Chitin Armor (Dragonborn) is the traditional Dunmer armor made from giant-insect shell, in a mottled green-brown that smells faintly of Vvardenfell. It comes in both light and heavy versions. The light set is early-to-mid game, totalling 60.5 armor for four pieces, which places it between Elven and Scaled Armor. The heavy set reaches 87, level with Steel Plate.
How to get it
Both versions are forged with the Elven Smithing perk (Smithing thirty). The main material is Chitin Plate, plus Netch Leather and one ingot per piece – Iron for the light version and Corundum for the heavy one. Netch Leather comes from the netch that drift around Solstheim, while Chitin Plate is gathered from ash hoppers or bought from vendors on the island.
Temper every piece with Chitin Plate – one plate per improvement.
Is it worth wearing?
The light version is extremely light: helmet and boots weigh 1 each and the whole four-piece set only 8. Since it shares the Elven Smithing perk with Elven Armor, the choice between the two mostly comes down to style, and Chitin has the edge in looks for Dunmer characters. It won’t last into the late game against Glass, though.
The heavy version is the surprise package. It matches Steel Plate’s 87 armor but needs only Elven Smithing rather than Advanced Armors, and weighs 51 for four pieces. For a heavy-armor character who went down the Elven side of the Smithing tree, that’s a great mid-game set. Juggernaut and Well Fitted (heavy) or Agile Defender and Custom Fit (light) work as normal.
Good to know
- Light and heavy pieces are separate sets; only the light version has a shield.
- The heavy version uses Corundum Ingots, the light one Iron Ingots.
- Requires the Dragonborn DLC.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chitin Helmet (light) | Head | 13.5 | 1 | 125 | 0401CD89 |
| Chitin Armor (light) | Body | 30 | 4 | 240 | 0401CD87 |
| Chitin Bracers (light) | Hands | 8.5 | 2 | 50 | 0401CD88 |
| Chitin Boots (light) | Feet | 8.5 | 1 | 50 | 0401CD86 |
| Chitin Shield (light) | Shield | 24.5 | 8 | 215 | 04026235 |
| Chitin Heavy Helmet | Head | 19 | 5 | 135 | 0401CD8C |
| Chitin Heavy Armor | Body | 40 | 35 | 650 | 0401CD8A |
| Chitin Heavy Gauntlets | Hands | 14 | 5 | 135 | 0401CD8B |
| Chitin Heavy Boots | Feet | 14 | 6 | 135 | 0401CD82 |
Full set totals
- Chitin Armor (light) – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 60.5 armor, 8 weight, 465 gold; with the Chitin Shield: 85 armor, 16 weight.
- Chitin Heavy Armor – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 87 armor, 51 weight, 1055 gold.
Crafting and upgrades
Recipes at the forge – requires the Elven Smithing perk:
- Chitin Helmet: 3 Chitin Plate, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
- Chitin Armor: 5 Chitin Plate, 1 Iron Ingot, 2 Netch Leather
- Chitin Bracers: 2 Chitin Plate, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
- Chitin Boots: 3 Chitin Plate, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
- Chitin Shield: 4 Chitin Plate, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
- Chitin Heavy Helmet: 4 Chitin Plate, 1 Corundum Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
- Chitin Heavy Armor: 6 Chitin Plate, 1 Corundum Ingot, 2 Netch Leather
- Chitin Heavy Gauntlets: 3 Chitin Plate, 1 Corundum Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
- Chitin Heavy Boots: 4 Chitin Plate, 1 Corundum Ingot, 1 Netch Leather
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Chitin Plate.
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.