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[Havelock]

Understanding Modern Era Plates - What the heck does a kidney plate look like?
Lead Author: Havelock
Edited by: MMCC Education Team

We know how confusing and frustrating it can be when you first start researching and planning your kit, and you're reading through WiP threads and see people referring to range finders or ear caps or girth belts and - since this is your first time looking into putting together a mandalorian costume - you're not familiar with what these things are...and there aren't any specific references.  So here's a down and dirty breakdown of the various parts of a Modern Era Mandalorian kit, with visual references.  Bear in mind that since this Club allows customizations, the visuals included here are for the most typical examples of the various bits and bobs.

If you're interested in any of these pieces being more custom, draw up your idea, or find a different visual reference, and post it in your WiP thread for feedback, or you can ask the App Team directly using this form.

(All the following images were found via Google or this forum, and are assumed to be public domain.  Any pictures of MMCC members and parts of their kits will be noted when we're aware of the provenance.)


The Helmet

Let's start at the top and work our way down.  First is the helmet, also referred to as a bucket. 



You'll see references to different parts of the bucket. 

• The visor or T Visor
• The RF or Range Finder
• The Earcaps
• Dome
• Cheeks
• Brow ridge
• Keyslots

Keyslots


Bear in mind that if you're going to include a range finder on your bucket, there's a different ear cap.

Range finder ear cap


Standard ear cap


Range finder


A common question that gets asked about the visor is "What do you use for the visor itself?"  One of the most common solutions is a welding shield, typically a shade 5 visor:

Welding shield


Then you cut the welding visor down to fit the shape of the bucket's T.

Soft Parts

For your soft parts you need a flight suit - a single piece garment that covers you from feet to neck - or something that looks like it's a single piece garment when you're all kitted up.  As long as the shirt and pants are made from the same material and are the same color, feel free to use separate garments.  And you can't have skin showing under your bucket - so you might need a neck seal if your flight suit lacks a high enough collar.

You'll also need a flak vest, a girth belt or sash, and an ammo/pouch/gun belt, and, of course, boots.  You're free to use a sash and a girth belt and a gun belt and an ammo belt, but the CRLs - Costume Requirment List - only require you to have any two of the four.  We do recommend, though, that at least one of your items is a belt; kits tend to look a little...odd...without them.  And If you're going to wear boots with laces, you need to cover those up somehow - either with armor, wraps, or spats/gaiters.

Flight Suit


Neck Seal


Flak Vest, with and without built in neck seals
 

Loin Cloth

- borrowed from Kryamla's Soft Parts WiP

Girth Belt


Gun and ammo belt


Leg wraps


Spats


Kama


Sash and boots not pictured.

Armor

As to the armor itself, it's made up of several different pieces.  The armor pieces required on any Official kit are:

• Collar
• Chest plates
• Chest Diamond (or simply Diamond)
• Ab(dominal) plate
• Back plate
• Shoulder bells
• Gauntlets/Vambraces
• Cod plate
• Kidney plate
• Thigh plates
• Knees
• Shin plates
• Boot plates

Torso Armor


Collar


Chest


Diamond


Ab


Back


Shoulders (flat and shaped)
 

Gauntlets/Vambraces


Cod


Kidney Plate/Backside of Cod

 - borrowed from Shammah's WiP.

Alternate Kidney plate image (and Cod)

 - borrowed from Raestin's WiP.

Knees


Leg Armor


Foot Armor


In summary

There are, of course, many, many, many ways these different pieces can look.  We hope, though, that this visual guide gives you a working understanding of the various elements of a mandalorian kit.

--MMCC Education Team--