Imperial Armor is the heavy kit of the Imperial Legion, a no-nonsense mix of steel plates and leather in Imperial red and bronze. In protection it is an early-game set: a full outfit gives 60 armor for 52 weight, the same armor rating as Iron but a bit heavier. Its real appeal is the look and the Legion connection rather than raw stats.
How to get it
The basic pieces can be forged with the Steel Smithing perk, which has no skill requirement, using Steel Ingots, Leather and Leather Strips. They are cheap to make and cheap to sell, so they are good practice for a new smith.
Most players simply loot it. Legion soldiers wear it all over Skyrim, especially around the Imperial camps and in Solitude, and any battle in the civil war leaves plenty lying around. If you sign up in Joining the Legion, Beirand, the blacksmith at Castle Dour in Solitude, hands you a set of Imperial armor and lets you choose the heavy version.
Two helmet variants exist that you can’t craft: a full-faced Imperial Helmet with a little more armor, and the Imperial Officer’s Helmet worn by Legion officers. You’ll have to find or loot those, which in practice means keeping an eye on what the higher-ranking soldiers are wearing. Both are tempered with Steel Ingots like the rest of the set, so they’re easy to keep in shape once you have them.
Is it worth wearing?
As pure protection, not really. Even Steel Armor, which needs the same perk, protects more for the same weight. Imperial heavy armor shines for roleplay, and it costs next to nothing to put together: if you’ve sided with General Tullius, it makes your loyalties clear at a glance.
Steel Smithing doubles its tempering, and Juggernaut, Well Fitted and Matching Set all apply. Just don’t wander into a Stormcloak camp dressed like this and expect a warm welcome.
Good to know
- The full-faced helmet and the Officer’s Helmet are not craftable.
- All pieces are tempered with Steel Ingots.
- A light version also exists: Imperial Light Armor.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Helmet | Head | 15 | 5 | 50 | 00013EDC |
| Imperial Armor | Body | 25 | 35 | 100 | 000136D5 |
| Imperial Bracers | Hands | 10 | 4 | 15 | 000136D4 |
| Imperial Boots | Feet | 10 | 8 | 20 | 000136D6 |
| Imperial Shield | Shield | 20 | 12 | 50 | 000135BA |
Full set totals
- Imperial Armor – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 60 armor, 52 weight, 185 gold; with the Imperial Shield: 80 armor, 64 weight.
Variants
These versions share the set’s look or slot but are separate items in the game files:
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Helmet | Head | 18 | 5 | 30 | 0009610D |
| Imperial Officer’s Helmet | Head | 17 | 4 | 30 | 000136CF |
Crafting and upgrades
Recipes at the forge – requires the Steel Smithing perk:
- Imperial Helmet: 1 Leather, 1 Leather Strips, 2 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Armor: 2 Leather, 3 Leather Strips, 4 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Bracers: 1 Leather, 2 Leather Strips, 2 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Boots: 1 Leather, 2 Leather Strips, 2 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Shield: 2 Leather Strips, 4 Steel Ingot
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Steel Ingot.
Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base armor rating, weight and value before Smithing improvements and perks. The ID is the item’s form ID for the console.