Skyrim: Dragon Armor vs. Daedric Armor – Which Is Better?

When it comes to protection in Skyrim, there are plenty of options at your disposal. From mage armor and light armor to more heavily reinforced heavy armor. Each type of armor corresponds to the appropriate level, and most types of armor are eventually too weak to protect you against high-level heavy hitters in the game. When talking about end-game armor, there are two options at your disposal: dragon armor, aka Dragonplate armor, and Daedric armor. Both armors are incredibly powerful and provide you with the highest rating of protection, and both are equally challenging to find. Having said that, if you’re forced to choose between Daedric armor and dragon armor in Skyrim, which is better? 

Daedric armor vs. dragon armor: armor rating 

For the most part, the numbers are the most important factor when choosing appropriate gear, and in the context of armor rating, Daedric is better. 

Daedric armor consists of armor, boots, gauntlets, a helmet, and a shield the cumulative armor rating of all items including the shield is 144 points of armor protection, without a shield it comes down to 108 points of protection. 

Dragonplate armor likewise consists of 5 parts: armor, boots, gauntlets, helmet, and shield. Dragonplate has an armor rating of 199 with a shield, and it comes to a mere 90 without a shield. 

It’s obvious that in terms of raw numbers, this point goes to Daedric armor due to its superior numbers. 

Points: Daedric armor (1:0) dragon armor

Weight 

Daedric armor is the heaviest armor in the base game, with a shield included the total weight of all pieces in the set comes to 96, without a shield this number goes down to 81. This makes sense if you take into account that Daedric armor is made from ebony, an extremely dense and sturdy material. 

Dragonplate, on the other hand, weighs less. The exact weight comes to 79 with a shield and 64 without a shield. 

This difference in weight can easily be ignored if you invest in the Conditioning perk in the Heavy Armor skill tree. This perk makes it so that the currently equipped armor weighs nothing, and thus, you will suffer no weight penalties no matter how heavy your current armor is. But, considering that not all players will invest in the Conditioning perk, this point goes to Dragonplate armor.

Points: Daedric armor (1:1) dragon armor

Crafting 

Since both Daedric armor and dragon armor are considered to be end-game armor, to craft them and temper them you will need to unlock appropriate perks. 

Daedric armor can be crafted as soon as you reach level 90 in smithing skill, and you unlock the “Daedric smithing” perk. The perk can be unlocked only if you’ve previously unlocked ebony smithing. These are not unreasonable demands if you take into account that we’re talking about the best armor in the game. 

Daedric armor can also be crafted at an Atronach Forge for the conjuration-oriented character, but all things considered, the ingredients are difficult to obtain, and the process of acquiring the perk is long. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that the option is on the table. 

To craft the full set of Daedric armor, you will need 17 ebony ingots, 5 Daedra hearts, and ten leather strips. Daedra hearts can be challenging to find since they drop from specific types of Daedra, but they can also be purchased from time to time in the alchemist shops.

Even though it’s an inferior armor, Dragonplate armor can only be crafted after you’ve reached level 100 in Smithing skill and if you’ve previously unlocked Daedric smithing or glass smithing. Overall, you need to unlock all smithing types in order to reach Dragonplate. This makes sense if you take into account that Dragonplate was added with Dawnguard DLC, and Dragoscale armor is far superior (when it comes to light armor types); however, for characters oriented toward heavy armor, it makes little sense. 

To craft Dragonplate armor, you will need 13 dragon scales, six dragon bones, and ten leather strips. Dragons drop Dragon parts, and while dragons are rare by no means in Skyrim, obtaining every dragon part includes a possibly difficult fight. Taking this into consideration, it requires more effort to craft Dragonplate armor than Daedric armor. This point goes to Daedric armor. 

Points: Daedric armor (2:1) dragon armor

Hidden Bonus

Even though both armor types can be further improved and enchanted, Daedric armor has slight benefits to it without the need to tamper with it. Wearing the full set of Daedric armor raises the chance of successful intimidation dialogues by 10%. This can turn into quite an advantage if you’ve thus far ignored your speechcraft skill. Dragonplate has no such bonuses. This point goes to Daedric armor. 

Points: Daedric armor (3:1) dragon armor

Daedric armor vs. dragon armor: Which is better?

Now that we’ve analyzed both types of armor, we can conclude that Daedric armor is better than Dragonplate armor in Skyrim. Daedric armor has a better armor rating and it’s easier to craft since you only need to reach level 90 in crafting skill and unlock ebony smithing. When it comes to ingredients, Daedra hearts are difficult to find, but the most reliable sources of Daedra hearts don’t include a fight, which cannot be said for dragon parts – the vital ingredient when it comes to crafting Dragonplate armor. 

When it comes to weight, Daedric armor is heavier, but this can be negated with the Conditioning perk. A full set of Daedric armor also makes you seem more terrifying, so your intimidation attempts during conversations are 10 % more likely to succeed. 

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