Imperial Light Armor is the lighter kit of the Imperial Legion: leather with steel reinforcement, worn by scouts and archers in the Legion’s ranks. It’s an early-game set, roughly on par with Fur Armor and below Leather Armor, and it’s the natural light alternative to the heavier Imperial Armor.
How to get it
Many players get their first set within minutes of starting the game. According to players, if you follow Hadvar during Unbound, you can kit yourself out in Imperial gear inside Helgen‘s keep, and the light pieces are among what you can grab.
Crafting requires the Steel Smithing perk, available at Smithing 20, plus steel ingots, leather and leather strips. Tempering only needs leather. Imperial Light gear is also common loot from Legion soldiers you fight, especially if you side with the Stormcloaks in the civil war, and it turns up in blacksmith stock in Imperial-held cities like Solitude.
Is it worth wearing?
Mostly for roleplay or the very early game. The four pieces total 46 armor rating for 11 weight, which is slightly worse than Leather Armor, and leather doesn’t need a perk at all. Since Steel Smithing is usually the first perk players take anyway, it’s no hardship to craft, but there are better uses for your ingots.
Where it shines is the look: if you’ve signed up through Joining the Legion and want to sneak around as a Legion scout, this is the outfit. Matching Set and Custom Fit both apply, and there’s an Imperial Light Shield (19 AR) to complete the uniform.
Good to know
- All pieces are tempered with leather, even though the recipes use steel.
- It’s one of the few light sets with a dedicated shield.
- The helmet, cuirass and bracers all share the Legion look of the heavy set.
Set pieces
| Piece | Slot | Armor | Weight | Value | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Light Helmet | Head | 11 | 2 | 35 | 00013EDB |
| Imperial Light Armor | Body | 23 | 6 | 75 | 00013ED9 |
| Imperial Light Bracers | Hands | 6 | 1 | 15 | 00013EDA |
| Imperial Light Boots | Feet | 6 | 2 | 15 | 00013ED7 |
| Imperial Light Shield | Shield | 19 | 4 | 40 | 00013AB2 |
Full set totals
- Imperial Light Armor – helmet, cuirass, gauntlets and boots: 46 armor, 11 weight, 140 gold; with the Imperial Light Shield: 65 armor, 15 weight.
Crafting and upgrades
Recipes at the forge – requires the Steel Smithing perk:
- Imperial Light Helmet: 1 Leather, 1 Leather Strips, 1 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Light Armor: 2 Leather, 3 Leather Strips, 2 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Light Bracers: 1 Leather, 2 Leather Strips, 1 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Light Boots: 1 Leather, 2 Leather Strips, 1 Steel Ingot
- Imperial Light Shield: 2 Leather Strips, 2 Steel Ingot
Improve (temper) the pieces at a workbench with Leather.
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.