Falmer Hardened Armor (Dawnguard) is the bulked-up war gear of the Falmer, a spikier, more armored take on the basic Falmer Armor. It’s a mid-game heavy set: helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots add up to 78 armor, exactly the same as Dwarven Armor.
How to get it
There is no forge recipe – you have to take it off a Falmer. Dawnguard adds the Falmer Warmonger, a tough Falmer type that wears a mix of Hardened and Heavy pieces. Warmongers wear a Hardened or Heavy cuirass three times out of four, while gauntlets and boots are much rarer (around one in four), so collecting a full set can take a while. On top of that, ordinary Falmer Skulkers, Gloomlurkers, Nightprowlers and Shadowmasters can spawn in the same heavy outfit instead of their usual gear once Dawnguard is installed.
Big Falmer strongholds such as Blackreach and Irkngthand are good hunting grounds. Temper it with Chaurus Chitin, dropped by the chaurus that Falmer keep as pets.
Is it worth wearing?
Not really, and the name is a bit of a joke: “hardened” armor is both heavier and weaker than Falmer Heavy Armor. The four pieces weigh 65 in total, with a 40-weight cuirass, compared to 55 for the stronger Heavy set. Against Dwarven it gives the same protection for more weight. The upside is that it’s free from enemies and needs no Smithing perks.
If you’re running Conditioning, the weight barely matters and it’s a perfectly fine stopgap. Otherwise, go straight for Falmer Heavy Armor, which comes from the same enemies. Falmer can wear any combination of Hardened and Heavy pieces, so keep the better ones as you find them.
Good to know
- Dawnguard content; not available in the base game.
- The set has no shield, and the boots are among the rarest pieces to find.
- Cannot be crafted at any forge.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmer Hardened Helm | Head | 18 | 10 | 150 | 0200E8E0 |
| Falmer Hardened Armor | Body | 34 | 40 | 250 | 0200E8DE |
| Falmer Hardened Gauntlets | Hands | 13 | 7 | 60 | 0200E8DF |
| Falmer Hardened Boots | Feet | 13 | 8 | 50 | 0200E8DD |
Full set totals
- Falmer Hardened Armor – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 78 armor, 65 weight, 510 gold.
Crafting and upgrades
This set can’t be forged by the player – you have to find, buy or earn the pieces.
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Chaurus Chitin.
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.