Congratulations to the winners, but let's be clear about one thing:
THIS WAS NOT A TRANSMOG COMPETITION. It was, above all, an RP / Screenshot Competition.
Let's take another look at the actual rules:
Full Screen Excellence: Press Alt+Z to hide your user interface and take a beautiful, full-screen screenshot so we can see your outfit and background in all their glory. No cropped images and absolutely no photos of your monitor taken with a phone!
Originality Over Rarity: We are looking for unique, stitched-together outfits. If two contestants post similar looks, the judges will favor the one with the most creative and distinct details. Be one of a kind!
Set the Scene: Along with your screenshot, include a 1-2 sentence caption in your forum reply telling the judges what "Urban Legend" or monster your character is dressed as.
Equip Your Terror: A true master of disguise always has their props. We highly encourage you to hold items that fit your theme, whether it's a glowing lantern for a gravedigger, a cursed blade, or a witch's broomstick. Bonus points if you catch your character mid-emote (/cackle, /roar, or mid-spellcast)!
My interpretation of these rules is pretty straightforward: the main priority should be
originality and creativity, not the quality or rarity of the equipment.
The judges are supposed to reward players who put together a unique look and create an interesting character, rather than those who simply show up wearing an impressive or recognizable armor set.
Now, let's take a look at the winners.
1st Place
The winner has practically no actual transmog. We're talking about a dress you can buy in your capital city for 4g, the kind of outfit you could wear at a wedding or during your regular gameplay. But for a Halloween competition?
The shoulders and staff don't even match the dress. Where is the originality? Where is the effort to create a distinctive Halloween-themed appearance?
2nd Place
Absolutely deserved. Nothing to complain about here.
3rd Place (Tie)
We have the full T1 Warrior with Black Morass shoulders and Gubbens, the Gnome.
I understand that Gubben's appearance is striking and unusual, especially the first time you see it. However, he's been using essentially the same look since Turtle WoW. I'm pretty sure he'd wear exactly the same outfit for a Christmas or Summer event, because this has been his everyday style for a long time.
I'm a big fan of Gubbens, so this isn't a personal criticism. But let's be honest: that tribal aesthetic has very little to do with Halloween. Once you recognize that he's simply using his usual appearance, it's hard to argue that he put together something particularly special for this event.
So, let's look at the results:
2 out of 4 winners have virtually no originality in their outfits.
One of the other two has an original appearance, but it isn't particularly Halloween-themed.
That leaves only one entry that I would consider fully deserving based on the criteria outlined in the competition rules.
Draw your own conclusions.
The point isn't that I dislike the winners or that they don't deserve recognition for their characters. The point is that the results don't seem consistent with the criteria the organizers themselves established.
1st place: Erobos the Corpse Bride (16 points)
2nd place: Ivaas the Vampire (15 points)
3rd place (shared): Gubbens the Voodoo Gnome and Gildark the Human Death Knight (13 points each)
