Best Armor in Skyrim

Best Heavy Armor Sets in Skyrim

Heavy Armor in Skyrim is really important for warriors or any melee fighters, as they can not escape taking damage during the battle. Below, I've ranked the best sets of Heavy Armor in Skyrim, starting from the mid-game to the best in the game. While ranking them, I took into account several parameters:

1. Total armor defense
2. Full set weight
3. Additional armor buffs

Mind that all the stats in the table are mentioned without a shield defense and weight. However, if you use it, you can still use this table, as the ratio between armor sets remains the same.

Blades Armor

The Blades Armor in Skyrim is a set of heavy armor that has a strong connection to the Blades, an ancient order of dragon slayers.

The Blades Armor set includes a helmet, armor, boots, gauntlets, and a shield. This armor cannot be improved to the highest quality without boosting the Smithing skill.

You can find a complete set of the Blades Armor in the Sky Haven Temple, to the left of the main chamber, after progressing through the main questline involving the Blades. Moreover, after you’ve recruited followers into the Blades, you can take their armor, or you can find pieces scattered throughout the temple.

Dragonplate Armor

Dragonplate Armor in Skyrim represents one of the highest tiers of heavy armor available in the game. It offers one of the highest defense ratings for heavy armor sets, providing excellent protection against physical attacks. The armor’s design is inspired by dragons, featuring scales and bones that give it a fearsome appearance.

Crafting a Dragonplate Armor requires a Smithing skill of 100 and the Dragon Armor perk, placing it at the top of the crafting skill tree. The materials needed for crafting this armor include dragon bones and dragon scales. You can obtain them from staining dragons.

You can also find the armor Dragonplate Armor pieces or a full set, but it’s quite rare and typically only happens at very high levels, starting around level 40. The armor can be found as loot in chests, sold by high-level blacksmiths, or carried by the strongest enemies in the game.

Falmer Heavy Armor

The Falmer Heavy Armor in Skyrim is a set of heavy armor. This armor set is closely associated with the Falmer, who were once Snow Elves before they were betrayed and transformed. The full set includes the helmet, armor, gauntlets, and bootsю

The armor set doesn’t have any special enchantments, but it has a high level of defense. It’s a good choice for the mid and late-game until you get the Dragonplate Armor.

You can find the Falmer Heavy Armor in Mzinchaleft Depths. It will sit on a table and be locked behind a Dwemer gate. You need to unlock it using lock-picks. After that, you can take the armor.

The Falmer Armor set will be available after 30 days in the game.

Ebony Armor

Ebony Armor in Skyrim is a high-level set of heavy armor. It has a dark, sleek design and is favored by many players. It’s a preferred choice for warriors and characters who engage in direct combat.

You can craft the Ebony Armor. It requires a Smithing skill of 80 and the Ebony Smithing perk. The primary material needed to craft this armor is ebony ingots, which are among the rarer materials in Skyrim. These ingots can be mined in ebony mines or found as loot.

Finding Ebony Armor in Skyrim is also not an easy task. It becomes more common as you reach level 32. It can be found as random loot in chests, sold by merchants, or worn by certain powerful enemies, such as Draugr Deathlords and Ebony Warriors.

Daedric Armor

Daedric Armor in Skyrim is the strongest set of heavy armor available in Skyrim. It offers the highest base armor rating in the game.

You can craft a Daedric Armor, which requires a Smithing skill of 90 and the Daedric Smithing perk. The materials needed for crafting this armor include Daedra hearts and ebony ingots. The Daedra hearts can only be obtained from Daedra.

If you want to find this armor, you need to achieve a hero level 49+. Daedric Armor appears in the game as random loot from the boss’s chests or in the Dremora Merchant inventory.

You can also obtain pieces of Daedric Armor through the Atronach Forge. You will need:

• 1 Sigil Stone
• 1 Daedra Heart
• 1 Unenchanted Ebony Armor
• 1 Centurion Dynamo Core
• 1 Black Soul Gem

Best Light Armor Sets in Skyrim

Light Armor is also an important part of every archer, and stealth player. If you have a strong weapon, enemies will not hit you generally, but sometimes you need some protection. That is why, it's important to get the best armor in Skyrim. Moreover, some of the light armor sets provide strong additional buffs.

As with heavy armor, I used several stats while ranking light armor sets:

1. Total armor defense
2. Full set weight
3. Additional armor buffs

The defense and weight of armor in the table are mentioned without shields. All the additional effects are mentioned at the last level of the upgrade.

Elven Armor

Elven Armor in Skyrim is a mid-tier set of armor that is both elegant and effective for protection. In general, it’s a very good armor in the mid-game and can be good in the late game, while you didn’t get the strongest sets in Skyrim. You can craft the Elven armor, or buy from the merchant.

Crafting Elven Armor requires a Smithing skill of 30 and the Elven Smithing perk. The materials needed for crafting this armor include refined moonstones, leather, leather strips, and iron ingots. These materials are relatively easy to find or purchase across Skyrim, making Elven Armor easily accessible.

If you want to find the Elven Armor, you can do it in various ways. It starts appearing in the game as loot or in shop inventories when you reach level 12. Additionally, Thalmor soldiers often wear Elven Armor, providing another source for players to acquire it either by defeating them or through stealth.

Glass Armor

Glass Armor in Skyrim is a set of light armor, that has really cool appearance and good middle-game stats. Glass Armor offers a good balance of weight and protection, and high defense (as for the light armor) while allowing you to move quickly and quiet. It doesn't provide any additional buffs, but you enchant it and get some bonuses like improved stealth skills, resistance to various types of damage, or enhanced regeneration.

You have a few options to get a Glass Armor set. If you’re good at crafting, you can make it yourself with a high enough Smithing skill.

You can also find a full set ready to go at Northwatch Keep or the Thalmor Embassy.

Dragonscale Armor

Dragonscale Armor in Skyrim is a high-ranking light armor set you can obtain. It offers you exceptional defense and a great design that captures the dragon’s aesthetics. This armor is sought if you prefer agility and speed without sacrificing protection. You have 2 options to get the Dragonscale Armor in Skyrim: to craft or to find.

Crafting Dragonscale Armor requires a huge level of skill in Smithing. It demands a Smithing level of 100, along with the Dragon Armor perk. To craft this armor, you need dragon scales (obtained from slain dragons) and leather strips, which are common materials you can find or purchase across Skyrim.

Finding Dragonscale Armor can be a bit of a challenge, as it typically starts appearing as random loot or in merchant inventories around level 50.

Nightingale Armor

The Nightingale Armor is one the most powerful sets of Light Armor in Skyrim, tied to the lore and quests of the Thieves Guild. It’s a symbol of the wearer’s allegiance to the Nightingales, a secretive group of thieves who serve Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince of Stealth and Shadows.

The Nightingale Armor set includes several pieces: the armor itself, boots, gloves, and a hood. Each piece offers specific bonuses that enhance stealth, lockpicking, and one-handed combat.

Obtaining the Nightingale Armor is part of the Thieves Guild storyline. The guild will award you with the full set of Nightingale Armor during the quest “Trinity Restored”, where you become a Nightingale.

The Nightingale Armor cannot be crafted or found as random loot.

Guild Master's Armor

The Guild Master’s Armor is the best set of light armor in Skyrim that signifies the highest rank within the Thieves Guild. It’s awarded to you upon completion of the Thieves Guild’s main questline and the additional task of restoring the guild to its former glory by completing the special jobs in each of the major holds.

The Guild Master’s Armor set includes the armor itself, boots, gloves, and a hood. Each piece provides significant bonuses that enhance various aspects of thievery:

• Armor: Increases the carrying capacity
• Boots: Boosts pickpocket success
• Gloves: Enhances lockpicking skills
• Hood: Improves prices when bartering

If you want to obtain the Guild Master’s Armor in Skyrim, you need to be patient, as it requires a lot of effort. To get the armor you need to finish a series of quests in the guild. First of all, finish the main questline. After that, you need to take on all the additional tasks of restoring the guild. After that, you can accept the final quest “Under New Management”, and get the armor set during a ceremony in the Ragged Flagon Cistern.