Otherwise known as a Czerka Corp Crate-O-Matic in Star Wars, The Old Republic.
I scored one yesterday!
What is it, you ask?!? A curiosity primarily, BUT it’s also the absolute most rare item in the game. It allows you to disguise yourself as a shipping crate, which supposedly will let you not be detected by enemy non-player characters. I have yet to verify that claim. At any rate, it’s potentially handy for stealth based characters at the very least. 🙂
So yes, FINALLY a bit of good luck. If the thing was sellable, I could write my own check for an obscene amount of in-game currency via the game’s trade network. One does not simply SELL a crate-o-matic however. It’s a rare goodie.
The Actual Update:
Beyond that, there’s not much to report. We’re in a holding pattern until we talk to a termite inspector and a lawyer so we can better plot a path forward. Right now, there are so many variables flying our way from out of left field, it’s hard to formulate any sort of a plan.
We did find out today that the roof on the new place is indeed older than disclosed and in worse shape than the initial home inspection said.
We’ll see how much, if any, of that is from termites.
Somewhere as the dust was clearing from all the recent madness, my “May the 4th” special order lightsaber came in. It is a “Battle Wrap Havoc” model with some awesome customization:
Note the hilt is slimmer; more in keeping with the real world size (diameter) of a sword grip or hilt. It’s also much lighter and better balanced. I *almost* feel like I could fence against a real rapier with it. The hilt length is just long enough to be comfortably used as a one handed or two handed weapon also.
Other Differences:
Here’s what else this lightsaber can do that my two Black Series sabers can only dream about:
Even more realistic blade “activation” and “retraction” with the Plecter Pixel blade
Better sound effects for swings and impacts, including more sensitivity to being swung and actual flash on impact.
Additional SFX and light effects for deflecting blaster fire or force lightning (activated by a second button)
Light up power switch!
15 included Sound Fonts to allow customizing of all the above sounds
The ability to customize the blade’s color for both it’s main color and the clash / deflect effects:
That’s just a small sample there. The installed options included Blue, Teal, Red, Purple, A red and orange mix, Yellow, Orange, and a sort of Sky Blue that’s my favorite thus far. That doesn’t photograph well, but it looks almost identical to this Star Wars: The Old Republic blade color:
It’s a Blue Core War Hero color crystal for you gamers; in an Arn’s Unshielded Lightsaber model hilt w/ Gemini Pulse tuning.
There’s even one option where the blade cycles through all the above colors, which is kind of cool in a bizarre, not lore friendly sort of way. 😀
The Sound fonts and blade colors can all be changed on the fly. With the power off, press the second button to access the list of options, then cycle through using the power button. More detailed changes can be made via connecting the saber to a PC and using software to set up in-depth customized profiles.
More Comparisons:
Just to give you an idea of how clunky and unwieldy the other manufacturers can be with lightsabers, here’s my custom havoc next to my original lightsaber shell from Ultrasabers:
Now, the length of the “Fallen LE” shell I’ll give Ultrasabers a pass on. The lightsaber, story-wise, originally belonged to a Lesat Jedi, and Lesats are as big as wookies. Ergo, it makes sense it’d be a nearly a claymore hilt for a human. That thing is thicker than an old police D Cell battery maglite though. The coloring makes it beautiful to look at but it’s unwieldy.
Some day I *may* still finish that saber also, IF I can find a third party that makes electronics that will fit and are better quality than Ultrasbers’ stuff.
Lighting or blade brightness wise, a picture is worth a thousand words:
That’s a completely dark room with the Vader’s Vault saber providing 75% of the illumination. The Havoc was set to purple for a fair comparison against the Hasbro Windu blade. It’s so bright it looks white in the pic. Now that’s Illumination!
LOL
Nuts and Bolts:
Just a quick look at the technical stuff actually. The blade is self contained and can be removed (unlike the Black Series stuff). Similar to the Black Series models, the blade has LED strips running it’s length that allow it to simulate the blade extending or retracting. The main difference is the blade has multicolor LEDs and more of them. The blade plugs into the hilt and is held in place with an allen screw.
The bottom of the blade has a contact plate to allow power to the LEDs:
And the hilt has a couple of contact strips in the socket for it’s side of the power connection:
Irony: The blade plug for my Ultrasabers hilt fits perfectly into the blade socket for the Havoc also, making for great display potential:
Sadly, as it was intended for an older, flashlight type saber setup, the blade plug doesn’t light up at all. Still looks fairly good though. 🙂
The Official Release Video:
For those who want a more in-depth look at the base model Havoc saber without my fancy emitter shroud, here’s the official release video for the Havoc, direct from Vader’s Vault YouTube channel:
I’m still discovering a few goodies built into the saber and it’s soundfonts. For instance, there’s a ‘jukebox’ option that will make the lightsaber play the cantina theme from A New Hope. When the battery gets low, the saber says “When my patience ends, bad things happen” (a quote from The Old Republic’s Sith Warrior character).
Now all I have to do is find a dueling league since this thing is 100% combat rugged and ready. 😀 😀 😀
Yes, I’m still alive and not a force apparition. Long story there, which I shall save for another time. For now, it’s that time of year again:
image via nerdappropriate.com
In keeping with last year’s post (by sheer coincidence), I also scored a new lightsaber today during The Vader’s Vault “May the 4th” flash sale. 30 sabers gone in 15 minutes. Pics coming in a week or so once it arrives.
Also in keeping with tradition, a little Weird Al to liven things up:
One of the most annoying parts of Episode 3 for me (listening to him wheeze), and it was never explained in the movies. That got me to thinking that some folks out there might not know the whole story there…
The answer lays in the the original (2005) Clone Wars mini-series on the Cartoon Network, and how it tied directly to Episode 3.
The 25 episode series covered highlights of the time between Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. During that series, Grievous is shown to be nearly unstoppable as he takes out Jedi in various outposts around the galaxy…
Then came Episode 25.
Episode 25 led right up to the events of Revenge of the Sith. The series literally ended with Palpatine’s staged abduction and the escape to the separatist fleet above Coruscant. Grievous was in command of the “kidnap” team and took out a few Jedi along the way. Then… at the escape shuttle… he met Mace Windu.
BAD things, man… BAD things:
ONE “hit”… Just one. 🤣😁🤣😂😁😄 😎
Which just goes to prove; there’s two people in the universe you don’t screw with: Mace Windu and the Batman.
This from a 1987 issue of Justice League comics. Blue Beetle busting a gut over it totally makes the scene. 😀
And THAT is the story of how Grievous joined Weezer and ran from Coruscant like a screaming little school girl.
That story has been “retconned” since then thanks to comic book authors at Disney’s Marvel branch wanting to put their spin on things AND Lucas deciding he could make more money with a second edition of the Clone Wars. Still, nothing else really explains the wheezing and clutching his chest in Revenge of the Sith.
Trivia Bonus:
Diehard fans know this, but Samuel L Jackson’s lightsaber had “BMF” engraved on it.
Yes, that’s right, THE Vader’s Vault; home of some of the best custom made lightsabers on the planet.
So, cool background story… We had to run into Georgia today to take care of some other business. I’d also been gawking longingly at more lightsabers online, and found out that Vader’s Vault “store” (shop really) was only 27 miles away from where we had to go. I talked the spouse into a quick ride with the idea of checking out whatever kind of showroom Vader’s Vault had and asking a few questions.
In short, I wanted to try to get a handle on whether or not Vader’s Vault sabers are actually worth the money. Also get a look at a few sabers as well, I’d hoped. 😁
What I got was completely unexpected. Instead of a quick look and a few questions answered, we got… the grand tour!
We talked to somebody up front, and they went and got the boss (owner). He came out, gave us a quick run down of the stuff in the showroom and then asked if we’d like a tour.
The showroom included this case full of sabers and saber cases from their history:
That saber up at the top is one of only EIGHT real world copies of the “Twisted Fang” lightsaber available in the Star Wars: The Old Republic game.
A couple of other highlights from the showroom:
Their case of manufactured helmets.
More sabers, emitters and some toys on the bottom shelf. That’s a “mouse” droid in the lower right corner also.
That, unfortunately is all the pictures I got. The rear area of the shop had rooms for wiring work, CNC machining equipment, 3D printers, etc… I didn’t snap any pictures back there though because the owner was lamenting how any time he puts something online, there’s a cheap Chinese knock-off for sale a day or two later. They were also working on one completely new model and some tweaks to existing models (relocated power switches and a few other minor things). I have a sneaking suspicion that we MIGHT see that new model for a May the 4th sale too.
For any readers who may be wondering, I asked about the limited availability of sabers right now. It’s the usual supply chain issues. However, they expect to have a few models back in stock in the next few weeks. I did see them working on a batch of “Revancrist” sabers (Darth Revan’s lightsaber):
Those are one of the few sabers still currently “in stock” also.
One question led to a highlight of the tour also. I asked if their special made sabers with crystal chambers were duel worthy. The big guy brought out a Starkiller and explained in detail:
The cliff notes version is that the hilt itself is strong enough for it. The bracing rods on the chamber are full on steel. HOWEVER, their crystals are a piece of clear quartz which could break or break loose in heavy sparring. So, he advised against using such a saber for more than light to moderate horseplay.
Why quartz? Disney has “cool” 🙄 colored epoxy chunks that they sell for ONLY $30, you say? Well Vader’s Vault sabers have the ability to change blade colors, and the Starkiller will actually shine the same color as the blade into the quartz to make it look like that color Kyber Crystal. It will always match the blade no matter the color.
More importantly (lol) for a couple of moments, I got to hold a $2600 Vader’s Vault masterworks Starkiller in my hand. 😁 Well, minus it’s outer cover anyway.
We briefly talked about the differences in blades also. Plecter Pixel blades are just as combat worthy as the old LED tubes. Both are polycarbonate, and will eventually break at some point while dueling. The Pixel blade gives a much better and even light quality and is capable of producing effects that an LED “flashlight” type design can’t. All this at a higher price point, of course.
Personally, I’d probably save the Plecter Pixel blade for “show” sabers and use an LED one for dueling. We’re talking $30 vs $130 for a replacement when it finally breaks.
Bottom Line:
Are they worth the price and increased wait time?
I went in a little wary. Half of me was looking to rationalize buying elsewhere. They really are absolutely worth it in my opinion though. Here’s why:
Better Grip, Weight and Balance: The balance on every saber I got to handle was extraordinary. My two black series sabers (Dooku and Mace) and my Ultrasabers “Fallen” saber:
are just plain stout. They’re like wrapping your hands around an old “D Cell” battery Maglite police flashlight. The Count Dooku saber is majorly off balance as well. I got to hold a Vader’s Vault copy of that same saber. The hilt is slimmer, more in line with what a real sword might have, the finish was brighter too. The machining was done so well that it was hard to see where the parts of the hilt actually connected together.
Better Sound Quality: I’ve heard people complain about Ultrasabers and Saberforge being bad in poor quality or muffled sound. My Black Series sabers are fair in this regard. Not great, but fair. Every Vader’s Vault saber I heard sounded like I’d just stepped into one of the movies. Crystal clear quality with sound effects for everything from swings, blade clashes and defected blaster bolts (all of which a plexer pixel blade’s light will respond to also).
Massive Customization: Vader’s Vault has features that Ultrasabers and Saberforge don’t even offer; hilt lighting and illuminated power buttons for starters. Some of their options they don’t advertise on their site. I suspect that has to do with variable costs involved. I saw sabers that were mirror polished, powder coated, weathered, acid etching engraved, inlaid with wood, leather wrapped… you name it.
THIS, I found out today, was done in the owner’s garage when it was just him and his wife. Imagine what they can do now!
Good Company Working Environment and Customer Service: Why is that important? Because even if you don’t care about the workers’ conditions, a happy staff is highly motivated to excel at their job. That means you get a defect free product.
Customer service should be self-explanatory in importance. If you have any doubts about Vader’s Vault though… Keep in mind they COULD have just run me off, or spent a couple minutes answering a few questions and then politely said they had to get back to work. Instead we got treated to an almost hour long tour with Q&A, looks at all their work areas, a demonstration of all a plexer pixel blade can do, peeks at several models in various stages of manufacture or remodel, and even a sneak peek at a pre-production prototype of an upcoming release.
How often do you see that nowadays in ANY sort of business?
Bottom line, you’re going to get a better saber made of higher quality materials and machined to tighter tolerances, better electronics, more bells and whistles, made almost any way you want, and better customer service.
What you’ll get elsewhere is poorly fit together sabers that can’t even hold up to a Disney toy:
Yes, officially. Per the Guinness Book of World Records no less:
Hacksmith is the same group that invented the other lightsabers I posted about ages ago. This has a fully retractable “blade” though.
OK, it’s really an insanely hot oxy-propane cutting torch with a LONG flame. Still… They’re getting closer.
I figure we could all use a little fun and geeky coolness right about now also. 🙂
It got them to 10 million YouTube subscribers also, and earned them the coveted Diamond Play Button award from Google / YouTube… Which they promptly cut in half. O_O
I was going to do something deep and philosophical today but I ran out of mental energy. Instead here’s something fun; scenes from “The Mandalorian” explaining The Child’s dialog.
Like heck it is. It’s after midnight, so I can show off my birthday present:
Seems appropriate, since I feel about as old as Dooku anymore, lol. Still, this party is just getting started, despite Mace’s protests. 😀
I got this thing over a month ago also, but had to be good and keep it boxed up until today. Unless you are one, you have NO idea what it’s like asking a redhead to be good that long, lol. It was ordered before it sold out or the price went up though. My Mace Windu one has already gone up $50 in value since I got it. Oh, and YES, I took it out of the box:
Running gag now I know, LOL. As I said last time, a true fan HAS to take it out of the box.
As with the Mace Windu saber behind it, the detailing and construction are fairly nice. With the shape of the hilt requiring the speaker and battery pack to be in the butt end though, the balance is not as nice as the other saber. It’s tail heavy… alot.
The blade isn’t as vibrant a red as I’d like either, BUT it’s better than the Windu’s lavender, trying to be purple blade, lol:
I’m going to have to find a different place to display it. The stand does have tabs in the back to wall mount it, so that’s a possibility.
The iPhone 11’s camera night optics made for a funky darkened room picture also:
NOW, that despite the blade looking perfectly red to the naked eye, LOL. In “Star Wars: The Old Republic” that would be a ‘hot orange or fire orange’ kyber crystal. My Sith Assassin uses one in her double bladed lightsaber:
One of my favorite blade colors also, BUT definitely not authentic Dooku.
Overall, it’s an awesome new toy / display piece. I just wish the balance was better. Dooku’s hilt is designed after a modern competition fencing foil (which has actually evolved even further into a ‘pistol grip’):
While that may look awkward, it actually provides less wrist strain and quicker reaction times than a traditional straight handle. Between that and Christopher Lee’s lightsaber style as Dooku being very crisp and smooth, I had high hopes for this lightsaber. It’s still very nice, it just didn’t quite meet my very high expectations. It’ll still be a wonderful addition to the collection however. 😀
OH yes… For those of you who wondered why Anakin REALLY killed Dooku:
Silk Chatters 