“Lightly armored means light on your feet. Smart.” Light armor is widely appreciated throughout Skyrim, earning you praise from local guards. While light armor provides less protection than heavy armor, it does weigh a lot less and makes less noise. 

Light armor is versatile and can be utilized for multiple different builds. The builds that would benefit the most from light armor are thief builds and assassin builds. Of course, it takes less damage but ultimately, light armor will give the same amount of protection as heavy armor as you progress and invest into the light armor skill tree. 

5. Nightingale Armor

Long thought to be a myth, the Nightingales worshipped Noctural, the Daedric Prince of Night and Darkness, and in return, the Night Mistress rewards the Thieves Guild with luck and the ability to “hide” on Shadows. This is where you will be inducted into the faction. 

Before the ritual starts, you’ll be given the Nightingale armor. Do your best to get this after level 32 for the best enchantment stats. 

Nightingales operate within the shadows and try to avoid conflicts as much as possible.  With the illusion discount and sneak abilities on the armor,  you can deter enemies away without facing them. You will get additional armor points if you equip the whole armor. 

Why Nightingale Armor is great:

• Aesthetically pleasing armor that impresses those that you come across
• Great for stealthy illusionists during mid-game 

Nightingale Armor details: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Nightingale_Armor

How To Get the Nightingale Armor:

• Start the Thieves Guild questline and continue until you meet Karliah
• Follow Karliah and meet her at the standing stone
• Enter Nightingale hall and get initiated into the Nightingales

4. Ancient Shrouded Armor

This is an upgraded version of the Shrouded Armor you were given early after joining the Dark Brotherhood. Sadly, you will have to loot it from another fellow Dark Brotherhood member that perished in a hidden room in Hag’s End. 

Wearing the full armor will give you an additional +25 points in armor rating, making it almost as good as Glass armor. Focusing on having high enough sneak skill and one-handed skill can get you far along in the Dark Brotherhood quest to get this armor since the aim of the Dark Brotherhood is to not be seen. The armor will make your sneak attack and bow damage even deadlier. 

Why Ancient Shrouded Armor is great

• The Dark Brotherhood questline depends heavily on stealth and sneak attacks so you can get this armor early in the game if you play your cards carefully
• The armor’s enchantments can aid greatly in early-game progress

Ancient Shrouded Armor details: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Ancient_Shrouded_Armor

How To Get the Ancient Shrouded Armor: 

3. Glass Armor

Forgeable armor is one of the great enjoyments of Skyrim for being a blank slate. You can find Glass Armor randomly once you hit level 26 onwards or after you’ve gained the Glass Smithing perk. The fun way to get Glass Armor is to loot it from the Thalmor if you dare. 

Glass Armor can definitely last you a while until you are ready to forge Dragonscale armor. As a bank slate, you are free to put any enchantments you want on it. Given their weight, Glass Armor pieces are also valuable and can fetch a good price even with low speech skills.  

Why Glass Armor is great

• Forgeable with lots of time to accumulate materials or can be bought with coin
• A blank canvas for enchantments and later, double enchantments

Glass Armor details: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Glass_Armor_(Skyrim)

How To Get the Glass Armor if you want to loot it: 

 

 

2. Dragonscale Armor

Dragonscale is the superior forgeable armor in Skyrim. You can start finding it in loot after level 50 or you can forge it yourself after getting the Dragon Armor perk in the Smithing skill tree. Be sure to invest in the Light Armor tree to make the best out of the Dragonscale Armor. 

While it does take a while to be able to forge the Dragonscale Armor, you can start accumulating the main material very early on in the game. Dragonscales are the only thing that’s a little harder to come by but as long as you slay dragons, you’ll get dragonscales. You can also enchant it however you want!

Why Dragonscale Armor is great

• Materials can be accumulated early on when you start slaying dragons
• A blank canvas for enchantments and later, double enchantments

Dragonscale Armor details: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Dragonscale_Armor

How To Get the Dragonscale Armor: 

 

1. Deathbrand Armor

Deathbrand Armor is a unique Stalhrim armor that used to belong to the legendary late pirate king, Haknir Death-Brand. After finding no one worthy of passing the armor to, he buries each piece of the Deathbrand Armor in four different locations on the coast of Solstheim, daring anyone worthy to look for it. 

Each of the Deathbrand Armor pieces has its own enchantment: stamina, carrying capacity, dual-wielding attack, and waterbreathing. For each piece that you wear, you will increase your enchantment by a certain amount. Wearing the full armor will reward the wearer will a +100 armor rating, making it one of the highest-rated armor in the game, surpassing Daedric armor, the best heavy armor set. 

Why Deathbrand Armor is great:

• Great for adventurers who don’t go home often
• The armor comes with a great questline that is backed by an interesting local lore

Deathbrand Armor details: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Deathbrand_Armor

How To Get the Deathbrand Armor:

 

 

 

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