Building my first spartan

[AstridLindgrn]

I've thought on it for a while but I think now I'm for sure I want to make a spartan cosplay. This would be an attempt to bring my own custom spartan to life. A Halo Reach inspired spartan III using the Mark V (B) armor core.

I only have amateur experience with cosplay creation. But I have never worked with armor like cosplays.
I just need to know is my spartan as displayed too complex for a first time? Where should I start? How can I keep the creation relatively affordable?

Any advice and general conversation helps a ton. I know I'm for sure not going to finish it by this year but hopefully by next year I can have it finished if I stay committed.
Thanks for reading.

 

[SpartanSweed]

Congrats, you’re taking your first steps into the great world that is Halo costuming! For beginners I recommend using foam as it’s relatively easy to come by and work with. Our very own RandomRanger has a tutorial series on how to make the base Mk 5 B core, all you would need is to make the attachments you want

 

[Jev]

Hi, it's great to see that you've already got a set idea of what you want in mind. It shouldn't be too complex if you just work at it slowly and carefully. You'll learn and pick up skills quickly in this hobby.

There are 3 main mediums in which people make their armour:
Foam (cutting out shapes from foam boards and glueing them together) ,
Pepakura (paper mache on steroids)
and finally 3D printing (printing each piece of armour and strengthening them).

Each medium has their pros and cons, it's really up to preference and what you have available to you.
The amount of time your armour takes will largely depend on what medium you choose, the level of detail you want to achieve and how much you work on it over time (hate to state the obvious).

We should have all of the files that you need to complete that armourset in various forms in the Armoury, I'd recommend researching the different mediums and what you think will work best for you before choosing one. We have plenty of members here that are very well versed in all types of cosplay design that can help you on your path to becoming a Spartan!

 

[AstridLindgrn]

Hi, it's great to see that you've already got a set idea of what you want in mind. It shouldn't be too complex if you just work at it slowly and carefully. You'll learn and pick up skills quickly in this hobby.

There are 3 main mediums in which people make their armour:
Foam (cutting out shapes from foam boards and glueing them together) ,
Pepakura (paper mache on steroids)
and finally 3D printing (printing each piece of armour and strengthening them).

Each medium has their pros and cons, it's really up to preference and what you have available to you.
The amount of time your armour takes will largely depend on what medium you choose, the level of detail you want to achieve and how much you work on it over time (hate to state the obvious).

We should have all of the files that you need to complete that armourset in various forms in the Armoury, I'd recommend researching the different mediums and what you think will work best for you before choosing one. We have plenty of members here that are very well versed in all types of cosplay design that can help you on your path to becoming a Spartan!

I for sure got to do research on the materials. Ive never done stuff advanced like cutting, carving, molding so this'll be very new to me. From what ive seen in personal experience talking with spartan cosplayers at cons most of not all of them used foam. From the looks of it when detailed and painted good enough and can look amazing.

 

[Jev]

I for sure got to do research on the materials. Ive never done stuff advanced like cutting, carving, molding so this'll be very new to me. From what ive seen in personal experience talking with spartan cosplayers at cons most of not all of them used foam. From the looks of it when detailed and painted good enough and can look amazing.

Foam is a very versatile type of cosplay material, it takes some time to get the hang of but once you do it's very rewarding. I'd recommend you use a tool called armoursmith to scale your armour with (works for 3D printing, foam and pepakura. Pretty much universally liked here for one reason or another) and follow N8TEBB's tutorial (I'll link it below) along with the other one linked above.

 

[Lojak]

That armor is totally do-able. You can crush that.

As for advice, here are a handful of biggies.

Don't let yourself get too wrapped up in deadlines or perfection, just let the build happen at the pace its going. Start with planning. It sounds like a duh but take the next few days if not weeks sketching, researching, outlining, and thinking through the project. Give your harness system as much attention as your armor. Invest in developing pattern making skills (Like duct tape patterns and such). To help with motivation, give your Spartan a name and story. This makes the project more than just costume pieces but breathing to life a person.

To help with cost, the best advice is the usual advice. Thrift what you can. Repurpose what you have. Invest in long term tools. As for sourcing specific material like EVA foam, Hobby Lobby oddly enough has some of the most affordable stuff. At least at my local store. Keep in mind, cardboard and cardstock can do a lot of similar work as foam and can be as cheap as saving your empty cereal boxes. Under suits can also be a place to save time and money. Black body suit with old sports pads attached can sell the effect.

It might be worth investing in a 3d printed or casted helmet. Foam helmets can be tough and require some patience, but totally do able at any skill level. It's more of an Effort vs Reward question to ask yourself.

And as always, ask question. The community is here to help.

 

[AstridLindgrn]

That armor is totally do-able. You can crush that.

As for advice, here are a handful of biggies.

Don't let yourself get too wrapped up in deadlines or perfection, just let the build happen at the pace its going. Start with planning. It sounds like a duh but take the next few days if not weeks sketching, researching, outlining, and thinking through the project. Give your harness system as much attention as your armor. Invest in developing pattern making skills (Like duct tape patterns and such). To help with motivation, give your Spartan a name and story. This makes the project more than just costume pieces but breathing to life a person.

To help with cost, the best advice is the usual advice. Thrift what you can. Repurpose what you have. Invest in long term tools. As for sourcing specific material like EVA foam, Hobby Lobby oddly enough has some of the most affordable stuff. At least at my local store. Keep in mind, cardboard and cardstock can do a lot of similar work as foam and can be as cheap as saving your empty cereal boxes. Under suits can also be a place to save time and money. Black body suit with old sports pads attached can sell the effect.

It might be worth investing in a 3d printed or casted helmet. Foam helmets can be tough and require some patience, but totally do able at any skill level. It's more of an Effort vs Reward question to ask yourself.

And as always, ask question. The community is here to help.

I appreciate all the advice and responses I have gotten right off the bat its already given me ideas on what to do and where to look. Hobby Lobby I gotta find one that's near me cause this isnt the first time ive heard people recommend me it. As for you thing about giving the Spartan a name and story I already have actually. Part of the reason I want to make it is because I invested quite a bit of time in making this a whole character with plot lol.

 

[N8TEBB]

What’s nice about making a suit of Spartan armour is you don’t have to make it all at once. You can complete the base armour, and then later on worry about attachments and things. If you’re new to foam crafting, a good way to start is with the boots and then work your way up. This ensures that your first (and rougher) pieces are more out of the spotlight, and it allows you to make sure the scaling is good as you progress.

In terms of cost, foam can be relatively cheap. But to give you a good idea of how much a suit costs I’ll like the cost analysis for my most recent mk7 and my halo 3 mk 6:


Mk 7: N8TEBB's Mk 7 Build!!!!! | Page 4 | Halo Costume and Prop Maker Community - 405th


Mk 6: 1st Build - MJOLNIR MK VI Master Chief Armour (Halo 3) | Halo Costume and Prop Maker Community - 405th

 

[AstridLindgrn]

What’s nice about making a suit of Spartan armour is you don’t have to make it all at once. You can complete the base armour, and then later on worry about attachments and things. If you’re new to foam crafting, a good way to start is with the boots and then work your way up. This ensures that your first (and rougher) pieces are more out of the spotlight, and it allows you to make sure the scaling is good as you progress.

In terms of cost, foam can be relatively cheap. But to give you a good idea of how much a suit costs I’ll like the cost analysis for my most recent mk7 and my halo 3 mk 6:

View attachment 341789
Mk 7: N8TEBB's Mk 7 Build!!!!! | Page 4 | Halo Costume and Prop Maker Community - 405th

View attachment 341790
Mk 6: 1st Build - MJOLNIR MK VI Master Chief Armour (Halo 3) | Halo Costume and Prop Maker Community - 405th

What’s nice about making a suit of Spartan armour is you don’t have to make it all at once. You can complete the base armour, and then later on worry about attachments and things. If you’re new to foam crafting, a good way to start is with the boots and then work your way up. This ensures that your first (and rougher) pieces are more out of the spotlight, and it allows you to make sure the scaling is good as you progress.

In terms of cost, foam can be relatively cheap. But to give you a good idea of how much a suit costs I’ll like the cost analysis for my most recent mk7 and my halo 3 mk 6:

View attachment 341789
Mk 7: N8TEBB's Mk 7 Build!!!!! | Page 4 | Halo Costume and Prop Maker Community - 405th

View attachment 341790
Mk 6: 1st Build - MJOLNIR MK VI Master Chief Armour (Halo 3) | Halo Costume and Prop Maker Community - 405th

I know I won't be able to get all the armor attachments and accessories that I'd like in the first year given my financial state and free time that I have. So I'm perfectly content with just striving to get the base mark v B armor done then I can worry about stuff like the attachments, the weapons, lights, etc.
I checked out the cost analysis you have put out and man it's intimidating to say the least pfft when I've at the most spent 200 dollars on a cosplay. Going to the thousand level is gonna require me to save alot and spend smart.
But I'm confident about building it to the best of my ability. I will take your advice and start with the boots to work the way up. The chest armor and helmet are the parts I'm the most afraid to mess up. I appreciate you sharing with me your own armors as examples they look incredibly good no joke! I'm never gonna be that stellar lol

 

[N8TEBB]

There are always thing you can do to cut the cost, and chances are you have a lot of the tools you need already. Some things that made my suit a bit more expensive are the speaker system, hearing system, tall shoes, ab wrap, and over kill rigging system.

Your build is very doable even with a small budget. Just take your time, be careful with the limited materials you have, and it will turn out great! You got this

 

[AstridLindgrn]

There are always thing you can do to cut the cost, and chances are you have a lot of the tools you need already. Some things that made my suit a bit more expensive are the speaker system, hearing system, tall shoes, ab wrap, and over kill rigging system.

Your build is very doable even with a small budget. Just take your time, be careful with the limited materials you have, and it will turn out great! You got this

The thing still so wild to me is how foam alone can make the armor so seamlessly with all the curves and special angles that come with spartan armor. My greatest challenge will be trying not to make it look blocky and as close to the game rendition as possible. As well as how exactly to attach the different pieces and ensure it all to be firm/durable.

 

[N8TEBB]

Few tips:

First: I prefer to use contact cement when constructing with foam. My brand of choice is Barge. Barge is not water-based like LePage and similar brands which allows it to have a very strong and quick hold. Barge usually takes shy of 5 minutes to dry, whereas LePage takes 20 minutes, and still can't hold foam together. Barge is very good for foam work. Once I have the armour piece fully constructed with barge, I will reinforce every seam with hot glue on the back side. This ensures that the pieces are extremely securely held in place.

Second: To make the armour look as close to the game as possible, I followed a template. There are many templates for foam crafting available in the armoury (at the top of your screen) but I don't think the mk5 from halo infinite is in there. You could use a mk5 file from another game, or purchase one. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the file you want, but perhaps another member might, or you could do a bit of searching online. The file type you're looking for is .pdo which can be opened in pepakura designer.

Third: To make the foam work seamless, use kwik seal. Use the caulk to fill in the gaps roughly. Then, with a latex glove on, dip your finger in water and use your finger to smooth out the caulk over the gap. Continue to smooth the caulk out, dipping your finger in water every once in a while, until the gap is filled and the transition between the two foam pieces in smooth. You may have to let it dry a bit and do a second round. This is the trick to getting no seams on your foam work.

 

[AstridLindgrn]

Few tips:

First: I prefer to use contact cement when constructing with foam. My brand of choice is Barge. Barge is not water-based like LePage and similar brands which allows it to have a very strong and quick hold. Barge usually takes shy of 5 minutes to dry, whereas LePage takes 20 minutes, and still can't hold foam together. Barge is very good for foam work. Once I have the armour piece fully constructed with barge, I will reinforce every seam with hot glue on the back side. This ensures that the pieces are extremely securely held in place.
View attachment 341809

Second: To make the armour look as close to the game as possible, I followed a template. There are many templates for foam crafting available in the armoury (at the top of your screen) but I don't think the mk5 from halo infinite is in there. You could use a mk5 file from another game, or purchase one. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the file you want, but perhaps another member might, or you could do a bit of searching online. The file type you're looking for is .pdo which can be opened in pepakura designer.

Third: To make the foam work seamless, use kwik seal. Use the caulk to fill in the gaps roughly. Then, with a latex glove on, dip your finger in water and use your finger to smooth out the caulk over the gap. Continue to smooth the caulk out, dipping your finger in water every once in a while, until the gap is filled and the transition between the two foam pieces in smooth. You may have to let it dry a bit and do a second round. This is the trick to getting no seams on your foam work.
View attachment 341808

I had just seen your video on the Mk7 a bit ago and I gotta say that is the most informative and easy to understand tutorial for a cosplay ive ever seen. You make the process come to look a lot easier than I imagined. I will be getting these materials cause I know barge and Kwik seal are both things I have locally near me, pretty sure my dad has some still in his massive shed of stuff so who knows I might get lucky.
I will be following a template because I do want accuracy to be key in the craft. The infinite picture was merely a good example of the armor but its more so the Mark V B from Halo Reach itself I want to create. If there is a template for that I will for sure be using it. My second option was the Mark 6 from 3 but I just love overall how much more tactical and militaristic reach's armor looks.

 

[HoundinAbout]

Awesome!!! You got this!!