...and when I do find it, it's the horned type that can't be improved? My character isn't gonna use Elven or glass armor, so scaled is as good as it gets. I trudged through one bandit stronghold after another, only to find them in everything but scaled: tons of fur, plenty of hide, some leather, lots of iron, the occasional bit of steel, and the leaders were often in steel plate.


It's getting to the point where I'm finding ebony and glass stuff, but almost no scaled. I know a number of people are wearing it, but I'd have to murder them, and that's a no-go.

According to the wiki, one of the victims in the Dark Brotherhood quest With Friends Like These always wears the improveable version.

Right, this character ain't that sort.


I checked the wiki and supposedly it should show as leveled loot, but Imma see very little. The boots, bracers and helmet have been all over forever. The armor itself is rare as hen's teeth.

if you want to get Scaled Armors do the Thieves Guild Quest: Loud and Clear

all the mercenaries in this quest are in Scaled Armor ........................loot all the body's and you will have more armors than you could ever dream off

Or.....just make it yourself at a forge.


The reason its so rare in banditry....is its expendive gear....bandits are generally broke, eeking out a living robbing civilian travellers. Well heeled ex warriors like Brunwulf Freewinter would have purchased or made it during active service.....


Similarly you don't find bandit crews holed up in forts garbed in stolen imperial armour....they are not that good to fight for it and can't afford it.


Its a rough, miserable impecunious life in Skyrim...unless you are nobility....or lucky enough to be the player char.

Well, the bandits seem to afford some steel and the Chiefs are quite often in steel plate, so it's hard for me to see scaled as being out of their price range.

Because it's scaled to your level.

About 30-31 right now. I've been seeing steel plate for quite a while, but scaled is scarce.


Also: i c wut u did thar

Very good mate

This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but I actually like this. One of the things I most disliked about Oblivion was the heavy-handed way they implemented leveling in that game, especially item leveling. At certain key points as we leveled up, new "tiers" of weapons and armor would suddenly appear, as if by magic, nearly everywhere we went, on nearly everybody, at the same time.

Myself, I would rather deal with the occasional frustration of searching for a piece of gear than have it suddenly and inexplicably flood the game and be found everywhere on everybody. That said, I do think the leveled lists could stand a bit of fine-tuning. They are not always perfectly balanced.

you can buy one from one of the smiths. They are not that expensive. you will find one quickly if you are looking.

bandit marauder archers would have a chance of wearing them, but then they are likely to wear the horned version, which cannot be improved. (The unofficial patch fixes that.)

bandit chiefs are all melee heavy armor types so they don't wear it.

I guess as you level up more, your chance of finding them will go up as more and more of the bandits will be marauder class.

could I interest you on the dawnguard armor? they are easy to get, advanced armor class like scaled, and not elvish.