Which Is Better? Daedric or Dragonplate Armor In Skyrim?

Which is better? Daedric or Dragonplate armor?

Last month, Skyrim Fansite contributor Par-Kajarl wrote an outstanding article on how to get Daedric armor in Skyrim (if you missed the article, check it out here). Not surprisingly, just publishing an article about Daedric gear raised some questions with some of our readers regarding heavy armor in Skyrim: namely which is better — Daedric or Dragonplate?

RELATED: Skyrim Dragons Guide

Daedric or Dragonplate Armor?

On the surface, the answer to the question seems fairly obvious. Just looking at the stats, Daedric appears to be better:

Daedric Armor

Name	Armor	Weight	Value
Daedric Armor	49	50	3200
Daedric Boots	18	10	625
Daedric Gauntlets	18	6	625
Daedric Helmet	23	15	1600
Daedric Shield	36	15	1600

Dragonplate Armor

Name	Armor	Weight	Value
Dragonplate Armor	46	40	2125
Dragonplate Boots	17	8	425
Dragonplate Gauntlets	17	8	425
Dragonplate Helmet	22	8	1050
Dragonplate Shield	34	15	1050

As a whole, a complete set of Daedric armor has a total armor rating of 144 compared to Dragonplate’s 136. Daedric is worth more too: a complete set of gear is valued at 7,650 as opposed to Dragonplate’s 5,075.

Is It Really That Settled?

When it comes to Daedric or Dragonplate, it’s hard to argue against the numbers. Daedric clearly has higher stats when it comes to armor rating and value. That being said, some may argue against Daedric being “better.” Like many things in Skyrim it comes down to playing style and personal preference.

Here are four reasons why Dragonplate may be considered better than Daedric:

1. Dragonplate is lighter than Daedric armor (88 vs. 108), thus taking up less of a player’s available carry weight.

2. Dragonplate takes more skill to craft (Smithing Level 100) as opposed to Daedric (Smithing Level 90).

2. Some like the look and feel of Dragonplate more than the dark, sinister look of Daedric for their character.

3. The acquisition of Dragonplate is more “story friendly” in the sense that the Dragonborn spends a good deal of time killing Dragons and absorbing their souls. It only seems fitting (no pun intended) that the Dragonborn is ultimately decked out in gear fashioned from Dragon Bone as opposed to Daedra hearts and black soul gems.

Final Thoughts

One of the great things about Skyrim is the openess of the game. Players are given a lot of freedom to build a character and explore Skyrim as they best see fit. In that spirit, the question of “better” boils down to personal preference when contemplating Daedric or Dragonplate. Stats be danged.

So fellow travelers, what’s your opinion? Do you prefer Daedric or Dragonplate? Is armor rating and value the best gauge of determining which is better, or do other factors need to be taken into consideration? Share your opinions in the Speak Your Mind section below.