Metal Corsets and Combat Wedges: An Armour Tier List

[@JillBearup]

It's been a while! It was time for another tier list, hope you enjoyed! Hey you, want some MERCH STUFF? jillbearup.myspreadshop.co.uk/ or maybe jill-bearup.myspreadshop.com or maybe another one that it points you to depending on your country! World of Warcraft cinematic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oISto2aajb-Zmck Timestamps: 00:00 The Tiers (and HOODIES!) 01:38 Malenia the Severed, Elden Ring 02:40 Dragon Prince 03:08 World of Warcraft Cinematic 04:52 Shilling merch 04:55 Power Rangers 07:09 Guinevere (King Arthur 2004) and various related rants about Fantasy Heroine and the cold 11:08 Future things and Merch!

[@conradoccaminha]

Hey, Jill, about Melenia, i'm sure a lot of people will tell you but: The Golden right arm isn't armor, it's her arm. She has a prosthetic Magic arm.

[@amineelyoussoufi4371]

same for the metal leg, it's actually her leg

[@conradoccaminha]

@@amineelyoussoufi4371 true, I forgot it

[@MartynStanleyAuthor]

Malenia's armoured arm is actually a magical prosthesis. I think her original arm rotted away thanks to the disease scarlet rot.

[@StutleyConstable]

9:44 Hi Jill. A minor point regarding leather clothing and chafing: I used to reenact the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. I wore suede breeches and experienced no chafing even when they became damp from sweat. They were very good on horseback, also. I found them much better than denim while riding.

[@asailijhijr]

Power Rangers' armour is Plot Armour, it protects the actors' faces and gives them the fighting ability of a choreographed stunt performer.

[@WardNightstone]

it's also cannonacly bullet proof

[@AbigailPoirier]

That's the best explanation ever!

[@tylerharris7081]

And allows for easy use of cheap Sentai footage

[@kokofan50]

In Super Sentai isn’t supposed to be chi enhancing

[@Drakespawn85]

Well, whatever material Power Rangers suits are made of, we know the one thing they're very definitely NOT made out of: "THAT IS *NOT* SPANDEX!" - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqOki4iMbcp4gcU

[@WestBloctonDM2]

Ok, who else heard Jill complaining about the capes and flashed on Edna Mode screaming "No Capes!"?

[@CAP198462]

Can’t hear anything over the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” theme tune playing in my head. You mighty morphin power rangers, go go power rangers, make it stop.

[@deftrick]

Awwwwwww, I thought I was the only one! 😂

[@May-or-May-not]

I was thinking the same thing, haha

[@tuvelat7302]

lol! Me! "No capes!"

[@robinrehlinghaus1944]

Having been on reddit for some time now, seeing this quote make me almost twitch convulsively

[@ghost307]

Regarding the video game archers I offer this quote from the military world. If the enemy is in range, so are you.

[@kenbrown2808]

not if you plan properly, then the enemy that is in range of your archers doesn't have matching ranged weapons.

[@rmsgrey]

@@kenbrown2808 But if the enemy plans properly, your archers are in range of something of theirs capable of stopping you from raining unopposed fire onto their troops. Any plan that relies on the enemy co-operating is a bad plan.

[@tommihommi1]

@@rmsgrey well if you're on the walls of a castle on a hill the enemy kinda doesn't have a choice to be within your range without having you in range for a while. Emphasis on "for a while", they will be within range sooner rather than later anyways so you're wearing some armor because it's stupid not to, especially helmets and vital organ protection

[@kenbrown2808]

@@rmsgrey if the enemy is capable of getting their archers in range of yours, you didn't plan properly.

[@rmsgrey]

@@tommihommi1 If you're dug in, and if the enemy decides to assault you anyway, then, yes, they have to pass through a region where they're in range but you aren't (though the presence of cover in the terrain potentially changes that). And, yes, a competent enemy will either stay out of your range, or get into their range as quickly as possible.

[@gabrielrussell5531]

Most of the metal on Malenia is actually prosthetics. Her rot is eating away at her own body. Also the blade is built into her prosthetic arm.

[@FFKonoko]

That huge long sword, lot of leverage, so much force on that shoulder joint... Maybe it should have broken off in that fight against radahn for other reasons.

[@bricelory9534]

@@FFKonoko probably, but this is also the universe where welding a bunch of swords haphazardly together makes for an even more powerful sword 😂 Of course them all being demi-gods and other nearly as powerful entities helps add credibility to the over-the-top nature of it all. Perhaps Melania holds a weight in her other hand so she can balance the extra long sword??

[@MadHeart-rw9xh]

Yeah it's not really like, an issue with the video or anything but technically the only *armor* Malenia is specifically wearing would be the helmet.

[@itsaUSBline]

@@MadHeart-rw9xh I thought she only has prosthetic arms and the legs are covered by greaves. Is it ever explicitly mentioned she lost her legs as well?

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

@@itsaUSBline Yeah they also seem to be prosthetics if I recall.

[@Erynne-Storm]

I love how when it comes to the "Just Stab Me Now" Jill very much radiates the energy of "I would stab this character/person if I could."

[@K__a__M__I]

"See? Do you _see_ why your armour is bad?! Do...you...get...my... _point???"_

[@Zraknul]

They are asking for it.

[@bthsr7113]

Well when it comes to a certain undead WOW archer, I'm pretty sure even most horde players are at the point where they want to stab her.

[@PerovNigma]

@@K__a__M__I _"I think that enemy got... the point!"_

[@vermithrax-pejorative]

Yeah, but I'll bet the number of people Jill has actually stabbed IRL is very close to zero.

[@AccidentalNinja]

As someone who spars a bunch in armor, the "just stab me now" & "not actually armor" merchandise is very tempting.

[@thatHARVguy]

Is there a "just stab me now" hoodie that fits over a cuirass?

[@AccidentalNinja]

@@thatHARVguy Might depend on the size of the cuirass.

[@thatHARVguy]

@@AccidentalNinja Then a "just stab me now" tabard. EDIT: The *stabard.*

[@AccidentalNinja]

@@thatHARVguy The "Not actually armor" tabard would funnier, but both would be pretty hilarious.

[@nikmenn2751]

@@AccidentalNinja More like which style it is made along - because Kastenbrust and some late cuirasses like the ones used by Napoleonic Cuirassiers and german/italian Stormtroopers are pretty tight, while other types look like you are wearing a barrel on your torso.

[@sharkofjoy]

I had just taken a drink when she whispered furiously "Are those combat wedges?"

[@brianpack5479]

Looks like your keyboard had a lucky escape. 🤣

[@_aullik]

Honestly "Could be worse" would be nice for merch. That is something you could actually walk around in public with and it would be just funny for everyone even without knowing you.

[@cmm5542]

Absolutely. I would wear that every day. Until the world ends.

[@tedweird]

I was debating between the two current options, but Could Be Worse would be a definite yes for me

[@58209]

i was surprised to find it wasn't in the merch list, because it's the first thing i imagined myself enthusiastically wearing in public when she mentioned tier list merch.

[@weswolever7477]

“Could be raining”

[@ryanweible9090]

or when i go on a date :P

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

Jill: *goes on a rant about stapless bras/bikinis not being great for combat* Season 1 Ahsoka Tano who basically went into battle in a tube top: *sweating nervously*

[@daefaron]

To be fair, she was young and didn't have to worry about some aspects. Plus jedi rarely had armor so getting shot in general was very bad...

[@PerfectAlibi1]

Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 3, her standard outfit is a boobtube...

[@allieoneal2033]

Yeah, when you're a Jedi, it's generally assumed that you will be deflecting all blaster fire with your saber.

[@Rachel-fi4sc]

I want to have /very angry words/ with George Lucas and Dave Filoni thinking it was okay to introduce a 14-year-old girl in a tube top and mini skirt, especially on a battle field.

[@itsaUSBline]

@@Rachel-fi4sc I mean from the perspective of an adult looking at it, sure, but when I was that age, that's how most of the 14-year-old girls around me dressed, and so it read as realistic to me, not to mention sort of fits her character considering how reckless and flippant she is at first. Obviously in retrospect, it could use a bit of a tweak, and it's partly portrayals of young women like that in media that are responsible for young girls dressing that way, so I guess I'm not really trying to defend the culture around these kinds of portrayals at large, but just that I don't think this particular instance is the worst example.

[@simongeard4824]

On the subject of archers needing protection too - I've just wrapped up a D&D campaign in which I was playing a crossbow specialist, and yes... despite a disinclination to put himself in harm's way, he was better armored than almost everyone in the party, because standing at the back doesn't mean people aren't going to try to kill you. Especially when you keep shooting them.

[@luenn2042]

Fun fact, in that last one they're not wearing body paint, they just look like that because it's so cold.

[@kirstinbone]

In the Dragon Prince image you chose, the woman at the front is a deaf general! She's AMAZING. Also the show is pretty fabulous.

[@seanheath4492]

I'd like to point out that one of the things Sylvanas (the purple elf archer chick) can say when you click on her is "what are we if not slaves to this torment?" Make of that what you will. :P

[@yaelz6043]

Fun fact, they still feel things to a degree. So they're still feeling the heat/cold and cuts from their own metal armour.

[@taenaran]

Your enthusiasm for having merch is just… wholesomely delightful.

[@linneak541]

Yay! Just FYI - the archers led by Sylvanas are actually already dead or undead 😅but yeah, world of Warcraft aren’t big on giving females decent armour…. (Also, lucky you didn’t see her footwear 😂)

[@Ailieorz]

It's Blizzard... of course they don't care about women lol

[@ghostbirdofprey]

I wanna know how they don't bash their own heads in with the pauldrons every time they draw their bow. Like impractical is one thing, but WoW armor has this awful habit of usually defying physics and clipping.

[@DerrillGuilbert]

@@ghostbirdofprey A good 90% of the pauldrons in WoW would be self-decapitating.

[@yaelz6043]

The company full of rapists isn't big on treating women seriously!?! Say it isn't so!

[@JekyViews]

Sylvanas got more armour-y armour in Shadowlands. Dude-bros everywhere cried and whined about it. Because of course they did. 😂

[@rhilenova]

Point of clarification about Malenia, the only actual armor is the helmet. The other parts you pointed out are actually prosthetics! Turns out being full of rot magic has some downsides.

[@daefaron]

Yay goddess with very funky abilities. Oh no the abilities are also eating her own body away...

[@thatHARVguy]

@@daefaron "You wished to be deadly to people. Well, you happen to be a people too, so..."

[@itsaUSBline]

@@thatHARVguy She was actually born with the ability unfortunately.

[@thatHARVguy]

@@itsaUSBline That explains the root of the matter.

[@Mr.Brothybear]

The Rot of the Matter

[@AndrewD8Red]

It's ALWAYS time for a tier list!

[@KernelLeak]

I dunno - maybe not right in the middle of another tier list? Tier list-ception sounds like a hell of a way to footgun yourself...

[@AnotherDuck]

@@KernelLeak But what if it's a tier list of tier lists?

[@AvatarRiku]

Common/fancy armor of the four nations from the OG Avatar:The Last Airbender, I love the aesthetic of the fire nation royal family armor

[@SinCitysOnly]

They are inspired by real world historical armor! The Earth Nation is inspired by Qing Dynasty China, and Fire Nation has elements from Thailand and Cambodia.

[@JamesNewham]

"Pour yourself into them like you're a Victoria's Secret model" and then the annoyed grunt at the combat wedges I dont wheeze often, but when I do, I knock myself out for 10 minutes. Good job!

[@deaks25]

Jill wins the internet today. She used the word "ridonkulous" in a coherent sentence.

[@Gremlin23]

Haven't heard that since Puss in Boots said it to Donkey.

[@louisknudsen2535]

Millennial moment

[@Raienya]

I lost it at, "Who wants their modesty covered by a strip of fabric that's mostly held up by tension and hope.". More armour tier lists, please!

[@Julia-lk8jn]

Variation thereof: "What is holding up that top anyway?" "Some boob glue and the prayers of her mother."

[@stephaniehorne6692]

My hubby and I reference this movie whenever I don't know what to wear to an event. "Just wrap some strips of leather around your boobs and hope nothing freezes off".

[@bricelory9534]

Fun fact, Malenia's armored arm and leg are actually prosthetics!

[@yannym4605]

Another fun fact, the archer ladies are all zombies with an inherent resistance to stabbings. One of them is even a Banshee that can possess any dead body if their own body was damaged beyond repair.

[@bricelory9534]

@@yannym4605 true, but they still do get hurt from stabby stabbies...it is Warcraft right? I've been so long away from WoW that a lot doesn't look familiar except for the annoying requirement for obnoxiously cleaveaged armor and chainmail-kinis.

[@thatHARVguy]

So, not actually arm? 🥁

[@bricelory9534]

@@thatHARVguy her sword is a very literal ARMament!

[@itsaUSBline]

Indeed you could say that she's quite heavily armed.

[@thisistheaccountname]

Dragon Prince is amazing. The story, the art, the characters, and everything else come together to create a world of breathtaking beauty and inspiration. I recently watched a video of someone making Ezran's crown and Rayla's blade. When he made her blades he talked about how the person who designed them must have put in so much research into them and the person behind designing the blades said they wanted to make it as accurate as possible so that it was accurate for the character's movements and handling of them. That's how much effort the Dragon Prince team put in to making the animated series to make it so amazing.

[@IanFiebigwi]

Link to video?

[@knghtbrd]

YES! Thing happens in fantasy heroine AND a new armor tier list in the same night! 😄

[@JillBearup]

Shh! :D People who aren't Patrons haven't seen that one yet! :P

[@knghtbrd]

@@JillBearup oops, fixed!

[@paveloleynikov4715]

As a male dancer who have vaguely historic corset, I could attest that you actually have options for creating corset that could be put on without any external help, and even without some fancy fasteners (my "to hell with it" ended up by simply moving lacing to the front). But this is clearly not "high society" way of doing things

[@robertpeacock1635]

I would love to listen to you and Adam Savage just sitting around talking shop, armor, weapons, and making.

[@phoebegilliland8897]

Redheads unite!

[@itsaUSBline]

That would an amazing crossover.

[@thisistheaccountname]

I once joked that if I was on the battlefield in a fantasy world, I would want to stick closet to the person with the least amount of clothing since they would have to be one of the strongest people there because they're wearing very little for protection.

[@EVguru]

As a tangent to 'combat wedges'. Just the other day, I thought about describing something as "About as practical as high heeled roller skates". I actually said something else, but today Facebook threw up a video of someone on high heeled roller skates.

[@Zillah82]

The archer in question is Lady Silvannas Windrunner: The Banshee Queen and is the armor impractical? Yes. Did her story line get completely ruined by Blizzard? Also yes. Do I still love her origin story? Also, also, yes. She'll be fine. She's undead and commands and army of undead so, she's good.

[@danniluxgarbe429]

Also: IIRC if that body gets destroyed she can almost immediately just... Possess another one? It's not her original body, after all.

[@Cabamacadaf]

@@danniluxgarbe429 It actually is her original body. She got it back and possessed it a while after becoming a banshee. You are right that she could just possess another body if she ever lost her original one though.

[@danniluxgarbe429]

@@Cabamacadaf My apologies. It is canon that she was, at one point, possessing a Night Elf body instead of her original High Elf body as a nod to her being a re-skinned Night Elf in 'vanilla' WoW, right?

[@58209]

i mean, it's the warcraft IP, so it's also worth reminding that the metal lingerie for most of the major female characters and the female PCs is a deliberate design choice for the male gaze, and everything in canon to justify its viability is just retconning. it doesn't matter that it's magic or she's super powerful. at the end of the day, it's always the female characters who are dressed like they're about to short an X rated movie and the male characters who are reasonably covered.

[@Gelantious]

Well she can die (before shadowlands) and has done so a few times. But she trades spot with her servants(valkyrie) that takes her place in the afterlife / shadowlands so she can keep going. And yeah her story was ruined by new writers at blizzard. Going from an understandable revenge case to just a split personality nut job that claimed she wanted free will for everyone but instead went for mind control / brain washing and straight up genocide. Glad she is gone.

[@ekij133]

9:30ish I initially thought that that blue was Woad body paint (the magic clot-helping herb) but I now think the blue is just COLD!

[@persiswynter6357]

Why not both?

[@johanhalvarsson2148]

Because it's plot armour?

[@maybeyourbaby6486]

People have already pointed out Malenia's prosthetics, but I would also like to add that right after this she ascends to godhood and sheds her clothes to become Malenia, Goddess of Rot, and I think you were being very generous in only reviewing her first version 😅 You do see that there's armor on her right arm in addition to the prosthetic parts though, as the joint is covered by a pauldron.

[@TheMewtata]

Googled it: I’m pretty sure the pauldron is part of the arm. Probably made to go with her full suit of armor, and not very removable. In short, “not actually armor”.

[@Siraxx0]

As a defense of the King Arthur boob-armor: Women don't just wear these for protection against attacks, but also as to prevent chafing from the bow. If they hold their bow sideways and pull the string far enough the string gets positioned on their left breast and would hurt like hell if released. Obviously it would have to be rather tight to have the desired effect of getting that boob out of the way. I'm a guy and until I lost weight I had the same issue ;) Today there is actual chest guard you can buy if that's an issue (obviously also depends on breast size :D) Although I'd argue it was still way tighter than necessary, and also not required on both sides.

[@AskMia411]

I’ve done archery, and honestly the boobs weren’t an issue? I just didn’t hold the bow directly against me, and I assumed that was the way everyone did it? I don’t remember ever getting my boob snapped by the bowstring. I had the bowstring rip the brace off a few times which hurt like mad, but that was it. For the record, I’m not small chested, there’s an irritating amount of boob. It’s possible we wore chest guards, but I don’t really remember wearing one, but it was a while ago. And to the point of the straps holding the boobs down, that setup would never work for anyone bigger than a B cup: Keira got away with it because there’s not much to hold down, but if I tried archery with that setup, I’d definitely hit my boobs. Putting a strap just over the nipples to flatten things would result in the tissue above and below the strap to bulge, because the fat has to go somewhere, which creates two bumps to hit instead of one. A fully wrapped chest, from collarbone to waist, with the boobs pushed towards the sides, would be much more effective at battening down the hatches and getting things out of the way than a thin leather cord. I haven’t seen this movie, but I feel there’s no way to justify that outfit. It’s winter, she’s going into battle, it’s restrictive, and leather gets cold faster than cloth. It’s just a bad design, and clearly was done for eye candy. I’m not trying to be combative, btw. No negative vibes, just sharing my two cents as a lady doing archery.

[@mirabellegoldapfel6256]

@@AskMia411 Yeah, I am and know a lot of female archers that go into (Larp-) battle but none wears a chest guard, either full upper body protection against the stabby stabs or none for ease of movement (and because good armour is expensive and rare for women). But I am pretty sure most wear at least a bra underneath even the thinnest summer battle tunics, because, you know Larp battle is a sport. That alone gives some protection against a snapping string and if it is a sports bra that gives you boob loaf, the string would not even have a place to be stuck against. I've only regular seen chest guards on Kyudo archers, but these might also be more of a protection for the expensive kimonos underneath.

[@emmarichardson965]

@@AskMia411 Yep, same. Larger-chested but I've never slapped my boob with a bowstring. My arm? Oh hell, yes. But the girls are completely safe.

[@Siraxx0]

@@AskMia411 Well, apparently I don't know anything about boobs :D Makes me wonder though why some women need/use chest guards though. Might be simply a difference in how someone draws their bow. And yeah, I agree on the fact that an outfit like that wouldn't make a lot of sense, just tried to give an explanation on why it might be as tight as it is

[@AskMia411]

@@mirabellegoldapfel6256 oh yeah, bras are definitely a must, in any physical activity! I took a college fencing course, and we had some kind of plastic chest guard in various sizes, but limited amounts of each size, if you were unlucky and got one too small… well, boobs got stabbed. Not fun. Would not recommend. Anyways, back to the bras, a thing a lot of the writers and designers of the “just stab me now” class of armor don’t realize is that boobs aren’t just bags of fat, they’re mostly connective tissue and nerves and aren’t more elastic than anywhere else on the body. So going into battle in a chain mail bikini is impractical not only for the lack of coverage, but also because it would be literally painful to run around in without support! I had issues going on an old rollercoaster because my bra wasn’t supportive enough and it hurt like *hell*. Depending on cup size Even jogging without good support is painful. The male equivalent would be running around a battlefield in full armor, except with their entire groin area exposed, only protected by a tiny chain mail thong that doesn’t even cover the whole thing. I apologize for that image, but it’s useful when talking with the “It’s just a video game/movie, men are sexualized too!” crowd. Gets them to realize how bizarre boob plate actually is. Tldr; bras keep things steady enough for battle, chest protection is a must, and I get way too into these discussions because it’s fascinating to me. Sorry for the essay 😅

[@lucas10104]

Hi Jill! Minor point in defense of Malenia’s odd choice of greaves and gauntlet armor (albeit I might not be the best source since I never played the game and just read about them on a wiki once because of memes): they’re actually magical prosthetics, I think. So, I don’t know if they really serve as armor, the argument could be made that they’re probably as tough, but you can’t really argue the placement because the alternative is being down a limb.

[@FFKonoko]

Eh, the prosthetic has a bracer like section, and the sword is built into it, so they are at least partly designed around being used in battle. Close enough.

[@chriscaffrey2357]

There all prosthetics made by her brother Made of a special material to resist her scarlet rot. She is missing her legs and an arm as well as her eyes

[@ArchOfWinter]

One nitpick I have about the armor in Dragon Prince is how they animated it. They flex and bend with the character. This is the most noticeable when hands turn, the fore arm brace bends and stretch with it.

[@radosawsawicki9829]

I'm a simple man. I see Jill's tier list and I click like.

[@Inlelendri]

I still write down tips and pointers from these tier lists, even though my writing is not epic battles or skirmishes, because they help me think about characters and how they need to move in general so much. In fact, it's been invaluable in my recent story in particular (for which I blame you in general, btw). So, thank you for it and for another video!

[@michaelmorgan9973]

"I guess you could just wear a metal corset for funnsies." Has got to be one of the funnier things I've ever heard. 😀

[@ruska9831]

I missed these! Even when I don't know the source material, these tier lists are super fun to watch AND educational (takes notes for fantasy armor). If you haven't done her already - Princess Ashe from Final Fantasy 12 always struck me as a "just stab me now" case.

[@ZoeKitten84]

I’d love to hear about any of the armor in Galavant (perhaps Madalena’s armor in season 2?) or any of the knights in Ascendance of a Bookworm (generally would be cool but would like to see Ferdinand, Damuel and/or Brigette’s armor)

[@mariacargille1396]

Absolutely! I would also love to hear Jill's thoughts on those.

[@adamn8156]

Seconding the request of Galavant. Big fan of that show

[@bthsr7113]

@@adamn8156 Oh that is a delightful show. A good silly.

[@carmelr5504]

I love the commitment to the merch by actually layering the hoodies XD

[@frankharr9466]

8:33 You know, the bodice may LACE in the back but HOOK in the front. That is, the lacing is just to make sure it fits over time and as her body changes so she doesn't need to get at it vert often. The hooks are so she can get into it in the morning and out of it in the evening.

[@papabearlives9995]

When I saw king Arthur I was like what are they wearing. I'm so glad I'm not alone in this .

[@SinCitysOnly]

To be fair though, the Knights of the Round have decent armor. Everyone else in that movie is laughable at best.

[@etherealicer]

Intro: Sarmatian great cavalery First scene, they ride into battle and dismount. Later, Gwen/Keira draws a bow with her mangled fingers. Sorry, I was distracted, there is a problem with the armor? 😂😂😂

[@beckymurphy4714]

@@etherealicer Ah, but Arthur fixed her mangled fingers by gently caressing them while staring deeply into her eyes, then warning her "This will hurt" and crunching them back into place.

[@etherealicer]

@@beckymurphy4714 Just re-watched it to apprais the armor... got distracted by them not using that perfectly good wall to shoot their arrows from. And by all those spinning moves in combat. But worst of all revers gripping swords. Thumbs up for Gwens tactical roll though.

[@lyman6]

10/10, best 12 minute merch advertisement I've ever seen.

[@TiciaM]

Every time you add a new Fantasy Heroine episode, it goes to the top of my must watch tier.

[@SpecJack15]

Really liked how you break down every armor/outfit, also appreciate the practicality and wearability aspects - especially bust support and protection!

[@WarmLillie]

A single arrow can make you stop adventuring. Better have the armor.

[@blizzardgaming7070]

@@calalaeraI used to be an Adventurer like you.

[@AbigailPoirier]

Yay!! I was feeling a bit of withdrawal this morning with no new short to brighten my day...then I scrolled down and saw this!

[@wendyspiesman992]

Love the video. Dragon Prince is actually pretty good. It takes 3 or 4 episodes to get it's footing, but if you have time, it's well worth a watch.

[@philipmrkeberg7985]

The worst part about metal corset lady (Sylvanas Windrunner) is that this is a redesign which is significantly more armoured than before. Please do not try to find out how bad it used to be.

[@Rachel-fi4sc]

I made the mistake of Googling. I have two words: Metal. G-string.

[@woxli3010]

To be fair...she's already dead...

[@Mokiefraggle]

I mean, welcome to World of Warcrack armor? I can still recall how long my fiance spent probing WoWhead and other sites trying to find what armors would actually _look like armor_ for his female Blood Elf Paladin, instead of instantly turning into a tin bikini upon equipping, then hunting down entire sets of vanilla-era tier and rare-drop gear after the transmogrification vanity effect became a thing to fulfill his plans. He was always so annoyed because he'd made that toon with the idea of a serious character in mind (even though she was initially created as a joke, because our guild all created Paladin alts who were genderswapped from the player, dubbed the "Pally Alt Squad"), and it was impossible for him to take her completely seriously or be taken seriously with a toon in a tin bikini. Meanwhile, I mained a warlock who only once ever had to suffer the terrible fate of a female WoW toon, shortly after entering Hellfire Peninsula...where she got stuck with the pants that looked like a bikini bottom and thigh-highs, along with a shirt instead of robes that were the first upgrade rewards in the zone. Yet another reason I hauled butt to get out of that zone and into something better. >_>

[@persiswynter6357]

One: yay! A tier lust! Two: merch! Three: NO CAPES! Four: waiting patiently for the next series of Fantasy Heroine! 💙💚💛🧡❤

[@Necroes]

The best description I've heard that explains why fantasy armor often makes no sense as armor goes thusly; When magic is the actual or primary source of protection in armor, the point of the armor is not to actually be armor; It's to provide surface area, while being as lightweight as possible. This is why archers are often seen wearing almost nothing, or just massive arm protection. They don't actually need a ton of armor, just enough to project a magic shield in front of them to defend from incoming arrows. As arrows are very small, they can not hold a great deal of magic offensive power to punch through magic defense. By contrast, when you're in melee combat, you want as much armor as possible to defend you from the obnoxiously large magic weapons your enemy will be swinging at you. To the point where the armor itself can become impractical looking, because it's just going for more surface area. Funnily enough, this also explains why massive weapons exist in fantasy settings. Larger weapons can be more heavily enchanted, because there's more material to put magic on. You can also make them out of lighter material, as well as use magic to make the wielder strong enough to use them. At that point, it all becomes a matter of math to determine what size weapon is the best.

[@laurafreeman8360]

I randomly came across this channel sometime earlier in the year, and have quite enjoyed the content about armor and combat and such. As someone who aspires to write stories, a fair portion of them fantasy stories, channels like this have been quite useful in helping me acquire more knowledge in regard to arms and armor and combat. Even before I started watching various such KZbin channels the characters in my fantasy stories, both male and female, would wear armor that was rather boring and practical. I've decided that they will continue to wear armor that might perhaps be a bit boring compared to video game or super hero movie armor, but it will still be practical. Jill would also be quite happy to know that none of my heroines wear combat wedges. I actually don't like the look of big block wedges, so it never crossed my mind to put any of my characters in such attire.

[@ladykatie3958]

Can we all just like, collectively appreciate how awesome this tier list looks compared to when Jill first started doing these? Like it’s not been that long and the first tier list was *not* bad by any stretch of the imagination, but the quality just keeps going up and up and I love it and I love Jill so much

[@cmm5542]

Wait, you're not devoting all of your life to getting Season 4 up as soon as possible for your panting adoring fans? I'm shocked, that's what it is Jill, SHOCKED! 😆 But in all fairness, I suppose I could use a brush-up on what actually counts as 'good armour' so I can better envision what Rosamund and Leo are generally wearing. 😁 And somehow I just love your enthusiasm for unwieldy metal garments.

[@JillBearup]

Patrons/channel members are up to S4E6, so we're getting there. Once they've seen all (probably 13) episodes I'll put it up for general release :)

[@cmm5542]

@@JillBearup I may have to face my moderate technophobia and look into how one becomes a KZbin patron in that case. 😉

[@RidleyV]

Late but just an extra comment on the first character, Malaneia from Elden Ring, her sword arm and legs are entirely prosthetic and the sword is attached to the gauntlet in a permanent closed fist. Also the cape is removable after you obtain the item by beating her! ♥♥ Much love to your channel and this series!

[@classicslover]

Jill, I'm pretty sure I would prefer the "Not Actually Armour" Hoodie. ESPECIALLY on dates. I would also add lyrics from an Elvis Presley song: "Treat me nice, treat me good Treat me like you really should 'Cause I'm not made of wood And I don't have a wooden heart". THAT combined with the whole "Not Actually Armour" might actually help me to return home intact! Or not.

[@SubacaiDarkwing]

You give off beautifully joyous energy while describing the various armours and their practicality. I'm one of the ones that was drawn in by the Fantasy Heroine vs The Writer series, but I just love watching everything you do. It's wholesome, entertaining and informative. Plus, you kind of give off excited kitten energy while talking about your merch. It's adorable. 😸 ETA: Just checked out the store. Any chance of a "Not actually armour" drawstring bag? I want it, plus the "Just stab me now" bag.

[@HolySteavy]

About the dragon prince, the woman there also has one of the coolest shields, with strange techniques I'd love to hear your thoughts about (such as disarming with a specific part) Regardless, you're amazing and thanks for all your wonderful content

[@bunburyodo]

I love how far your channel has come. I remember subbing when you were around 20k subs. I just enjoy your enthusiasm, dry wit, sarcasm, and general sense of fun. Keep it up :)

[@Ac1d_Dragon]

"Guy in golden blue armour" at 3:08 is Anduin Wrynn btw. And based on his other artwork I'd give him an "I'd wear it" rating.

[@Brievel]

Anduin, _really?_

[@johannageisel5390]

@@Brievel He forgot to be a river in Middle Earth and became a dude.

[@DerrillGuilbert]

@@Brievel So, spoilers, his dad is dead at this point, Andiun is king, and he (again) thinks he has to be a warrior like his father instead of the priest he really is.

[@Brievel]

@@johannageisel5390 My husband (who is a big WoW player and despises Tolkien) and I (who am very meh about WoW and am a Tolkien devotee) have an on-going disagreement about just how much Tolkien has inspired the WoW devs. I'm fairly certain my position has more merit.

[@Giggles0805]

I was missing these lists. Thank you for posting another! Also, the overly endowed rangers/hunters are from World of Warcraft. You could have an entire video of just reacting to and judging armor in that game. Especially Alexstrasza (from cataclysm). Thanks for your videos!

[@tnecniw]

And remember, that is Sylvanas with her armor reduced... From like... Wrath to BFA her armor was even less, no corset just bikini and pants

[@kalcheus]

on the plus side they added stomach protection to Sylvanas and Alexstrasza so I like to think someone on the art team is paying attention!

[@gregorymckenzie7029]

In regards to the power rangers and quoting Dr. K from Power Rangers RPM: IT"S NOT SPANDEX. The material is a self-assembling nanofiber formed with an intracellular sheet of memory alloy. And no we don't know whether they are machine washable or strictly dry clean only.

[@lisaroper421]

Cleaning is important!

[@ZipplyZane]

At least you noticed that the Pink Ranger had a skirt. I never did as a kid. I only noticed that her coloring was a bit different, with more white in it.

[@GolemsandGoblins]

Idea for a movie: a supermodel is in some European city (my mind is london, but it could really be anywhere that has a significant medieval history to it) and some sort of disaster happens. It could be a terrorist attack, it could be demonic invasion, it could be alien overlords, etc. The specifics aren't really important. The important part, is that she starts the invasion in what her fashion outfit at the time was: a high fashion armor get up that looks like the cover of every trashy video game or fantasy romance novel out there. (Metal corset, chainmail thong, massive oversized pauldrons, etc.) And as the movie progresses, and she gets more and more involved with whatever situation is going on, she slowly replaces it more and more with legitimate armor, and by the end of the movie she's running around in full plate, with an arming sword and heater shield

[@GolemsandGoblins]

Working title: actual badass heroine

[@Eloraurora]

I like this, but I feel like it would work better on a longer time-frame. Because supermodels are kind of like bodybuilders in that they may work out a lot, but the goal is aesthetic- rather than performance-based. And on a female power-fantasy level, it would be really cool to see her bulk up, and upgrade her armor as her body changes. Especially if you opt for a sci-fi setting and she can repurpose advanced alien materials for armor.

[@GolemsandGoblins]

@@Eloraurora The unofficial title of the movie is going to be Plot Convenience: the Film. "Oh look! An entire suit of armor that is both historically accurate, functional, and also fits me perfectly!" There is no way in hell this movie would be going for realism. LOL. Also, based on a conversation I had with another friend about this idea, I want these supermodel to be played by Melissa McCarthy. Not for laughs or cheap gags or anything. I just want to see her kicking ass with a broad sword!

[@jamesjoy7547]

@@GolemsandGoblins if the supermodel is to be played by Melissa McCarthy then she simply *must* be accompanied by "Spy" co-star Jason Statham! I envision his "armor arc" as inverse to hers; starting with sensible tactical gear and ending up in a fuzzy loincloth and chest-baring leather vest, with ridiculously oversized pauldrons, bracers, greaves, combat wedges, and impossible fever-dream weaponry. (edit: and, of course, a cumbersome cape) I'd even return to the theater to watch that! Twice! :D

[@bethanyurbanek7437]

In defense of the back laced bodice or corset - there are some that have lacing in both the back and the front so you can get things adjusted how you like it. I have one that laces in the back so you can get it as tight as you like, but then it has hooks in the front so you don't have to mess with the laces every time you put it on/take it off. One of my friends had one that back laced but with suuuper long laces so she never took the laces out, just loosened it to pull over her head, tightened it once it was on, and then tied those long ends around her waist. Back laced *dresses* on the other hand are a pain in the tush and an abomination undo Nuggen.

[@khathaway414]

Love your tier lists Jill. So thank you.

[@SilentSooYun]

8:05 "Is this going to be tricky to get in and out of?" Not for Kiera Knightly... she can just shrug it on of off like a hoodie :P

[@KarachoBolzen]

Jill! Malenia's arm definitely belongs in "not actually armor" because it's not a gauntlet at all, it's a prosthetic! And also her ridonkulous sword connects to it with a little armature that helps her swing it, so there's that

[@Anti_Woke]

Hoorah! Jill's back - and merch for Christmas 🙂

[@gdonaldson26]

With regards to the Celts, I'm almost entirely sure, that the concept of being cold wasn't introduced until soft southerners moved north and asked if anybody was a bit chilly. Probably. 😉So half naked in winter seems about right. Still happens on a night out up here apparently.

[@lisaroper421]

😂

[@Osma777]

I always find these videos fascinating, and also usually has something that I've never really thought of, but becomes incredibly obvious when you talk about it. For example, I knew about squires helping with plate, but never thought about the difficulty of corsets when alone (probably because the only time I've noticed one was on my wife, and I was there to help, so duh.) Meanwhile, those hoodies look soo comfy. Even people who've never seen your videos would probably want to steal mine if I bought and wore one. Might have to think about that....

[@00Linares00]

Other people have pointed out, but Malenia only has an arm, the legs and the sword arm are prosthetics, the arm being part of the blade. They are also made of I think a fictional metal, they call it unalloyed gold, but it has some magical properties and seems to be hard enough to make that I don't think it is just pure gold.

[@JulianaBlewett]

The guy in the blue and gold armor is King Anduin Wrynn, of Stormwind from the game "World of Warcraft." The purple lady in the thumbnail is Sylvanas Windrunner, former warchief of the Horde, Ranger General of Quel'Thalas and leader of the Forsaken (zombies with brains & personalities), now an exile scouring the depths of the Maw.

[@AbstractObserver]

On Guinivere: Metal stuff in the boots is great to walk through dense fields.

[@socpancake]

I absolutely love the realism and technical accuracy you take into consideration when making all of your videos, which is why I want to point out, re. Guinevere’s leather bra thing and the fantasy heroine bodice snippet - historically, women of all walks of life wore stays/corsets when it was the norm of the period, and all but the uppermost class had no servants to help with the dressing/undressing. Handling back-lacing garments is possible, common, and covered extensively by lots of costubers - f.ex. Bernadette Banner, and Lucy of Lucy’s Corsetry, to name the two I first learned this from 😅 This is all to say, your educated roast of all armour/“armour”types is otherwise completely on point, but I thought you might find this lacing info interesting. Also, I am a nerd girl, not a mansplainer, so peace and love y’all 😅 Keep fighting the good fight, Jill, and thank you, as always 🏆

[@charleslarrivee2908]

Still looking forward to your armor reviews for Rings of Power and House of the Dragon.

[@Vinemaple]

It's a long time since we've seen you having this much fun, Jill!

[@GuiSmith]

At least the Power Ranger capes in the images you picked were short, as that does minimise their negative affects generally. They do tend to tear less since they’re so short, though, so it would be harder to escape someone grabby.

[@limalicious]

I'm still ridiculously pleased that you took my suggestion of "Not Actually Armour" for merch. It remains my favorite, and it confuses people to NO END when I wear it. "Of course it's not, it's a t-shirt." Yes, that is the point. ;)

[@mchastings]

So, I have some hesitations over Dragon Prince. I've watched the whole series to date, however, and would like to comment that I've found that the delicate way in which issues of moral complexity, justice, cultural tensions, personal moral fiber, etc are handled is actually really fantastic. The show is visually stunning. There are some foregone conclusions and some heavy-handed messaging. But I do think it's worth a watch-through. I wouldn't expose children to it without first viewing it, personally, and deconstructing some of the more questionable issues and episodes afterwards. But as an adult, eh, I think it's worth a watching.

[@Brievel]

I enjoyed the first couple seasons and I might one day go back to it but they lost me around... I wanna say Season 3. Like you said, heavy-handed messaging.

[@Eucowlyptus-glowsticks]

I really love your videos because I've been wanting to draw armour for some of my ocs, and know I'm learning what not to do so they actually look like they could survive.

[@ShinGallon]

You actually did pronounce Malenia right! Another fun list, always look forward to seeing these.

[@sovereigndayyouthkafir3943]

Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes, Jill! I love your tier lists, so yay for this one! I can't wait for the next Fantasy Heroine post :)

[@carmelr5504]

I appreciate the look at the Dragon Prince, I've been binging it and have been super impressed at the diversity and use of strong female characters in all settings so am glad the lack of gendered armour matches 😄 there's plenty different types of armour in the series if you want to do more (and for reference the elves have magic and the humans don't so the humans tend to have heavier armour which I think is a nice touch)

[@mariabirman]

Yeah but nothing justifies *bare armpits*. I think of Jill every time Rayla is on screen. I really like her season four look though!

[@LualaDy]

I really love this series!!!! Also love the fantasy heroine (the long youtube video, not the shorts format, guess I'm too old ^^")

[@pyeitme508]

Looks interesting. Please review Amphibia show fictional armor in the future.

[@johnforsyth7987]

Thank you for another edition on your armor/non armor scale. You have a wonderful channel that is very entertaining. Keep up the good work.

[@Starlightstaright]

Love your sense of humour regarding armour. Best video on You Tube 😀

[@yndrelbosch3678]

The dude in gold and blue is the king of Stormwind, who's symbol is a lion, which... I think... is what his mask/helmet is supposed to be. As for those archers, they don't actually need armor, they're already dead. The main lady there is Sylvanus and she's the Banshee Queen, who can turn incorporeal at will. The others are also banshees I believe. But yes, the dead don't need to protect their already rotting organs lol PS. FOR THE ALLIANCE!!!

[@CourtOfWinter]

Not that I'd wear it myself, but it would be hilarious if you had the "Just stab me now" on some, err, less covering outfits.

[@snowleopard7508]

I got so excited when The Dragon Prince showed up. It's one of my favorite shows. I love these videos.

[@AleyK]

Dragon Prince is genuinely a good show and has a lot of different types of armour, I highly suggest it.

[@bitnewt]

The thing that finally persuaded me was that it's written by some of the same people who made Avatar, so the characters and story are really strong for a kids' show.

[@gregsmw]

its terribly written though

[@AleyK]

@@gregsmw What do you mean?

[@bitnewt]

@@gregsmw Wow, what descriptive criticism! I'll keep that tip in mind next time I write something.

[@gregsmw]

@@AleyK I mean the show has bad writing I got about maybe half way through season one before I couldn't cope with it anymore Characters constantly behave out of character whenever the plot needs them to Arguements and confrontations happen for no reason purely because the writer knew there needed to be a confrontation there Every episode feels as though it has been written back to front, they had an end point in mind, and worked backwards "we have Z, so how do we get that, idk maybe Y happens, but why does Y happen, how about X happens to cause Y" etc etc without any real thought into those events, they need Z to happen so the characters must do X, why would they do X? They wouldnt it makes no sense logically in context or in character, but they have to because Z needs to happen It was a badly written show

[@MiriOhki]

One thing that pops into my head is what she'd think of a scene from a book. There's a scene in the Belgariad series where one of the characters, Ce'Nedra, was arguing with an armorsmith about crafting her a set of armor, which is one of the funnier scenes in that plot thread.

[@Valdagast]

I just learned the words "on flek" the other day. Supposedly means "very good". I think. Edit: This whole thing about 'celts go into battle naked' is probably not actually true. You _can_ go into battle heedless of your own safety, but only once. And the celts invented mail armor, probably the most successful armor of all times.

[@58209]

i'm glad you said something about strapless bindings. i get frustrated with strapless outfits in character designs, because, have you ever tried wearing a tube top? even if you have a shapely chest, you spend 90% of your time trying to keep it from slipping down and flashing everyone.

[@savdebunnies]

Little sad there's no crop top versions, but love the merch designs!

[@fredericapanon207]

LOL, a crop top with Just Stab Me Now would so, so appropriate!

[@Zraknul]

Also for Not Armor.

[@coreys2686]

The episode you posted last night was awesome. I did not expect that turn. Perfect. I want to see a movie from this series.

[@vampirevenus]

😆this reminds me of my fiancé and I looking at skimpy armor. I joke that it’s held up by will power but not his. He always laughs and says “Damn right!”

[@Kastagaar]

I just want to mention that The Dragon Prince is one of the favourite animations of my wife and I, and I'd recommend watching it. Solid story, animation, production, all.