I was damn lucky to not only have a Kamakura from Joenerd TJ (two actually, both $4 from clearance shelf at Toyworld) but also a beat-up one from a $30 lot I got from the US (with True Heroes boat and 22 figures).  Since he’s made up of 25th Ann. Storm Shadow (v30, I think) I didn’t need the parts really.  But I knew when I used it that I wanted it to be for a proper Kamakura custom.

When I was getting the idea for Sandstorm, BANG, it hit me.  Don’t forget Kamy!

So there you go.  But his blue wasn’t green enough for me, considering that he’s always, always green in some way.  And I wanted him to have some sort of body armour on his lower parts to match the upper parts, making him more armoury and tough and Impact Armor Awesome.  Plus, it gives me a chance to balance things drybrush-wise.

Recipe

• Head/Torso/Arms/Upper Legs – ROC Kamakura
• Lower Leg – ROC Snake Eyes (v47)
• Feet – Resolute Storm Shadow
• Backpack – Sword sheaths from ROC Storm Shadow, pack from Snake Eyes v37.

All up, he was fkn FUN.  Loved the half hour alone I spent mixing that shade of green.  Loved getting the highlights just right.  LOVED repainting the entire torso and using the black and highlights MY way.  Loved his feet, but hated, hated, hated carving and whittling the fucking joints out so the paint wouldn’t wear off.

Why?  Why all the hatred?  Look close.  Because I missed one.  I fucking missed one and didn’t fucking notice until just now.  His back left ankle has rubbed off and is white as the driven snow.  FUCK.

Meh, oh well.  Something to do next weekend.

Snake Eyes.  My boy.  The goods.  The shit.  The Real Deal baby.

My first true love.

While a part of me will always, ALWAYS want to do some sort of “Ultimate” Snake Eyes (and still plans to, despite the Wave 3.5 Retaliation figs) I also really, really love the idea of making new ones for unique situations.  I had a ROC Ripcord body with an extra Snake Eyes head on it for AGES when I had my ROC guys set up, and when I started this whole Impact Armor project I realised that I was going to have to give him a proper Snake Eyes treatment instead of just a headswap, sword and uzi.

Recipe

• Head – Dollar General Snake Eyes
• Torso/Upper Arms – ROC Duke
• Lower Arms – ROC Snake Eyes (v43)
• Upper Legs – ROC Snake Eyes (v47)
• Lower Legs – ROC Charbroil
• Webgear – ROC Snake Eyes (v47)

All up, it was pretty easy painting him because the grey that I happened to have was an exact match for the one they already used on Duke’s Impact Armor.

The hardest part was getting him nearly completed and then having him stand next to the other kids at the Impact Armor playground and realise that little Snakey’s been eating way too many Wheaties.  He was towering over everyone.  Something about the SE thighs and Charbroil shins made him seriously tall, so I carved out a section of the shins (about 5mm) and shortened him a bit.  That made him a bit more normal, though still quite rangey.

Shitty part too was breaking the fucking silencer off the DG Snake Eyes.  I fixed it back on, melted it a bit, and then the fucking thing broke off AGAIN.  Wickedsad, so I just glued it (slightly crooked) and left it.

I was nearly done with the original gangsta’s from the Impact Armor crew (Rise of Cobra) when it hit me: There were more figures with this armor!

So I dug around to find parts that would match Sandstorm, surprisingly easy really, and made a new one that was going to get the complete workover.

Recipe

• Head – 25th Firefly
• Torso/Upper Arms/Upper Legs – ROC Ripcord
• Lower Legs – ROC Snake Eyes

Sandstorm was fun because I knew fuckall about him.  I sort of thought that he could be a sniper or some shit for the Impact Armor Team when they’re all assaulty and missiony.  I liked the idea that he’d have some desert camo and a bigass sniper rifle from Marauder’s.

[EDIT] I see now that he’s an MP, so I might try to work that angle instead.  But I do really like the idea of a ‘Perimeter Control Specialist’ on covert ops being a sniper.  I mean, other than ninjas, what else would you have?

Shipwreck was a character that I immediately liked in the toyline and missed terribly from the movie.  He would’ve been a brilliant addition, especially with his badass knit watchcap and Impact Armor instead of that stupid Popeye hat and chinos.

That said, I liked the Impact Armor heaps.  So much so that I did a custom of everybody that had some, and then some!  But I still had to give him some of the trademark pants and sailor-style boots.  Plus, instead of the gray battle camo on the Impact Armor, I gave him blue as homage to the sea, ARR!

Recipe

• Head/Torso/Arms/Upper Legs – Shippie
• Lower Legs – ROC Storm Shadow
• Feet – Damn… I honestly forget.  The Customs Box is getting pretty full these days.

Shipwreck was fun and I’m really happy with how he turned out.  EXCEPT… the joints.  Fukkinell, it is a bastard to try and get the joints whittled down to where they won’t rub paint off when you move his legs.  I’m still not sure that he’s okay for this, but I’m too afraid to check.  FRUSTRATING.

Cover Girl was yet another one of those figures that made me wonder, “Why in the Blue Fuck was she even IN the movie?”  Because really, let’s hire the hot chick for a menial role yet still with a recognisable code name, then kill her brutally when she hasn’t even done ONE THING that was cool or awesome.  Fkn LAME.

So yeah, I wanted to do a custom of her not only because the Joes are low on de wimmins, but also because I felt bad that her part in the movie blew anchormen.

Recipe

• Head – ROC Cover Girl with 25th Ann. Scarlett’s hair.  Carved, cut, styled and set before painted blonde.
• Torso – ROC Scarlett.
• Upper Arms – Agent Helix
• Lower Arms – ROC Baroness
• Upper Legs – ROC Scarlett
• Lower Legs – Agent Helix
• Feet – ROC Scarlett (no fkn heels in combat please!)
• Belt – 25th Firefly with ROC Paris Pursuit Storm Shadow’s holster.
• Holster, right leg – Renegades Ripcord.

The head was the fun part because it kind of cheeses me that these chicks would be portrayed with their hair down when being all coverty and missiony.  Plus, I was really happy to find a way to give her the two pistols that the original character has.  It’s sort of like a trademark, even if the movie screwed her over, she still gets to be cool.