Can anyone explain the pros and cons between heavy and light armor? Is there a trade off in speed, stealth?

[ 05-16-2006, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Luvian ]

Light is light, heavy is heavy, and heavy is generally better than light. Ever since TESI, Heavy Armor is the armor, and light is just something you wear if you find a glass boot but can't find a Daedric one. In Oblivion, it's even more tipped to the Heavy Armor, because it weighs less when you wear it. It's my little pet peeve.

Heavy slows you down and I've never seen heavy that has desireable magical bonuses for stealth characters that some of the light armor has (specifically the dark brotherhood stuff... best armor I've found for a stealth character).

Typically my stealth character can attack with a bow a couple times before the heavy gets close, then run out of his range (they typically don't even get a swing in) and attack again. Only guy I've ever fought that I couldn't outrun was a crazy unarmed fighter in Bruma - that guy was a pita.

I thought that once you reach Expert or Master in Heavy that it shouldn't encumber you?

I've been trying to decide whether or not to move to ebony armour (I got it off Umbra). I currently have a full glass set. My Light Armour rating is higher than my Heavy as I've been using light - I'm Expert in Light and only Apprentice in Heavy. But my Heavy is a major skill and light a minor as I'm a Spellsword (which is strange, I thought it would be the other way around).

Should I try and develop my Heavy proficiency or stick to Light and try to get Master?

I hadn't thought of that. A legitimate discrepancy (sp? it's been a looong wkend.) and you're quite justified in being peeved by it.

At mastery level I don't thing there is a difference, except possibly the durability. At expert level, heavy armour will way the same as light armour, and light armour will weigh nothing. At master level, light armour will have DOUBLE the defence value, and heavy armour will have zero encumbrance.

Potato, potahto...

At lower levels, light armour provides less damage reduction, but more mobility. So if your style involves a lot of side stepping to avoid blows altogether, heavy armour will slow you down. If you prefer to just stand your ground and whack, heavy armour is the one to take.

Also, don't wear full daedric armour if you strength is low and you're a puny wizard with low hp.

What's the deal with Daedric armour and HP?

No deal, it's just that daedric is the heaviest, and with a low hp, low strength character, it's probably doing more harm than good.

Glass and Daedric both weigh nothing and have same protection at max skill. Until you get to that point, heavy armor weighs more and gives more protection.

My last character used both, wore light armor to keep weight down and Spellbreaker gave like 40 armor by itself.

Yep. You can't run away if you are weighed down. If you HP are low, running away is more important than usual.

My last character used primarily destruction on touch spells and heavy armour. Essentially a melee character, but he did a lot of damage. He had high HP, though, or it would have been suicide