cranking up the fizz, follow-up edition

As I predicted, it was so hard to choose winners, even in the first round (where we ended up giving out 32 prizes)! Narrowing it down to ten, and then to three, was even more difficult. Here are my personal favorites (who may or may not have actually won prizes).

Sadly, I didn’t manage to get a good screenshot of myself with Ironyca, Noelani, and Elvine.
I did, however, manage to catch pictures with Cymre and Draynee, who dropped by to see the show.

I love the Sparkleshell Breastplate + Dark Silk Shirt + Battleforge leggings & boots combination worn by Jadedragon (in the background of the picture with Cymre)!

There were certainly a lot of very fly Draenei there, including Skyla, one of the instrumental organizers of bringing the WoW Factor show to Fizzcrank. Although she didn’t compete, she showed off two fabulous Transmogrification Template Kits (of which I got very bad pictures).

On the left, the Lord’s set with the T12 shoulders and the Drillborer Disk. On the right, the Double Link Tunic with T10 shoulders, Spiked Chain items, and Bastion of Light.

Lucid really caught my eye for being a level 20 character in a nearly completely Transmogrified kit — it’s a fantastic outfit for her level, and we awarded her a first round prize for it. We (if I can be so bold as to speak for the regular WoW Factor crew, being only a guest judge at this one show) want to encourage lower-level characters to participate! Transmogrification is not just for max-level characters!
(Though having a max-level character to bankroll obtaining items for Transmogrification and paying for the service itself certainly makes it easier for a lower-level character to have a full TTK.)
Kassutera’s kit is a wonderful mix of different tiers, and I simply adore the Steamworker’s Goggles.

Aesii’s outfit has just the right mix of brown and gold, and the low-key Veteran’s chestpiece is a great choice. Philiya’s shoulders, weapon, and shield make something breathtaking out of what is otherwise a very common “recipe” set. Aquless has put together a wonderful set to go with that Zulroics helm, and the Cenarion tabard really pulls the set together perfectly.

I like what Juu (on the left) has done here with the Stormrage shoulders even better than the original T2 context! I particularly like the hat. Azshala (on the right) has made a very regal outfit to go with her guild tabard. The Bonechewer shoulders, Wolf Rider’s leggings, and Bard’s boots are some of my favorite red leather items, and the hat matches the tabard perfectly.

Like Juu, Indica does something unexpected with tier shoulders. I’ve seen these T8-recolor shoulders used marvelously for Balance-themed outfits (and for the life of me, I cannot remember which blogger it was that just recently posted a set using them with the Warchief’s Kilt for a Balance Druid TTK Aha — it was Ysera’s Daughter!), but here Indica makes them look very Feral indeed.
In the background, Chalupa is using the recolored Magister’s set with the tunic-style Vindicator’s chestpiece so as to show off those fancy pants. It’s a bold and somewhat unconventional choice, and it works very well — though I’d use the Vindicator’s belt, too, for a more polished look.

Peak’s outfit makes me wish that I hadn’t disenchanted the Raincaller’s Mantle just a couple of days ago after getting fed up with it not selling on the AH. The turban is delightfully unusual. If I were making this outfit for myself, though, I think I’d use the Vindicator’s belt or Sutarn’s Ring instead of the one Peak is using.
In the background, Haden, like Chalupa, is using a tunic-style chestpiece with a tier set that has a robe chestpiece — in this case, the Cenarion set — so that he can show off the pants and boots of the set. This choice also allows him to effectively display the full Explorer’s Tabard, and I think the Cenarion set is a great complement to that particular tabard. Well-done!

Plantman exhibits another fantastic Druid outfit. This screenshot doesn’t show his matching Giant Club mace + Applebough Branch offhand combination, which was delightfully perfect for the rest of the set. I don’t think any of the other Druid races would pull this outfit off quite so well as a Worgen does (although a male Tauren would come very close).

If I didn’t already know that Cynwise‘s Druid is Cynli, I might have wondered if Cynsi was he. This gorgeous purple, green, and gold outfit was one of our top prize winners at the end of the night.
In the background, Bancduese has made a lovely set with the Robe of Power and Prophecy belt. The hat doesn’t quite fit, though, and the Circle of Flame is a little too well-used, so I think I’d use either the Aurora/Shadow Council cowl, the Elegant circlet, or no hat at all with this set.

We saw a lot of Hunters, but Jayko’s purple set was one of the very best. His matching pets and purple shirt are really nice touches.
While we’re on the subject of Hunters, I also need to give a shout-out to Menidn. She showed off two nice “recipe” sets with excellently chosen off-set shoulders — the Ornate set with the Giantstalker shoulders and the Sundered set with the Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes.

Most of Mable’s gear is a “recipe” set — a complete set of low-level quest rewards — but, like Philiya above, it’s the way she’s accessorized it that’s spectacular. With the pink shirt underneath and her pink hair, this set is the perfect complement to her Fangs of the Father. It can be hard to Transmogrify to match a Legendary, and Mable looks downright awesome!
Boudecca also uses a shirt to great effect in her TTK. I don’t think I would have liked this set half so well if she’d been wearing it without the shirt. I would, however, recommend using Zom’s Crackling Bulwark (or perhaps the somewhat easier to obtain Stormshield of Renewal) in place of the Drillborer Disk.

Vigilanti’s black and white outfit is really dramatic, especially with that staff! Ironyca commented that it gave her a real sense of this character’s, well, character.
Praylee’s red and white outfit is similarly dramatic and refreshingly unique.

Airomick takes a rather non-standard approach to the “Dalaran Purple Mage” by using the Egg-Warming Blanket.
I looked at Pixiefied and immediately said to myself, “I want to make this set for one of my characters!” Although the Mooncloth Robe is very commonly used, she gets bonus points for wearing it as a Mage (as it’s usually seen on Priests) and for being not-quite max-level (she’s only 82). She’s a Frost Mage, and this set is beautifully icy.

Bonquesho was another sponsor of tonight’s event. He looks fantastically firey in the Circle of Flame, Mantle of Three Terrors, and Bloodfyre Robes of Annihilation. A few things really set outfit apart from similar outfits. The Embersilk belt, Infernoweave gloves, and Hellfire Tome complement each other so nicely and keep the overall effect from being too bright. In this screenshot, he’s wearing the Circle of Flame, but his actual TTK uses the Crown of the Illidari High Lord, which he integrates into the whole outfit by using the Kurenai Tabard (which both complements and alters the appearance of the robe) and the Cloak of the Illidari Council. His Swiftsteel Bludgeon is terrific, too — usually one would see that weapon in a melee outfit, not a caster outfit. Finally, it’s a great outfit because it confounds expectations — looking at it, you’d think he’s a Fire Mage, but instead, he’s a Shadow Priest!
When I first logged into Fizzcrank tonight, both Bonquesho and Alustrial were wearing outfits featuring the Mantle of Three Terrors and Circle of Flame. Sadly, I didn’t get a picture of Alustrial’s outfit, so I can’t remember exactly everything that was in it. I know that she had the Illidari Bracers, Crimson Silk Vest, and Spellstrike Pants — and she looked amazing. Seeing her similarity to Bonquesho, however, she quickly switched over to this striking Silver-Thread Robe + Duskhallow Mantle combination. This dark, low-key ensemble complements Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa’s Rest quite well, actually. Sadly, Alustrial had to leave the event very early due to raiding commitments, and she was gone before I could call her out to be considered for a prize.

Thank you again to Ironyca and Noelani for inviting me to be a guest judge at this week’s WoW Factor show on Fizzcrank! It was a delight and an honor, and I had fun doing it.