Dragonscale Armor is the light armor endgame: a set made from the scales of slain dragons, giving the highest protection of any regular light set. It’s the light counterpart to Dragonplate Armor, and it beats Glass Armor on every piece. As you might expect, nobody in the world wears it but the Dragonborn and whoever you hand a set to.
How to get it
The main route is crafting. You’ll need the Dragon Armor perk, the very top of the Smithing tree, which unlocks at Smithing 100. The recipes call for dragon scales plus leather, leather strips and a few iron ingots, so every dragon fight is also a shopping trip. Dragons start appearing after Dragon Rising, and each one drops scales and bones when you absorb its soul.
Dragonscale gear can also appear as very high-level leveled loot and in a smith’s inventory late in the game, but by then most players have the perk anyway. Tempering also uses dragon scales, so don’t sell your spares.
Is it worth wearing?
If you’re committed to light armor, this is the set. Helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots add up to 82 armor rating, the best total of any standard light set. The price is weight: the full set weighs 20, which is heavier than Glass (13) and noticeably more than Elven, though still far lighter than heavy armor at this tier.
With Matching Set, Custom Fit and full tempering, reaching the armor cap is easy, leaving enchantment slots free for skills rather than raw defence. The Dragonscale Shield (29 AR) rounds out the kit. The only real argument against it is the Smithing grind: reaching 100 takes time, and many players are happy enough in Glass until then.
Good to know
- Dragon Armor is the final Smithing perk and also unlocks Dragonplate.
- Every piece is crafted and tempered with dragon scales.
- It’s the most valuable standard light armor set, with the cuirass alone worth 1,500 gold.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragonscale Helmet | Head | 17 | 4 | 750 | 00013940 |
| Dragonscale Armor | Body | 41 | 10 | 1500 | 0001393E |
| Dragonscale Gauntlets | Hands | 12 | 3 | 300 | 0001393F |
| Dragonscale Boots | Feet | 12 | 3 | 300 | 0001393D |
| Dragonscale Shield | Shield | 29 | 6 | 750 | 00013941 |
Full set totals
- Dragonscale Armor – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 82 armor, 20 weight, 2850 gold; with the Dragonscale Shield: 111 armor, 26 weight.
Crafting and upgrades
Recipes at the forge – requires the Dragon Armor perk:
- Dragonscale Helmet: 2 Dragon Scales, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Leather, 1 Leather Strips
- Dragonscale Armor: 4 Dragon Scales, 2 Iron Ingot, 1 Leather, 3 Leather Strips
- Dragonscale Gauntlets: 2 Dragon Scales, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Leather, 2 Leather Strips
- Dragonscale Boots: 2 Dragon Scales, 1 Iron Ingot, 1 Leather, 2 Leather Strips
- Dragonscale Shield: 4 Dragon Scales, 2 Iron Ingot, 2 Leather Strips
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Dragon Scales.
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.