The 20 Best Skyrim Armor Mods

What are the best Skyrim armor mods?

A quality set of armor is essential for staying alive in some of Skyrim’s most dangerous dungeons and crypts.

While there are a lot of great base game armors, they can start to feel monotonous after a couple of playthroughs.

Fortunately, the modding community provides no shortage of alternatives.

The Best Skyrim Armor Mods

If you want the best armor for your Dragonborn, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured the Nexus, so you don’t have to, and rounded up the top armors.

Here’s our list of the 20 best Skyrim armor mods:

20. Warchief Armor

A fusion of Orcish, Nord, and Tribal armor, the Warchief Armor mod adds a full set of armor that blends in perfectly with vanilla options, despite being incredibly unique.

Available in light and heavy versions for male and female characters, this armor set is perfect for players who want to live the dream of being a fearsome barbarian marauder king.

19. DreamBurrows Regal Assassin Armor

This is one of the best armor mods if you genuinely want to look the part of a dangerous assassin.

As a standalone retexture of NoseGoblin’s Assassins, Rangers, and Thieves armor, all you need to do is install this mod and reap the benefits.

Inspired by the classic armor found in some of the best Assassin’s Creed games, this set is gorgeous to look at, and its gilded design really makes you feel like the true leader of the Dark Brotherhood.

18. Armor Of Intrigue

The Armor of Intrigue is one of the most detailed armor sets on the Nexus, as well as one of the most customizable, allowing you to alter it to better suit your playstyle.

This mod adds the base armor, bags, pouches, daggers, potions, lockpicking tools, and five different satchels that you can specially craft. All pieces provide a tangible bonus, and nothing is strictly for decoration.

Although this armor mod is only available for male characters, it can be one of the best armor mods to download, and it may even give you a reason to play as a male character if you haven’t in the past.

17. Ritual Armor Of Boethiah

As one of the best open-world PS4 games, Skyrim has many quests you can do to receive unique items and armor. One such armor is given by the Daedric Prince of deceit and treachery themselves.

While base game armor awarded to you after completing the quest Boethiah’s Calling is impressive, we dare say that this armor mod is even better.

This lore-friendly armor set is said to have been originally designed by cultists of the dark Daedra, and only the Champion of Boethiah can forge it.

Completely ungradable, enchantable, and available for male and female characters, the Ritual Armor can be forged in the Sacellum of Boethiah once you become the Daedra’s Champion.

16. Blades Samurai Armor And Kimonos

If you’ve long dreamed of roaming Skyrim as a fierce samurai, then this is one of the armor mods that you can’t afford to pass up.

This standalone mod adds a variety of samurai-themed armor sets, as well as kimonos for all races and genders. It blends well with the vanilla Blades armor, which has noticeable samurai influences.

Best of all, this mod also introduces new weapons and a special quest that allows you to acquire the unique Dovahkiin Armor.

15. Alfheim Knights

Skyrim is still one of the most popular video games to play right now, and Elves are one of the most popular races gamers choose to play as.

However, the armor aimed at elves in the base game leaves a lot to be desired, and none of them stand out as being worth investing in.

The mod Alfheim Knights rectifies this by introducing sleek new Elven armor sets and weapons that are both gorgeous and protective.

All of these new armors can be crafted using Elven smithing, and the biggest problem you’ll have with this mod is choosing which set you like best!

14. Realistic Armor

While the armors in the base game look good, they aren’t necessarily the most realistic, and if your goal is to make Skyrim as immersive as possible, you’re going to want armor mods that fix this.

The primary purpose of the Realistic Armor mod is to make the armor selections in Skyrim feel more natural and Nordic.

This means that bandits will no longer be roaming around topless or in short-sleeves, and everything will be modified with fur to make it much warmer.

If you are fond of the vanilla armors, they are still available to create at a forge, but you won’t have to worry anymore about having your immersion broken by bandits taking a beach day in Winterhold.

13. DreamBurrows Regal Huntsman Armor

The creator of this mod played through the complete Assassin’s Creed games list and decided to bring a little bit of that world into the Elder Scrolls.

This mod introduces a full Assassin’s Creed-inspired armor set compatible with male, female, and beast race characters.

It comes with an outfit, boots, gauntlets, hidden blades, mask, belt blades, pouches, pauldrons, and a cape, all of which look incredible.

Whether you’re playing as an assassin or just want to look badass, this is one mod that you definitely need to have.

12. Dragonbone Ebonsteel Armor

The Dragonbone armor in vanilla Skyrim is one of the coolest sets in the entire game. However, there isn’t a lot of variety to choose from.

This armor mod changes this lack of variation by providing players with a whole new armor set that combines the strength of dragon bone with the resilience of ebony.

There are two styles of chest pieces, gauntlets and boots, and four different helms. A heavy shield is also included as part of the full set, and everything can be upgraded using ebony ingots.

If you’re a fan of the vanilla Dragonbone armor, we highly recommend giving this mod a try.

11. Perfect Legionnaire – Imperial Armor Reforged

If you are loyal to the Empire or playing a character, you know that the basic legion armors in the game often leave a lot to be desired, and in many cases, they are never ever worn.

Imperial Armor Reforged re-vamps the Legion armor sets and makes them something that your Dragonborn will be proud to wear.

This mod reworks seven Imperial armors and shields, helmets, and swords. It is best installed in a new game to ensure that all Legion NPCs will be affected.

If you want to show off your Legion pride while sticking it to the Stormcloaks, you’re definitely going to want to download this armor mod.

10. Kynreeve Armor

If you’ve ever played as a conjurer and summoned the Daedra Kynreeve Kahl, you’ll know just how gorgeous his armor is.

For years, players have dreamed of claiming this armor for themselves, and this mod enables you to do just that, although it won’t be easy.

To grab this armor, you will need to take down two powerful Dremora in Skytemple Ruins.

Depending on your level, this fight can be as challenging as taking on some of the toughest video game bosses, but well worth it if you want some of the coolest Daedric armor in Skyrim.

9. Raven Witch Armor And Apex Werewolf

This mod is perfect for mages who also want to embrace the gift of lycanthropy, and it adds a brand new set of high-resolution light armor specially designed for female characters only.

There is also a custom-designed mask with a plague doctor-esque aesthetic, though it is only tailored for humanoid faces, making it unwearable for Argonians or Kahjiit.

It also overhauls the default werewolf appearance to make it look darker, more detailed, and much more terrifying.

If your Dragonborn enjoys embracing their wild side, the Raven Witch Armor and Apex Werewolf mod is a must-have in your load order.

8. Daedric Reaper Armor

Daedric armor is some of the best in Skyrim, and it is also arguably the best looking. That said, this mod manages to take the standard armor and make it even more impressive.

The Daedric Reaper armor is stunning to behold, and no detail was spared in creating it. As an upgrade to the standard armor, this variant is lighter, and it comes with a pretty gorgeous sword.

You can customize both the male and female versions of this armor, and it’s honestly so pretty you’re going to have a hard time not playing in third-person just to admire it.

7. Lost Paladins Of The Divines Wrath Armor

This mod is a reimaging of the Lost Paladins of The Divines mod originally created for Oblivion.

The lore behind it is that it was originally the armor of the Lost Paladins of the Nine Divines, and we have to agree that it truly does look divine.

The detail on both the male and female versions of this armor is unbelievable, and it even comes with a matching armor set that you can equip your horse with.

If you want your Dragonborn to look like the Elder Scrolls’ most gilded paladin, we couldn’t recommend this mod highly enough.

6. Masters Of Death – Rise Of The Dark Brotherhood

The Dark Brotherhood had so much promise, but unfortunately, their armor sets didn’t.

This mod, thankfully, replaces all of the Dark Brotherhood armor with brand new ones that truly make the Assassins look much more intimidating.

Many are even appropriately inspired by one of the best Xbox One games to play right now, Assassin’s Creed.

All of these new armor sets are completely upgradable and can be crafted via smithing, so you can mix and match sets and improve them as you gradually gain levels.

While the base game armor sets left a lot to be desired, these armor sets make being an assassin in Skyrim a lot more rewarding.

5. Knight Of Thorns Armor And Spear Of Thorns

This is one of the best armor mods to download if you want to look as intimidating as possible.

Not only is this armor as dark as ebony and as spikey as Daedric, but the helmet features firey glowing eye slots that look equally awesome and terrifying.

One of the best things about this armor is that it is totally unisex, meaning that the female variant doesn’t come out looking like a Chainmail Bikini.

This high-resolution heavy armor set also comes with a new weapon called the Spear of Thorns, which can be forged and upgraded via smithing.

We can’t recommend this armor highly enough if you’re looking to make your Dragonborn look as intimidating as possible.

4. Demon Hunter Armor

This is one of the few armor mods on our list that is exclusively for female characters, but it is definitely one of the best designed.

Able to be crafted with the ebony smithing perk, this sleek armor set is lightweight and compatible with any body type, including those replaced with mods.

No matter what class you’re playing as this armor works beautifully, but it looks especially great on thieves and assassin types.

3. Silver Dragon Armor

As one of the armor mods created entirely from scratch, this fantastic set was spared no details by its creator. This sleek silver armor mod really makes the Dragonborn look as intimidating as a dragon.

The helmet is incredibly gorgeous, and it is designed to mimic the appearance of a dragon’s head, complete with glowing eyes and a mouthful of deadly teeth.

This entire set is also enchantable, allowing you to add your pick of magical benefits.

Traveling through Skyrim in this armor really makes you feel powerful, and Alduin certainly has nothing on a Dragonborn decked out in this armor.

2. Dragonbone Barbarian Armors

If you’re looking for armor mods that will finally give you a use for the dozens of dragon bones in your inventory, look no further than Dragonbone Barbarian Armors.

This mod adds 15 modular armor pieces, four gauntlets, four boots, and a unique helm. Each full set can be found in a unique location within Skyrim, giving you a great excuse to get out and explore one of the biggest open-world maps in gaming history.

Full sets included in this mod are a full heavy armor set for male characters, as well as a light and heavy option for females. The light female option is much more about eye candy than the heavy set, but it’s a good option for those who want their feminine Dragonborns to show off all of their best assets.

1. Immersive Armors

We have our number one pick from the creator of Immersive Weapons, and this mod aims to improve variety while making armor choices more realistic.

As one of the most downloaded Skyrim armor mods, Immersive Armors enhances immersion by providing a larger selection of equipable armor pieces throughout the map.

Each item is balanced and lore-friendly, placed in areas that make sense.

Currently, this mod introduces 55 new armor sets and over 60 variants, making it one of the largest created by the modding community.

There are also tons of additional items, such as 396 new shields, eye patches, capes, scarves, earrings, and more.

All pieces provided by this mod are entirely craftable with smithing, and they can also be upgraded and enchanted to better suit your playstyle and remain viable as you level up.

This mod even places some of these unique armor pieces into leveled lists and quest rewards, giving you even more reasons to get out and explore the huge world of Skyrim all over again.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed our list of the 20 best Skyrim armor mods. 

These armors make customizing your character even easier, and they all make the game feel much more immersive and interactive than before.

If you’ve grown bored with the vanilla armor options in Skyrim, we highly recommend adding these mods to your load order so that your next playthrough can be as engaging and immersive as possible!

Here’s a quick recap of the 20 best Skyrim armor mods:

1. Immersive Armors
2. Dragonbone Barbarian Armors
3. Silver Dragon Armor
4. Demon Hunter Armor
5. Knight Of Thorns Armor And Spear Of Thorns
6. Masters Of Death – Rise Of The Dark Brotherhood
7. Lost Paladins Of The Divines Wrath Armor
8. Daedric Reaper Armor
9. Raven Witch Armor And Apex Werewolf
10. Kynreeve Armor
11. Perfect Legionnaire – Imperial Armor Reforged
12. Dragonbone Ebonsteel Armor
13. DreamBurrows Regal Huntsman Armor
14. Realistic Armor
15. Alfheim Knights
16. Blades Samurai Armor And Kimonos
17. Ritual Armor Of Boethiah
18. Armor Of Intrigue
19. DreamBurrows Regal Assassin Armor
20. Warchief Armor

What’s the best Skyrim armor mod, in your opinion? Leave a comment below.