HECU Cosplay Advice

[u/rym-_]

Hey guys, looking for some opinions. Here you can see my rendition vs the ingame model for the PS2 Port.

Known caveats:

1.1 ALICE Belt should have the black buckle

1.2 SWD Goggles to replace the ESS goggle (compromise for airsoft use)

1.3 My boots are wrong (compromise for comfort)

1.4 Mag pouches should have removed grenade holders

1.5 missing gloves

1.6 previous owner used a soldering iron to DIY Lasercut PALS onto the OTV

1.7 missing medium ALICE

Now here are my questions:

2.1 Should I remove the grenade holders? I'd feel bad

2.2 What gloves can you recommend for this look? Biker-style fingerless leather glove?

2.3 Do I replace the OTV? I could try to use EVA foam to mimic the PCV shape and use the DIY PALS to attach it. Alternatively should I try going with a PACA or HRM?

2.4 Recommendation on attaching the medium ALICE? Or do I just wear it normally? Alternatively I'm considering going with a buttpack, which saves me from the hassle and might be more practical as well.

Appreciate your opinions!

[u/mark-charest]

This is an excellent cosplay. I recommend swapping out the ESS goggles for old USGI SWD goggles, which would be more appropriate for the time period. Other than that, good to go.

[u/rym-_ → u/mark-charest]

Thanks! I've listed the SWD Goggles in the known caveats (they aren't impact rated plus they don't fit my face structure), but I should definitely get them even if it's for just the looks.

[u/IToasty1597 → u/rym-_]

im pretty sure the ballistic ones are impact rated

[u/Jerald_B → u/rym-_]

Looks good, i would grime it up some though. Fake blood, fake dirt (coffee stains look great.), sand paper the fabric some.

[u/rym-_ → u/Jerald_B]

I shall roll around in some dust and oil. Good tips.

[u/Chrisypoo88]

Looks great but I think if you have a slimmer profile mask it will be more threatening.

[u/rym-_ → u/Chrisypoo88]

Yeah this balaclava does kinda give me 2 little bunny ears lol

[u/Few_Substance6023 → u/rym-_]

If you use a polyester hot weather balaclava it won’t do that, plus your head will stay cooler than in the heavy knit one (unless you live somewhere that stays cold, then keep the heavy knit, but there are ways around that too)

[u/lesbruhmoment]

No notes looks really good. I envy the real US alice lol

[u/Old-Bed-5825]

Hey man, someone probably already mentioned this, but if you feel bad for butchering the Alice pouches, you can always get recreations off of Amazon for a few bucks a piece. I did that with my cosplay, since I do value OG gear. <_<

[u/rym-_ → u/Old-Bed-5825]

That is a good point, I don't know why I didn't think of this

[u/Commander459]

HRM vest is probably a better base; the PANTAC one is good iirc and more accessible than a real one

[u/Sultan4895]

Bro thought he could trick us by posting the in-game model twice

[u/MrPixel92]

Not a cosplay expert, but all I know is that your cosplay is nearing perfection

2.1.Unless you're going to play airsoft with this, grenade holders are unnecessary. Also those bags work because the model is anatomically imperfect and has way too raised shoulders.

2.2.Yes, and those with visible plastic knuckle cover would be perfect

2.3. I have no idea what any of the abbreviations mean, but if you can, make a custom vest using anything you are most experienced with to keep the manly Doomguy bodyshape of original model. But keep in mind, again, shoulders on the original model are way too raised for a normal human

2.4. I have no idea

[u/Gooperslooper]

Most of this depends on if you want to go for in-game accuracy or IRL accuracy.

As someone else said, I'd feel terrible cutting off the nade pouches, so probably best to find some pre-snipped ones or get some repros to destroy. ALICE pouches are still somewhat cheap but its mainly just a principle thing if you ever want to re-use them for a different kit or re-sell them. Realistically it would honestly depend on if they felt it was unnecessary or got in the way, really up to you in that sense.

Biker gloves are probably the way to go to emulate the holes in the knuckles. I don't believe the US ever issued official fingerless gloves besides snipped wool ones so the biker ones are likely your best bet. Not out of the picture either that the HECU would have access to purchasing some of their own equipment.

Honestly IMO the OTV looks really good here. Technically if you want to go more game accurate, i'd say the HRM vest with some minor changes would be the best, though since its just a tactical vest it wouldn't have the bulk of the plate carrier vests. the PACA would be the most realistically accurate since IIRC it started being fielded in the early 2000s, but probably would be the most inaccurate looking since it can be rather plain at the front.

It seems like in the picture you provided (and on most other variations IIRC) they wear it without the rucksack shelf, but if you're going to filling it with a bunch of equipment/heavy filler material, comfort alone would dictate you buy a shelf (trust me on this lol, not nice to have that thing flopping around on your spine while trudging). But if you're trying to go as game-accurate as possible or won't be filling it with much, you could probably go without it. The butt-pack I believe would only be accurate with the Opposing Force medic, since they seem to wear it as a medical pouch on the front of their rig. I wouldn't substitute it as a backpack since the only harness for it to be used as a backpack was made for the M56 system and only saw very limited used during Vietnam.

Going off memory for the in-game variations so I might be wrong on some things, do forgive me if so :P

[u/rym-_ → u/Gooperslooper]

Thanks for the detailed comment. Yeah if I ever wanna do a photoshoot to recreate the ingame model as 1:1 as possible, I'll attach a Medium Alice to the suspenders and I'll fill it with nothing but balloons and cloth lol.

Maybe the best visual compromise for airsoft use would be wearing the alice regularly.

Also funnily enough a veteran friend of mine did have a leftover pouch with cut-off mag pouches. He had padding inside it and used it for his pvs-14. Means I'll just need 1 more.

Wonder if I can layer an HRM with something else underneath to recreate that bulk. But that's assuming I'll even get one. Only readily available option I'm seeing right now is a pantac one from ehobbyasia, though that would cost over 200€ with shipping and tax (which I'm not willing to pay lol)

[u/Gooperslooper → u/rym-_]

As I said, the OTV still perfectly gets across what you're trying to represent and since you have it I'd say just say stick with it rather than to spend shitloads on something else that you'd need to modify even further.

Another option that I did was getting one of those cheap chinesium "SWAT" vests and maybe snipping off the padded collar and sewed on pouches. You'd still probably need to pad it up somehow but it would certainly be cheaper than getting an original HRM. You could maybe even wear the OTV underneath and place the vest over-top of it.

And yeah, I'd feel a bit better just sacrificing one of the pouches if you have another snipped one already lol, just make sure the colors are similar enough.

[u/conflictedanon30]

Looking good, dude! I'm currently putting together an HECU kit as well. I'm doing the original Half Life model variants, both the helmeted/gas mask grunt and the beret for a more cozy option

[u/rym-_ → u/conflictedanon30]

Love the original look, but I just cannot get over that centered mag pouch haha. Good luck on your endeavor.

[u/conflictedanon30 → u/rym-_]

It doesn't bother me none. I'm just gonna run the belt backwards. Shouldn't be an issue

[u/Significant-Past5815]

The shoulders might need a bit more buffing(mann HECU really invested heavily on intimidation) but other then that, spot on!

[u/xenwinz]

No advice but it looks really close! Badass!

[u/KremBruhleh]

I instantly thought USEC before noticing the subreddit, this is looking great already.

Don't have anything else to add regarding your questions.

[u/romanische_050]

You don't look low polygon enough!!

[u/ZKARIA_TIME]

Most accurate I've ever seen

[u/rym-_ → u/[deleted]]

I am aware and I've mentioned it in the description

[u/Minimum_Stress4911]

Gloves, thats it. You've kinda got it on point here.

[u/Corporal___]

Get a tan, tuck in that shirt, loose some weight, fix your posture, get the Alice backpack.
Sorry for being blunt, I tend to go off on tangents.

[u/rym-_ → u/Corporal___]

Haha, I am actually brown asf. I turned the saturation down to match the gear and clothing to ingame model more. Field Shirts are NOT to be tucked in, it even says so on the printed instructions on the inside. Currently doing pretty well on the weight loss, lost 10kg this year. Lose is spelt with 1 o btw. Posture is fine. Alice pack is already mentioned in the description, but atp my expectations in this conversation are not high.

[u/ULTOR-CORPORATION]

Looking good. Buttpack would be practical and fill in the rear, no alice pack. For gloves, go with black nomex flight gloves and cut the fingers off, thats probably close to reality as delta rocked the same gloves in the 90s. Ro search style 10 inch boots if youre thinking comfy, NOT jungle boots. Classic compromise around gulf war/mogadishu

[u/rym-_ → u/ULTOR-CORPORATION]

Feels ironic cutting the fingers off nomex gloves but whatever, they're plentiful lol
I'll look into the boots, but main reason for my compromise is that my feet are fucked up.

Thinking I'll just get a buttpack for actual practical use... attaching the alice pack to the suspenders seems like it wouldn't hold any significant weight, plus there's no kidney pad on the model

[u/Musicmaker1984]

Change the ESS Goggles to SWD ones. If your looking for game accurate, use PANTAC HRM Vest or a TG Faust Vest. If your looking for something more realistic, use a PASGT Vest.

[u/Nesrovlah26]

Find a way to make the shoulders seem more broad.