Ebony Armor is late-game heavy armor made from ebony, a dark volcanic glass that is prized across Tamriel. A full set gives 96 armor for 62 weight, putting it just under Dragonplate and Daedric but well above Orcish. It looks sleek and dangerous, with a black, almost liquid sheen, and it’s the armor many players live in from level 30 onwards.
How to get it
Crafting needs the Ebony Smithing perk at Smithing level 80, after Orcish Smithing. The recipes are refreshingly simple: Ebony Ingots and Leather Strips, nothing else. The full set with shield takes 17 ingots.
Ebony ore is the bottleneck. The best source is Gloombound Mine next to Narzulbur in Eastmarch, which has a large number of veins. Smaller veins can be found in places like Blackreach. Ebony Ingots also show up at general goods merchants from around level 14 and at blacksmiths from around level 27.
Ready-made ebony armor enters leveled loot around player level 32, with enchanted pieces just after that, so high-level bandit chiefs and dungeon bosses start dropping it regularly.
Is it worth wearing?
Very much so. Ebony gives near top-tier protection at a weight well below Daedric, and the recipes are cheap compared to the Daedra Hearts and dragon bits the next tier demands. The Ebony Smithing perk also doubles tempering, and the same ingots temper Daedric gear, so the investment carries forward.
Juggernaut and Well Fitted work as expected. Matching Set is a sore point: in the unpatched game the perk reportedly doesn’t recognise ebony armor, so you may not get that bonus without a community fix. If that bothers you, Dragonplate is the logical upgrade.
Good to know
- Ebony Ingots also temper Daedric armor, so keep a stash.
- The Matching Set perk has a known issue with ebony armor in the base game.
- Ash piles from ash spawn and gargoyles can contain ebony ore.
- Not to be confused with Ebony Mail, a unique Daedric artifact.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebony Helmet | Head | 21 | 10 | 750 | 00013963 |
| Ebony Armor | Body | 43 | 38 | 1500 | 00013961 |
| Ebony Gauntlets | Hands | 16 | 7 | 275 | 00013962 |
| Ebony Boots | Feet | 16 | 7 | 275 | 00013960 |
| Ebony Shield | Shield | 32 | 14 | 750 | 00013964 |
Full set totals
- Ebony Armor – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 96 armor, 62 weight, 2800 gold; with the Ebony Shield: 128 armor, 76 weight.
Crafting and upgrades
Recipes at the forge – requires the Ebony Smithing perk:
- Ebony Helmet: 3 Ebony Ingot, 2 Leather Strips
- Ebony Armor: 5 Ebony Ingot, 3 Leather Strips
- Ebony Gauntlets: 2 Ebony Ingot, 2 Leather Strips
- Ebony Boots: 3 Ebony Ingot, 2 Leather Strips
- Ebony Shield: 4 Ebony Ingot, 1 Leather Strips
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Ebony 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.