Wearing Armor and Stuff (Patreon)

Is it Good?

This discussion came up a while back. In fact, I have had this post ready for some time and simply never got around to posting it for one reason or another.

Is there a point in wearing armor when everyone is a punch wizard? Is it useful? Does it do anything?

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: This may take a few paragraphs.

Let’s get something important out of the way first. No one, other than perhaps the lowliest of peasants, is wearing normal clothes. I sometimes mention how the robes Sect disciples wear are made of materials made to withstand combat with disciples on the same level. The same goes for armor.

The armor the regular soldiers of the Storm Dragon Empire wear is not some low-quality metal that will break after a few hits. It is cheap enough to be mass-produced by the Storm Dragon Empire, but that doesn’t mean its quality is poor. It is strong enough so people in the Nascent Realm can stand there hitting each other, and the armor will take it. Basically, it does what armor is supposed to. Offer an extra layer of protection during combat.

The weaker soldiers obviously benefit more from the armor. Still, considering the average level of the army, the armor is valuable most of the time.

Also, people in higher ranks get better armor.

The armor worn by the Three Heavenly Generals is good enough to withstand attacks from someone in the Emperor Realm. However, it is considerably harder to make and requires some very special materials and super duper forging methods. That’s why only three people in the story are wearing that armor.

It used to be five.

Okay but cloth can also be special and protect you, can’t it? You just said the robes worn by Sect disciples are made to withstand combat with other disciples of the same level.

Yes.

High-quality cloth absolutely offers protection. Much like with armor, there are varying levels of quality. For example, the robes worn by Core Disciples of the Xiao Sect are far inferior to what Core Disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan wear. There is no comparison.

All the same, there are things armor will do that cloth won’t. The same goes the other way. For example, armor is generally better against blunt force. However, it is also generally easier to obtain material for cloth that contains special properties. For example, the fur from a fire fox is innately attuned to fire, giving better protection against it and even helping channel attacks of that element.

To do the same thing for armor, you want to find Spirit Beasts with tough scales and hides, and that’s harder sometimes for more than one reason.

There is also a matter of availability and culture to consider. The Storm Dragon Empire has lots of mines and a militaristic culture, so they favor armor.

All that said, at the highest levels, there is functionally no difference. It’s really all a matter of how you min-max your defensive bonuses.