Essentially multiple layers of linen or wool with a reinforcing cross stitch to bind them all together. The clother is light weight, if not a bit uncomfortably warm. However, it will provided some protection against slashing attacks, and minimal protection against hacking and piercing attacks. Against a crushing attack, this armor does virtually nothing.

Sand cloth is a special kind of reinforced cloth weave. Created by the Almohad tribesmen of the south, its layers have small areas of space between them, as well as ventilation holes. The resulting clothing is extremely comfortable in the hot desert climate. For some reason, the Almohad have discovered a way to make the darker colors actually cool the wearer instead of overheat them. This armor provides almost identical protection as cross weave.

The opposite of cross weave and sand cloth, padded armor is fairly uncomfortable to wear in hot weather (although it provides excellent cold protection). Many skilled Northern warriors eschew other types of armor because armor cannot protect a warrior from the dangers of frostbite and lost fingers. This armor is basically two thick layers of wool with soft padding thickly pocketed between them in regular intervals. It provides somewhat decent protection against crushing attacks, but virtually no protection against slashing, hacking, or piercing damage.

The most common type of leather armor is waxed and/or boiled. While the armor will not stop a blow perfectly, grizzled veterans will all tell stories of how this armor will reliably turn any blow from a lethal blow into a serious one. Serious, but the wearer will live. The tough material provides good protection against piercing attacks. It also will warp when cut, causing slashing and hacking attacks to get caught in the armor, preventing them from fully cutting the wearer. Lastly, the armor is quite tough, yet flexible, making it also good at cushioning against blunt attacks.

Studded leather armor is basically waxed armor with a series of large metal studs attacked to the outside. These are either in a square or hexagonal fashion. The studs have the additional property of giving the armor a slight chance to totally deflect a slashing or hacking attack, and a very very small chance of even deflecting piercing attacks. However, the studs also make excellent contact points for blunt weapons, slightly reducing the armor's effectiveness against blunt attacks.

A more extreme version of studded leather, the metal studs have been replaced with larger metal rivets which attach small metal plates to the outside of the armor. Heavier and more expensive than normal leather, this is basically a very heavy type of bribandine armor. However, it provides excellent protection against slashing, hacking, and piercing attacks, and is also as good against crushing as waxed leather. The only downside is that the combined weight of the leather and metal plates is excessive, sometimes even exceeding the weight of chainmail. The armor is also also bulky, making the wearer somewhat clumsy.

The most common type of armor worn by nobility among all tribes, chain mail is heavy and bulky, but provides excellent protection against slashing and even hacking weapons. The strong metal links and the layer of cloth padding underneath also make it somewhat effective against crushing attacks. Chainmail's true weakness is against piercing attacks, which are capable of bursting open the metal links. In this regard, chain mail is actually little better than leather or cloth.

An alternative to chain mail, scale mail is created out of many small and layered metal plates, giving it the appearance of large scales. The layers give scale mail even worse protection against crushing weapons, although the scales lack the flexibility to absorb and twist out from slashing and hacking attacks. Scale mail is slight better than chainmail for stopping hacking attacks, but is slightly worse for stopping slashing attacks. In addition, scale mail is also much better at stopping piercing attacks.

The very heaviest metal armor short of platemail, banded mail is created by attaching rigid bands of metal over a thin suit of leather armor, with chain mail to cover up joints and other non-vital areas. The resulting armor is very tough, but also somewhat heavy and bulky. The rigid bands of metal mean the armor is good at stopping slashing and hacking attacks, while the leather underneath also means the armor is good at stoping piercing and crushing attacks. An excellent armor for those willing to bear the weight and bulk.

Light brigandine armor is cloth armor with a special kind of cross stitch to weave in a patter of metal disks or studs. The armor is much like studded leather, only with a fraction of the weight. Likewise, the protection is but a fraction of studded armor. However, the thick layers of cloth and additional protection of the disks or studs means this armor gives much better protection than its weight suggests.

At this point, the metal disks are more like plates, and are deliberately shaped to fit together in a close pattern. The weaving usually must connect the plates by the side, rather than going through a central hole. The armor is heavier, but since the holding material is cloth, it is still fairly comfortable. This armor gives less protection against crushing attacks because there is less cloth to hold the metal together. However, it gives a very improved level of protection against slashing, hacking, and piercing attacks.

This armor is effectively platemail in its construction. The material used to hold this down is typically either leather (much like riveted leather) or multiple layers of cloth. The metal plates are sewn into special pockets, and sometimes overlap. The armor's disadvantage compared with platemail is the weight, although it is not as bulky as purely metal armors such as banded mail. It provides excellent protection against slashing, hacking, and piercing attacks due to the overlapping metal plates. Against crushing attacks, it still provides very good protection due to the layering.

The early platemail was steel covers for certain body parts, such as the chest, legs, arms, and shoulders. The rest was covered in chainmail to save on weight. This armor is very heavy, but provides unprecedented protection against slashing and hacking. Piercing attacks fail against the plate sections, and crushing is often the most effective way to get through the armor. However, crushing is often no better against plate than against chainmail. The only true disadvantage is the sheer weight and bulk of the armor.

A novel invention, articulated platemail takes advantage of the rigidity of steel. By crafting the entire suit out of steel with no flexible links, the very weight of the armor can be used to support itself. The resulting armor feels much lighter to the wearer than it really is, although this costs him maneauverability. Articulated plate provides incredible protection against hacking, slashing, and piercing attacks. The only real vulnerabilities are inbetween the joints and in the cracks.

A recent modification by the Frislenders, fluted platemail moves away from the smooth curves of articulated platemail to plates with ridges and other bumps. This has the additional effect of further raising the protection the platemail gives to slashing and hacking attacks. It has no effect upon piercing attacks, but it does make the platemail slightly more easier to crack open with a crushing weapon due. The Frislenders are hard at work trying to resolve the only problem they see with their new invention.

A small round shield that straps onto the forearm, the buckler requires fast reflexes to use safely. It is capable of blocking even blows from two-handed weapons provided the user parries near the haft. However, the low surface area makes the buckler all but useless against bows and crossbows.

Larger than the buckler, the round shield is usually made out of wood, although steel examples do exist. This shield is light weight, easy to use, and provides decent protection against missile fire. While some round shields are only enlarged bucklers, other round shields are large enough for men to hide behind when under fire.

A heater shield has a flat top, and the sides curve into a point at the bottom. It is similar to a kite shield, but typically is not quite as large. These are favorites among the Montaigne and Mercians, as the length of the shield makes it more able to block missile fire while weighing less. However, these shields are somewhat unsuited towards being used as bashing weapons due to their lack of width. They can still be used as rushing weapons quite well.

The kite shield is somewhat different from the heater shield. It has a rounded top, and although the sides also taper into a point at the bottom, they are straight. Kite shields are also typically larger than heater shields, making them even better at providing missile cover and blocking blows. Due to their increased size, they are also good as rushing, but are unusable as bashing weapons.

The tower shield is a cumbersome rectangle of metal, some even have eye slits. They are large, heavy, and provide unstoppable missile cover. While they are useless in single combat because they block vision, they are incredibly useful in formations. So long as someone is guarding your flank, the tower shield provides a large bonus to their flank. So long as the bearer is part of an organized formation, the tower shield is the best defensive structure available.