The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still one of the best Bethesda games in history with its stunning graphics, interesting storyline, and replayability. Skyrim has held this spot for the past ten years, which, considering the vast amount of upgrades in gaming, making is incredible.
ing one of the many factions in Skyrim is a separate adventure that reaps rewards and increases the chances of surviving the final boss battle, Alduin. Not all factions have armor given to the player, and most sets favor only one type of combat style. Still, the armor given is always good, even if some of them are more limited than others.
Stormcloak Officer Armor / Imperial Armor
These sets are the starter light and heavy sets that can be easily obtained without ing the Stormcloaks or the Imperials. The time it takes to get them is worth the limited benefits it gives and is a good placeholder until the player can upgrade.
The giant setback here is that there are no enchantments to make the sets more desirable to keep around. While a player could enchant the pieces to make them better, doing so requires the player to level that skill, but by the time they get to a skill level that would make a difference, these armors are obsolete.
Dawnguard Armor
The DLC "Dawnguard" is an interesting one. The player makes a choice between siding with the Dawnguard or siding with the Valkihar Clan and becoming a vampire. This path is easier to complete than the vampire counterpart, and the armor is given once the player completes "A New Order."
The chest piece comes in three different types (dark brown, red, and grey), but the limited enchantments against vampires make the acquisition worthless by the time a player has the prerequisite of being level 10 to the Dawnguard.
Vampire Royal Armor
On the flip side of the Dawnguard is the Valkihar Clan. The quests that need to be completed before they reach the castle consist of a long and tedious maze of many floors and paths, but the armor players obtain is good early in the game.
This leather armor has one of the best perks in the game for those who prefer magic over melee- 125% Magicka regeneration, allowing the player to blast their enemies to their deaths. Using only one style of combat is a mistake, so players will want to make sure to level up the other perk trees too, even with the bonus. Pair this with several other items that allow regeneration to be unstoppable. This, however, is easily made up for with other sets, and with no other perks, it becomes useless quickly.
Archmage's Robes
At the end of the College of Winterhold questlines, the player is awarded the Archmage's Robes and becomes the new head of the college. The quests are short compared to other factions like the Thieves Guild, so it is much easier to get. Leveling magic allows some of the funniest random encounters in Skyrim.
The Archmage's Robes are great for those with a strong pull toward magic as it allows the reduced cost of Magicka for all spells, an increase in Magicka, plus 100% Magicka Regeneration. While these are great robes for those who like a balance of all the magic kinds, they are not as good as the expert and master robes of each individual school of magic that have higher-level perks.
Wolf Armor
The Companions, or the Fighters Guild, provides many different types of armor, but the Wolf Armor is the highest a player can get from this faction. The best part is that this set can be obtained early in the Companions quest line as a reward for "Proving Honor," the second quest, and at least one Radiant Quest. As such, the time to get Wolf Armor is minimal compared to most factions.
A nice set of heavy armor, Wolf Amor is perfect for those more melee bound with a total armor rating of 72 and the best encumbrance for the player. This is better than regular steel armor but offers less protection. With no additional perks, the set should be replaced by better heavy armor sets or actually becoming a werewolf instead.
Blades Armor
The player interacts with the Blades faction right after they escape Helgen if they are following the main story. Entering Sky Temple in "Alduin's Wall," the armor is found in a chest in the armory. Be careful when putting on the set and remove anything the character is wearing before equipping Blades Armor as it replaces everything and the old armor can be lost indefinitely.
Whether the player refers to the Blades faction as protectors or dragon hunters, there is no denying that their armor is superior to most heavy sets. With a high armor rating of 114 for the set but no additional perks, this is perfect for the melee-based characters before acquiring better armor such as Daedric and is obtainable without running around Skyrim for the parts or the supplies.
Guild Master's Armor
When all is said and done in the Thieves Guild questline, becoming the guild master and acquiring the Guild Master's Armor is a significant upgrade from the basic set the player receives from day one of ing the faction. It serves a player well when they start their career in theft.
A thief and a con artist, the guild master reaps the benefits of this armor with an increased carrying capacity, a giant increase in pickpocketing and lockpicking, and better prices in the shops, which is useful to sell hot merchandise. However, Guild Master's Armor is outshined by the Nightingale counterpart.
Nightingale Armor
No matter the type of combat the player wishes to use, the Nightingale armor set fits all. The path to acquisition is long and difficult as players must complete the Thieves Guild's quest line and turn in the Skeleton Key. Keep in mind that this is an entirely separate faction from the Thieves Guild. Despite the long hours and the high cost, obtaining the Nightingale Armor is worth the blood, sweat, tears, and shouting at the TV.
Visually stunning and beneficial to the thickest of thieves, his light class armor offers more than basic protection: muffled footsteps, added bonuses to illusion spells, stamina, and frost resistance, and increased weapons damage which only get stronger as the player levels up.
Ancient Shrouded Armor
To assassinate in style, look no further than the Ancient Shrouded Armor. Red and black leather-bound and lightweight, players will pledge their allegiance to the Dread Lord Sithus and the Dark Brotherhood to obtain it. After the "Breaching Security" quest, players are rewarded Olava's token. When turned in, it reveals the location of this very powerful armor.
Warming the darkest of hearts and one of the best light armors in Skyrim, this armor makes sneaking up on your enemies to slit their throats a breeze. The Ancient Shrouded Armor has multiple enchantments to make the player strong and sneaky with any weapon choice.
