Updating Your Minifigs

[Junior Shark]

I bet the next Scout Trooper released will either have a completely new helmet or a white-colored 41st Elite Corps helmet: http://brickset.com/minifigs/sw518/41st-Elite-Corps-Trooper

[HawkLord]

I'm hoping not the 41st helmet. In the movies the two are different.

[General Magma]

Nice work, everyone! Some of these ideas are ones I've thought of before, I'd really like to use them once I've begun amassing my own armies of recent figures... which should be soon.

Keep it up, all, I realy like seeing how just a few extra pieces from other minifigs can improve a figure.

[atlas]

The CMF arms on the Scouts look great. Lego needs to steal this idea and add just a tiny amount of printing on the white part of the arms (and maybe helmet to break up the white) and then I think the Scout is perfect.

The biggest problem for me is the legs. What would be ideal is dual molded black legs with with "boots" and a big of printing above that. Any time white or light colours are printed onto dark plastic the contrast with the white or lightly coloured plastic is awful. I wish this was fixed somehow.

[General Magma]

I've been thinking of swapping Tatooine Luke Skywalker's head for the new (Final Duel) Luke Skywalker head

(I'm really glad they changed Luke's head again, because the 2014 one that came with the Tatooine figure looks more like Steve Irwin and not much like Luke Skywalker...),

and I've also been thinking of painting the hair from tan to dark tan, which seems like it would be more accurate and generally better looking. Is there anyone here who has tried either one or both of these things?

Edited March 15, 2016 by General Magma

[Fenom]

I've been thinking of swapping Tatooine Luke Skywalker's head for the new (Final Duel) Luke Skywalker head

Is there anyone here who has tried either one or both of these things?

A page or so back, I posted 2014 Luke with his 2015 head, which looks x10 better imo

[General Magma]

Who else thinks they can't really update the most recently updated figures much more anymore? This mainly goes for troopers and such. Maybe if arm printing and side printing and all that ends up coming with every figure one day,

but I can't really see that happening for anything but figures that are meant to be a bit more exclusive. Arm printing already rarely happens, while the ever so common leg printing has been happening (though less frequently) for years.

Who else thinks that figures like the most recent Original Trilogy stormtroopers, rebel pilots, etc. are pretty much their "definitive" editions, and that they'll either never be replaced or will always look up to date? I certainly hope and like to believe so.

The only thing I can really think of is adding side printing for (and back printing or maybe dual molding) legs for figures that actually need it. The new Ben Kenobi figure, for example, has robes extended onto his legs, but it's almost as if they're little curtains.

If they could fix things like that up, I think they'll be at a perfect point to stop endlessly updating minifigures, especially armybuilders like stormtroopers and so on.

A page or so back, I posted 2014 Luke with his 2015 head, which looks x10 better imo

Looks much better, indeed! I'm gonna need to get some of those heads.

Edited March 18, 2016 by General Magma

[Sucram]

Yep, with some, mainly those X wing pilots ( ) they don't need anymore updating. Except for maybe side of leg printing. With the troopers, they're fine, but I'm okay with them updating the main characters who aren't army builders. The ting I want the most is for them to change that Han face. I hate it! I like the older one better. Those lines look like wrinkles

[Navy Trooper Fenson]

Who else thinks they can't really update the most recently updated figures much more anymore? This mainly goes for troopers and such. Maybe if arm printing and side printing and all that ends up coming with every figure one day,

but I can't really see that happening for anything but figures that are meant to be a bit more exclusive. Arm printing already rarely happens, while the ever so common leg printing has been happening (though less frequently) for years.

Who else thinks that figures like the most recent Original Trilogy stormtroopers, rebel pilots, etc. are pretty much their "definitive" editions, and that they'll either never be replaced or will always look up to date? I certainly hope and like to believe so.

The only thing I can really think of is adding side printing for (and back printing or maybe dual molding) legs for figures that actually need it. The new Ben Kenobi figure, for example, has robes extended onto his legs, but it's almost as if they're little curtains.

If they could fix things like that up, I think they'll be at a perfect point to stop endlessly updating minifigures, especially armybuilders like stormtroopers and so on.

It will always be subjective, that´s why there will never be truly perfect figures. Some prefer simplistic styles like in 1999 and others want actionfigures.

Arm printing is excessive unless there are important bits on the arm like the Winter Soldiers star or Bobas flamethrower gadgets. A simple trooper shouldn´t need arm printing.

You see the subjectiveness in the faces the best. 2014 Luke looked like somebody superimposed the actors face on a Lego part and 2015 simplified it again to a small line on the chin and correctly colored eyebrows and character representing mouth expressions.

And then there come debates between making things screen accurate or prop-accurate. Or the designer just doesn´t care about distinctions for whatever reason like Bobas completely different colorschemes between TESB and ROTJ (still missing that dark green + light grey Boba, hope you like sand green and baby blue even though we could have swapped sand green for olive green for years now) or AOTC clone pilots and AT-RT drivers being literally the only unmade helmets.

The endless updating will never stop. Lego itself engineers it that way to a degree. Stormtroopers with fully white printed legs were available in one set in 2005. Understandably that was an exclusive one-off. But now that leg printing for every single SW figure is common we get printed legs but unprinted waists, still in black, even though in the movies that part of the body is clearly white and doesn´t need black color to break up the monotomy of the design, Stormtroopers are fully white by default.

I really wonder if my decision to buy 16 battle damaged Battlefront Stormtroopers was good. It probably won´t be 3 years until we get yet another version, maybe finally waist printing and then I sit on those for as long as I did on my 2008 Battlepack Stormtrooper army. At least those 2008s didn´t lose their worth, I hope the worth of other Stormtroopers will stay the same. Worth will most likely stay relatively even. I mean prices are the same regardless of 2008 troopers, original 2001 troopers, there are even people buying 2012 troopers even though this is the worst looking version of the figure with its action figure detailed torso, crudely printed 2008 helmet, unprinted legs and relatively extreme rarity due to only 2 of them being in Ewok Village and one of them in the Endor Battlepack.

As for the purpose of this topic, I like updating though I change my mind all the time. At first I only wanted original Han Solos, then I rejected the new torso and only wanted a new head with facial lines and the moment that version released I was totally ok with the vests.

Right now I am rejecting the new Darth Vader helmet because it literally looks like a actionfigures head stuck onto a Lego body but that will most likely change at some point as well.

My worst figure regarding updates has to be the imperial officer. Barely any individuals with different ranks, everybody is a Captain, two styles of coats now, two styles of caps as well, still no way to indicate the "skirt" on the pants and I am still undecided if that detail is even necessary, Rebels officers are even dark tan and life action ones are dark grey, I mean what kind of stupid distinction is this? One really needs decals for that and a way to order the new hats separately.

[General Magma]

I liked the newer Ben Kenobi figure, but I wasn't fond of the legs that were supposed to represent "robes". It looked much more as if the figure was wearing tan trousers with brown mini curtains hanging from only the front of his legs.

So I decided to fix that up so Ben Kenobi would actually - finally - have real Jedi robes.

I'm also thinking of giving him Mutt hair in light grey, but I'm not entirely sure about 1) how that would look and 2) making the figure look so very similar to the (new) Owen Lars.

Has anybody tried the Mutt hairpiece in light grey on this Ben Kenobi figure yet? Perhaps someone who owns the figure and the hairpiece could take a picture so it can be seen how it looks.

Fair enough, though I do think certain figures represent their corresponding characters well enough, and I think LEGO is aiming for that level of detail, without extremely overdetailing things.

They seemed to realize this with figures like 2014 Luke and decided to revert to a more simplistic head that actually captured the look of Luke Skywalker.

My main point is that, taken into consideration that they want to capture the details of certain characters (or outfits) as well as the top amount of printing they do on figures (which is, for example, never the back of legs, unless dual molded, but that doesn't count as printing),

they're very close when it comes to many figures, and some figures shouldn't really be updated any further as it stands now. The 2014 Luke head was a rather extreme case of overdetailing, causing that version of Luke to look like he had very strong facial features, making him look too much like a "typical manly-looking hero character", while the real Luke looked much more normal and had softer features. So they reverted back to a more simplistic head since it captures the look and essence of Luke more, as I said before.

If they do update the stormtroopers, then I hope they just update the hips and nothing else. The new helmet is perfect and I honestly don't think they will change that any time soon if ever, unless they decide to print the back of the helmets as well.

The distinctions between figures based on live action characters and figures based on TV show characters are somewhat absurd, I agree. Dark tan Imperial officers, which does not look right in any way at all,

or stormtroopers with frowny faces. They could've just used the classic stormtrooper, so I don't understand the need for distinction there at all.

Either way, we'll see where it all will go. I just really hope today's figures will be compatible with future figures.

I used to be less positive towards the new Darth Vader helmet (partially because I own a chrome Darth Vader, i.e. partial bias), but it has grown on me and I really like it now. Much more so than the old one.

[Fenom]

Not quite what you were wanting Magma, but here's what I've done for my old Obi-Wan:

[ryan1584]

I love that hair piece for Han, but for old Obi Wan I think the original looks better.

[eldiano]

What would be some ideas to update Grand Moff Tarkin. He is tricky to me, his head could pass off as the old one that ben kenobi has, but have used newer head pieces, the trick to me is the uniform and his ribbons, with new imperial officers nothing comes close. The new upcoming mini fig that comes out in tan made me kind of mad.

[Fenom]

What would be some ideas to update Grand Moff Tarkin. He is tricky to me, his head could pass off as the old one that ben kenobi has, but have used newer head pieces, the trick to me is the uniform and his ribbons, with new imperial officers nothing comes close. The new upcoming mini fig that comes out in tan made me kind of mad.

The closest in terms of rank would be Admiral Piett from 10221, for the head, many people are using the Mandarin, though I've wondered how Wormtongue's head would look, lastly using the hair from the new Doctor Who figure. I'll have all those pieces after my BL orders arrive so a picture's gonna have to wait unfortunately

[La Chupacabra]

Doctor Who head and hair piece would be nice.

[wesker]

Yep, with some, mainly those X wing pilots ( ) they don't need anymore updating. Except for maybe side of leg printing. With the troopers, they're fine, but I'm okay with them updating the main characters who aren't army builders. The ting I want the most is for them to change that Han face. I hate it! I like the older one better. Those lines look like wrinkles

I thought the older face looked too plain and boyish. Cheekbones don't look good on all minifigures but I think in Han's case its definitely an improvement and adds a bit more character. Luke on the otherhand is much better without them.

[General Magma]

I thought the older face looked too plain and boyish. Cheekbones don't look good on all minifigures but I think in Han's case its definitely an improvement and adds a bit more character. Luke on the otherhand is much better without them.

Agreed. It works for Han since it gives him more of a rugged look rather than, like you said, the boyish look of the older ones.

Anyway - what do you guys think of my improvement on Ben Kenobi's legs (the Jedi robe) up above?

Edited March 21, 2016 by General Magma

[atlas]

Really good, which paint did you use

[Sucram]

I thought the older face looked too plain and boyish. Cheekbones don't look good on all minifigures but I think in Han's case its definitely an improvement and adds a bit more character. Luke on the otherhand is much better without them.

Yeah, now that I remember that he is, like, 10 or something years older than Luke, I think it makes a bit more sense. Plus, now that I look at him again, I think it's OK.

[Junior Shark]

Those legs look 200% better, Magma. Your Ben certainly looks better than the most recent version : http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/lego/images/7/7e/81tukJfBqBL_SL1500_.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140518135141

What did he do to deserve those absolutely terrible legs?

[General Magma]

Those legs look 200% better, Magma. Your Ben certainly looks better than the most recent version : http://vignette2.wik...=20140518135141

What did he do to deserve those absolutely terrible legs?

Thank you! I guess that's the penalty for cutting an Aqualish guy's hand off.

Leaves one to wonder when we're finally getting a Ponda Baba figure...

[Fenom]

Here's, imo, the best possible option for an updated Tarkin atm:

[strider117]

I would hope we'll get a Lego Rebels Rex in the next year or two (along with grown-up Ahsoka, Sabine with new hair color, the new Inquisitors, maybe Sato & some Phoenix Squad folk...), and it'd sure be nice if they finally took the chance to update his skin tone... he shouldn't be paler than Kanan.

There's going to be an AT-TE (75157) in the summer wave https://i.ytimg.com/...xresdefault.jpg

Here's, imo, the best possible option for an updated Tarkin atm:

That looks great!! What set does the hair come in though? Edited March 22, 2016 by strider117

[Fenom]

21304, same set as the head. Still hoping for a more gaunt alternative to Capaldi's head though.

[strider117]

Anyone have ideas for a better Mon Mothma? Lately I've been building up a Rebel army and the old one from 2009 (http://www.toypro.com/media/cache/my_thumb_big/uploads/images/custom/7344-src.jpg) is just not doing it for me.

21304, same set as the head. Still hoping for a more gaunt alternative to Capaldi's head though.

thank you