Skyrim Build Calculator

Skyrim Light Armor perks

Fighting effectively while wearing light armor. Light Armor is a thief skill with 6 perks and 10 perk ranks.

Perks
6 perks, 10 perk points to complete
Skill type
Thief (Stealth)
Race bonus
Argonian, Wood Elf, Dark Elf, Nord +5
XP 15 → 100
528,804 skill XP
Training 15 → 90
120,450 gold (75 sessions)

Plan a build with these perks

Light Armor perk tree

PerkRankSkillRequiresEffect
Agile Defender 1/5 0 — +20% light armor rating
2/5 20 Agile Defender 1 +40% light armor rating
3/5 40 Agile Defender 2 +60% light armor rating
4/5 60 Agile Defender 3 +80% light armor rating
5/5 80 Agile Defender 4 Doubles light armor rating
Custom Fit — 30 Agile Defender +25% armor rating with head, chest, hands and feet all light
Unhindered — 50 Custom Fit Light armor weighs nothing and does not slow you down
Wind Walker — 60 Unhindered Stamina regenerates 50% faster in full light armor
Matching Set — 70 Custom Fit Extra 25% armor rating with a matched set of light armor
Deft Movement — 100 Wind Walker or Matching Set 10% chance to avoid all damage from a melee attack

When a perk lists two prerequisites, you need only one of them.

Planning your Light Armor perks

Completing the whole Light Armor tree costs 10 of the roughly 80 perk points you get by level 81, so most builds take only the perks they will really use. Start with the perks at the bottom of the tree, then follow the branch that suits your play style up to its top perk.

The highest perks in the tree need a skill of 90 or 100: Deft Movement (100).

How to level Light Armor

Every time Light Armor goes up, your character earns experience equal to the new skill level, so a high Light Armor skill also helps you level up quickly. Raising it from 15 to 100 takes about 528,804 skill experience in total. Trainers can take it to 90 for about 120,450 gold, five sessions per character level. Use the skill XP calculator for exact numbers between any two levels.

Light Armor FAQ

How many Light Armor perks are there in Skyrim?
The Light Armor tree has 6 perks with 10 ranks in total, so filling it completely takes 10 perk points and a Light Armor skill of 100.
Which races are best for Light Armor?
Argonian, Wood Elf, Dark Elf, Nord start with it at 20 (+5). Every other race starts at 15. The bonus only matters early on: all races can reach 100.
How much XP does it take to level Light Armor to 100?
Raising Light Armor from 15 to 100 takes about 528,804 skill experience. Training it from 15 to 90 with trainers would cost about 120,450 gold over 75 sessions.
What skill level do you need for Deft Movement?
Deft Movement needs Light Armor 100 and Wind Walker or Matching Set. 10% chance to avoid all damage from a melee attack.