Best Armor Mods You Should Try

Key Takeaways

• The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
  has a thriving modding community that has elevated the game to new heights of popularity and replayability.
• Mods for
  Skyrim
  can vastly improve the game’s armor options, offering stunning reskins and custom sets that enhance both protection and style.
• Some of the best armor mods for Skyrim include Demon Hunter Armor, Perfect Legionnaire – Imperial Armor Reforged, and Silver Dragon Armor, which offer unique and impressive designs.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is an almost perfect game in its own right, but its thriving modding community elevated it to one of the most replayed and popular games of all time. Players can find a mod to suit just about any need, from adding in a few extra items to completely overhauling the game’s systems.

Armor will be a crucial part of any player’s journey through Skyrim, as it offers not just protection but also some serious style points as late-game options are unlocked. Mods can certainly help buff armor if needed, but where they really shine is bringing the game’s armor sets into the 2020s, with stunning reskins and spectacular custom sets. Here are some of the best armor mods to try out that can suit any player’s needs, from feeling like a Spartan warrior to looking like a Met Gala attendee.

Updated on November 13, 2024, by Jake Fillery: As players patiently wait for The Elder Scrolls 6, another go at Skyrim is never a bad idea. Yet, for some players, venturing into Skyrim again and again might warrant some changes, so why not add layers of immersion and extra fan-made details through the best armor mods in Skyrim that will add new powers, quests, and designs.

21 Gryphonknight Regalia – Breton Noble Armor

Downloads: 735,654

The Gryphonknight Regalia brings forth some new knightly armor to Skyrim, but that’s not all. This greatly crafted armor set comes with its own quest to obtain it, and those who venture to Dead Crone Rock will see themselves involved in a quest with a crestfallen knight to fulfill their last wish and take their armor.

The armor itself is beautiful, and comes with variations to its design like the animated helmet and visor that provides further detail. It’s great for those who want to roleplay as a lost knight from a far away land.

20 Armors of the Velothi PT.1

Downloads: 896,884

Modder Pulcharmsolis brings forth 8 incredible Dunmer-themed armor sets for players to enjoy. All of these sets have been created from scratch, and still take a lore-friendly approach to their deigns. It’s a loving mod dedicated to the lore of The Elder Scrolls and the Dunmer, so those who want to immerse themselves into the Dunmer culture can do so with this mod.

All of the sets look great in-game, and they really stand out among the metallic armors of the Nords and Imperials. The modded Dunmer armor provides new sets to experience the lands of Skyrim as an outlander, with roots in thievery, merchants, and mages to find a home within Skyrim.

19 Armor Variants Expansion

Downloads: 2,056,615

ARmor Variants Expansion won’t exactly add new sets for players to enjoy outside of a few tweaks, but instead, the mod itself will seek to enrich the world with further immersion through new variants of vanilla armors. These armors will heighten the sense of fun thanks to level-scaling and the lore-friendly tweaks to their design.

While most of the armors might be too subtle to notice for some players, it’s nice to know that not every bandit will wear the same rags, and not every warrior will have the same design, and this much-needed variety is great for immersive playthroughs.

18 Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes

Downloads: 3,236,472

It wouldn’t be a Bethesda game without a few bugs, but that’s all part of the charm and to be expected of a game this size. Whilst fans have worked to get rid of most of the bugs, there are a few harmless cosmetic ones that can be found cured with Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes, the mod that will provide accessories and other cosmetics with fixed consistencies.

There are a multitude of immersive features for this mod that will basically allow players to use weapons, armor, clothing, and jewelry without things clipping into each other. There is more freedom in what players can wear, and customization as well as different balances can help to make the game feel new yet familiar.

17 Armor and Clothing Extension

Downloads: 2,088,335

• Mod Creator: kryptopyr and Gamwich
• Mod Link

Every NPC that players come across in Skyrim feels somewhat familiar, and that’s probably due to the fact that they all share a handful of voice actors and clothing. The fact that the library of clothes isn’t the most diverse in Skyrim can sometimes take away from its incredible immersion, so downloading Armor and Clothing Extension might help the process somewhat.

This mod will provide the citizens and NPCs of Skyrim with more lore-friendly clothing options that they can wear based on where they are and what rank they are. Players also have access to these lore-friendly outfits, allowing the world to feel more lived-in and unique than it already is.

16 Conditional Armor Type Animations

Downloads: 1,137,458

Immersion is important to Skyrim, and whilst the vanilla experience aids immersion so well, there are some mods that just enrich it further. Conditional Armor Type Animations might not add any new armors to the game, but it will definitely make players feel powerful or vulnerable, depending on what they are wearing due to the interesting detail of this mod.

Conditional Armor Type Animations focuses on more animations for Skyrim, a game that shares the same for moving around. With these new animations, which require Open Animation Replacer, players will move differently depending on the armor they are wearing to further influence and feel what they are wearing.

15 Warmonger Armory

Downloads: 692,135

It’s time to add even more immersion to Skyrim with the Warmonger Armory mod, which will add even more lore-friendly armors to the base game. Through armor, weapons, and clothes, Skyrim will see an influx of designs influenced and inspired by The Elder Scrolls series, no matter the harshness of Tamriel’s climates and eras.

There is an impressive amount of armor found with this mod, so players who are looking to stand out from the crowd and don’t involve being overpowered by wearing Daedric Hearts or Dragon Bones will certainly want to check this one out and venture through the harsh and cold lands with plenty of choice in attire.

14 Improved Closefaced Helmets

Downloads: 1,390,981

Bring further immersion to Tamriel with Improved Closefaced Helmets, a mod that makes minor improvements to the helmets so that players can see the eyes from the outside. Most helmets are included, and every race is able to have its own mesh revealed.

This helps make it so that not every armor is the same, as players will be able to see the eyes of NPCs and even their own characters through the faceplates of helmets, instead of just a solid black line to hide the textures underneath.

13 Daedric Armor And Weapon Improvement

Downloads: 824,851

Since Daedric Armor is the best armor in Skyrim, it makes sense that it would look the best. Unfortunately, the vanilla version of the Daedric Armor can get a tad ordinary after a while, which is why it’s perfect to download Daedric Armor and Weapon Improvements, which will add new textures and accessories to the famed Smithing armor set that will prove the Dragonborn shouldn’t be trifled with.

The mod author has created something that they believe is visually superior, and worthwhile to obtain. Now, players can enjoy new textures as well as some modified options, such as glowing, back plates, and horns to create the perfect warrior. The armor comes in a few sets, so players aren’t even limited to just one version of Daedric armor.

12 Demon Hunter Armor By Jojjo

Downloads: 682,710

• Mod Creator: Jojjo and GraceDarkling and zzjay
• Mod Link

If players are in the mood to hunt demons, then this armor is the perfect choice. It’s slick, it’s stylish, and it will certainly protect players as they embark on a crusade to vanquish all beasts and monsters that lurk within the snowy regions of Skyrim. Tamriel has seen many creatures in need of slaying, but Skyrim in particular seems to be the hardest and most dangerous of the fronts, and with the Demon Hunter Armor mod, players will feel more inclined to hunt the predators that are now prey.

Demon Hunting is a solid profession across various games, films, manga, and books. Even the likes of Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher are somewhat of a Demon Hunter, so to be able to wear this light or heavy armor, clad with belts, spikes, and crosses, makes for an interesting outlander to the lands of Skyrim in search of monsters in foreign lands.

11 Perfect Legionnaire – Imperial Armor Reforged

Downloads: 783,218

Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with the vanilla version of the Imperial soldiers, it’s no secret that modders usually have more of a creative flair when they are given enough time. After the release of Skyrim, the Imperials received a fetching new armor that might have made players switch sides from Stormcloaks to Imperials during the Civil War, just so they could get their hands on this sweet armor overhaul for the Imperial Legion.

There’s a new armor set with the Imperial Templar Armor, a rework for Studded, Light, Heavy, and General Tullius armor, as well as even more additions to completely revamp the cosmetics of the Imperials. Now, they won’t look like Tamriel’s version of Roman soldiers, as they have their own distinct look for The Elder Scrolls series, providing distinct outfits to generals against the dregs of the Imperial army. Yet, the Skyrim Civil War isn’t all about who has the best outfit.

10 Silver Dragon Armor

Downloads: 868,252

One of the best single armor set mods out there, Silver Dragon Armor adds a new set of enchantable heavy armor to the game, which stands out as having been built entirely from scratch. The aesthetics of this new set are indisputably stunning, with long horns designed to make the player feel as much like a mighty dragon themselves as possible.

The armor is fully craftable and upgradable, with excellent armor ratings that exceed even that of the Daedric armor, so it’s definitely worth putting the time into unlocking the Advanced Armor and Draconic Armor perks, so they can be used to their full potential.

9 Masters Of Death – Rise Of The Brotherhood

Downloads: 682,656

Masters of Death also adds a whole new armor set to the game but goes one step further, adding several variants and reworking the Dark Brotherhood Assassin’s set so it much more lives up to the prestige of an assassin’s guild. The set is modeled around the iconic armor from Assassin’s Creed and is a serious upgrade to the Dark Brotherhood set as well as being stunning in its own right.

The Sicarius Armor added is fully craftable and upgradeable through the ebony and advanced armor trees, which makes it accessible to all players regardless of build path. While some of the other armor options for sneaky builds can leave something to be desired, this is definitely one to pick up as soon as possible.

8 Daedric Reaper Armor

Downloads: 769,338

Perhaps the most threatening armor set to be added in a mod is the Daedric Reaper Armor, which lives up to exactly what the name might suggest. While the vanilla Daedric set certainly looks the part, this new set offers a massive upgrade that will send even dragons running for the hills, and allow players to fulfill their dark destinies.

This armor set comes with plenty of options depending on preferences, including full and more revealing sets for both genders, all of which fit the theme of the mod perfectly. It will require some grinding for resources to craft these sets, but all players will need is the crafting manual that comes with the mod to get started, and no additional perks and required.

7 Raven Witch Armor And Apex Werewolf

Downloads: 503,741

While this mod might appear to cover a few unrelated areas, Raven Witch Armor and Apex Werewolf plug a couple of gaps that vanilla Skyrim leaves, in dedicated female armor and werewolf aesthetics. The Raven Witch Armor is a stunning plague-doctor-themed set designed exclusively for female Dragonborn, which may not have high base ratings, but this is more than made up for by the look of this set.

Apex Werewolf completely overhauls the look of the vanilla werewolf, adding a high-resolution and considerably more imposing version that will likely make players want to stay in the state for as long as possible. This is a mod that accomplishes all of its goals perfectly, even though it might seem a little all over the place by the description.

6 Lost Paladins Of The Divines Wrath

Downloads: 267,631

True veterans of The Elder Scrolls may remember the Lost Paladins armor mod for Oblivion, and now the community has brought the set into the latest Elder Scrolls addition, Skyrim, with a revamped look that does not disappoint. The mod features sets for both genders of Dragonborn, as well as horses, so players can ride into battle fully stacked.

The beauty of this mod comes with the lore associated with the set, which adds a level of depth rarely seen in mods for Skyrim or in the modding community in general. It also comes with matching weapons and several options for each set, so players can score exactly their desired look based on their preferences.

5 Realistic Armor

Downloads: 174,399

Realistic Armor does exactly what it says on the tin, transforming the theme of Skyrim armor to a more realistic one themed around Nordic armor. This also changes the armor for bandits and other enemies, making them much warmer and closer to fit with the theme of the landscape, which makes the game feel a lot more grounded and medieval.

This mod works perfectly with other realism mods and can make survival mode feel even more grounded in reality. While it does sacrifice some of the aesthetics of the armor sets it replaces, it perfectly accomplished the goal of making Skyrim a much more immersive experience.

4 Amidianborn Book Of Silence

Downloads: 3,379,718

• Mod Creator: CaBaL – the AMB team
• Mod Link

The Amidianborn Book of Silence is a massive retexture mod, that overhauls a ton of the apparel and weaponry available in vanilla Skyrim. These new high-quality textures have been redesigned from the ground up and overhauled almost all the armor and weapons available in the vanilla version of the game.

As well as the armor and weapon sets being reworked, most of the unique apparel and weapons also receive stunning new textures, including dragon priest masks, most Daedric artifacts, and more. For players looking to improve their Skyrim experience without changing the game’s mechanics, this is the perfect mod.

3 NordWarUA’s Race Armor Expansion

Downloads: 117,423

Race-specific armor sets can leave a lot to be desired in Skyrim, with sets like the Orcish, in particular, crying out for some more detail and variety. NordWarUA’s Race Armor Expansion adds 6 new Orcish sets, 3 each of light and heavy armor, as well as two Thalmor sets, so that the non-human races of Skyrim can look fully decked out.

The mod also comes with the optional addition of retextures for Orcish and Thalmor weaponry, to fully complete the look. This adds some much-needed variety to the aesthetics of Orcs and Elves, to make the medieval fantasy really come to life.

2 Horse Armors SSE

Downloads: 202,955

• Mod Creator: mystikhybrid and Amoveve
• Mod Link

Horse Armors SSE is the biggest visual upgrade to horses any player will ever need, replacing each hold’s purchasable horse with a unique armored version. This not only protects the Dragonborn’s horse, turning them into a tank that can take on any bandit camp but also makes them look fantastic, with the ability to match the horse’s armor to that of the player.

The mod is also compatible with Better Horses, and when paired together they make horses a pet to be reckoned with along with providing a ton of quality-of-life upgrades. The pinnacle of the custom armor might just be the Daedric-themed armor for Shadowmere, making him look even more terrifying than before.