Skyrim: Best Armor Sets – Daedric, Dragon, Glass & More

If you want to go through the countless caves, caverns, ships and other dangerous parts of the world of Skyrim you’re going to need to be well prepared. One of the best ways to ensure your character’s safety while traveling, aside from carrying many potions and portions of food, is having armor equipped. There are many types of armor in the game but the best sets generally become available later in the game.

Skyrim Armor Types

From worst to best there are leather, iron, steel, elven, dwarven, orcish, glass, ebony, daedric and, finally, dragon armor sets. To create each one you’ll need to unlock the ability on the smithing skill tree that is associated with the armor type you want. Once you have you’ll also be able to create weapons out of the same materials. You can improve both armor and weapons using either the grindstone or workbench. Improvement levels are fine, superior, exquisite, flawless, epic and legendary.

Iron – Iron is fairly and doesn’t require a skill point on the smithing tree to make. Iron armor requires 3 leather strips and 5 iron ingots to produce.

Steel – Steel is a bit better than iron and also doesn’t require a point on the tree to make. To create this armor you need 3 leather strips, 1 iron ingot and 4 steel ingots.

Elven – This armor type requires that you be at least level 30 in smithing and having the elven skill point unlocked to make. Once you’ve achieved both it requires 3 leather strips, 1 leather, 1 iron ingot and 4 refined moonstones to create.

Dwarven – This is a heavy armor type requiring a minimum level 30 in smithing and the appropriate skill unlocked from the smithing skill tree. Once this is accomplished the armor takes 3 dwarven metal ingots, 3 leather strips, 1 iron ingot and 1 steel ingot to make.

Orcish – In order to make Orcish armor (a heavy armor set) you will need to have at least level 50 in smithing and have the respective skill unlocked. Afterwards, it takes 3 leather strips, 1 iron ingot and 4 orichalcum ingots to make this armor type.

Glass – Glass armor is exquisite looking and fairly useful for defense, too. To be able to make it you will need level 70 in smithing and to unlock the Glass skill point. Once you’ve done this you can create it by using 3 leather strips, 1 leather, 2 refined moonstones and 4 refined malachites.

Ebony – The Ebony armor set is jet black and, quite simply, looks pretty bad ass. In order to make it you need level 80 smithing and to have unlocked the skill point for it. After you’ve reached that you need only 3 leather strips and 5 ebony ingots to produce the armor.

Daedric – Daedric armor is considered by many to be the very best armor in the game of Skyrim. It’s not the last unlock on the smithing skill tree (its right before it at level 80) but this armor packs serious punch in terms of defense. Once you’ve achieved level 80 and unlocked the Daedric skill point you need to have 3 leather strips, 5 ebony ingots and 1 elusive daedra heart to make this armor set.

Dragon – Dragon armor is the very last type you unlock on the smithing tree at level 100. It looks pretty cool but requires 3 leather strips, 1 leather, 4 dragon scales (collected from dragons you’ve killed or, rarely, in shops) and 2 iron ingots to make.