Is Dark Armor Good in Skyrim? A Deep Dive
Yes, Dark Brotherhood armor is generally considered good in Skyrim, especially for assassin-style characters early to mid-game. It offers decent armor rating for its weight, boasts helpful enchantments focused on stealth and combat, and is relatively easy to obtain after joining the Dark Brotherhood.
What Makes Dark Armor Good?
The Dark Brotherhood armor set, comprising the Shrouded Armor, Shrouded Boots, Shrouded Gloves, and Shrouded Cowl, is a staple for stealth-based characters in Skyrim. Its appeal lies in a combination of factors:
Armor Rating and Weight
The armor strikes a good balance between protection and encumbrance. While it’s not the heaviest armor available, it provides a respectable armor rating that will keep you alive in most early encounters. More importantly, its relatively light weight allows for greater agility, which is crucial for sneaking and maneuvering effectively. This contrasts sharply with heavy armors which, while providing superior protection, significantly hinder movement and stealth capabilities.
Useful Enchantments
Each piece of the Dark Brotherhood armor comes with unique enchantments that are perfectly suited for a sneaky assassin:
- Shrouded Armor: Increases poison resistance by 50%. This is invaluable against traps and enemies that utilize poison attacks, allowing you to survive encounters that would otherwise be deadly.
- Shrouded Boots: Muffles the wearer’s movements. This enchantment is a game-changer for stealth, making it significantly harder for enemies to detect you while sneaking. It’s effectively a permanent Muffle spell, saving you valuable Magicka.
- Shrouded Gloves: Doubles backstab damage. This enchantment directly enhances your assassination potential, allowing you to dispatch enemies with a single, devastating sneak attack. This synergizes perfectly with the Assassin’s Blade perk in the Sneak skill tree, leading to truly lethal sneak attacks.
- Shrouded Cowl: Increases bow damage by 20%. This enchantment is useful for stealth archers, allowing you to deliver more powerful ranged attacks from the shadows. It complements the Stealth skill tree, creating a character capable of dispatching enemies from both close and long range.
Ease of Acquisition
Unlike some of the more powerful armor sets in Skyrim, the Dark Brotherhood armor is relatively easy to obtain. Simply joining the Dark Brotherhood and progressing through their questline will grant you access to the set. This makes it an attractive option for players looking for a powerful and effective set of armor early in the game without having to grind for hours.
Aesthetic Appeal
Subjective but relevant, the Dark Brotherhood armor has a distinct and recognizable appearance. Many players find its sleek, black design appealing and fitting for a character embracing the assassin role.
Limitations of Dark Armor
While excellent for certain builds, the Dark Brotherhood armor isn’t without its drawbacks:
Armor Rating Compared to Endgame Sets
As you progress through Skyrim and level up, you’ll find armor sets with significantly higher armor ratings, such as Daedric or Dragonplate armor. While you can improve Dark Brotherhood armor through smithing, it will never reach the same defensive capabilities as these endgame sets.
Limited Enchantment Slots
Each piece of the Dark Brotherhood armor is pre-enchanted. This means you cannot add your own custom enchantments, limiting your ability to tailor the armor to your specific needs and playstyle. In the late game, when you have access to powerful enchanting skills and materials, this restriction can become significant.
Build Specificity
The enchantments on the Dark Brotherhood armor are highly focused on stealth and assassination. This makes it less versatile than other armor sets, particularly for characters who prefer a more balanced approach to combat or focus on different skills.
No Matching Set Bonus
Unlike many other armor sets in Skyrim, the Dark Brotherhood armor does not grant a bonus for wearing a complete set. This means you’re not missing out on any extra benefits by mixing and matching pieces with other gear.
Dark Brotherhood Alternatives and Upgrades
As you advance through the game, you’ll discover superior alternatives:
- Nightingale Armor: Received from the Thieves Guild questline, offers a similar focus on stealth and utility but with different enchantments.
- Ancient Shrouded Armor: A superior version of the standard Dark Brotherhood armor, obtainable from a specific Dark Brotherhood quest, offering improved enchantments.
- Custom Enchanted Armor: Eventually, crafting and enchanting your own armor will provide the most customized and potentially powerful option, allowing you to tailor your gear to your exact specifications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Dark Armor
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further your understanding of Dark Brotherhood Armor:
1. How do I join the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim?
To initiate the Dark Brotherhood questline, you must first complete the quest “Innocence Lost” in Windhelm. After completing this quest, a courier will deliver a mysterious note to you, leading to the next stage in the questline. Sleeping in any bed after receiving the note will then trigger a cutscene that officially begins your journey with the Dark Brotherhood.
2. Where can I find the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary?
The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary is located in the pine forest west of Falkreath. You’ll need to follow the Dark Brotherhood questline to gain access to it.
3. Can I upgrade the Dark Brotherhood armor?
Yes, you can improve the Dark Brotherhood armor using the Smithing skill. You’ll need leather and leather strips.
4. What Smithing perk do I need to improve Dark Brotherhood Armor?
You need the Arcane Blacksmith perk to improve the Dark Brotherhood armor since it is considered enchanted.
5. Is there a better version of the Dark Brotherhood armor?
Yes, there is an Ancient Shrouded Armor set that is statistically better. This set is acquired during the “Locate the Assassins of Old” quest given to you after completing “The Cure for Madness” and speaking to Gabriella in the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.
6. How does the Muffle enchantment on the Shrouded Boots work?
The Muffle enchantment reduces the noise you make while moving, making it harder for enemies to detect you when sneaking. The Shrouded Boots have a 100% Muffle, making your movements virtually silent.
7. Can I disenchant the Dark Brotherhood armor?
No, you cannot disenchant the standard pieces of the Dark Brotherhood armor. The enchantments are unique and cannot be learned to be applied to other items.
8. Does the backstab damage bonus on the Shrouded Gloves stack with other sneak attack bonuses?
Yes, it stacks with other sneak attack damage bonuses, such as the Assassin’s Blade perk from the Sneak skill tree. This combination can result in incredibly high sneak attack damage.
9. Is the Dark Brotherhood armor leveled?
No, the Dark Brotherhood armor is not leveled. Its stats remain constant regardless of your character level when you acquire it.
10. Can I get the Dark Brotherhood armor without joining the Dark Brotherhood?
No, you must join the Dark Brotherhood and progress through their questline to obtain the armor.
11. Is the Dark Brotherhood armor good for a stealth archer build?
Yes, the Dark Brotherhood armor is very good for a stealth archer build, especially early to mid-game. The Shrouded Cowl’s bow damage bonus and the Shrouded Boots’ muffle enchantment are particularly beneficial.
12. What are some alternatives to the Dark Brotherhood armor for stealth characters?
Alternatives include the Nightingale Armor, Thieves Guild Armor, and self-enchanted armor with Muffle, Fortify Sneak, and Fortify Archery enchantments.
13. How does the poison resistance enchantment on the Shrouded Armor help?
The poison resistance enchantment reduces the damage taken from poison attacks by 50%. This is helpful against enemies like spiders and chaurus, and also reduces the duration of poison-related status effects.
14. What are the base armor stats for each piece of the Dark Brotherhood Armor?
The base armor rating for each piece is:
- Shrouded Armor: 29
- Shrouded Boots: 11
- Shrouded Gloves: 11
- Shrouded Cowl: 15
15. Can I use the Dark Brotherhood Armor for a non-stealth build?
While you can, it’s not optimal. The enchantments are specifically tailored for stealth and assassination. For a non-stealth build, other armor sets with more general combat benefits would be more effective.
In conclusion, Dark Brotherhood armor is a powerful and accessible option for stealth-focused characters in Skyrim, particularly in the early to mid-game. While it eventually gets outclassed by more powerful armor sets, its combination of useful enchantments, decent armor rating, and ease of acquisition make it a worthwhile choice for any aspiring assassin.