corps! figure).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, file, emery board, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: This character is one that I created while adding to my group of Rogue Squadron support personnel.

Step One: I carefully cut off the legs, just below the knees and then super glued the new boots in place.

Step Two: I used some Super Sculpey to sculpt a jumpsuit on the figure. I cured the Sculpey using boiling water.

Step Three: I painted the jumpsuit tan and the boots dark brown.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Luc Averill (Human Mechanic - Rogue Squadron)

Luc Averill is one of several mechanics assigned to assist Koyi Komad in keeping Rogue Squadron's snubfighters up and running.

Parts: Head (Godzilla figure), Torso (AT-ST Driver), Arms (Bespin Luke Skywalker), Legs (AT-ST Driver), Belt (Corps! figure).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I created this figure based on pictures of the Rogue Squadron mechanics from Dark Horse's X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics.

Step One: I began by swapping the AT-ST Driver's head and arms with the new ones I'd selected.

Step Two: The coveralls were painted tan and the boots were painted dark brown.

Step Three: I made the welding mask by cutting down a helmet from a Godzilla figure. The toolbelt was taken from a Corps! figure and was painted dark brown.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Elver Bidnitt (Human SAR Pilot)

Elver Bidnitt is a Search & Rescue pilot assigned to the New Republic light cruiser Defiance, in support of Rogue Squadron. His job is to fly out and pick up pilots who have been blasted out of their fighters. While on duty, Elver is always dressed in his EV suit, so that he can respond quickly when called upon. Although he normally remains inside the SAR shuttle while his partner retrieves the pilot, the EV suit enables him to exit the craft and "spacewalk" in the event that he needs to do so.

Parts: Head (Grand Moff Tarkin), Torso (Space Force figure), Arms (Space Force figure), Legs (Space Force figure), Helmet (Space Force figure).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Dremel, emery board, file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I created this figure based on references to similar characters in various Rogue Squadron books and comics.

Step One: I began by swapping the Space Force head with the Grand Moff Tarkin head.

Step Two: The hair was painted brown and a large mustache was added. The EV suit was painted yellow and black. It was then drybrushed with almost every "dirty" or "greasy" looking color I could find. The suit is intended to be a functional piece of equipment that can take an incredible beating, so I wanted it to look like it had.

Step Three: The helmet was actually the original head from the base figure. I hollowed it out using the Dremel and it will now fit properly on Elver's head (part of the reason I chose Tarkin's head was that it was small enough to work with this helmet). It was then painted to match the rest of the EV suit.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce any shine.

Samish Hennig (Human SAR Specialist)

Samish Hennig is a Search & Rescue specialist assigned to the New Republic light cruiser Defiance, in support of Rogue Squadron. He usually works with SAR pilot Elver Bidnitt. While on duty, he is always dressed in his EV suit, so that he can respond quickly when called upon. The EV suit enables him to exit his shuttle and "spacewalk" to a point where he can retrieve an injured pilot.

Parts: Head (Carlo from Battlefield Earth), Torso (Space Force figure), Arms (Space Force figure), Legs (Space Force figure), Helmet (Space Force figure).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I created this figure based on references to similar characters in various Rogue Squadron books and comics.

Step One: I began by swapping the existing head with the new one. This was done differently than I usually do it, becuase the Carlo head required a different type of post. I cut the original post off the Carlo figure and super glued it to the Space Force figure. I then attached the new head to the post.

Step Two: The hair was touched up with brown paint. The EV suit was painted yellow and black. It was then drybrushed with almost every "dirty" or "greasy" looking color I could find. The suit is intended to be a functional piece of equipment that can take an incredible beating, so I wanted it to look like it had.

Step Three: The helmet was actually the original head from the base figure. It doesn't fit on the head very well, but I'm not really planning to have him wear it anyway. It was painted to match the rest of the EV suit.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce any shine.

Horton Salm (Human Pilot - Defender Wing)

Colonel Horton Salm commanded a wing at the Battle of Endor. He was later promoted to the rank of General, and commanded Defender Wing and the Folor fighter base. He frequently crossed paths with Rogue Squadron and its members.

Parts: Head (Flashback Anakin Skywalker), Torso (Ten Numb), Arms (Ten Numb), Legs (Arvel Crynyd), Helmet (Arvel Crynyd).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used descriptions from the X-Wing novels and pictures of him from the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics by Dark Horse.

Step One: First, I assembled the necessary parts using the boil-n-pop method and allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Then I shaved down the hair to give General Salm his distinctive receding hairline.

Step Three: I painted Salm's flightsuit a dark green. I painted the helmet according to another picture taken from the same comic as the reference picture. I painted his boots, hair and mustache black.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Pash Cracken (Human Pilot - Saber Squadron)

Pash Cracken is the son of the New Republic's Intelligence Chief, General Ariel Cracken. Pash joined the New Republic Starfighter Corps and quickly rose to command an A-Wing squadron. When his squadron began to lose pilots, Pash lost confidence in his leadership ability. Wedge Antilles accepted Pash as a member of Rogue Squadron. Pash eventually overcame his problem and returned to flying and commanding A-Wing fighters. (Note: I wasn't able to figure out the actual name of Pash's squadron, so I made one up).

Parts: Head (Space Quest guy), Torso (Arvel Crynyd), Arms (Arvel Crynyd), Legs (Arvel Crynyd), Helmet (A-Wing Pilot).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Dremel, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: To my knowledge, there are no pictures of Pash Cracken. However, Michael A. Stackpole gives a limited description of him in his series of X-wing books. I also used a few photo stills of A-Wing pilots to get a feel for the helmet paint schemes.

Step One: First, I replaced the Arvel Crynyd head with the new head.

Step Two: Next, I painted the figure. The flightsuit should be black. The leg straps can be grey or white. The leggings should be grey or white. I chose to leave the vest and chest controls alone. Pash's hair is red.

Step Three: Then, I took the A-Wing Pilot's head and Dremeled it out so that I was left with the hollow helmet. This took quite a while to do properly, so I had to be patient. I added a microphone to the helmet, using a small piece of wire. Then I painted the helmet according to my references.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Joyl Fason (Sullustan Pilot - Saber Squadron)

Joyl Fason is a pilot serving in Pash Cracken's Saber Squadron. He likes the A-Wing over other New Republic ships because of it's outstanding speed.

Parts: Head (Ten Nunb), Torso (Arvel Crynyd), Arms (Arvel Crynyd), Legs (A-Wing Pilot), Boots (Arvel Crynyd), Helmet (Ten Nunb).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: This figure was created as a background character for an upcoming diorama. The character is entirely fan-fic.

Step One: I replaced the head and legs using the boil-n-pop method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: I painted the flightsuit black. The leg straps and leggings can be either grey or white. I chose to leave the vest and chest controls alone.

Step Three: I painted the Ten Nunb helmet to match the A-Wing helmet, I'd made for my Pash Cracken figure. The two are fairly close in design, so this is relatively easy. I added a microphone to the helmet, using a small piece of wire.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Garik Loran (Human Pilot - Wraith Squadron)

Garik Loran, a native of Pantolomin, was a young actor who appeared in a large number of Imperial propaganda films. He was captured by Alliance extremists who showed him what the Empire was really all about before they planned to execute him for aiding the Emperor. An Imperial attack on the rebel outpost resulted in both sides being decimated, and Garik himself sustained multiple injuries. He escaped and after recovering from his injuries, decided to join the Alliance. His "death" was reported shortly before the Battle of Yavin, and broke the hearts of many young girls. Among most of the Alliance personnel, Garik was known as "The Face" because of the popularity of his cherubic face, although the battle left him with a few scars. After considerable ups and downs, he was accepted into Wraith Squadron. Loran served as the squadron's insertion expert and part-time cook. For his part in rescuing the Night Caller during Apwar Trigit's attack on Talasea, Face was promoted to Lieutenant. After the defeat of Warlord Zsinj at Kuat, Face was promoted to brevet Captain by Wedge Antilles, a position was was eventually made official by the New Republic after the Battle of Selaggis.

Parts: Head (POTJ Obi-Wan Kenobi), Torso (Wedge Antilles), Arms (Ponda Baba), Hands (Han Solo), Legs (Wedge Antilles), Jacket (Ponda Baba), Helmet (Jek Porkins).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, super glue, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.
Reference: Descriptions given in Aaron Allston's X-wing novels (and some of my own ideas to fill in the blanks).

Step One: First, I removed the Wedge arms and head, replacing them with the Ponda Baba arms and the Obi-Wan head.

Step Two: I trimmed the braid and ponytail from the new head using the X-acto knife, sanding as necessary.

Step Three: Next, I cut off the Ponda Baba hands.

Step Three: I put the jacket on the figure. In the X-Wing comics, pilots can often be seen wearing an orange jacket over their flightsuits before or after missions, so I decided to add one to this figure the way I did with my Wedge Antilles figure.

Step Four: I super glued the Han hands to the arms.

Step Five: I repainted the head, and gave him a bit darker skin tone. I also painted the hair and eyebrows black. I modified the paint-job on the Porkins helmet just enough that it looked different from the helmet on my Porkins figure.

Step Six: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Aurren Kashire (Human Pilot - Wraith Squadron)

Lieutenant Aurren Kashire is member of Garik Loran's Wraith Squadron. A superb pilot, Aurren leads the squadron in total number of combat victories. She is also a highly competent commando.

Parts: Head (Hoth Leia), Torso (POTJ X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker), Arms (POTJ X-Wing Luke Skywalker), Legs (POTJ X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker), Helmet (POTJ X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None. After I had already finished my "Lieutenant Kashire in Bacta Tank" figure, I was inspired to go back and make a figure of her in her flightsuit.

Step One: I removed the Luke Skywalker head using the boiling water method and replaced it with the Hoth Leia head. I then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: I used the X-acto knife to cut off the gloves and boots. They were then reattached with super glue in slightly different positions. This makes the figure look a bit different from the original X-Wing Gear Luke Skywalker figure.

Step Three: I painted the helmet with a different color scheme than the original. Aurren's hair was painted light brown and drybrushed with very light tan colors (to appear blonde).

Step Four: I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Aurren Kashire (Human Pilot - Wraith Squadron)

This figure depicts Lieutenant Kashire undergoing bacta rehabilitation after a particularly unfortunate combat mission, during which her X-Wing was almost completely destroyed.

Parts: Head (Slave Leia), Torso (Slave Leia), Arms (Leia from the Leia & R2-D2 2-pack), Legs (Bacta Tank Luke Skywalker).

Supplies: Dremel, super glue, Super Sculpey, file, emery board, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None. I was inspired to do this figure because I had purchased two of the Deluxe Luke Skywalker in Bacta Tank sets in order to create a medical ward for my medical droids and injured pilots. I left the first Luke figure alone, but I really needed to change the second one so that the two figures were obviously different characters. So, I created this character and the back story.

Step One: I began by cutting the Luke figure in half at the waist. I super glued a Slave Leia torso in place of the upper body. A little bit of sanding left the body smooth, with no unnatural seam at the waist.

Step Two: I attached the arms using the boiling water method and then allowed the figure to cool.

Step Three: I used Super Sculpey to make the upper body garment, and cured it in boiling water.

Step Four: I had to sand a little bit in several places to get rid of the seams left from the molding process and to fix a couple of areas that were not proportioned quite right (remember that I matched up a female upper body with a male lower body).

Step Five: I painted the clothing to match the original Bacta Luke color scheme. The hair was painted light brown.

Step Six: I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and allowed the figure to dry.

Step Seven: I reversed the straps in the Bacta Tank, so that it would look just a little bit different when placed next to another Bacta Tank. Then, I put the straps around the figure's arms, attached the breathmask and put the Bacta Tank back together.

Ten Nunb (Sullustan Pilot - Thunder Squadron)

Ten Nunb was a Sullustan who joined the Alliance as a starfighter gunner, and eventually earned a position as a pilot. He served the Alliance during the Battle of Endor by piloting Blue Five as part of the Blue Squadron of B-Wings. He eventually rose to the rank of Commander and led his own B-Wing squadron headquartered at the Folor fighter base.

Parts: Head (Ten Nunb), Torso (Ten Numb), Arms (Ten Numb), Legs (Ten Nunb), Helmet (Ten Nunb).

Supplies: X-acto knife, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used reference stills from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and then expanded upon the character's back-story with my own ideas. I came up with a squadron name and a couple of subordinate pilots, as well. The only change I made to this figure was a new paint-job. Not much of a custom, but I really liked the new colors. I think it is a vast improvement over the old white flightsuit.

Step One: I cut one side of the facemask so that it looks like he has it disconnected. The area near the cut was trimmed to look like a buckle and then painted silver.

Step Two: I painted Nunb's flightsuit red. Parts of the chest controls were touched up with different metallic colors. The gloves were painted black.

Step Three: Last, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Dunlo Urstin (Human Pilot - Thunder Squadron)

A native of Ralltir, Lieutenant Dunlo Urstin is a member of Ten Nunb's Thunder Squadron. After his squadron leader, Urstin is the best pilot in the unit. He will normally volunteer for the most difficult assignment during each mission.

Parts: Head (Cantina Han Solo), Torso (Ten Numb), Left Arm (Biggs Darklighter), Right Arm (F/X X-Wing Luke Skywalker), Legs (Ten Nunb), Helmet (Ten Nunb).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, file, emery board, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I wanted to create a couple of B-Wing pilots to flesh out Ten Nunb's Thunder Squadron as background characters in a hangar diorama. This guy is the second of them. I used reference stills from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi to get the uniform correct.

Step One: I assembled the necessary parts using the boil-n-pop method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: To make the figure a little taller, I cut off the Ten Nunb boots. I added a little bit of Super Sculpey to the top of the boots and cured with boiling water. Then, I super glued the boots back on.

Step Three: I cut one side of the facemask so that it looks like he has it disconnected. The area near the cut was trimmed to look like a buckle and then painted silver.

Step Four: I painted the flightsuit red. Parts of the chest controls were touched up with different metallic colors. The gloves were painted black. The hair was painted black and he was given a beard and mustache to help disguise the Han face.

Step Five: After the paint was dry, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Krillin (Snivvian Pilot - Thunder Squadron)

Ensign Krillin is a B-Wing pilot assigned to Thunder Squadron under the command of Ten Nunb. He is an excellent pilot and would be on his way up the promotion ladder if it weren't for his ability to attract trouble anytime he isn't flying.

Parts: Head (Takeel), Torso (Ten Numb), Arms (Ten Numb), Hands (Takeel), Legs (Ten Nunb), Helmet (Ten Nunb).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I wanted to create a couple of B-Wing pilots to flesh out Ten Nunb's Thunder Squadron as background characters in a hangar diorama. Krillin is the first of them. I used reference stills from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi to get the uniform correct.

Step One: First, I removed the Ten Nunb head and replace it with the Takeel head.

Step Two: Next, I cut off the Ten Nunb hands and replaced them with the Takeel hands.

Step Three: I cut one side of the facemask so that it looks like he has it disconnected. The area near the cut was trimmed to look like a buckle and then painted silver.

Step Four: I painted the flightsuit red. Parts of the chest controls were touched up with different metallic colors. The gloves were painted black.

Step Five: After the paint was dry, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce shine.

Kyle Katarn (Human Commando)

Kyle trained to be a Stormtrooper Officer at the Imperial Academy on Carida. In his final mission as a cadet, Kyle ordered that a group of surrendering Rebels, including the young woman Jan Ors, should be spared. The Rebels were able to counter-attack, and Kyle's unit was almost completely wiped out. The death of his father and the realization of the Empire's evil caused Kyle to abandon the Empire's service and join the Rebellion. With Jan Ors as his mission officer, Kyle undertook a variety of dangerous commando missions for the Rebellion. Most notable among those missions are the successful theft of the original Death Star plans, the rescue of General Crix Madine from an Imperial detention facility, and the destruction of the Empire's Darktrooper project.

Parts: Head (Kyle Katarn), Torso (Kyle Katarn), Arms (Unknown G.I. Joe figure), Hands (Kyle Katarn), Legs (Kyle Katarn), Boots (Endor Han Solo), Bryar Pistol (Kyle Katarn), Blaster Rifle (Lando Calrissian), Rail Detonator (Kyle Katarn).

Supplies: X-acto knife, emery board, file, super glue, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Illustrations from the Dark Forces trade paperbacks by Dark Horse and screenshots from the PC game Dark Forces.

Step One: First, I split the torso and removed the arms from the Kyle figure. I replaced the arms with the new ones and reassembled. I needed to modify the arm pegs just a bit to get a good fit.

Step Two: Next, I sanded down the extra gadgets on the arms. Then, I cut off the hands and replace them with the gloved hands from Kyle's original arms.

Step Three: I also cut off those huge, hideous boots and replaced them with the boots from the Endor Han Solo figure.

Step Four: I matched the original paint job, and then added a lot of detail. I changed the hair and beard color to a lighter brown. The snaps and buckles on Kyle's equipment were painted a tarnished metal color. The kneepads and body armor were given some scuffs and scratches.

Step Five: I painted the weapons according to my references. Then, I very lightly drybrushed them with gunmetal or aluminum paint to show wear and tear. The Rail Detonator was given a sling made of very thick thread. I slung it around Kyle's back, so that it appears as if he can grab it and use it quickly.

Step Six: Once the figure was completely dry, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Jan Ors (Human Special Operative)

Jan Ors is a special operative for the Rebel Alliance. She usually acts as mission officer for whatever mission Kyle Katarn is assigned. Jan flies Kyle's ship, the Moldy Crow, and is responsible for his insertion and extraction.

Parts: Head (Ewok Celebration Leia), Torso (Ewok Celebration Leia), Arms (Ewok Celebration Leia), Legs (COMMTech Luke Skywalker), Blaster (your choice).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Numerous pictures can be found in the Dark Forces graphic novels by Dark Horse or you can use still photos from the PC game.

Step One: First, I assembled the necessary parts using the boil-n-pop method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Using the X-acto knife and file, I modified the hair and cheekbones enough that it did not look exactly like Leia anymore. I made the pony-tail from Super Sculpey.

Step Three: Next, I added the utility belt items, a pistol holster and various pouches. You can make them from Super Sculpey, or you can take them from other figures in your parts box.

Step Four: I painted the figure according to my references.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Mirax Terrik (Human Intelligence Operative)

Mirax Terrik is the daughter of the notorious smuggler Booster Terrik and a childhood friend of Wedge Antilles. The two of them ran into each other when Mirax helped Wedge and his Rogue Squadron out of a jam on the planet Mrlsst. Mirax worked for her father as a dealer in rare antiques and fine art. Over the years, she continued to cross paths with the Rogues and eventually married Corran Horn. Using her profession as a cover, Mirax often served as a Special Operative, performing intelligence work for the New Republic. Mirax and Corran have two young children, Valin and Jysella, who are currently training to be Jedi Knights.

Parts: Head (Mara Jade), Torso (Mara Jade), Arms (Ewok Celebration Leia), Legs (Mara Jade), Vest (Cantina Han Solo), Blaster (any).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, emery board, file, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Dark Horse Comics' X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Opposition.

Step One: First, I assembled them using the boil-n-pop method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Using the X-acto knife, I trimmed down the hood around Mara's neck, sanding as necessary.

Step Three: Next, I put the vest on the figure. You might decide to glue the vest to the torso to get a better fit. It is important for the vest to blend well with the arms, so that it looks like a jacket with sleeves.

Step Four: I painted the figure according to my references.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Sixtus Quin (Human Special Forces Trooper)

Sixtus Quin was the leader of an Imperial Special Forces unit. While on an assignment on Tatooine, Sixtus and his men were betrayed and abandoned by their commander. They chose to join with Rogue Squadron in foiling the Imperial commander's operation. Afterward, Sixtus and his remaining men joined Elscol Loro's Rebel cell and continued operations against the Empire.

Parts: Head (Mace Windu), Torso (Sandtrooper), Upper Arms (Dagobah Luke Skywalker), Lower Arms (Sandtrooper), Legs (Sandtrooper), Blaster Rifle (Stormtrooper).

Supplies: Dremel, super glue, X-acto knife, file, emery board, paintbrushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Dark Horse's X-Wing Rogue Squadron - Battleground: Tatooine.

Step One: First, I removed the head and arms, replacing them with the Mace Windu head and the Dagobah Luke arms.

Step Two: Then, I used the Dremel to sand the stomach armor smooth so that the figure appears to be only wearing the chest armor.

Step Three: I cut the arms off just below the elbow and attached the Sandtrooper's lower arms to the Luke arms.

Step Four: I painted the figure according to my references.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Elscol Loro (Human Special Operative)

Elscol Loro, and her husband Throm, led the Cilpari Resistance against the Empire. When Throm was killed, his Wookiee companion Groznik transferred his life-debt to Elscol. After Rogue Squadron assisted in defeating the Imperial forces on Cilpar, Wedge Antilles invited Elscol to join the unit. She accepted and Groznik came with her. Elscol flew recklessly, yet effectively against her Imperial foes. When Groznik was killed during an operation on Mrlsst, she became more uncontrollable. Although she was racking up an impressive amount of kills, Wedge was forced to dismiss her from the squadron due to her unsafe flying practices. Wedge managed to procure a large quantity of Imperial weapons and set Elscol up as a Rebel cell leader once again. Elscol teamed up with former Imperial Special Forces officer Sixtus Quinn, and continued to make things difficult on the Empire.

Parts: Head (Princess Ariel from Voltron), Torso (Princess Leia Organa from the Han & Leia 2-pack), Arms (Princess Leia Organa from the Han & Leia 2-pack), Legs (Princess Leia Organa from the Han & Leia 2-pack), Boots (Cantina Han Solo), Poncho (Speeder Bike Leia).

Supplies: X-acto knife, Super Sculpey, emery board or file, Testors Dull-Cote, Paints and Brushes.

Reference: Drawings from Dark Horse Comics' The Rebel Opposition and The Rogue Squadron Handbook.

Step One: First, I removed the soft-goods clothing from the Leia figure.

Step Two: Then, I removed the Leia head and attached the Ariel head. The new head has a different kind of peg, so I cut it off and glued the head on.

Step Three: Next, I cut off the legs just below the knee and glued the boots on.

Step Four: Using Super Sculpey, I filled in the waistline where the Leia belt was and cured with boiling water. A little sanding was necessary, to make the waistline smooth.

Step Five: I painted the figure according to my references.

Step Six: After allowing the figure to dry completely, I gave her a very light coating of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint.

Step Six: Then, I added the poncho and painted it as desired.

Step Seven: Finally, I applied another light coating of Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Lando Calrissian (Human Gamber / Businessman)

Lando Calrissian is a long-time friend of Han Solo. He joined the Rebel Alliance following the death of Jabba the Hutt and went on to become a General. While commanding Gold Group during the Battle of Endor, Lando piloted the Millennium Falcon through the superstructure of the second Death Star. Lando eventually met a woman named Tendra Riesant, and the two were married. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, Lando greatly assisted the New Republic's military by supplying them with his new YVH War Droids, free-of-charge. Following this act of generosity, Lando was involuntarily pulled back into the New Republic military at his previous rank. This is Lando as he appeared in Shadows of the Empire.

Parts: Head (General Lando Calrissian), Torso (Stormtrooper), Upper Arms (Stormtrooper), Lower Arms (General Lando Calrissian), Legs (General Lando Calrissian), Blaster (Han Solo), Blaster Rifle (Stormtrooper).

Supplies: Super glue, X-acto knife, file, emery board, brushes, Testors paints, Testors Dull-Cote and Gloss-Cote.

Reference: descriptions from Shadows of the Empire.

Step One: First, I removed the heads and legs from each figure. I attached Lando's head and legs to the Stormtrooper body.

Step Two: Next, I cut the Stormtrooper's arms off just below the shoulder armor. I cut Lando's arms to match and super glued them to the figure.

Step Three: I painted the figure according to my references.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint. To keep the Stormtrooper armor shiny, I applied Gloss-Cote to those areas.

Commander Haash'n (Mon Calamari Naval Officer)

Haash'n was a master engineer who joined the Rebel Alliance to fulfill his dream of piloting star cruisers. As a Major, he served on Admiral Ackbar's staff at the Battle of Endor. Promoted to the rank of Commander, Haash'n now commands the light cruiser Defiance.

Parts: Head (vintage Admiral Ackbar), Torso (Mon Calamari Officer), Upper Arms (Mon Calamari Officer), Lower Arms (vintage Admiral Ackbar), Legs (POTF2 Admiral Ackbar), Helmet (Mon Calamari Officer), Pointer (Mon Mothma).

Supplies: X-acto knife, super glue, emery board, file, brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I used the photo and story from the Decipher CCG card and then expanded upon it with my imagination.

Step One: First, I swapped the heads. The new head was a different type, and would not fit the body properly, so I glued it on. The reason I changed heads was simply so that it looked a bit different from my other Mon Cal Officers.

Step Two: Next, I cut off the lower arms and super glued the vintage Ackbar arms on in their place. I did this for the same reason as the head swap.

Step Three: I painted the figure, as desired. I chose to vary the uniform a little bit from the others. Again, this is so that they do not look exactly the same. Then, I drybrushed the head with a light orange-brown.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Major Trasnil (Mon Calamari Chief Engineering Officer)

Trasnil was a young engineer who served as an assistant to Major Haash'n during the Battle of Endor. Promoted to the rank of Major, he is now the Chief Engineering Officer aboard the New Republic light cruiser Defiance.

Parts: Head (Mon Calamari Officer), Torso (Mon Calamari Officer), Arms (Mon Calamari Officer), Legs (Mon Calamari Officer), Blaster (Mon Calamari Officer).

Supplies: Brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: I needed to give Commander Haash'n a few crew members, and Major Trasnil was the first one I came up with. He is entirely a product of my imagination.

Step One: The only major change made to this figure was re-painting the skin color. Mon Calamari can have various different skin colors, allowing for the possibility of many different custom figures.

Step Two: After the paint dried, I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote.

Captain Marcus Jespers (Human Naval Security Officer)

Captain Marcus Jespers is the head of security aboard the New Republic light cruiser Defiance. He has coordinated and supervised the security of the ship and her crew in a wide variety of locations.

Parts: Head (Grand Moff Tarkin), Torso (vintage General Madine), Upper Arms (vintage General Madine), Lower Arms (Cantina Han Solo), Legs (vintage General Madine), Boots (Cantina Han Solo).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, super glue, emery board or file, paintbrushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: None. This is a fan-fic character created by me, as a background character for a diorama.

Step One: I already had the vintage Madine body missing his head and boots (they were used on other custom figures). So, I dremeled out a hole for the neck to fit in. I have at least a dozen Tarkin heads lying around, so I decided to use one of them. The head fit snugly into the hole and did not require any futher adjustment.

Step Two: I cut off the arms right where the grey shoulder piece stops and the lower sleeve begins. Then, I trimmed the Cantina Han arms to match and super glue the in place. If you are careful, you can preserve the articulation at the elbow.

Step Three: I attached the Cantina Han boots using super glue. I had to shorten them a bit to keep him from looking too freakish.

Step Four: Then, I painted the figure, as desired. I based the color scheme on the stills from Return of the Jedi and my other New Republic military personnel.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Specialist Purnill Montfurth (Human Naval Security Trooper)

Many New Republic troops serve as security personnel aboard the many vessels of the Fleet, as well as dirtside installations. Security Specialist Purnill Montfurth is assigned to the New Republic cruiser Defiance, as a member of Captain Marcus Jesper's security detail.

Parts: Head (PotF2 Arvel Crynyd), Torso (Cantina Han Solo), Arms (Cantina Han Solo), Legs (Cantina Han Solo), Helmet (PotF2 Rebel Fleet Trooper), Blaster (Cantina Han Solo).

Supplies: X-acto knife, file or emery board, super glue, brushes, Polly Scale paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: This figure was loosely based on the Rebel security troopers seen in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Step One: First, I swapped the heads using the boil-n-pop method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Next, I cut off the top of Arvel's head and glued the Rebel Fleet Trooper helmet on.

Step Three: I painted the figure according to references. I added some detail to the blaster, as well.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Captain Raak'sa (Mon Calamari Landing Force Liason Officer)

Captain Raak'sa is the Landing Force Liason Officer aboard the New Republic light cruiser Defiance. It is his job to ensure that the needs of the combat landing force are relayed to the pilots responsible for delivering them to the planet's surface.

Parts: Head (Mon Calamari Officer), Torso (Mon Calamari Officer), Arms (Mon Calamari Officer), Legs (Mon Calamari Officer), Helmet (Mon Calamari Officer), Blaster (Mon Calamari Officer).

Supplies: Testors Dull-Cote, Paints and Brushes.

Reference: I needed to give Commander Haash'n a few crew members, and Captain Raak'sa is one of them. He is entirely a product of my imagination.

Step One: The only major change made to this figure was re-painting the uniform. I based the uniform colors on those worn by Crix Madine, Lando Calrissian and Leia Organa.

Step Two: After the paint dried, I applied a light coat of Testors Dull-Cote.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Admiral Gilad Paelleon (Imperial Naval Officer)

Gilad Paelleon served as the captain of the Chimera and second-in-command to Grand Admiral Thrawn. Upon Thrawn's death, Paelleon organized the Imperial retreat, saving as many ships as he could from certain defeat. Over time, he was elevated to Supreme Commander of Imperial Forces. Admiral Paelleon was the Imperial representative that signed the peace treaty with the New Republic, bringing a formal end to the Galactic Civil War. The Empire was reduced to a small sector of space adjacent to the New Republic. Admiral Paelleon continued to preside over the Armed Forces of the Empire until called upon by Leia Organa Solo for his assistance in combatting the Yuuzhan Vong threat. The admiral committed his every available resource to the fight and served as overall commander of Imperial and New Republic Forces during the Battle of Ithor. Following the somewhat tainted victory at Ithor, the Empire recalled Paelleon and his forces to defend Imperial Space from the Yuuzhan Vong.

Parts: Head (Flashback Anakin Skywalker), Torso (Grand Moff Tarkin), Arms (Grand Moff Tarkin), Legs (Grand Moff Tarkin).

Supplies: File, emery board, brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: The Star Wars Essential Guide to Characters.

Step One: I removed the Tarkin head and replaced it with the new head.

Step Two: I used the X-acto knife to carefully cut off one row of rank squares on the uniform. A little sanding was necessary to smooth the area out.

Step Three: I painted the figure acoording to the reference pictures.

Step Four: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

General Rom Mohc (Imperial Army Officer)

General Rom Mohc was a veteran of the Clone Wars, whose obsession with personal combat was the driving force behind the Empire's Darktrooper project. Operating from his command ship, Arc Hammer, Mohc personally oversaw the final stages of the project. When Kyle Katarn was discovered aboard the Arc Hammer, Mohc donned a set of Darktrooper armor and challenged Katarn to a fight. Mohc was killed in the ensuing fight and Katarn was able to destroy the Arc Hammer. The Darktrooper project died with Mohc.

Parts: Head (Jek Porkins), Torso (Darktrooper), Arms (Darktrooper), Legs (Darktrooper), Weapon (Darktrooper), Backpack (Darktrooper).

Supplies: Dremel, X-acto knife, super glue, file, emery board, brushes, Testors paitns and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Screen stills from the PC game Dark Forces.

Step One: First, I removed the Darktrooper's head and cut the neckpost off. Then I cut off Porkin's head just below the chin. I super glued the Darktrooper post to the Porkins head. Once the head was dry and it was attached to the Darktooper body, it looked as if the neck is hidden by the bulk of the armor.

Step Two: I used the X-acto knife to carefully cut off both of the Darktrooper hands. I super glued them back on in the desired position (I also did this to the elbow joint of the right arm).

Step Three: I painted the head acoording to my reference pictures. I used metallic colored paints to touch up the Darktrooper's armor, as desired.

Step Four: I used a heated push-pin to hollow out the barrels of the weapon. I painted the weapon, as desired.

Step Five: Using the Dremel, I hollowed out the Darktrooper helmet so that it will fit on the new head.

Step Six: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Colonel Soontir Fel (Imperial Pilot)

Baron Colonel Soontir Fel was the leader of the elite 181st Fighter Squadron and the best pilot the Empire had to offer. He was married to Wynnsa Starflare, who was actually the sister of Wedge Antilles. Fel was captured by the Alliance and joined Rogue Squadron. He later disappeared during a mission and it was assumed that he had been captured by the Director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanne Isard. Fel had actually been abducted by a group of Chiss, who were loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn. They managed to convince Fel that the fate of the galaxy hinged on their success in beating back a mysterious foe. Fel joined them in their fight and was not seen by anyone from the New Republic again, until Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade stumbled across him while searching for the Hand of Thrawn. During the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong, Fel sent four squadrons of starfighters to assist. They were commanded by his son, Jagged.

Parts: Head (Space Force Guy), Torso (TIE Fighter Pilot), Arms (TIE Fighter Pilot), Legs (TIE Fighter Pilot), Kneepads (vintage Biker Scout), Helmet (TIE Fighter Pilot), Blaster (Grand Moff Tarkin).

Supplies: Dremel, Super Sculpey, super glue, X-acto knife, file or emery board, Testors Dull-Cote, Paints and Brushes.

Reference: Dark Horse's X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics. I used the cover of the In The Empire's Service graphic novel.

Step One: I assembled the necessary parts using the boiling water method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Next, I cut the air hoses from the helmet where they connect to the helmet. I did not not cut the hoses off the control box. I drilled a tiny hole where each hose should connect to the helmet. Using the Dremel, I hollowed out the helmet.

Step Three: I glued the control box to the figure's chest upside down. That way, the hoses hang down like they would if they were disconnected.

Step Four: Using the Super Sculpey, I sculpted a holster for Fel's blaster. After curing, I super glued it to his right hip.

Step Five: I used super glue to attach the kneepads to Fel's legs.

Step Six: I painted the figure according to the reference pictures.

Step Seven: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.

Major Turr Phennir (Imperial Pilot)

Major Turr Phennir was a member of Baron Soontir Fel's elite 181st Fighter Squadron. When Fel was captured by the Alliance and joined Rogue Squadron, Phennir took over the squadron. Phennir was eventually promoted to General and subsequently ran across Wedge Antilles during the crisis on Adumar.

Parts: Head (Grand Moff Tarkin), Torso (TIE Fighter Pilot), Arms (TIE Fighter Pilot), Legs (TIE Fighter Pilot), Helmet (TIE Fighter Pilot).

Supplies: Dremel, Super glue, X-acto knife, file, emery board, brushes, Testors paints and Testors Dull-Cote.

Reference: Pictures from Dark Horse's X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics, as well as descriptions from Aaron Allston's book Starfighters of Adumar.

Step One: I assembled the necessary parts using the boiling water method and then allowed the figure to cool completely.

Step Two: Next, I cut the air hoses from the helmet where they connect to the helmet. I did not not cut the hoses off the control box. I drilled a tiny hole where each hose should connect to the helmet. Using the Dremel, I hollowed out the helmet.

Step Three: I glued the control box to the figure's chest upside down. That way, the hoses hang down like they would if they were disconnected.

Step Four: I painted the figure according to the reference pictures.

Step Five: Finally, I applied a coat of Testors Dull-Cote to seal the paint and reduce the shine.