Skyrim Best Armor Sets (Part One)

Skyrim is almost a decade old, but you won’t be seeing it in the bargain bin anytime soon because it still sells relatively well. The game will continue to sell well until the next game in the Elder Scrolls series. If your first time playing through Skyrim was done without any idea of the light armor sets available then don’t worry, you aren’t alone.

In the first of our reviews on Skyrim’s best armor sets, we’ve found that light armor is great for those looking to employ a stealth build with their characters.

Nightingale Armor

To obtain the nightingale armor you’ll need to join the thieves guild. If you’re after this piece of armor, then chances are you’re not the type of player to come running in with an axe and dismembering people only to steal their silver cup. You need to align yourselves with the Nightingales who are the even more secretive arm of the thieves guild.

This set is one of the best light armor you can get in Skyrim for sneaking around with its illusion magic, lockpicking, and one-handed skill boosts. The Nightingale armor is an upgrade from the Thieves Guild armor which doesn’t look as cool as the Nightingale armor does. Although you’re going to want to pick up the Thieves Guild boots for pickpocketing and the armor piece for extra carrying capacity.

Deathbrand Armor  

If you’re looking for Skyrim best armor there’s one you probably haven’t heard of, especially if you haven’t done the Dragonborn DLC. While the Deathbrand armor set is considered light armor, you would actually benefit from the ebony smithing perk found on the heavy armor section of the skill tree. It’s unlikely you’ll unlock the armor’s true potential without it. After level 36 you would need to read a copy of Deathbrand to flag the quest of the same name to obtain the armor. Alternatively, murdering the pirates in Haknir’s Shoal will score you the Deathbrand helm and subsequently the Deathbrand quest.

Dragonscale Armor

If you have the dragon armor perk or are level 50 then you’ve probably found some dragon armor pieces already. Luckily, while they’re rarely found in chests or containers, they can be crafted once your smithing hits level 100. Despite being classified as a light armor this Skyrim best armor weighs more than the glass armor despite it having a superior armor rating. Although, you can bridge the weight gap between the Dragonscale and Glass armor sets with the right perks in the light armor tree.

Leather Armor

You’re not going to find Skyrim’s best light armor right away. Sometimes you need to settle for the skin of dead animals to keep you armored long enough to pick up literally anything else. Leather armor can be found on the bodies of early enemies you slay or can be crafted using leather strips. You’re probably going to find these along your adventures in random chests as well, but after you’ve already upgraded beyond this point it’ll be NPC fodder.

Dawnguard Armor

The Dawnguard set is a Skyrim light armor named after the DLC, Dawnguard, that it can be obtained in. You can earn it by agreeing to kill vampires or agreeing to kill the people who kill vampires. It’s best to channel your inner vampire slayer and talk to Gunmar to join the Dawnguard and get this set immediately than murdering people who are just trying to save the world from vampires. There’s already enough blood being spilled in Skyrim. The Dawnguard shield is great for bashing vampires in the face.

Stalhrim Armor

The best Skyrim armor set, Stalhrim armor, is a weird in that can be found in both the heavy or light armor variety. After level 35, you’ll be able to randomly find the pieces throughout Solstheim. They can be looted off the people you viciously stab in the back or shoot from a distance, found in random chests, or simply bought from NPCs. The Stalhrim armor can also be crafted if your smithing is level 80 with the Ebony Smithing perk after completing the quest, “A New Source of Stalhrim.”

This isn’t the end of the Skyrim Best Armor Sets article yet! Carry on with the second part of our reviews on more of the best armors Skyrim can offer:

Skyrim Best Armor Sets (Part Two)