Current Events > Plate armor VS. Chainmail - which feels heavier to wear?

(+) Yeah! (+)

its chainmail

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Which one weighs more in dark souls?
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I've never worn either...


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explain why plate armor wouldn't feel heavier

what is even the point of chainmail then
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Damn_Underscore posted...

explain why plate armor wouldn't feel heavier

what is even the point of chainmail then

Different weight distribution?

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i assume it has to do with since plate is more rigid, it sort of carries its own weight, rather than just hanging off your shoulders

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I just know plate armor isn't as heavy and bulky and cumbersome as media makes it out to be.

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pretty much any movement that would make you feel the full weight of plate isn't really possible

it was strictly better than mail and it wasnt widespread immediately for reasons of cost

once it was widespread, firearms were what made it obsolete

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Damn_Underscore posted...

explain why plate armor wouldn't feel heavier

what is even the point of chainmail then

DrizztLink posted...

Different weight distribution?

Partly the weight distribution, partly that plate uses less metal. It was an improvement over chainmail that allowed people better protection and better movement.

Southernfatman posted...

I just know plate armor isn't as heavy and bulky and cumbersome as media makes it out to be.

Yup, its a media-driven misconception. It makes sense intuitively but it wasnt the reality.

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Southernfatman posted...

I just know plate armor isn't as heavy and bulky and cumbersome as media makes it out to be.

That depends on the thickness of it.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]




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if youre puny then chainmail would be heavy.

the only person to wear and look good wearing head chainmail is Scott Steiner

Plate Mail was sometimes pretty thin, with chainmail or leather or such still being worn under it on the torso to offer some additional protection (or a bunch of leather padding on the inside, or some other such design). In some cases, specific parts of plate may have thicker metal to specifically protect a vital area better, or simply have multiple plates in that location.

If you make the platemail thicker, then it becomes heavier, of course. Early guns were as effective as they were against plate though because most of it was on the thinner side to allow people to attack properly without it being so cumbersome that they would fall to the first lightly armored enemy with a mace they meet. Eventually it just got to where making it thicker might protect against the bullets of the time still, but most wearers would barely be able to function in combat.

Chainmail tends to be pretty thick, and is the same thickness pretty much everywhere, so even with all the empty space in the rings it still gets pretty heavy.


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Plate armor also generally has the benefit of straps that help distribute the weight. It was still very tiring to fight in, but could actually deflect an arrow or a spear - the two most common foot-soldier weapons. An enemy soldier with a blunt, heavy weapon could still compromise the armor and ruin one's day, though.

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