[3] Armor Builds - Reach / Final Fantasy XI

Hey there, 405th!

I've been lurking around the site for over a year now; I haven't really had time to make a suit due to life issues and financial problems.

However!

I'm now out of that hole, and I'm beginning to work on not one, but three suits.

The first is a standard suit of Reach armor, with an Air Assault helmet:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2rol637&s=6
I chose a vibrant green- I don't want to be mistaken for the Chief (as many people would, if it were more drab) and I like bright-colored armor in general. I plan to have an emblem and a lot of free hand "decals" on the armor as well. I'm trying to build it in such a way that I can swap out parts and add to it in the future.

The second is a set for my friend; the Dragoon Relic armor from Final Fantasy XI:
http://tinypic.com/r/9tg2no/6
Thankfully, I've found a wonderful tool for this (and the following) build- there's a 3rd party model viewer for FFXI that allows you to export models from the game. Even better, you can select individual pieces of armor, etc; to work with. I've been pretty busy pepping this one.

Last is my personal FFXI set, the Dark Knight Empyrean armor:
http://images.wikia.com/ffxi/images/9/98/EAF_DRK.png
This is, without a doubt, my favorite armor set in the game. I'll be using the same process for this set as I did with the Dragoon armor. I'd like to get a really nice matte black finish on this armor- and the red accents scream for lighting, given the dark, demonic style of a Dark Knight.

I'm definitely using the standard foam floor mats for the Reach build, but I've considered using smooth minicell foam for the fantasy armor (as the bumpy texture would be out of place, no?)

Anyway, I'm moving back to NJ from Brooklyn tomorrow, so I'll be getting started on the build within a week or two. I have a metric ton of spare time and I love to build/paint things, so my goal is to have at least one of these sets done for animeNEXT here in NJ next month.

Thoughts?

Wish me luck!

-DW

Those are some pretty cool looking projects. I wish you luck to reach your goal and deadline.
Have you considered using leather for the fantasy armor or sintra? you could burn the sintra with a heatgun and give it a rough texture before paint. There is a method called cuirbolli to harden leather or you could use heavy weight leather. Thats what alot of LARPers use.

sgtski said:

Those are some pretty cool looking projects. I wish you luck to reach your goal and deadline.
Have you considered using leather for the fantasy armor or sintra? you could burn the sintra with a heatgun and give it a rough texture before paint. There is a method called cuirbolli to harden leather or you could use heavy weight leather. Thats what alot of LARPers use.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

The leather would be great for the accents on the Dragoon set, but otherwise, I want to give the armor more of a metal, plate-mail feel. Also, I need it to be as lightweight as possible. That's why I'm aiming for the same foam method used on many of our Halo projects.

good luck on the build! love the plans so far! why not just go all out an use real leather and metal for the dragoon set! that would be a spectacular piece!

Quick question!

I'm at my dad's place and he offered to get the foam mats for me- this is good news, but I need to get it done within the hour.
Where would you guys recommend purchasing them online, if possible? The ones at Harbor Freight are in-store only.

Thanks!

I've gotten all the armor scaled at this point (which was a bit of a nightmare, really); this is the only thing standing in my way of getting started.

EDIT:
@Darthoblivious

Thanks.

Although that'd be neat, the armor needs to be as lightweight and breathable as possible, so.
Foam seemed like the best way to go (and also within my level of skill)

Deadwing said:

Quick question!

I'm at my dad's place and he offered to get the foam mats for me- this is good news, but I need to get it done within the hour.
Where would you guys recommend purchasing them online, if possible? The ones at Harbor Freight are in-store only.

Thanks!

I've gotten all the armor scaled at this point (which was a bit of a nightmare, really); this is the only thing standing in my way of getting started.

EDIT:
@Darthoblivious

Thanks.

Although that'd be neat, the armor needs to be as lightweight and breathable as possible, so.
Foam seemed like the best way to go (and also within my level of skill)

Click to expand...

hmmm...well i know amazon sells the mats, personally though, go to harbor freight. i love them! the closest to me is like an hour, but its well worth the savings for what i get!

and yeah foam is way easier and lighter, i just have ideas! that armor would be legendary status if made from metal! haha

nice Idea there man. Was thinking about doing the same for the dragoon Idea but ended up picking the Lancer (One mess of a nightmare lol)