Those trained to use Light Armor make more effective use of Hide, Leather, Elven, Scaled, Glass, and Dragonscale armors.

"Lightly armored means light on your feet. Smart."

―Guard^[src]

Light Armor is a skill in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is one of the six skills that falls under The Thief play-style.

Description

Raising this skill improves the effectiveness of the light armors worn, and effects of the armor, such as carry weight and stamina regeneration. The Light Armor skill is raised by reading skill books, incurring damage while light armor or clothing is equipped, or buying training.

Light armor weighs less and provides less protection than heavy armor equivalents, but enables quicker movement and a quieter sneak than Heavy Armor. It comes in several varieties, providing different aesthetics and armor ratings to the player.

Light Armor Books

The following books provide a permanent one level up to Light Armor upon the first time reading.

• Ice and Chitin
• Jornibret's Last Dance
• Rislav the Righteous
• The Rear Guard

• The Refugees

The following Miscellaneous Quest increases the Light Armor Skill:

• Defeat bandit leader for Annekke in Darkwater Crossing.
• Retrieve Amulet for Shahvee in Windhelm argonian assemblage. (Note: also increases lockpicking.)
• Retreive Finn's Lute for Inge Six Fingers at the Bard's College in Solitude. (Note: also increases the Alchemy, Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, and Speech skills).
• Discerning the Transmundane can award the player with five levels of every Thief governed skill, including Light Armor.

Light Armors

The following are the confirmed light armors that will benefit from this skill:

Craftable Armors

These armors can be crafted and improved using the requisite perk from the smithing tree along with the required materials at a blacksmith forge and workbench, respectively.

• Hide Armor - Shield, Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Leather Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Studded Armor - Chestpiece
• Elven Armor - Shield, Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Scaled Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Glass Armor - Shield, Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Dragon Scale Armor - Shield, Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece

Non-Craftable Armors

These armors are acquired as part of a quest line or looted throughout the world. They may or may not be unique.

• Thieves Guild Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Guild Master's Armor Set - Hood, Chestpiece, Boots, Gloves
• Nightingale Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Linwe's Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Imperial Light Armor - Chestpiece, Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Shield
• Imperial Studded Armor - Chestpiece
• Stormcloak Armor - Chestpiece, Head
• Stormcloak Officer Armor - Head, Chestpiece, Guantlets, and Boots
• Penitus Oculatus Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Savior's Hide - Chestpiece
• Ancient Shrouded Armor - Hood, Chestpiece, Boots, Gloves
• Shrouded Armor - Head, Chestpiece, Boots, Gloves
• Worn Shrouded Armor - Head, Chestpiece, Gauntlets, Boots
• Forsworn Armor - Head, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece
• Diadem of the Savant - Circlet
• Fur Armor - Helmet, Gauntlets, Boots, Chestpiece (Various Styles)
• Gloves of the Pugilist - Gloves
• Scaled Horned Armor - Chestpiece
• Hold Guard Armor - Chestpiece, Helmet, Shield
• Dawnguard Armor - Helmet, Boots, Gauntlets
• Vampire Armor - Boots, Gauntlets and Chestpiece.
• Ancient Falmer Armor - Boots, Gauntlets, Chestpiece.

Note: Not a complete list of all possible armor.

Perks

The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up.

Trainers

• Scouts-Many-Marshes (Adept): Windhelm.
• Grelka (Expert): The market in Riften.
• Nazir (Master): Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary / Dawnstar Sanctuary.

Training techniques

The Wind Walker perk allows a vampire to regenerate stamina even in sunlight, as with any effect that fortifies stamina regeneration.

An excellent way to level up Light Armor (and Heavy Armor as well) is to get engaged with a Mudcrab when you are strong enough that it takes them many many hits to whittle down your health. Simply stay engaged with them and use restoration magic to keep your health bar full or near full. Your Armor and restoration skill will level up nicely. (Works with wolves but Mudcrabs attack at a quicker rate meaning faster armor leveling.)

A faster, although much more risky, way to level Light Armor (or Heavy Armor) is with Giants. Simply find a giant camp, kill all but one giant, and let him hit you. This will be VERY fast leveling since the experience gained is determined by how hard you get hit. You can get 100 skill in a few short hours (2 - 5, depending on how risky you want to be and/or use overpowered 0 mana cost restoration enchants). Be careful to avoid the large smash attack at first, as it can easily kill you in one swing at lower levels.

Another method for training can be accomplished at the Stumbling Sabre-Cat Tavern located in the courtyard of Fort Dunstad . (This method has only been tested with the Xbox 360 and done prior to joining with either the Imperials or the Stormcloaks.)

• Upon entering the courtyard you will need to fight your way past several bandits. If you have a follower, tell them to wait outside prior to entering the Tavern. Enter the Tavern and go downstairs where you will encounter a male and female bandit. Dispatch the male bandit but DO NOT kill the female bandit. Close with the female bandit so she switches from her bow to her dagger. On one wall is a niche between a wall pillar and a set of shelves with kegs. Position you character in this niche to keep the bandit in front of you. She will continue to attack with her dagger. If your armour rating and/or health regeneration is high enough, you can essentially let this run on auto-pilot. Just remember, if an Xbox controller does not receive a key press after a set period of time, the controller will power down, pausing the game.

Light Armor (Heavy Armor, Block or Restoration) can be trained quickly during The Dark Brotherhood quest 'A Cure For Madness'. *SPOILERS* At one point, the Dragonborn has a choice to either kill Cicero or let him live. Cicero hits quite hard and very fast. Punching him will cause him to attack, then stand next to the wooden beam by the door. Heal when necessary and if it gets too much, jump behind the chest to the left of the fireplace. Cicero can't attack the Dragonborn here, allowing time to recover. When the desired skill level(s) has been reached, either finish him off and take his armor or leave the Sanctuary and let him live.

Related Pages

• Race - In The Elder Scrolls Universe
• Perks - In Skyrim
• Skill - List of skills in Skyrim
• Heavy Armor - In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Apparel - List of armor and clothing in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Console Item Codes (Skyrim)/Armor