Smokin' Hot Glamour Shot (And Other Armour Reviews)

[@JillBearup]

Buy the Millennial Mage epub/paperback here: amazon.com/dp/B0BX4KLJPZ Audiobook (Audible version): audible.com/pd/Mageling-Audiobook/B0C2QMVXC7 Hope you enjoyed this week's 'Jill has no idea who any of these people are but that just makes it funnier' armour review. See you soon! (Oh, and if you haven't read it already, here is another Fantasy Heroine snippet, with more Leo and Robin, because...who doesn't love those two.) www.jillbearup.com/2023/03/its-ten-of-clock-do-you-know-where-your.html

[@pyeitme508]

Please review armor & arsenal from Amphibia?

[@Moon17ob]

You should review Batman and the rest of the Batfams outfits

[@deszeldra]

Magical Australia?!? How dare you! But I’ll forgive you because of the snippet. Also it’s 2 am here and I’m too tired.

[@pooker1208]

Ooh it is from Mountain dale press. I love most of their selection. I am happy you ate sponsoring them.

[@TheSuzberry]

Read the video description and the book snippet. You are a terrific writer. I can hear your voice in every line. Thank you fro making this Monday smile worthy.

[@Jayfive276]

I feel we need something along the lines of "Young lady, you are NOT leaving this house wearing that!" category.

[@warriormaiden9829]

YES! XD

[@probablythedm1669]

This needs to be a thing, you could put so many inappropriate designs there!

[@christopherbacon1077]

I think that's covered by Not Really Armor

[@markp6062]

BWAH HA HA!!! Classic!

[@jwenting]

that'd be highly dependent on setting... Are we talking a mother in 2023 Afghanistan judging her daughter or a mother in 2010s France?

[@ThePareidolian]

Amiri saw the scars on surviving warriors from her tribe, and decided to armor those points most heavily.

[@talinpeacy7222]

Ah, good ol' survivorship bias.

[@katherineberger6329]

I mean she IS a barbarian, so yeah. Barbarians are not well-known for listening to their survival instincts.

[@Trey-bien]

I love how she has scars on her unprotected stomach. Hopefully they were recent scars and she hasn't had a chance to update her armor since receiving them. Otherwise I feel like there was a missed learning experience.

[@ThePareidolian]

@@Trey-bien Pretty sure those are appendectomy scars. 😉 🤣

[@David-id6jw]

For Casca (from what I remember), she was part of a mercenary band where the armor you had was whatever you could afford, and while the mercenary group was successful, it wasn't hugely profitable. Thus, there was a lot of "whatever you can scavenge off the battlefield", eventually upgraded to, "Wow! You got actual armor of your own!" Casca, being one of the higher-ranked members, was one of the first to get armor of her own, and clearly knows what to focus on.

[@andrewshaughnessy5828]

Thanks for the info - I think her boots might be the 17th century cavalry type.

[@drewdederer8965]

Also, the mercs spend a lot of time fighting from horseback (tech is earth equivalent of 1500s roughly, they are kinda Landsknecht) so half-plate (and those boots) fit right in.

[@jamesredmond7001]

@@drewdederer8965 Hell, the gloves work well there as well (Assuming that there's actually some level of thickness to them), at least as far as blocking glancing blows that might come off of her shield or sword/lance/etc. Also, is it just me, or is she wearing pants under those boots? Like, it looks like there's stitching of some kind going up her leg, and the shade is definitely off compared to her face, in which case its feasibility on the battlefield goes up a fair amount (Again, thick leather pants would definitely at least blunt most slashing attacks, mitigating the risk of her femoral artery getting opened up). Honestly in that scenario my big worry would probably be chafing, but that's a whole other problem.

[@Woodclaw]

Also, what we saw in that picture is her "off duty" armor, during the battle sequences she uses a full plate kit.

[@nikmenn2751]

@@andrewshaughnessy5828 No, boots may be from some sort of ainu, manchurian or oirat footwear of previous age. At that time European light cavalry wore simple knee high boots and heavy cavalry had botforts with massive knee- and anklepads.

[@Woodclaw]

A little note about Casca. The picture is her "off duty" armor, the she uses when she is in camp or in low risk situation. In proper battle, she uses a full plate armor kit, with a little bit of chainmail on the upper arms and thighs.

[@3countylaugh]

I feel like many of the Stab me now class would be better just wearing a decorative sticky bun and calling it a day.

[@JillBearup]

I mean, at least then if you got hungry you'd have a snack with you...

[@RottenRogerDM]

Two sticky buns in her hair if she is a princess!

[@stephenspackman5573]

Right, adding DSB to my vocabulary immediately.

[@thatjeff7550]

Now I want a fantasy RPG that has "Sticky Buns" as an option for armor.

[@kikidevine694]

And if you get hungry at least it would have some practical use

[@artor9175]

"Less emboobened." Lovely turn of phrase.

[@Paplefication]

1:42 "Young lady, I do not know where to begin. You young man are similarly inexplicable, but at least you got clothes?" Ah yes, the dichotomy of gendered armour in video games!

[@Coldheart322]

I don't get the need to show off female skin, when men are happy to be covered. No, wait, I do get it, I just don't get why it's still so commonly used.

[@ivo215]

Ah, yes. The breastplate of Argon!

[@ThW5]

@@ivo215 I get the idea that she needs to have a backstory akin to Achilles and Siegfried for that armor to make sense...

[@vitaemecha]

What dichotomy? Please tell me more about all the fully clothed musclebound barbarian types who are totally not dressed in fury loincloths and bracers. Men are just as objectified in video games. Open your eyes.

[@edcrichton9457]

@@vitaemecha BS. The scantily clad male and female bodies are both for the men in the audience. The loincloth sporting dudes are male power fantasy and the stripper aesthetic female outfits are to titillate the same guys.

[@StevenLong]

💖✨ This weekend, my daughter clad in pink got to meet an R2 unit that was adorned in pink at a comicon. She got to see people wearing all variety of cosplay and she quietly told me "I want a creepy costume."

[@kikidevine694]

Congratulations. One day she'll be dressed just like my avatar (shina ibu head optional)

[@Kakashi20xd6]

The Byleth reaction was everything I had hoped.

[@RorikH]

TBF your units do change into class-specific armor going into battle, so once she promotes out of commoner this is largely Not Actually Armor.

[@bukalayzx]

@@RorikH does not change the fact that the father lets her daughter fight in those clothes lol!!!

[@FvnnThr]

@@bukalayzx Byleth is 21 she can wear what she likes.

[@bukalayzx]

@@FvnnThr reminds me of that modern family scene lol.

[@jemiebridges3197]

​@@bukalayzxthe father is bare chested in leather and fur if I recall right. I don't remember as you hardly get to play him as they totally use I'm for a reverse "woman in the refridgerator" it totally works cause you assume they were out to murder your student, not your father. bastards!! Also you just killed that 'B' 30 seconds ago and made sure she was dead. she follows up and makes sure your dead as well, much more throughly than you did and literally sends you to hell. she nukes your resurrection spells and time travel to boot. Nintendo and Koei did some serious 4rth wall trolling there. I'd never been more done with a video game. eventually I realized they wanted you to be fired up for revenge, and not that I just made a bad location choice lolz

[@hedge1247]

The thing with Mordred is that you could just grab her horns and take her helmet off, but I feel like she's too intimidating so I'd never try

[@cmdrratzass7305]

Pretty sure if you managed to merely touch the horns without dying, you would have earned her respect. In that case she would probably decide that you are worthy to see the face of your opponent, while she murders you in a somewhat more respectful manner.

[@hedge1247]

Ah lovely, wouldn't want to get killed impolitely

[@ParasaurolophusZ]

There's a locking mechanism on the helmet to prevent that! The helmet is actually attached to the shoulders with some joints and separates and splits to come off.

[@Soeck]

That helmet retracts into her armor, so, the moment you grab it, it pulls you closer and she gives you a "Spirit from the throne of heroes" headbut

[@forger03]

It is magical armor, so the helmet is magically sealed onto the armor.

[@travcollier]

Spacesuit note: Having them basically "suctioned on" (skin tight) is a functional thing. If you're going to need to be protected from vacuum (which is job #1 of a spacesuit), then you need to provide pressure. That can either be done by filling the suit with gas, turning it into a balloon which is very hard to move in, or by literally making the suit fit tightly. It's a "don't die" thing. Also, tight suits are more sexy ;)

[@kevinslater4126]

We actually almost made the skin tight variety for our astronauts called the Mechanical Counterpressure Suit.

[@davfree9732]

Not to mention in ME, the armour is secondary protection. The primary protection comes from the Mass Effect fields the armour generates. As such, unless it’s the heaviest of firefights where you know you’ll be walking into enemy fire, the heavy armour’s benefits in ME are largely offset by the more tactically useful benefits the medium and lighter armours provide. Not everything has to be built like a tank when you have sci-fi shields.

[@Rigel_6]

@@davfree9732 Not to mention that the AI suit (for all the medicority of that game, Andromeda and Pathfidner armors are great designs imo) is not a combat suit, it's literally exploration space suit with some extra protection just in case. It's meant to be lightweight, mobile and (I assume) reasonably comfortable for long stretches of time

[@nikmenn2751]

@@kevinslater4126 flight suits for cosmonauts and pilots that are already in use also contain skin-tight pressure suit, under inflatable life vest, but they're rarely used outside space stations. Still new generation of space suits would come in handy, especially since used ones are as old as cosmonautics itself.

[@nikmenn2751]

@@Rigel_6 The only really questionable thing in AI suit is helmet - I understand, that faceplate mustn't constraint eyesight too much, since we aren't speaking about heavy cavalry gear, but transparent material over eyebrow looks weird, irrational, unreliable and... well, the game fucking understands that and makes our father pay ultimate price to save us from Darwin award for crack on it.

[@obviousbear1289]

2 notes for Mass Effect: yes, they have helmets and do actually wear them in combat situations and environmental hazards. It's quite neat. Second, you can usually change the color scheme of armor, so I don't know if that ought to be a factor

[@henrikt.183]

Except for all the people running around in vacuum with only some weird bubble over their mouth because vacuum cooking eyeball fluid appearently isn't a concern.

[@featurelength5086]

@@henrikt.183 Mass Effect 1 had full helmets for everyone! Then they decided everyone needed to be able to see the blue space babe's head tentacles at all times I guess?

[@travcollier]

Also, the skin tight thing is explained by the pressure suits being *pressure* suits... using physical pressure instead of gas pressure... moving inside an inflated balloon is difficult. I still don't like the boob armour though... I mean, at that point breast reduction surgery seems like a serious option to consider.

[@scarletempress2652]

@@featurelength5086Asari eyes are just built different okayyyy

[@awesomechainsaw]

@@henrikt.183presumably the Asari are using their magic powers to prevent the vacuum of space from cooking them alive.

[@kupotron9507]

Jill, your snarky sharp ridicule of fan service characters that obviously get dressed in the dark is exactly what I needed to get through this Monday. Thank you very sincerely.

[@dzfdsj]

I... I absolutely love what you said for Amiri cause it could totally be what actually go through her head when she "armored" herself, and some of what you said (the sword part specifically) is actually what she thought while looting it... That was just soo good, thanks for that Jill, and all your work too !!

[@Trey-bien]

I was wanting so badly to request an armor review from the barbarian in the Pathfinder book, and lo and behold, here it is. I'm so happy about this

[@3kids2cats1dog]

✨Please read the video description... ✨ It is better than the usual Bla Bla Bla... Also @2:22 is that a real 2005 era cell phone? One that Fits in you back pocket and don't crack when you sit or bend? ❤‍🔥

[@ekij133]

Yes, when Jill does 2010 she does it with accurate props.

[@Najolve]

@@ekij133 Alright, time to find some 90's armor to suggest to get her into some parachute pants!

[@vickas54]

Very glad I read the description. Jill you are a treasure!

[@VictoriaStarratt]

😂🎉

[@halavanderdrake3956]

4:16 The stretchy stuff is space suit material, since the Mass Effect suits are specifically environmentally sealed space armor (several scenes throughout the game take place in vaccum/spacewalk environments.

[@TheLabRatCometh]

I was reading Millennial Mage today at work and a friend asked me why? (They didn't think it was my sort of thing) I said "Because Jill Bearup made me!" and she went "Just stab me now" with a totally straight face, I knew there was a reason I liked her :)

[@RHCole]

I feel like Mass Effect generally has good armor designs as far as it goes, but yeah the boob armor in a space suit is just insane.

[@tenjenk]

If I remember when she got a huge promotion to an elite combat position they did infact have her promo recruitment and motivate soldiers for the war effort.

[@needamuffin]

​@@tenjenk Didn't she or Kaiden become a Spectre at some point?

[@emm4rmstrong]

Yes. From what I remember, Udina basically grooms them specifically to become a Spectre that he can influence, because he knows he can't control Shepard. Which plays out when Udina attempts to coup the council.

[@torstikinnunen3801]

In Mass Effect the psychic power of the women grow with their breast size. You can see who the strongest psychic is by their cup size.

[@ana_d_73]

The fact that she paired it with a 5 inch heel and went running everywhere always makes me giggle through

[@JaimeNyx15]

Glad Mordred’s armor was rated so highly. It’s such a cool look, but it always struck me as practical as well. And yes, that is THE Mordred from Arthurian legend, but since it’s the Fate series I will take no further questions.

[@evernewb2073]

kinda: the "heros" the grail makes are based on the legends of heroic figures and (usually) have zero connection to the person the legend is about, they're just sorta masses of harvested souls shoved into a food mould in the (usually messed with) shape of a hero's legend/identity pulled from public awareness and tossed into the grail war to "cook"...basically the grail is writing fanfics and making them real. Mordred and Arthur are in the "(usually)" category since the fake ones the grail keeps making all get dragged into the "each time I picked up my sword" moment along with the real versions of them but they are very much not the same person.

[@morsatra42]

You sold me on that book. Your delivery was perfect.

[@SubacaiDarkwing]

Sparkle! ✨️🎇 I definitely need to read something described as "magic Australia". I absolutely love how the world has decided we Aussies live in nature's weird murder pit. 😂

[@Rachel-fi4sc]

You DO live in nature's weird murder pit! There's a reason we don't like visiting at your house! Your favourite little sibling, New Zealand

[@SubacaiDarkwing]

@@Rachel-fi4sc 😀😄😂🤣

[@michaelmacdonell4834]

I think it's the Drop Bears. Them and the dunnyspiders. Yup.

[@SubacaiDarkwing]

@@michaelmacdonell4834 Drop bears aren't _that_ dangerous as long as you don't stand under their eucalyptus tree. Dunny spiders on the other hand... there's a reason the song "Redback on the toilet seat" exists. 😨

[@grommile]

Being a whinging pom, I quite like living in a country where spiders in your house is a good thing and the only species of venomous snake can't even kill small children with any reliability :)

[@ekij133]

4:27 She worked *hard* to get a stomach that flat and darn it you're all going to *notice*, even if it kills her, which it might, because she has no armour over it. 8:53 Can she *lift* that sword? Unless she has magical powers it seems she's most likely to injure her opponent if she lets the sword topple forward onto them. [Edit :] ✨

[@MrThehoyce]

As much as I hate cheesecake-y armor, I'm playing Pathfinder now and could see Amiri purposefully choosing such counter productive armor to purposefully make battle more challenging. Let's just say Jill's concern for her mental health might be well deserved...

[@romxxii]

it's not gonna get her killed in the world of Mass Effect, since they have harnessed dark energy and all wear personal shields that deflect most types of physical damage. The hard plates are supposed to protect them from laser fire and other energy weapons, which supposedly just cut through shields like butter. So she's fine unless someone aims a laser at her tummy, and most people wield ballistic weapons in that game.

[@kennethlambert1837]

If I recall correctly she killed a Frost Giant and took his sword. It's considered oversized for her and she takes a penalty to hit with it but it does more damage.

[@findingraichu5553]

@@kennethlambert1837 One small correction: she found an already dead frost giant, took its sword, then went back and _claimed_ she killed it. She can use the sword effectively, but only when she's raging.

[@gabrielrognon6238]

for amiria she is a giant path barbarian if I recall it correctly, when she rage she get strength far beyond the human range.

[@SilverEchoes]

Some ✨ sparkles ✨ for you, Jill, because I always read the description and this one made me giggle.

[@AvatarRiku]

You don’t need to breath. Especially if you have the Illusive man and billions of dollars invested into reaper tech to resurrect Shepard. “You were dead!” “I got better…”

[@lisaroper421]

So true! Who needs to breathe?! Not Shepherd!

[@filmandfirearms]

@@lisaroper421 I would love to hear that discussion. "Commander, we can't keep making new clones of you just so you can wear skin tight armor."

[@lisaroper421]

@@filmandfirearms Shephard pouts. "But it's my thing! My image! How am I supposed to fight the reapers if I don't look amazing?!"

[@KaleRylan]

Mass effect tech is fairly ridiculous, I just assumed the material could flex.

[@lisaroper421]

@@KaleRylan That's probably what the developers would say too. And chock it up to Mass Effect tech! 😅

[@strahd1969]

Some of Wayne Reynold's (W.A.R.) art is so very realistic and protective and some of the armor is definitely just stab me now. Love this series of videos.

[@annbrookens945]

That last one! Totally ridiculous. . It looks like she had someone lash bundles of ...stuff... to her calves and forearms. I'm going to check out the book next. It sounds like it will fill in a few minutes till "One Crisis At A Time" is available!

[@sebastianjost]

She's probably going to be killed by her own sword... ...when it inevitably falls over because she probably can't lift it, let alone swing it like a sword.

[@danielnorrelokke333]

Amiri is Barbarian in Pathfinder with alot of Rage issues, and by Rage its meant as ill boost my streanght and constitution for a half a minute at the expense of my selfcontroll

[@simongeard4824]

@@danielnorrelokke333 Yes, and a D&D / Pathfinder barbarian will generally not be heavily armored... they're reliant on being hard to hit, and tough enough to take a few hits. That said, Jill's right... all the stuff strapped to her arms and legs basically amount to having all the disadvantages of heavy armor, without the benefits.

[@Zraknul]

She's from a bear tribe, so that's where all the costume stuff comes from. The sword is a Frost Giant's and comes with hit penalties. Though to be fair it should be big enough to count as a shield! She is not tanky in the game, which is basically be excellently armored, or get ready for a dirt nap.

[@Delgen1951]

@@Zraknul she naps alot.

[@kelleylafitte6503]

The fact that you threw in not one, but two Pathfinder Iconics has made my day. Thank you

[@godrules311]

Thanks for reviewing Casca! I didn't realize the other pic was fanart. My bad 😅 And no, she's not wearing stilettos (or wedges) 😁

[@ariwl1]

What's wild about Byleth's outfit is that's their default look. In battle they typically wear the standard uniform of whatever class they happen to be in (even though their default is what shows up in cutscenes because budget). So while they can wear that stuff into combat, it's more representative of what they were while teaching. So yeah...professor female Byleth certainly made some...choices... XD

[@IceSpoon]

I had no clue about that. I only know Byleth as "that playable character from Smash Ultimate", and watching a woman running on high heels is...impressive to say the least lol. I mean, Zelda is also a playable character so I don't really mind at this point lol

[@appelofdoom8211]

I mean its also what they wearat the start of the story as mercenaries and in three hopes where they never become teachers sooo

[@chrizzlybear5565]

Certainly a curious outfit for a mercenary ... The heels would explain the low running speed in smash tho :D

[@ariwl1]

@@chrizzlybear5565 What gets me about Byleth is the difference in their fashion despite the fact that regardless of gender they have the exact same personality. So is female Byleth the innacurate one or is male Byleth hiding something? Hmmm....

[@sadeknight9112]

I would agree if there weren’t any metal armor in the outfits at all. Seriously the vambrace and singular poleyn suggests that Byleth is trying to protect themselves and is intentionally wearing this outfit in combat.

[@GeneralBrae]

For the Mass Effect 'suctioned on' look I assume it's meant to be justified by the fact they are also pressure suits for vacuum exposure. The stomach patch on the practical looking one strikes me as looking a bit like some kit to 'inflate' the soft area and apply pressure to the torso underneath, just in a far more compact way than the big ungainly spacesuits we use these days. Same with Ashley, though I do really hate the boob plate on those armours

[@MissaBrevis]

Yeah, I think the squishy look of Ryder's armor is supposed to be because it's insulated or pressurizable or both. Still looks kind of goofy, but so does most real space gear

[@GeneralBrae]

@@MissaBrevis RYDER thank you I could not for the life of me remember their name lol But yeah I think so too. I actually really like their armour look, not a huge fan of a lot of the ME armour design but that one's solid imo

[@featurelength5086]

You're right afaik, the squishy part is the pressure suit everyone wears as their first layer; all the armor sets you get in Andromeda are layered on top of it.

[@Taisto-Perkele]

Adding to this: lorewise they were also designed with different roles in mind with the standard issue Andromeda Initiative suits, while definitely combat capable, being built mostly for exploration and survival in hazardous alien environments. Meanwhile Ashleys outfit is a heavily modified and customized variant of Alliance infantry armor, designed for special forces and frontline combat. Just ignore the egregious boobplate and nerfed hairstyle.

[@Ramund223]

@@MissaBrevis not to mention that ash is a soldier where as ryder is an explorer first, so ryders armor/suit is build for exploration so it needs to be a bit more flexible

[@seanodonnell8001]

Your analysis on Casca is spot on, thanks for that. I am happy like to inform you that her boot heels are indeed practical and suited for riding as the Band of the Hawk is primarily a light raiding cavalry force throughout their tenure in the series. Their mercenary group is rather poor in the beginning and so has to make do with piecemeal armor which they slowly build up and replace over the course of the series. Continually staying practical with a hint of fantastical in it. Casca is generally one of the more sensibly armed and armored characters when introduced.

[@catsbooksandaxes7631]

✨ Brilliant! ✨ And another book goes onto the TBR. 😊

[@Strider_Shinryu]

Great video as usual! But yes, on the Mass Effect armour, they do include helmets. There's a lot of dialogue in the game and a lot of expressiveness (plus, the main character was customizable and the character faces were pretty well done for the time), so there's an option in the game to turn the helmets off. They are technically almost always there, you just can't see them P.S. That book sounds really good, I'm going to check it out!

[@yadiracamacho499]

I just read the most recent chapter of Millennial Mage on royal road and then I see this sponsorships. For a moment it felt like a hallucination, lol. For everyone, if you like fantasy and characters exploring magic, read it, it's pretty good.

[@henrikt.183]

Also please leave a review, we were promised an extra chapter at 1000... Which may be a bit optimistic by the author. But the book deserves it so we may as well try.

[@Zagaroth]

@@henrikt.183 I've added you guys to my read-later list for now. I have to admit, having trouble keeping up with reading lately, but I promise that when I do get to it I will leave a review too. :) You will probably already have your 1k by then though.

[@danc1513]

A big part of Mass Effect armor is it includes the very sci-fi addition of kinetic barriers, or shields. Which is just basically space magic, but yeah. And the armor on the left is "technically" geared towards exploration rather than combat. So it's not as protective, until you start getting into some higher tiered armor later in the game, but I digress.

[@JKevinCarrier]

"She's really quite brilliant, and so most of her conversations are with herself." Hmm, who else do we know who fits that description...? :D

[@timross5351]

""We'll have conversations WORTH having."

[@pRahvi0]

A certain writer / main character comes to mind...

[@lillithcollins5192]

Lol! I'm sad to say that if Pathfinder: Kingmaker is anything to go by that is entirely a correct assumption about Ameri. "Look at me do something stupid nobody in their right mind would do so that I can prove how superhumanly strong and brave I am." Is like 60% of her personality. She'd probably wear the title "Just stab me now!" as a mark of pride. The really impressive thing is how she somehow makes this a charming personality quirk.

[@simongeard4824]

"Just *try* to stab me now" is a perfectly normal barbarian attitude to combat. I don't know Pathfinder, but D&D 5e barbarians will be using their "reckless attack" feature almost all the time... advantage on their attacks, in exchange for attackers getting advantage on theirs too.

[@yaelz6043]

She's just so enthusiastic about it all!

[@CAP198462]

Blood for Goram?

[@Haan22]

@@CAP198462 Gorum, but yes, and apparently he doesn't care much where that blood comes from.

[@webbowser8834]

@@simongeard4824 Pathfinder Kingmaker is based off of Pathfinder 1e which is heavily based on DnD 3.5e, so you have the right idea. I think instead of advantage you instead get a strength and con buff in exchange for an AC penalty.

[@jeangentry6656]

Seeing that you reviewed the armors of Sarah Ryder (the plain looking girl in the white armor) and Ashley Williams (Glamour Girl) It'd be nice to see your opinion on other ME ladies such as Tali, Samara/Mornith, etc.

[@jeangentry6656]

@GiRayne No shade on the Andromeda designs, I just didn't like them. As for the "male gaze", ME:A is plenty guilty when it came to the sex scenes. Yes, Samara is sexy, which (for me) is what makes her character so interesting. An Asari Seductress turned Warrior Monk who is in complete control of her desires is hunting down her more modestly dressed but absolutely evil and unrestrained daughter. Samara looks like a Victoria's secret model, is unashamed of her reckless and sex soaked youth, and yet at her very core is a loving mother with the Soul of a Samurai.

[@SilverAndDust]

@GiRayne IIRC, Sara is about as buxom as Ashley, but most of her armor and casual clothing hides/downplays it.

[@andrewzimmer9161]

@@Skaitania Yeah, only some of the DLC or mod suits on FemShep get as far as "What's my gender? The person who just killed you!". Some of the N7 Defender or siege suits are just a 1978 Chevy stood on end. ...which really is one standard that works.

[@jeangentry6656]

@GiRayne She's wears that outfit because she damn well wants to. Who's gonna stop her? Not the armored Asari Huntress who was cowering in fear when the player 1st meets Samara. Samara having a sexy design is not a statement of her personality or actions - the dialogue and missions reveal the person she is, not her costume. If the costume was a reflection of morals, then Mornith, her modestly dressed daughter, wouldn't be a predator and child killer.

[@myladycasagrande863]

✨✨✨✨✨ thanks for giving me something fun and lighthearted to watch after my stressful furnace inspection!

[@commander.saavik]

🌟✨️💖 Jill, you're awesome. I love your videos. I miss your "Fantasy Heroine" skits, but I'm waiting (impatiently) for the novel! Keep being awesome!

[@havenparks]

✨ I like sparkles, too, Jill. (I checked out the description because someone pointed it out, and now here I am, enjoying sparkles!)

[@darthwingnut464]

✨ Always a pleasure to see one of these. Not sure how judging the Mass Effect armour based on colour is reasonable though, as that can be altered by player....

[@darthwingnut464]

@girayne you are right, but the colour complaint was against Ryder

[@andrewshaughnessy5828]

Nice to see Jill wearing her Just Stab Me Now hoodie. Mine arrived today and I LOVE it! 💖

[@Mark-ki7ic]

A mage with over whelming student loans is a good backstory, with debt collector after them.

[@k.t.katzmann8793]

That was honestly the most effective and entertaining way of advertising a book I've seen on KZbin. Instant purchase. ...Also my daughter and I love the channel.

[@Floras_Fiber_Farrago]

✨Your videos are always such a mood boost! ✨

[@Nattfare]

When it comes to Mass Effect, Ashley Williams (Mass Effect 1-3) on the right is part of the human military, while Sarah Ryder (Mass Effect: Andromeda) on the left is part of a privately funded colonization project to the Andromeda galaxy. Sarah's outfit is the starting outfit and isn't really designed to protect against weapons, but to protect against various hazards while exploring space while also providing mobility. It is pretty much just a jumpsuit that also works as your space suit. You find armour similar to what Ashley wears later on in the game.

[@kuro_neko5863]

Millennial Mage is really good. For what it's worth, I'll recommend it as well.

[@stevenmewett4489]

After a few years of not reading, due to work related shenanigans, I'm finally getting back into it, so I'll definitely add Millennial Mage to my potential reading list... Just need to get through Mistborn and a few other books that my friends have recommended to me first. Also, yay! Another armour tier list!

[@davedujour1]

I'm pretty sure you nailed Amiri from Pathfinder's thought process. She's a barbarian and they generally don't wear much armor.

[@lisaroper421]

I adore Amiri in a funny way. Actually, most of the characters were pretty dang fun to spend time with

[@rstee]

Amiri: if I hit you hard enough, you won't be able to hit me back, so I don't need armor. Valerie: there is so much wood and metal between us, it doesn't matter how hard you hit.

[@davedujour1]

@@rstee Which makes Valerie so slow I never used her. I could get other NPCs armor almost as high as Valerie's and they would keep their full movement.

[@trollsmyth]

✨ I think there actually are questions about Amiri's sanity in the fiction, but it's been a while since I've read it. Also: nice tease! ✨

[@Keovar]

The story with Amiri is that she came from a tribe of mammoth hunters which didn’t have women in leadership positions, so she went out hunting alone, in defiance. She got that helicopter blade of a sword off a giant, for whom it was a typical arming sword. Because it’s ludicrously oversized for her, she developed a fighting style that involved lots of upper body rotation, thus the bare midriff. She appears in the CRPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker, where her battlecry is “Look at me, Gorum!”, which is a lot like the “Witness me!” guys from Mad Max: Fury Road, only she’s talking to her preferred deity, a god of glory in combat. Her game class is Barbarian, which means she’s like the legends of Norse berserkers, or the warp-spasm that Cuchulainn was supposed to have displayed. Basically, she gets super angry and hulks out. On Critical Role, barbarians often say “I would like to rage.” to let the DM know when they’re using that power. It’s an oddly polite way of announcing that you’re about to lose your sh¡t.

[@carloscaro9121]

She is also an idiot whose virtues are loyalty and strength. She's even a bad Gorumite. Gorum's tenets include: "Cowards flee, warriors retreat." Amiri has no sense of tactics or insight. She contrasts greatly with Seelah, who is an excellent Iomedean, kind, humble, and if anything to quick see the best in others.

[@jevans80]

The first Mass Effect one, where you commented on the bit at the stomach you thought was weird. Looks like part a a fighter pilot's G-suit to me, made to tighten up during high G flight and keep blood in the torso and head, rather than draining to the feet. Helps keep them conscious in combat, which is a benefit

[@AvatarRiku]

I need a “Time to commit cooking” hoodie as I don’t commit sewing.

[@doommustard8818]

Ya know I really thought byleth would fall into the not actually armor category since most of the time they are just wearing that attire as they teach a class, but now that you point out all the armory bits just stab me now makes a lot of sense.

[@waylandyutani7106]

As promised/threatened: 1:07 those spiky foot coverings make me think her mount isn't a horse. A dragon, perhaps, or something similarly thick-skinned? 1:33 makes me think there's a necromancer with a sense of humour. 2:00 those leggings remind me of early 90s goth/rock clothing, in a good way. Most things about that outfit do, in fact. Perhaps she's off to Whitby for the weekend? She'd fit right in. (Obligatory video link kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZCxoomaarykrJI ) 4:45 I'm totally with you on that. Right-hand photo: product of an hour in hair & make-up before the promo shoot. Left-hand: after a month in the field living on processed soya and urine resyk. 5:25 sounds a lot like the yew tree. Everything is poisonous except the berries but including the seeds, so make sure you get every single one out! Or just don't eat them. 6:30 very cuirassier, although a brief search doesn't find an example with that much arm armour but nothing below the waist. 8:08 if that isn't self-referential, it really should be 😉 9:07 I really can't add anything here. That outfit is completely hatstand. And Millennial Mage sounds interesting! I see the Kindle version is included with Kindle Unlimited, so (if you're a subscriber) there's really no excuse not to read it ...

[@Scuzzlebutt142]

I would say 6:30 armour is pretty similar coverage to a Roman Legionaire, though obviously her armour is much more advanced, and Legionaires usually had a giant ass shield making lower leg defense unnecessary.

[@jedimasterpickle3]

A dragon would be an appropriate mount for Mordred....if she had one. She fights on foot.

[@DerekIcelord]

On Mass Effect: Yes, they have helmets and in-game they do appear in combat/hazard areas. They also get shields, so the suits are typically more for environmental protection than as armor.

[@ViirinSoftworks]

I've gotten back into writing my own novels on Royal Road since so many of the people's stories I've read there have gotten published. Maybe there's hope for me, too.

[@craftyluna6381]

Oooooo I'd love to see you review the armor from The Expanse! They went so hard with the scientific realism, but I really don't know much about armor so I have no idea what tier it would be.

[@TheaTheSunflower]

I can admit that the Australia bit is terrifyingly correct and hilarious 😂😅🤦🏻‍♀️

[@MWSin1]

The first Mass Effect outfit is, I believe, a mechanical counterpressure suit. If you want to go into space without having to wear a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man custom, you can use elastic instead of air to apply pressure to your squishy bits so that the vacuum doesn't unalive you.

[@a22lotti]

Love how your samples for Mass Effect were both (or all four, if we count the two that showed for a few seconds) actually armor, because there are certainly outfits in those games that I can only shake my head at (Ashley's combat dress in ME3, Miranda... all the time, or Jacob if you want to go for a male not-actually-armor-but-I-wear-it-into-combat). Granted, it's sci-fi and everybody has shields of one fashion or another, but... some outfits are very clearly eye candy.

[@jarrakul]

At least we're not expected to believe e.g. Jack's pants-and-belt combo provides any actual protection. Still strange that some characters are very armored, and some are very not, and it seems to make little difference.

[@a22lotti]

@@jarrakul well, jack also faints if something breathes on her, so…

[@jarrakul]

@@a22lotti XD I mean that is fair.

[@stephenking1218]

I like sparkles too. ✨ My wife won't let me put sparkles on our chickens, though I think they would enhance our farm videos' viewership. I also think our hens who need protection from the roo and are thus getting "saddles" should have them embossed with plate.

[@danieljohnson9917]

As with most things in the Fate franchise, Mordred's morality is...complicated. She's the protagonist (sorta) in Apocrypha, but definitely fits the bill for anti-hero. She's temperamental, cruel, and has the most Leroy Jenkins energy possible. She's also one of the best characters in the Fate franchise and someone needs to give her a hug.

[@jedimasterpickle3]

Mordred really should have been the protagonist....it would have made the story a lot better than with that cardboard poster pretending to be a character Sieg

[@danieljohnson9917]

@jedimasterpickle3 Sieg is only sorta the protagonist, and he was fine. Not great, but we've seen worse.

[@AndrewD8Red]

hehe "enboobened" Welcome to my vocabulary.

[@davidchess1985]

Excellent, and also the first time I've bought the Sponsor object while still watching the Sponsored video. :D

[@cornelljohnson8224]

Ashley, the one on the right for Mass Effect, actually was doing a lot of PR for the war effort at that point in the story, so I say good job for them.

[@tomworks8004]

I thoroughly enjoyed the many hairstyles of Jill. It's very nice when you have such gorgeous hair that you can do anything with it!

[@classicslover]

Still confused as to why...at 6:39..."the next piece of armour you might want"...is..."just DEPENDS." I understand that some of these characters may actually NEED adult diapers, but in ranking of priority of protection, shouldn't they be farther down on the list?

[@Scuzzlebutt142]

Hey, not having to get out of armour to defecate or urinate in a long battle may keep you alive if you get caught at a bad moment :) . But generally yes, that probably makes sense.

[@classicslover]

@@Scuzzlebutt142 Yes. Cessation of hostilities for potty breaks would be the preferred methodology.

[@VictoriaStarratt]

I laughed until I coughed, and tears were streaming down my face. I hope you’re happy.

[@classicslover]

@@VictoriaStarratt Oh yes! I am very much pleased! As Steve Martin so wisely pointed out: "Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke."

[@thepiratepenguin4465]

Not only is your content entertaining, but your voice is also so kind of soothing.

[@Fridrik-]

Hmm. There might be a whole series here. Just dealing with DnD / Pathfinder art.

[@Fridrik-]

Larry Elmor "Dragon slayers and proud of it" comes to mind.

[@anglofsffrng]

In the Mass Effect ones, the left side was more for exploration than military (Andromeda). It was made to protect from environmental hazards, and be semi useful in a firefight in case you meet aliens and they're not friendly. Hence the squishy bits for comfort, and mobility. The right was from 3, which was all out war. Definitely military armor, but more for a modern special operator than a frontline soldier in open battle.

[@gabrielrussell5531]

It's not "Biscuits and American biscuits" it's cookies and biscuits. Just call a cookie a cookie so we don't confuse it with actual biscuits!

[@plainjane809]

I have never been so hyped for a sponsorship! My friend wrote the book!!🎉

[@Tunality]

✨🦒💨🤺✨ love your armor ranking videos 👍🏼 that book sounds like a good read ☕️

[@ericloken7445]

💖 Your discussion of Casca's armour made me think of the Roman legionnaire. They typically had a helmet, shield, and cuirass which often covered the shoulders. The exact make and quality of these changed with the era. At it's lowest they had a stiffened linen or hardened leather cuirass in the pre-legion militia, going on to mail, scale, or even plate, largely depending upon era, and rank. Their shield was a very important piece of kit, and the famous rectangular Roman shield allowed them to form very effective defensive blocks, and then switch back to the offensive in short order. The shield was typically plywood and leather, with maybe some metal reinforcement - a 2.5' x 4' metal shield might be effective, but would be expensive, and bloody heavy to lug all over the countryside. Below the waist was merely the end of their tunic that hung to their knees, and only short sleeves on their tunic. There is some evidence that in colder weather breeches and other clothing was worn with the armour, but that was for protection from the weather. This largely fits with what you said about Casca. Helmet, shield, and something to protect the vital organs. Everything else is optional, and the extra weight and limitation on movement make them of debatable value. And yeah, Amiri has... issues that she needs to work out.

[@aliceDarts]

No, Casca does not wear much on heels or stiletto's (I am sure that I am spelling that wrong, but as it is the morning and I have yet to have a coffee... eh). The shoes in that manga are actually historically accurate because even the men have a bit of heel. In that time the men and women had a bit of heel because they did not want to dirty themselves of dirt and mud. Thank you so much for the video, I have now been a subscriber for about 3-5 years, you videos have always been awesome. Much love from montreal, canada.

[@jaredthaler1017]

You don't need to worry about Amiri's sanity. She canonically does not have any.

[@vrewq]

Bit late for ☘but ❇ ❇ ❇

[@bobbytables464]

Regarding Mass Effect armor being "suctioned on", that's actually for a good reason - their armor is supposed to double as a space suit and there's two ways to counteract vacuum - a bulky rigid suit with air pressure in it, or a very tight suit that applies mechanical pressure in lieu of the atmospheric kind. In real life fighter pilots wear G-suits that compress around their legs to avoid all their blood flowing down from their heads during maneuvers and causing them to black out.

[@brockmckelvey7327]

From what I know of Byleth's game (3 Houses), it's mostly about trying to snog either Depressed Blonde Boy (tm) or Funny Tan Boy (tm), both of whom are your students because you're a teacher in a school. So that's why both Byleths are dressed like they're going for a night on the town

[@mjgbabydragonlet]

I love your hair! I so wish mine would do that! Great to have you back!

[@kenbrown2808]

I am always seriously amused by the gigantic sword trope. it tells me the character designer has never done manual labor since they have no grasp of the kind of emburdening and inertia they are saddling the character with.

[@yadiracamacho499]

With the pathfinder character, Amiri, her class is barbarian with the giant instinct. She has an ability that gives her the strength handle large weapons, but with the clumsy condition (so she has a penalty on dexterity checks) because it's unwieldy. So they do take it into account. (She got the sword because the leaders of her tribe didn't let her train as a fighter because she's a woman, they finally send her on a trial against frost Giants, probably expecting her to die. She came back with one of the Giants swords as a trophy)

[@ingiford175]

I have read quite a bit of that story. Thumbs up on it. Interesting worldbuilding/magic system.

[@djloftis4669]

Wow, the Byleth review was brutal. Camilla, nice knowing you when your turn comes.

[@Crazael]

4:08 Helmets in Mass Effect are a "toggle on/off" option. They generally provide full coverage or leave the lower half of the face exposed. Unless you're in an area without a breathable atmosphere, in which case they close up the bottom half of the face.

[@sharkofjoy]

You can take my hi-lo gowns from me over my dead body. I love the swoop of a skirt and hate the part where that swoop is in front of my legs and getting tangled up, and the part of my life where I'll wear a hoop is looooong over.

[@Ciborium]

Best ad read I've heard in a long time. I'm sold. Bought the audio book. I'm not a Gen Z'er so the whole Strong Female Character may be lost on me. But if the protagonist has flaws and has a character arc to overcome those flaws, unlike most SFCs, I think I will enjoy it. If our protagonist is a Rey Palpatine or Captain Marvel, then maybe not.

[@JillBearup]

Well I hope you enjoy it 🙂

[@creativehorsequeen]

"Less enboobined" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'm stealing this word. It phenomenal

[@nlnrose]

I wanted to listen to the audiobooks of this thank you so much for those links!!

[@cliffordhallam3270]

Went for the audiobook version and author and narrator make a good team. Oh yes, your videos are pretty good as well. Educate and amuse at the same time. 👍

[@Zagaroth]

Progression fantasy... yeah, Royal Road was not a surprise, it has become one of my favorite places to read ongoing stories. :) Also, regarding Amri and Seelah: Amri is a Northern barbarian and her sword is literally a frost giant's sword. Yes, she be cray. Seelah is a friendly paladin gal with a sense of humor. :)

[@Vinemaple]

The Casca bit was a good explanation! It's how I'd want the heroes, in a TTRPG I would run, to think while equipping themselves. Also, "How to do partial armor right"!

[@CaptainStitchyPants]

✨✨✨I found your channel by reading to the end of someone else's video description✨✨✨

[@code.name.sasquatch]

I think the Mass Effect armor goes for so form fitting because it's supposed to double as a sci-fi spacesuit

[@punpundit5590]

I'm a little happy that I called what book you were going to be sponsored by from the vague hints you dropped last time.

[@robotshaveiteasy9459]

The thing mass effect does really well, and it is hard to see in a still image (2 and 3 at least, especially in legendary), is that it's clear things are made of different materials. There are hard plates, but there's a lot of segmentation, and many areas are covered with felxible or at least semi flexible materials. It isn't always done perfectly, but when you see them in motion it's clear they've given proper thought to "there's a person in this, it needs to move". Plus people having sheilds covers the excuse for the not actually armour elements.

[@thirty0dd]

Hey, cup of tea and an American biscuit is good comfort food too. A nice warm flaky biscuit with butter or jam, or perhaps some sausage gravy if you’re feeling a little too healthy.

[@Sapeidra]

5:58 She might have no leg protection but if someone seriously points that out as a problem I suggest some Landsknechts form a Spießhaufen and geht you some Mordhau. Not everyone needs full plate. In fact can double as a display of wealth. And full armour is supid expensive, those people put the "lord" in landlord.