Displayed armor rating = SUM( item armor rating) + shield rating + armor effects.Shield rating = CEILING × (1 + unison perk † ) × (1 + Matching Set).Item Armor rating = CEILING × (1 + unison perk † ) × (1 + Matching Set) × (1 + armor perk ‡).Each point of armor rating reduces damage by 0.12%. The armor rating only reduces physical damage, not magical damage. The rating can also be improved by using smithing to change the armor's quality to "Fine", "Superior", "Exquisite", "Flawless", "Epic", or "Legendary". The actual protection your character will receive from the armor is dependent upon your skill in that armor type and any relevant perks that you have unlocked. ‡‡įor all of the armor listed on this site, the provided armor ratings are the base armor ratings. None to forge, Daedric Smithing to temper. Heavy Armor by Material (Numerical Values are for a full, matched suit) Level Light Armor by Material (Numerical Values are for a full, matched suit) LevelĬannot be forged Advanced Armors to temper.Ĭannot be forged Elven Smithing to temper.Īmber and Madness Smithing Advanced Armors The Dawnguard add-on adds Dawnguard armors (light/heavy) and Vampire armors (light), which may be worn/improved but cannot be forged by the player. The Dragonborn add-on adds craftable Bonemold (heavy), Chitin (light/heavy), Nordic Carved (heavy), and Stalhrim (light/heavy) armors. Additionally, there are several other wearable armor sets/pieces that are made available as loot/specialty gear or as unique/quest items generally, these can all be improved by smithing and possibly fortified with enchantments (if not enchanted already), though they cannot be forged as player-created items. Also, it may be found from level 1 onward in a few locations. The Skyforge allows you to create Ancient Nord armor, a type of heavy armor, if you finish the Companions questline. The Aetherial Crown, which is a unique, quest-related, crafted item (added by the Dawnguard add-on), unlike other jewelry items, is eligible for improvement by ordinary smithing, but still only ever bears an armor rating of 0. Jewelry (specifically, amulets/necklaces and rings), can be created at any blacksmith's forge from ingots and jewels, but these are not counted as protective armor (the two exceptions to this are noted in the section above) similarly, circlets/crowns - like common clothing - have no armor/protection value and cannot be crafted. Tempering an enchanted version of the armor (whether custom- enchanted, or generic) is similar to tempering the base version - it requires the same auxiliary item, and is twice as effective if you have unlocked the forging perk - but also requires the Arcane Blacksmith perk to be unlocked. Tempering is twice as effective if you have unlocked the perk necessary to forge that armor. All standard armor can also be tempered at Workbenches, if you have the necessary auxiliary item. The ability to make armor is not dependent upon your character's level, but is instead dependent upon which Smithing perks you have unlocked. Most armor from the list below can be created at Forges, by using the Smithing skill. Although Dragonscale, Dragonplate, and Daedric armors can all be found in random loot, once your level is high enough, the chances of finding any of these armor types is 20 times less than finding other armor types. See Leveled Lists for details on how these lists are used to determine the probabilities of individual items appearing. Enchanted versions of each armor type will begin to appear one level later see Generic Magic Apparel for more information. Lower level armor will also randomly appear, but so will higher level armors in certain situations: potentially up to at least 12 levels "early". The following tables describe the base level at which an armor type begins to show up randomly for the player. Which quality armor you will find is generally determined based on your character's level. Higher quality armor provides better protection (but is generally heavier). Armor Materials Īrmor appears in several different materials and styles, which determine the quality of the armor. In addition to standard pieces of armor, two necklaces in the game provide an armor bonus: the Locket of Saint Jiub DG, and the Amulet of Articulation. The Divine Crusader Creation adds an additional type of armor: the Fastened Shield of the Crusader, which is a Shoulder piece. Gauntlets: covers your hands up to your elbow.Armor: covers your legs, chest and shoulders.In addition, there are shields which provide an additional passive increase to armor rating (active blocking is governed by the Block skill).Īrmor comes in several pieces which can be equipped independently of each other. Armor comes in two varieties, corresponding to the two different skills governing armor usage: Heavy Armor and Light Armor. Armor is a type of apparel that is worn on the body to reduce damage from attacks.