Heavy Armor ( Skyrim ) Heavy Armor is a skill in . Heavy Armor skill is raised by the use of certain kinds of armor that the in - game character can equip . Heavy armor typically weighs more than light armor , injuring speed and carrying capacity at the offset of added protection . Penalties to speed and carrying capacity can be countered using The Steed Stone , consuming Potions of Carry Weight , or using the Conditioning perk . Books and quests . These books permanently raise the Heavy Armor skill : These quests permanently raise the Heavy Armor skill : Damage reduction . Armor increases the Dragonborn ' s armor rating , which decreases how much physical damage is dealt to them . The maximum damage reduction is capped at 80 % , which is achieved : Perks . The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up . Training . Leveling up armor skills is relatively simple : take physical damage in combat while wearing armor pieces of that type . To level up the Heavy Armor skill most efficiently , wear a full set of Heavy Armor ( head , hands , feet , chest ) . The rate of skill gain is based on " the total amount of damage incoming before armor is applied " . Thus , taking multiple attacks from a skeever or wolf levels heavy armor at a significantly slower rate than blows from Giant s or Mammoth s would . Being the victim of power attacks likewise grants more experience than a standard attack . Conversely increasing armor rating does " not " decrease the rate at which the skill advances . One can rapidly level up the skill simply by finding an enemy ( or group of enemies ) which uses physical attacks and allowing them to attack without attacking back . Mudcrabs are useful in this regard , as they have low health yet can do enough damage , especially the larger varieties . Restoration magic and healing potions can be used to restore any damage taken ( thus one can also level up the Restoration skill simultaneously ) . If you have a shield of the appropriate armor type , one can also upgrade the block skill as well during this process . Taking on larger groups and / or more powerful enemies will level the skill ( s ) faster , but one has to balance their ability to restore their own health against the amount of damage they will be taking . To level up the skill in complete safety , especially at low levels , one can find a brawl opponent willing to brawl repeatedly without charging a wager - usually during a quest such as the " Hired Muscle " quest often dispensed near the beginning of the Companions questline or the " Taking Care of Business " quest for the Thieves Guild . Armor types . The following is heavy armor sets that benefit from this skill : Craftable armor . The Armors listed here are Heavy Armors that are able to be crafted by the Dragonborn given the appropriate perk . Non - craftable armor . The following Armors are Heavy Armors that are either given to the Dragonborn as a quest reward , bought , or found randomly throughout the world ; they cannot be crafted . Some are unique items , others are non - craftable sets . Armor sets . An armor set is defined as a complete set of armor that includes one matching armor piece for the head , chest , hands and feet . There are several different armor sets available in Skyrim , both in heavy and light variants . Certain armor sets can provide special bonuses if the full set is worn . See the main article for a full list .