Before we start, I’d like to say that this guide will not include painting amiibo. Perhaps in the future I’ll make a guide about it once I get the hang of it? Second, this guide is mostly aimed toward beginners who might be a bit too nervous to try out customizing amiibo. If you are somebody who is confident in your crafting skills, I recommend looking at Nintendo Wire’s Custom Conquest Show that premiered a few years back.

Thanks to Amiibo Trainer Icy for contributing this Guest Article! Feel free to check out their Twitter account and YouTube channel.

So, custom amiibo. It’s been a neat experience. I won’t be talking about a specific amiibo for you to choose; instead, I will share my experiences and tricks. First off, you must think carefully and make a plan for your custom amiibo. For example, if you want to transplant a non-amiibo figure onto an amiibo base, you’ll need to think about the following four questions:

• Does this character have a figure that will fit onto the base?
• Does the amiibo I’m using fit the custom character’s description?
• Will the price of these materials be affordable?
• What are the chances that this custom character is added to future Smash DLC?

A perfect example of rushing into it head-first with no plan at all is my Jibanyan amiibo. Just look at this thing! This was my first custom, but all I did was take my old Pikachu amiibo, rip it off, and then sloppily glue the new figure on. That last part isn’t a big deal if you don’t care about small glue spots. When thinking of a custom character figure to use, consider the possibility of a Spirit battle. What character on the roster fits the description of the custom figure? Think about possible alternate costumes to give the fighter (and maybe even a fitting Spirit team)!

Let’s take a look at my Blaziken amiibo I made a while back. When I first thought of Blaziken, I looked at his most distinguished traits: it’s a Fire-type Pokémon known for its powerful kick. Who else has these traits (besides being a Pokémon)? Ken! Never mind the fact that both characters have “Ken” in their names. Then I thought about the best Blaziken figure to attach to a Ken amiibo base, and whether I should check physical retail locations for one or if it would be better to look online. Regardless of your choice, try to find a figure that doesn’t cost too much but is also in good condition.

The first step is taking the existing amiibo off its base. Most characters shouldn’t be too tough to take off, but heavier figures like Charizard, Bowser, and Ganondorf could take up to an hour to remove. In this case, brute force isn’t the answer: you will actually want to boil the figure in hot water. The figure, not the base. This is a tip found from the aforementioned Custom Conquest, and it is an absolute life saver. I made my own adjustments to the trick by sealing the base with tape; this prevents condensation from sneaking into the figure and waterlogging the NFC chip. That hasn’t happened to me yet, but it’s better safe than sorry in my opinion.

After you have successfully removed the amiibo from its base, position the new figure onto the empty base and then carefully glue it. When gluing, try using Gorilla Glue, as it is very strong and somewhat clear. Don’t overdo it though, or else it will foam out underneath the new figure. Leave it out to dry for a while, tape the figure down to secure it, and even use a fan if you would like to speed up the process.

Below is a screenshot of my Treecko and Grovyle amiibo. This part is completley optional, but the box these figures came in included pictures of them in front of a Poké Ball background. I was able to cut these pictures out and use them to cover the damage I accidentally made to the base. Then I glued the figures on top and they were good to go!

And now, after you’ve waited an hour or more for the glue to dry, you’re done. Congratulations! You’ve made a simple and easy custom amiibo. I hope this tutorial helps you make your first custom, even if it’s just replacing the figure! We all know most of you are going to turn your Mii Gunner into a Sans, by the way.

If you would like to read more guest-contributed articles, please follow this link.