Vanguard Squadron (Star Wars: Squadrons)

djcos25 · Nov 7, 2020

After playing Squadrons, I thought it would be pretty cool to make the pilots from the New Republic side. Also this would challenge me, as some of the flightsuits are different, so I have to look around for the parts I need. I will only be making the 4 pilots, as the player-character "Vanguard Five" is customizable, therefore everyone's pilot will vary.

First up - Vanguard Leader Kierah Koovah, nicknamed "Gunny"

So this one is interesting. There are no official Mimbanese figures. I was lucky to find this on ebay. The seller grumpypuppet was selling a custom Mimbanese Jedi figure. I quickly bought it as I needed the head. The head easily came off and I opened it up with my dremel. Not sure what it was made out of, as when I was done there were what looked like wood shavings everywhere. I dropped some tacky material in the neck socket to tighten it up. I painted above the eyes and the eyes as well to match her game counterpart. Gunny has a cybernetic left arm. I had trouble finding one that would fit, so I just superglued one from a POTF2 C-3PO (after repainting it and weathering it). The chestbox was removed, and I used one from the Nien Nunb B-wing pilot figure from The Legacy Collection. I cut off what I needed, filed it down and superglued it in place. The hose is from the Ekelarc Yong figure from Battle over Endor pack #1. I drilled a hole in the chestbox, as well as the body. The helmet is from Dllr Nep (weathered a bit) as that closely matched the helmet she has. The body is Jek Porkins from the Yavin Pilot Pack.

Second, is the second-in-command Gracalia Vatara Sienar, known as Grace

This one was much easier. The body I used was Shira Brie from Rebel Pilot Legacy Pack #3 in The Legacy Collection. I clipped off the gun holster and repainted the clipped area. The head is actually from the website Marauder Gun Runners. I had to widen the neck socket with my dremel. I repainted the neck post to match. The helmet is from Wedge Antilles The Vintage Collection Return of the Jedi. I repainted the helmet which looks to be a close match, and I applied the gold rebel logo decals. I took a toothpick and straightened out the lines the best I could.

Next up, Keo Venzee and Feresk "Frisk" Tssat - coming soon!

yodashizzle · Nov 7, 2020

First, that's a rad looking alien. Second, you used a Jek Porkins to do a custom. I don't have the guts for such a choice, props for the materials and results. Third, that's a really good choice for Grace as far as headsculpts, Hasbro could not do better. Lastly, I always love seeing pilots, looking forward to the next batch!

djcos25 · Nov 8, 2020

yodashizzle said:
First, that's a rad looking alien. Second, you used a Jek Porkins to do a custom. I don't have the guts for such a choice, props for the materials and results. Third, that's a really good choice for Grace as far as headsculpts, Hasbro could not do better. Lastly, I always love seeing pilots, looking forward to the next batch!

Thanks! There's a group shot I'm going to recreate once I have all the figures made. In that shot, Gunny is a bit bigger compared to the other pilots which is why I used Porkins. I was thinking about using a Porkins from the POTJ line but that figure was too big.

I'm working on Frisk now but waiting on some decals for his helmet. Keo might take me longer, I'm waiting to get a good deal on a Luminara Unduli figure.

djcos25 · Nov 9, 2020

With the exception of the decals, I finished Frisk today. First, I had to take apart the figure and file down the joints to prevent paint rub as Frisk's flightsuit is blue and not the typical orange. I filed down the joints, which is the most boring, time consuming project you can do. After, I painted the flightsuit and also repainted Frisk's skin color by doing a heavy drybrush. The helmet was done last. The head/hands/feet were from Bossk from The Saga Collection. The body is the Wedge Antilles pack-in figure with his X-wing. The helmet is a POTJ Jek Porkins. The helmet does fit, I just have to heat it up in warm water first.

Feresk "Frisk" Tssat

Tulgah · Nov 9, 2020

I love this Frisk! Simple but effective!

djcos25 · Nov 17, 2020

Update time!

The decals I ordered came in today. I added them to Frisk's helmet, and also touched up the helmet a bit.

Keo should be done soon. The head I ordered from ebay should be in this week. I just have to run to the hobby shop and pickup a color that matches the skin tone.

djcos25 · Nov 20, 2020

The head I needed for Keo came in today. After work (more importantly, after The Mandalorian) I took a ride to grab the last of the paints I needed. I had to open up the neck socket quite a bit, and was actually running out of room so I filed down the neck post just a bit. I repainted the face and neck post a yellow-green skin tone. I had to add in the tattoos? with a toothpick, they were so hard to do.

Head: Luminara Unduli (The Black Series)
Body: Wedge Antilles (TVC ROTJ)
Chestbox: A-wing Pilot (POTF2)
Pouch: random part from GI Joe fodder
Helmet/head cap: Jake Farrell and Tycho Celchu

Keo Venzee

Vanguard Squadron

The middle pilot is "Vanguard Five" and customizable so there is no custom of him/her. Instead I added in a pilot figure of myself for the photo.

djcos25 · Nov 23, 2020

I went back and touched up my Frisk custom. I dry-brushed a dark gray on the flightsuit. The shade of blue I used seemed to be a very close match but I wanted to tone it down just a bit, while also giving the flightsuit a used/worn/dusty look to it, like in the official image of Frisk.

Before and after

yodashizzle · Nov 24, 2020

Nice to see the squad complete! Good stuff with the various bits and details like the chest boxes, never underestimate the utility of other lines like GI Joe folks!

djcos25 · Dec 2, 2020

Ended up making one final custom for this squadron - Lindon Javes. He defected from the Imperials to the New Republic, eventually taking command of Vanguard Squadron. Granted, he didn't fly with them but he did don a flightsuit and fly an X-wing briefly. The head is from Marauder Gun-Runners, and the neck socket had to be widened a bit. I repainted the neck post to match. I searched a lot on ebay but this was the closest head I could find. It seems every head I came across only had a mustache.

Tulgah · Dec 7, 2020

I think it’s definitely close enough! You have an enviable squad indeed!