#BikiniArmorBattleDamage

[bikiniarmorbattledamage]

oops mine own armor hath fallen off accidentally

By @raspbearyarts

Very happy to see destroyable armor going back to it's sexy, sexy roots.

-wincenworks

Oscar Vega (@raspbeary) on: Art Station | Instagram | Twitter

[aptericia]

So! A while ago I made redesigns for some of my least favorite Three Houses outfits. With a lot of the female characters, it feels like the priority with their design is "show boobs and/or bare legs". Obviously, I don't claim to be better at character design than the original artists, but here's my take with the following priorities (in order):

Representing the character and making them easily identifiable. Basically, the design should serve as a "condensed" version of their personality, abilities, culture, etc.

An outfit that I find (with my 100% correct and objective opinion, of course) to be attractive

Being reasonably practical, at least enough that it doesn't break immersion. Considers the character's job, available resources, etc.

Ordinarily I'd design an outfit to go with the character's body type, but I was lazy here lol. If people are interested, I could draw nice versions on the actual characters sometime. Oh, BTW, the concept for this post was heavily inspired by looking through the @bikiniarmorbattledamage tumblr :))))

Below are detailed descriptions on how I went about designing them, if anyone's curious! I will be bashing the original designs quite a bit because I find it funny, but I hold absolutely no disrespect toward anyone who prefers them to my poorly-thought-out versions :)

Bernadetta – I feel like the designers were trying to combine the female archer class outfit, Bernie’s own girly/plushie aesthetic, and the “fancy noble lady” style and it didn’t quiiiiiite work out. I really like the color scheme & overall shapes, so I just went about changing the few things that ruined it for me.

First off, the huge bell sleeves. They’re just silly and don’t match the outfit imo. I turned them into an elaboration on her cute gloves.

Gave her pants instead of booty shorts. I don’t think Bernie would wear a long skirt that would keep her from running around, but the exposed legs give her a “vulnerable” look that I don’t think she’d appreciate. Plus, having the leg-pouch strapped to her bare skin looked really uncomfy ☹.

The boots didn’t work as well with her shiny new Pants, so I gave her knitted leg-warmer things inspired by this gorgeous cipher art.

I expanded her leg-pouch-thing and gave her a teeny little dagger. I just think she’d carry weapons on her person.

Constance – Honestly, credit to her for doing the best she could with the god-awful Dark Flier class design. I still think her outfit is pretty ugly and sexist, so I made some adjustments. I tried to evoke a “noble lady” feeling, but keep the muted color scheme and lack of patterns to imply that she’s actually dirt-poor. I took inspiration from people like Ferdie (noble vibe; armor purely for show not practicality) but with her personal “edgy steampunk vampire” aesthetic.

I changed her stupid boob-cup breastplate. I don’t even care about the dangers of wearing boobplate in realistic combat—it just looks ugly. Like why do you need to go to extra trouble to say “I have BOOBS! TWO of them!!”? It’s embarrassing. I mean it’s fine if you’re proud of your boobs, but then don’t cover them up with metal maybe???

I realized that the designers probably gave her boobplate because, without it, her outfit isn’t actually all that feminine. Coco is a pretty feminine lady, so I remedied this by giving her puffy sleeves (inspired by the Awakening Dark Flier design) and a skirt-thing (with an awkward slit that would allow her to sit on a horse). The skirt had the added bonus of being incompatible with the stupid butt-grabbing hip armor. Good riddance!

Traded in her bare legs for some silly suspender-sock-things. I just thought they worked better with the skirt and more “girly” outfit overall. Also gave her shin-guards to extend the pink color scheme throughout the whole outfit.

I also changed her dress into a stylish vest that, imo, looks nicer (and comfier) with the armor. I gave her some gold accents on the vest & armguards for a dash of color.

Her belt got a revamp to work better with the vest.

Lysithea – On to our favorite doily princess! Her design doesn’t reek as much of “boobs and/or legs priority”, but it’s still silly and looks pretty uncomfortable. I actually really like the aesthetic, so I tried to keep it as much as possible. I did end up having to introduce another color (silver), though.

I think her doily skirt looks extra silly because it’s so dwarfed by her sleeves. I lengthened it, made it puffier, and added another layer beneath it.

More drastically, I ended up changing the whole top of the dress so it was a shirt & skirt instead. I’m not sure I have a justification for this beyond “I don’t usually prefer dresses”, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out 😊 Also, what’s with the weird rows of ribbons(???) at her sides? Into the trash lol.

The ribbon attachment looks like it would be really cold on her bare chest ☹. I moved it down to the level of her shirt and attached it to her shoulders instead of her neck (for comfort).

Her shoes got boringer but less dumb-looking. What can I say, I’m not good at designing shoes.

Hapi – Hers is the least-bad of the Ashen Wolves’ timeskip designs, not that that’s saying much. I don’t really like gray and green as a color scheme, so I gave her a bit of brown and some more gold accents. Other than that, I feel like she has a sort of forest girl/witch/traveler look, which I tried to keep as much as possible.

Obviously, the silly boob-separator strap had to go. I have no problems with Hapi being sexy, but she’s much more the “forgot to put on my pants when I rolled out of bed at 1:00pm” type rather than the “put extra effort into showing that I have TWO BOOBS” type. Therefore, I kept a similar amount of skin showing but tried to make it easier to assemble.

Her new skirt was based on the Valkrie designs from other games (you’ll notice the similarity to the Mist-inspired outfit in this post). I think this version is both cuter and looks easier to move in. Also, I love giving everyone too many belts! Hers has a lil pouch for carrying random junk she finds.

Both her arms and legs looked a little boring imo, so I gave her some pretty bracelets and altered her shoes. Plus, her original boots looked hard to move in. Here, the actual boot is pretty loose but is tied below the knee with an extra laceable piece and above the knee with a brown strap.

Petra – Ho boy. I always felt like Petra’s design could be potentially problematic, although I’ve never done any research. Anywayyyy, it’s clear that the designers wanted something “exotic”-looking, but they had no ideas beyond “well she’s from a warm climate right” (In reality, someone from a warm climate would probably be unadjusted to the cold and bundle up… but that goes against the goal of “condensed character description” so I don’t really mind). Instead, I took a lot of inspiration from this awesome Cipher art! Her color scheme is a hot mess but not without potential, and personally I think I did okay with it!

Ok, ok, her design also does a decent job of indicating that she’s royalty from a hunting-focused nation. When re-doing her top I tried to keep that in mind, so I gave her some fancy jewelry and animal goods (i.e. fluff). I don’t feel like re-iterating the boobplate argument, so suffice to say that her breastplate suffered the same fate as Constance’s.

I adjusted her arm jewelry to be more to my liking. Not really any logic there.

Her miniskirt is pretty dumb, so I changed the shape and incorporated some hip armor (someone tell me the official name). I also took away the fluffy fringe, seeing as she already got some fluff around her neck. Instead, I added the pattern that was originally on her leg-band.

Do I need to explain giving her another pant leg? I know her outfit is based on the female thief class, but it doesn’t look good there either. And once again, I had no ideas for her shoes beyond not liking the old ones ☹.

[mintyeggs]

this is all fun and games folks, don’t get upsetti!

a while back, @bikiniarmorbattledamage​ reblogged my pink-overhaul doomguy illustration, and they’ve been on my radar ever since.  I’ve always wanted to try my hand at a redesign, and one of their newer posts caught my eye!

Angela, from the game Trials of Mana, has so many awesome motifs in her design, and she’s absolutely adorable.  I wanted to keep a lot of that, but also cover up them lovely legs and put the cloak in it’s rightful place, making her seem more like a magician from a colder place, rather than an attractive swimsuit model.

I took a lot of inspiration from Alena from the Dragon Quest series with this design, especially with the hat.  It was so tiny on her original design, so I gave it a little growth spurt.

I think the biggest change I implemented for this design was her dress.  I kept the slim waist, because hey, it’s cute as hell, but I added a lovely skirt that mimicked the design of her hat and her cape, which was rightfully relocated to her shoulders.

[magicmeatmarch]

Magic Meat March 2020 is here!

Magic Meat March is a month long event of men in sexy armor! Started in 2017 and based off of the original Magic Meat Week idea by amanda-sharpe, Magic Meat March will be the same awesome event filled with art of men in skimpy outfits to show that they can fight evil while showing lots of skin! This occasion is meant to be a fun way for people to share their drawings, writings, or even some cosplays/original outfits about guys in impractical fantasy attire. Whether you wish to depict a message about the inequality seen in the apparel of video games and other entertainment media or you simply want to draw dudes in something seemingly suitable only for the beach, all are welcome!

Here are a few guidelines!

•Be sure to tag your posts as #MagicMeatMarch or submit them to the blog! •The Prompt List is now on carrd: https://magicmeatchallenge.carrd.co It is not required for this event! It is simply meant to help inspire people to create something! You can choose any themes you’d like to do at any time. •Creative freedom is highly encouraged, but please be mindful of how some traditionally feminine poses and outfits may appear to others. In other words, please be cautious about creating works solely made to ridicule in a malicious manner. •Nudity and sexual themes are fine, but please avoid outright pornographic depictions solely for the sake of being pornographic. Some exceptions apply, but please be thoughtful in how your art is presented. •Be sure to join the Male Ecchi DeviantArt group to submit your Magic Meat March related content and follow the new Twitter account!

Spread the word and have fun!

[how-do-i-armour-and-stuff]

Asymmetrical Armour

@vrisbians asked @bikiniarmorbattledamage:

I have a slightly random question. Yall know stuff about armor, right? What's the benefit of having a pauldron on only one side, or having one be larger than the other? It appears so frequently in designs that it makes me think it must be a real thing, but I can't come up with a reason.

The short answer is: Shields and small weapons (and sometimes sports).

The longer answer is that one of the most effective pieces of armour used throughout history in various forms is the shield, and part of why it was so effective in early eras was that you could hide behind a shield and poke the enemy with your spear.

However, as war evolved and armour became more sophisticated, spears became ineffective and warriors needed to switch to shorter, harder hitting weapons such as maces, axes, hammers, picks, pointy swords, etc.

The problem with these weapons is that in order to have a haft short enough to give you the necessary speed and control you hurt your armoured opponent - you have to swing your arm out from behind protecting of a shield.  Generally speaking the shield also gets smaller since you need to use it to counter balance your swings with your weapon.

So you reach a situation where your oft side doesn’t need as much heavy and expensive armour (due to being protected by the shield) but your dominant arm needs additional protection from the shoulder to the hand.

Warriors who used two handed weapons such as greatswords, halberds, etc needed equal protection on both arms (and armpits) - so they tend to have a lot of plating for both arms.

This is particularly true since the large shield + spear combination was usually paired with tight linked formations so soldiers would protect each other (Romans even had a system for swapping out ranks).  Soldiers swinging weapons can’t bunch up as tightly so need to protect their striking arm.

The other two common sources (that I’m aware of) are the combat sports - gladiators and jousting.

Gladiators had deliberately impractical armours and set combinations of gear designed to create dramatic fights.  Some of this included protecting their arms so they could fight more aggressively and have a better chance at drawing blood or creating dramatic scenarios.

Jousting was a unique sport in that the armour was originally combat armour but as it became more and more specialised as time went on and plate armour fell out of use for combat.

Give that the sport demanded that your opponent use a singular weapon, and was expected to aim more or less in a particular area meant that it made sense to put up the majority of protecting being put in one place:

In these cases, it’s important to remember that specialised armour like this is somewhat like a sports car: a demonstration of wealth with no real practical purpose other than to play in a dangerous game.  There was no expectation of it being used in an actual battle or using an unexpected weapon or strategy.

- wincenworks

[atlasisreal]

like I'm a lesbian so I get it, Women Sexy, but why do str8 men think women who are just like.... fucking NAKED are sexy??? does it really turn you on, *almost* seeing widowmakers titties? do u think "OHHHHH LOOK IT'S QUIET'S BARE WAIST...."? are u like, jackin it to the skintight catsuits? that's pathetic. like I get its because women aren't people to you but like, have you ever seen a woman in armor? ever experienced the fire inside of a woman, wrought from stone and flame? have you ever heard a woman laugh, or seen her eyes light up? like y'all cowards can't nut unless you see 2B's panties, you're not living and I feel bad for you

[keepitslightlyunreal]

I like to think that the first thing Aurelia did after taking over from Razia was implement sensible armour

[okiart]

I saw a redesign on @bikiniarmorbattledamage, and wanted to try my hand at redesigning the same character, Ashe from League of Legends. (Though I’ve never played the game.) A lot of the redesigned elements they used I liked, so I used them too - like the single golden detail at the chest instead of nipple coverings.

For the face, I gave her bolder eyebrows and a slightly more realistic eye shape, as well as cheekbones and a more prominent chin and a larger mouth. I added some more shadows from her hood as well. (I also had to edit her hair as it looks so flat). I was originally going to have the same pattern on her hood on her chest, but it got covered up by the pauldron fastenings, so I removed it. 

I liked the idea of the white undershirt with the golden arm bracelets, so I added that to mine. The pauldrons don’t float on her shoulders anymore, though I took a different route than babd. She’s got a proper top now that’s probably way more comfortable. I also added acher gloves (though I realised I added the wrong fingers - the index finger should have been covered, and not the pinkie.) with a small golden detail at the fingertips. For the stomach belt, I edited the colour to be a little more contrasting, and added golden details that resemble the pattern on the armor/boots. I also added a golden shoetip as well as some small golden details at the heel.

Last but not least, I gave her pants/tights/whatever they are, also with small golden details at the back. I can’t imagine running around, thighs chafing, but I didn’t want to change the design _too much, so I kept the skirt and its cool stripes.

I don’t claim ownership to the character nor the original art, I merely edited it for my own entertainment.

This was really fun to do!

[rainymeadows-art]

Scrolling through @bikiniarmorbattledamage inspired me to do a couple of redesigns, specifically of Starfire and Wonder Woman. I’ve done another Wondy a couple of years ago, but I figured I should do another with a different style and my evolved sense of design and colour placement. As for why I did Starfire... anyone who knows what her designs outside the animated shows look like would understand why I did this.

Heck, not even outside the animated shows. Fucking Young Justice and their boob and hip windows...

Ask me about commissions!

Sub list:

@actuallymin @addictedtoslugterra @jackiewinters @noahshain @prehistory-maker @smeata @universehopperforlyfe @xcyansparksx

[junglehero227]

Question: Why does bikiniarmorbattledamage always go on and on about how fictional characters have no agency and thus can’t “choose” to wear sexy outfits and yet dismiss instances where sexy outfits or characters are either designed by women (Bayonetta for example) or well liked by female fans, (Just look at the number of women cosplaying as characters in sexy outfits at pretty much any con for proof of this) thus dismissing the agency of actual breathing women?

[ozziescribbler]

Little comic I did for my newest BABD writeup. 

Relates both to the post’s topic of media criticism credentials and to the female sexualization excuse rhetoric we comment on all the time.

~Ozzie

[bikiniarmorbattledamage]

This is truly stiff competition for the worst case of willful false equivalence we've ever seen.

So, for those not aware: Ongoing embarrassment to gamers and the gaming industry, Mark Kern (former lead on FireFall), has been desperately trying to get Gamergate 2 going on X/Twitter... well after others have given up. If you need to get caught up on Mark, I recommend this video by documentary maker and experienced game developer, Dead Domain:

One of the latest fiascos in this mix has been the comparison of responses to character designs from Hades 2 (Aphrodite, left) and Stellar Blade (protagonist Eve, right). The post isn't by Mark, but is part of the general harassment campaign he's trying to lead.

If you're somehow not familiar with Aphrodite, she's the Ancient Greek goddess of love, lust and hot girl shit. It is absolutely perfect characterization for her to show up to a battle (or anything else) nude but for her hair teasingly covering the intimate parts of her body. But the buried lede here is, you don't fight her in Hades and nothing about Hades 2 indicates she'll fight there either, she just likes the aesthetic and has no reason not to indulge.

Stellar Blade will release on 26 April 2024, so we can't really give an informed discussion of her character. But what we do know is the studio head is the illustrator from Blade & Soul, Eve is described as being a member of "the 7th Airborne Squad" engaged in an "operation to reclaim the planet from the Naytiba", and the promotion material promises "an enthralling narrative filled with mature themes, mystery and revelation. Embrace the relentless pace, with no time to pause between moments where critical, story-changing decisions are made."

It's to be compared to games like Nier: Automata, Devil May Cry 5, Jedi: Fallen Order and Sekiro. And the screenshots look like this:

And yeah, unlike Bayonetta she's not supposed to be an unstoppable force of nature (and fashion) who is immune to self-doubt, she's supposed to be the scrappy underdog last survivor of her team.

Weird they gave her a costume that conveys... the opposite of literally everything they're supposed to be trying to tell you about her.

-wincenworks

[aptericia]

No art today, just me dissing Three Houses outfits

featuring @bikiniarmorbattledamage’s Female Armor Bingo

Female Assassin class

Female Sniper class

Some of the generic class outfits REALLY give off the vibe of “male version was designed first, and the artists wanted to make the female versions look different so they just cut random holes in them”

(Tell me your least favorite 3H outfits and I’ll fill out the card for them! This is fun lol)

[magicmeatmarch]

Apologies again for the delay, #MagicMeatMarch is finally here!

Magic Meat March is a month long event of men in sexy armor! Based off of the original Magic Meat Week idea by @amanda-sharpe, Magic Meat March will be the same awesome event filled with art of men in skimpy outfits to show that they can fight evil while showing lots of skin!

This occasion is meant to be a fun way for people to share their drawings, writings, or even some cosplays/original outfits about guys in impractical fantasy attire. Whether you wish to depict a message about the inequality seen in the apparel of video games and other entertainment media or you simply want to draw dudes in something seemingly suitable only for the beach, all are welcome!

Here are a few guidelines!

•Be sure to tag your posts as #MagicMeatMarch or submit them to the blog! •The Prompt List is not required for this event! It is simply meant to help inspire people to create something! You can choose any themes you’d like to do at any time. •Creative freedom is highly encouraged, but please be mindful of how some traditionally feminine poses and outfits may appear to others. •Nudity and sexual themes are fine, but please avoid outright pornographic depictions solely for the sake of being pornographic. Some exceptions apply, but please be thoughtful in how your art is presented. •Be sure to join the Male Ecchi DeviantArt group to submit your Magic Meat March related content and follow the new Twitter account!

Spread the word and have fun!

[sunandsword]

Get a girl who can do both! The Prime Minister of Granada and Duchess Cecilia of Chesterwick, in our finery and then in our armour! This was taken at the most recent Swordcraft Quest, an Australian LARP battlegame with over 500 attendees. 

First photo is by Penwoody Photography. Second photo by Portrait Photography Melbourne. 

[houseaegir]

No really tho, fuck Edelgard‘s new fe warriors outfit, it’s awful

She is! A heavy armor unit!! Where is her heavy armor!!! Dimitri is fully armored up, and he’s not a heavy armor unit. I loved Edelgard’s war era unique armor sets because they actually looked like they could protect her, with only some allowance for stylization. FEW3H Edelgard looks like she’s wearing a chrome painted sailor moon cosplay! That is not appropriate for the battlefield!

i swear if those stupid boots are high heels I’m going to scream