Article #9 in a 12-part series.
- 1 - Upgrade Skyrim with Mods
- 2 - Skyrim Immersion: Environment
- 3 - Pretty Skyrim: Elements
- 4 - Skyrim Life
- 5 - How to Install Skyrim Body Mods, Dual Sheath, and Animations
- 6 - Pretty Skyrim People
- 7 - Skyrim Gear 1: Clothing
- 8 - Skyrim Gear 2: Akavir
- 9 - this article
- 10 - Skyrim Gear 4: Heavy Armor
- 11 - Setup for Script Work with Bethesda's Creation Kit and Notepad++
- 12 - Body Conversions for Skyrim Using BodySlide, Outfit Studio
Previously, I shared my favorite Skyrimclothing mods for mages and Akaviri gear. Below are nice mods fit for rangers, rogues, spellswords, and some suited for those playing dark characters. Armor that improves by feeding on blood sounds cool, doesn’t it?
on “lore-friendly” and my preference
When “realistic” armor is mentioned in regard to Skyrim, I assume this refers to protection in combat and from the elements within context of The Elder Scrolls. Removing dragons and magic would leave Skryim as a civil war game with bandit and item-collecting quests. TES is a fantasy series which includes unrealistic fantasy gear such as Golden Saint, Dark Seducer, and some unwieldy oversized weapons. Daedric armors are imbued with dark powers, and are highly decorative to cause fear. Our history is full of armor decorations to confuse the enemy or inspire confidence among the citizens. Practical is nice, but looking cool has its place.
No matter the armor, direct hits hurt. Armor may be simple padded hides or layered with chain and plates. Real chainmale would hurt flesh without padding, but decorative chain can make an ordinary garment look nice. Coverage is more about flak and incidental contact. The warrior’s skill at wearing a particular armor matters, and more important is the skillset at avoiding combat. Speech, stealth, distraction, and fleeing help one stay alive better than any particular outfit. And there are enchantments to consider in this fantasy world. Coverage may be more important for heavy armors, and light armors need to allow for more movement or stealth.
How decorative, revealing, or practical outfit choice is comes down to my character’s taste. My retired mage, Reisha, always prefered normal clothing, the mourner’s dress and “Blades Hakama” her favorites. She blended in better than wearing mage robes or Dark Brotherhood outfits around town. Another character likes intimidating (decorative) armors.
I give preference to original work. Styles should be similar to or inspired by outfits found throughout Tamriel, which is very diverse in style and cultural background. Historical recreation or realistic gear is great, but I prefer a touch of fantasy suitable for Skyrim.
HDT HighHeels
Some female shoes require “HDT HighHeels System” which make your character taller so that her legs don’t appear mysteriously shorter. Not using this heels mod with footwear requiring it will cause problems. Some mods have normal boot option. Choose carefully.
Rangers, rogues, and spellswords
Some nice improvements by texture updates for existing light armors include “Rustic Forsworn” by Gamwich and “aMidian imperial light and studded” by CaBaL.
According to the description, “Breton Knight” light armor was inspired by Elder Scrolls Online trailer. Besides a misspelling, a few minor nit-picky details shouldn’t hold this outfit back. The daggers are decorative and may clip with arms. The bow doesn’t work with the main download file, so include “Fixed Bow” file and copy contents into Skyrim folder which will replace the file Skyrim/Data/meshes/EsoBretonKnight/Weapons/BretonKnightBow.nif.
If having trouble finding the chest: Located on Wreck of the Pride, start on top deck and take stairs down then turn away from water and walk up the slope.
“Evil Mastermind” by Zerofrot is my second favorite armor mod. For the boys.
Rich in detail, this light armor also looks functional. My Breton vampire, Ezekiel, wears this on a regular basis. He enchanted the masked hood for stealth, the regular hood for desctructive magic combat, and switches for different situations. Expect to fight a pair of werewolves to reach the chest found at a fairly remote location near Dawnstar close to an Imperial camp. Requires glass smithing perk to forge new with leather, quicksilver, and daedra hearts. Temper with daedra hearts.
I preferred the regular thief armor over the Nightingale gear, so an update seemed in order. “Nightingale Prime HD” replaces the texture with more details and a cleaner look.
For something more stylish for the women, try “Celes Nightingale Armor” by Deserter X. Includes several options such as netting, masked hood, or hood with wigs of different colors.
Obtaining the craft book requires some rogue skills getting into the master safe. Crafting with nirnroots leads to having cool green glow designs within the dark leather. This sexy version of the regular Nightingale armor might be too revealing for some considering the cold climate. A rogue could always change to another outfit when heading to colder regions. For “Frostfall” (v3.1 or legacy 2.6), I adjusted the curiass with reduced warmth and coverage to help maintain immersion. The armor protection is slightly better than the standard Nightingale gear.
It gives us the chance to interact more with virtual characters and to empathize with them. Directx 11 full download. Depth of Field: Depth of Field is meant to enable developers to add High-Quality depth of field, and applies Bokeh (this is a photographic term) to lights within the depth of field view.Why Direct X 11 is such an important update?DirectX 11 is a huge update and it especially changes the way of gaming making it further realistic, which allows players to fall even deeper into their virtual world.
Celes’s weapons include recolored dagger and crossbow, and a Nightingale Haomas, all which may be strapped on the back using “Dual Sheath Redux”. The haoma comes from “Warrior Within Weapons” by BloodFree, a pack of Persian weapons. Supports “HDT HighHeels System” with options for BBP/HDT.
If you like Deserter X’s work, check out “Gwelda Dawnguard Armor” leather dress with trousers in Dawnguard designs. Works well for a spellsword vampire hunter like “Aurora” modeling below. Requires “HDT HighHeels System” for the boots, and includes BBP/HDT option. Pictured is CBBE-Slim HDT, a swapped mesh from standard “Aurora” body to slim her down a bit.
Dark arts
The following two armor sets by AmethystDeceiver needs a bit of evil touch to craft or maintain. Human hearts and flesh. Dark magic.
In addition to player armor, “Arise - Chapter 1 -The Black Sacrament” armor offers a much improved replacement for the Dark Brotherhood shrouded armor with a similar design. The mod includes a lore-friendly quest to collect the parts for the ancient assassins armors in a variety of colors along wth a spell to create new armor from a summoned forge. The items are found in graves and protected by creatures (one added) so the powerful gear comes with a price. Start by going to Ancient’s Ascent, protected by the existing dragon. This site contains the story starter and enchanted bow to help make collecting human hearts and flesh a bit easier. Think exploding body. The white armor blends well in snowy terrain, and looks cool, too.
“Black Sacrament” armor set is compatible with UNPB, UNPC, CBBE Curvy, CBBE Slim, default female bodies, and most male bodies. For female follower of different body type, choose the appropriate size from the list at the forge. Looks great on my slim character, Jenna.
“Lustmord Vampire Armor” works well for vampires or mortals. I like Serana’s royal armor, but Lustmord makes a nice alternative. The male version (not pictured) is nice, too.
The armor is vampiric such that when wearing the full set, one may feed it blood to boost armor rating for eight hours. Some pieces are interchangeable with “Black Sacrament” allowing versatility in appearance. Compatible with CBBE except Slim. You may use “BodySlide” for slimmer body, or give to a busty follower. Below is a pair of screenshots with busty armor for “Selene Kate” on left and slimmed version on Jenna which looks like a push-up. Jenna’s red shawl is from “Black Sacrement.” Unfortunately, “Kate” prefers heavy armor.
For both of these armors, a full set for perks count the barrette in place of a helmet. Hoods may be worn, also.
If you like AmethystDeceiver’s work, then you might like a custom home to go with your new armors. “Amethyst Hollows Dreamworld” resides in a dream world and is expensive unless you complete the mini-quest. The servants are great, and the optional mimic mannequins can be spooky. This is the only custom home I’ve seen where a teleporter makes sense and blends brilliantly with the game world.
Male/Female:
- Breton Knight by NewerMind43
- Nightingale Prime HD (texture) by Zerofrost
- Arise - Chapter 1 - The Black Sacrament by AmethystDeceiver
- Lustmord Vampire Armor by AmethystDeceiver
- Rustic Forsworn by Gamwich
- aMidian imperial light and studded by CaBaL.
Male only:
- Evil Mastermind by Zerofrost
Female only:
- Celes Nightingale Armor by Mitosuke and Deserter X
- Gwelda Dawnguard Armor by Deserter X
Article #9 in a 12-part series.
- 1 - Upgrade Skyrim with Mods
- 2 - Skyrim Immersion: Environment
- 3 - Pretty Skyrim: Elements
- 4 - Skyrim Life
- 5 - How to Install Skyrim Body Mods, Dual Sheath, and Animations
- 6 - Pretty Skyrim People
- 7 - Skyrim Gear 1: Clothing
- 8 - Skyrim Gear 2: Akavir
- 9 - this article
- 10 - Skyrim Gear 4: Heavy Armor
- 11 - Setup for Script Work with Bethesda's Creation Kit and Notepad++
- 12 - Body Conversions for Skyrim Using BodySlide, Outfit Studio
Essential for just about any playthrough, it's well worth keeping track of the best Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and Shields in Skyrim.
Generally, your armor of choice will be dependent on your playstyle. Classes which require a decent ability to sneak past enemies, and swiftly escape oncoming attackers will benefit from Light Armor. Those who expect to be getting up close and personal, taking plenty of hits but caring less for the stealthy approach will prefer Heavy Armor.
Shields, meanwhile, work as an option for those who prefer Light Armor's benefits, but still want to fight in open melee combat, and thus help to boost the defensive stats of Light Armor wearers, whilst being a tad superfluous for those already wearing a Heavy set.
Before we dive into the specifics of the best sets and individual pieces of kit, there are a couple points to bear in mind:
- If you're looking to craft or enchant your armor, be sure to check out our detailed guide to power-levelling Smithing and Enchanting skills to hit that level cap and craft the best gear in the game as quickly as possible.
- Whilst still an important factor for affecting movement speed, weight is generally less crucial for armor as it is for weaponry, particularly with the weight-removing Perks for the Light and Heavy armor skill trees unlocked. Generally, our rankings are based on the defenses provided, with weight a secondary factor.
- We've ordered the below by full set stats, rather than individual stats, with items that don't belong to a specific set being included in a separate list. Occasionally one item of a set might rank higher than another for defense, but we're only considering items from a set as part of that overall group.
- Unique sets are marked with an asterisk *, whereby we'll note where to find them. All other sets can be acquired through the standard measures of crafting or random loot in the wild.
- When the 'Upgraded With' colum contains 'N/A' for the required perk, this means that you must boost your Smithing Skill over 100 with potions of Fortify Smithing in order to improve the item beyond Flawless quality. If no upgrade material is noted however, (e.g. for the Masque of Clavicus Vile) then the item cannot be improved at all, regardless of Smithing skill boosts and Perks.
The best Heavy Armor sets in Skyrim ranked
Heavy Armor is your go-to for duel-wielding berserkers, two-handed tanks, and even battlemages who prefer to avoid the Alteration school's Stoneflesh and Ironflesh spells.
Below, we've ranked the best Heavy Armor sets in Skyrim, taking into account not only total defenses but also the sets' weight and their various enchantments and effects.
- Defense and weight values given below are without the shield, as with Heavy Armor you'll rarely be using a shield too.
- Ebony Armor below is listed with the alternative unique Cuirass, Ebony Mail. The Ebony Mail is acquired from the Daedric quest Boethiah's Calling, by looting the body of the Champion of Boethiah. Note that only this part of the standard Ebony Armor set carries the enchantments noted below.
Armor Set | Total Defense | Weight | Upgrade with | Effect | Enchantable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daedric Armor | 108 | 96 | Ebony Ingot, Daedric Smithing | None | Yes |
Stalhrim Armor | 102 | 59 | Stalhrim, Ebony Smithing | 25% stronger Resist Frost enchantments | Yes |
Dragonplate Armor | 102 | 64 | Dragon Bone, Dragon Armor | None | Yes |
Ebony Armor* | 96 | 62 | Ebony Ingot, Ebony Smithing | 5 Poison damage per second to nearby enemies, Muffle - Ebony Mail part only | Yes, excluding Ebony Mail |
Falmer Heavy Armor | 96 | 55 | Chaurus Chitin, Advanced Armors | None | Yes |
The best Light Armor sets in Skyrim ranked
As we've mentioned, Light Armor functions best for sword 'n' shield players, archers, and stealthy players. That being said, the addition of Deathbrand Armor in the Dragonborn DLC has introduced the 'Deathbrand' playstyle for Light Armor wearers, meaning duel-wielding is finally a very valid option without requiring Heavy Armor for protection.
- Deathbrand Armor is arguably the best armor in the game - certainly if you don't have max-level Smithing and Enchanting skills. It can be found one piece at a time as part of the 'Deathbrand' Dragonborn quest.
- Guild Masters Armor is granted when you become the head of the Thieves Guild, during the quest 'Under New Management'.
- Nightingale Armor is acquired during the Thieves Guild quest 'Trinity Restored'.
Armor Set | Total Defense | Weight | Upgrade with | Effect | Enchantable |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deathbrand Armor* | 78.5 | 13 | Stalhrim, Ebony Smithing | +100 Armor when full set worn; +15 Stamina (cuirass) and +10 Carrying Capacity (boots) for each Deathbrand item worn; Waterbreathing (Helmet); +10% damage from one-handed attacks for each Deathbrand item worn when dueal-wielding (gauntlets) | No |
Ancient Shrouded Armor | 72 | 7.5 | Leather, N/A | +25 Armor when full set worn; Immune to Poison (cuirass); Muffle (boots); +35% Bow damage (cowl); 2x Sneak attack damage from one-handed weapons (gloves) | No |
Dragonscale Armor | 82 (111 with shield) | 20 (26 with shield) | Dragon Sclaes, Dragon Armor | None | Yes |
Guild Master's Armor* | 76 | 17 | Leather, N/A | +50 Carrying capacity (cuirass); +35% Pickpocket success (boots); +35% Lockpicking (gloves); 20% better prices (hood) | No |
Nightingale Armor* | 69 | 18 | Void Salts, N/A | +25 Armor when full set worn; +20 Stamina, +15% Resist Frost (cuirass); Muffle (boots); 15% Lockpicking, +15% One-handed damage (gloves); -12% Illusion spell cost (hood) | No |
The best Shields in Skyrim
Shields are an entirely optional choice, and only suited to one-handed combatants, particularly those with Light Armor sets, or high-difficulty playthroughs. A couple points to note:
- Spellbreaker is acquired by completing the Daedric quest 'The Only Cure'.
- Auriel's Shield is acquired by killing the Falmer Warmonger inside the Forgotten Vale Forest location within the Forgotten Vale, in the Dawnguard questline.
- The Shield of Solitude is acquired by completing the quest 'The Wolf Queen Awakened'
- The Shield of Ysgramor is acquired from the final chest in Ysgramor's Tomb, as part of the Companions quest 'Glory of the Dead'.
- The Dawnguard Rune Shield is acquired from the radient Dawnguard quest 'Lost Relic'.
- The Aetherial Shield is acquired from crafting it at the Aetherium Forge as part of the quest 'Lost to the Ages'
Shield | Armor Type | Defense | Weight | Effect |
---|---|---|---|---|
Spellbreaker* | 38 | 12 | Dwarven Metal Ingot, N/A | Wards, protecting you from 50 Magic damage whilst blocking |
Auriel's Shield* | 32 | 14 | Refined Moonstone, Elven Smithing | Stores the energy of blocked attacks, releases the energy when power bashing |
Shield of Solitude* | 32 | 12 | N/A | +30% Magic resist, +35% damage blocked |
Shield of Ysgramor* | 30 | 12 | N/A | +20% Magic resist, +20 Health |
Dawnguard Rune Shield* | 27 | 6 | Steel Ingot, Advanced Armors | +10 Bash damage vs Vampires, blocking for a period of time creates a sun shield, causing 10 damage to nearby enemies |
Aetherial Shield* | 26 | 12 | Dwarven Metal Ingot, N/A | Bashing enemies causes thm to become ethereal for 15 seconds, and thus unable to attack or be attacked |
From visual upgrades, to console mods and levelling skills.
Want more help with Skyrim? Find out how to join every guild and faction, how to earn Gold fast, learning about XP and levelling to 100, max Crafting skills, max Warrior skills, max Thief skills and max Mage skills, how to get married, where to buy a house, how to start Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn DLC expansions. If you're on PC, we have a list of console commands and cheats, and you can learn about the remastered version and how to install mods with our Skyrim guide. Finally, with Switch owners, we have Skyrim amiibo support explained to help unlock special Zelda-themed items.
The best individual armor pieces in Skyrim
Funnily enough, because we've included the Ebony Mail in our Ebony Armor Set, all of the best unique, individual armor pieces are headwear of one kind or another, functioning in the same way as helmets. A couple points to bear in mind:
- All of the Dragon Piest Masks below (everything except the Masque of Clavicus Vile and the Helm of Yngol) are available from looting the Dragon Priests of the same name as the mask in question.
- The Masque of Clavicus Vile is acquired through the Daedric Quest 'A Daedra's Best Friend', but only if you refrain from killing Barbas.
- The Helm of Yngol is acquired from Yngol's skeleton in Yngol Barrow after defeating Yngol's Shade. It's significant due to the Frost Resistance spell, which is one of the only ones available on headgear in the game.
Name | Piece | Armor Type | Defense | Weight | Upgrade with | Effect |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Konahrik* | Mask | Heavy | 24 | 7 | Gold Ingot, Daedric Smithing | Randomly summons a Dragon Priest; chance to knock back enemies, heal you and nearby allies, and grant a fire cloak when on low health |
Hevnoraak* | Mask | Heavy | 23 | 9 | Iron Ingot, Daedric Smithing | Immune to disease and poison |
Otar* | Mask | Heavy | 23 | 9 | Refined Malachite, Daedric Smithing | 30% Resist Fire, Frost, and Shock |
Masque of Clavicus Vile* | Mask | Heavy | 23 | 7 | N/A | 20% better prices, +10 Speech, +5% Magicka regen |
Nakriin* | Mask | Heavy | 23 | 9 | Ebony Ingont, Daedric Smithing | +50 Magicka, Destruction and Restoration spells cost 20% less |
Rahgot* | Mask | Heavy | 23 | 9 | Orichalcum Ingont, Daedric Smithing | Fortify Stamina 70 points |
Vokun* | Mask | Heavy | 23 | 9 | Steel Ingot, Daedric Smithing | Conjuration, Illusion and Alteration spells cost 20% less |
Helm of Yngol* | Helmet | Heavy | 21 | 8 | Steel Ingot, Advanced Smithing | 30% Frost Resistance |
Krosis* | Mask | Light | 21 | 5 | Iron Ingot, Daedric Smithing | Lockpicking, Alchemy and Archery 20% better |
Volsung* | Mask | Light | 21 | 5 | Corundum Ingot, Daedric Smithing | Prices 20% better +20 Carry Capacity, Waterbreathing |
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Forgotten your details? It's been almost six years since Bethesda introduced players to the world of Skyrim. In that time we've seen multiple remasters and ports, as well as the culmination of work from a tremendous and extremely talented mod community. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim not only released to high critical praise it received countless game of the year awards and honors throughout the industry. The game was applauded for taking the open-world genre and expanding on it in ways we didn't expect.
Bethesda Game Studios has received criticism recently for the release of Fallout 4 in comparison to other current open-world games. Critics and fans alike felt that Bethesda Game Studios didn't do enough to justify it as a whole new entry in the series. It was regarded as a good game, doing everything right that Fallout 3 did, but didn't necessarily take the franchise to the next level. A lot of people credit this to their in-house engine and feel that a studio like Bethesda should have no excuses for upgrading when their games have such a long development cycle.
The game knew that I knew this wasn't normal, and it used that as a tool to make me uneasy. There are ominous text files appearing out of nowhere; a “bonus poem” unlocked by the player in this new run-through can either be a sweet “I love you” or a dark regret of our former character. Doki doki literature club good endings. “Scenes” I expected to be cute are overlaid with static and blacked-out eyes, and characters sometimes zoom in with uncomfortable closeness. It builds moments based on what is assumed to be your understanding of the genre’s tropes and the fundamentals of interactive media. Much like horror, a primary theme is control.As a work of horrific metafiction, Doki Doki Literature Club quite literally overwrites that control, taking the tropes of metafiction, horror and visual novel genres and amping them up a few notches.
Either way, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was a great game for its time, and there are so many new things people are discovering to this day. Today, however, we're focusing solely on the armor sets in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and ranking the best and worst sets in the game. You'll definitely see some familiar favorites as well as a couple of obscure sets that take some patience and effort to acquire.
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15 Best: Dragonscale Armor (Light)
The Dragonscale Armor set is one that could have been placed literally anywhere on the best armor side of this list. It's one of the most cost effective light armors sets and gives players the ability to enchant it. The main reason why it's not higher on the list has to do with its lack of natural enchantments as well as a reliance on the user having high enchantment and smithing skills to take it to the next level. It also gets bonus points for being one of the cooler looking sets in Skyrim. It comes in with a defense of 82 without a shield which puts it as one of the more tanky sets for light armor wearers. That number boosts up to a respectable 111 with the inclusion of a shield. Dragonscale Armor provides a lot of protection and intimidation but is best used late game.
14 Worst: Imperial Armor (Heavy)
Now, Imperial Armor isn't necessarily terrible. Bethesda did a great job designing the armor sets in such a way that most of them do serve a specific purpose. The Imperial Armor set is going to be the first heavy armor set that 95% of players run into. It carries the same defensive statistics as iron armor but carries the advantage of being obtained both earlier and easier in the game. Imperial Armor also has the bonus of giving the player choices in terms of variety. There are 3 different helmets for this armor set, and each carries slightly different statistical variations. The Imperial Armor set isn't atrocious, it just isn't that good either. Don't be ashamed to rock it early in the game but don't be afraid to move on to bigger and better heavy armor sets.
Female Light Armor Mods Skyrim
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13 Best: Archmage's Robes (Light)
This set is the premier selection for anyone with an ounce of Magicka in their bones. The Archmage's Robes are excellent in terms of enchantments but don't provide a whole lot in terms of actual defense. That being said, wearers are treated to the following bonuses: All spells cost 15% less to cast, +50 Magicka, and Magicka regenerates 100% faster. These robes turn even the most novice of mages into a true threat that shouldn't be trifled with. The set itself isn't easy to obtain seeing as you'll have to complete the entire questline pertaining to the College of Winterhold. If you're serious about becoming a mage with absolute power be prepared to make this a priority in your next playthrough of Skyrim.
12 Worst: Iron Armor (Heavy)
Iron Armor is a set that doesn't really do much of anything. Its armor rating of 60 is about average, and the banded version of the armor doesn't offer much of an upgrade as it sits at an armor rating of 63. A huge and glaring problem with the Iron Armor set is that it doesn't benefit from smithing perks, and thus you won't receive double improvement. At first, I was willing to write off Iron Armor as a non-issue considering it's meant to be an early game set and help players get into the groove of things. However, Steel Armor can be obtained and used as early as level two so it seems like that whole case can be thrown out the window. Iron Armor should be nothing but an afterthought seeing as there are easy upgrades and better choices right at your fingertips.
11 Best: Nightingale Armor (Light)
It was really tough deciding where on this list the Nightingale Armor set would land. It's a great set of armor with some decent full set bonuses as well as a pair of reasonable enchantments. The real issue is that the set isn't easy to obtain and it doesn't obtain the ability to enchant it any more than it already has been. The armor set is interesting and is a flavorful reward during the Thieves Guild questline, but it falls short in some areas. If you're looking for a stamina boost or protection from frost, then this set should be at the top of your list. It also provides the player with slight buffs to their lockpicking, muffling of boots, illusion spell cost, and one-handed weapon damage. Don't let the ranking fool you. The Nightingale Armor is a set worthy of acquiring.
10 Worst: Fur Armor (Light)
The Fur Armor set falls in the middle of this list in regards to the worst armor sets and it couldn't have been placed any better. It's a set of armor that doesn't provide a whole lot of protection and doesn't really scale in terms of improvement and smithing. It's an armor set that's bad, but not necessarily bad enough to be terrible — just forgotten. In any situation, the worst thing you can do is fall somewhere in the middle, and that's exactly where this set lands. Nothing good ever comes of it. Here's to Bethesda for giving the Fur Armor a higher armor rating than Hide Armor, even though it covers less of the character's body.
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9 Best: Miraak's Robes (Light)
Are you surprised to see another set of robes on this list? The reason that Miraak's Robes are higher on this list than the Archmage's is due to it providing protection from other mages, as well as a creating a chance for explosions on enemies whenever you hit them. When we're talking about armor effectiveness on its own, it's important to keep in mind how valuable a set is if it can boost your defense as well as your offense. That being said, you can easily swap Miraak's Robes with the Archmage's Robes on this list if you'd like. It really depends on what type of mage play you prefer. At the end of the day, you should at least know that these two sets are the absolute best in terms of providing benefits to any type of mage build.
8 Worst: Stormcloak Armor (Light)
This spot was either going to go to Stormcloak Armor or Light Imperial Armor. Upon inspection, it was clear to see that the Stormcloak Armor set was the inferior set out of the two. The Stormcloak Armor has an inferior armor rating and doesn't include a shield so based on those comparisons alone it loses the fight. It's depressing to see that an armor set designed for a group of brave and honorable men has a lower armor rating than a piece of fur that doesn't even cover a character's entire body. The Stormcloak Armor set suffers from being an early game item that doesn't really progress beyond its beginnings. There's no upside to investing in it early so when you're getting started you might want to head in a different armor set direction.
7 Best: Ahzidal's Armor (Heavy)
Finally, the first heavy armor we've encountered on the best side of this list. Ahzidal's Armor set isn't necessarily eye-catching in terms of design, but man does it pack a punch. The armor rating isn't actually all that impressive with this set seeing as its numbers are the same as the Steel Plate set, but it's the bonuses you receive from the entire set that set it apart. The effects gifted to the player are as follows: enemies who melee attack you have a chance to be paralyzed, water-walking, allow you to cast spells ignite and freeze, and if a creature you summon were to die in combat it combusts while delivering frost damage. This set does a lot beyond just protecting the player from massive heaps of damage and can be acquired fairly easily.
6 Worst: Hide Armor (Light)
The Hide Armor set is a beginner's set of armor that isn't really found at the very beginning of the game. Which is, of course, a big problem. It offers an abysmal armor rating of 40, though you do have the option to craft a shield alongside the armor to boost your defense, unlike both the Imperial Light and Stormcloak Armor sets. It's not really even the best early game craftable set of armor. The Leather Armor set beats out multiple armor sets in the early game and is easily crafted with a little elbow grease. From an objective standpoint, this would be considered the worst armor set in the game if a couple of other sets didn't fall through so hard in regards to expectations and implementation.
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5 Best: Deathbrand Armor (Light)
Though I'm not a fan of the name of the armor set, Deathbrand Armor is a solid set of protection. It's the best armor set in terms of pure protection for light armor characters. Wearing it as a full set provides the player with tons of cool buffs including an increased carrying capacity as well as water-breathing. Your stamina also sees a ton of improvement as it's increased by 15 for each piece of Deathbrand Armor worn. The armor set can be acquired through the side quest called Deathbrand. The armor itself has an interesting design. It's a frosty blue hue that seems to be built based on a Nordic set. If you're looking for the Daedric Armor equivalent for light armor you've come to the right set.
4 Worst: Skaal Armor (Light)
The Skaal Armor set is not only one of the worst sets in Skyrim but an odd addition to the Dragonborn DLC which added a slew of new and better items to the world around you. This seems like it was added as an aesthetic tone piece rather than something the designers felt would see heavy use rates. The armor rating for the Skaal set sits at 46, which isn't terrible, but the set lacks the ability to be crafted, upgraded, or boosted by smithing and smithing perks. With this fact alone that means that every other set in the game that can be boosted or upgraded will be more beneficial to players than the Skaal Armor set. In any case, the set itself does have the redeeming quality of being a cool design that allows your character to look like a disciple of Genghis Khan.
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3 Best: Ancient Shrouded Armor (Light)
Now, by this point in the list, you should see that I take into account what an armor set provides in terms of actual armor as well as aesthetic. Ancient Shrouded Armor does little outside of giving a stealth character suitable buffs, but pairing that with a sleek red and black design land it here on the list. The Ancient Shrouded Armor set provides players with the sneak attack, boot muffling, poison defense, and bow attack bonuses when the full set is equipped. Earlier we talked about how the Archmage's robes are an immediate area of focus for mage-based characters. It's the same here in terms of characters looking to place emphasis on stealth and sneaking. This armor set can be acquired by completing the Dark Brotherhood quest called The Feeble Fortune.
2 Worst: Worn Shrouded Armor (Light)
The Worn Shrouded Armor set is the worst armor in the entire world of Skyrim. It has an armor rating of 35 which doesn't seem too bad until you consider the fact that it can't be upgraded. Now, you can alleviate some issues by simply enchanting each piece of the set, but why would you waste resources when you can upgrade a different set from a higher starting point? Luckily we've already talked about a really nifty set of Shrouded Armor — so if you really dig the red/black combo design then you're in luck. This armor set really doesn't benefit any type of player or character. It's intended for use by stealth type characters, but the inability to upgrade coupled with a very low starting point means that this set should be disposed of or sold as soon as possible.
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1 Best: Daedric Armor (Heavy)
One of the greatest parts about Skyrim --and there are many— is that the (arguably) best set of armor in the game is also the most badass in terms of aesthetic. The Daedric Armor set not only imbues the wearer with a sense of confidence and intimidation, but it also provides a generously beefy amount of protection. The icing on the cake is that the set can be upgraded and enchantment to the owner's content. Daedric Armor tops the list for its usefulness, customizability, and sheer aesthetic excellence. It's not often in games that the best-looking set of armor is also the best performing. Many times players are left wearing an embarrassing combination of items for ultimate effectiveness. Thanks to Skyrim we had our cake and eat it too.
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