Dragon Armor

Drachen Rüstung (Skyrim) The Dragonplate armor and Dragonscale armor are armor sets found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Smithing
Light and heavy variants of Dragon Armor can be forged from Dragon bones and Dragon scales. The "Dragon Smithing" perk must be awarded before this armor type can be crafted. The perk requires Smithing level 100.

Locations
Starting around level 50, Dragon armor pieces can be found as random loot from chests and containers. Armor pieces can be found at lower levels, if the Dragon Armor perk is acquired before reaching level 50. Acquiring it without the Dragon Armor perk is very rare but possible.

Versus Daedric
While Daedric armor has a higher armor rating than Dragonplate armour while at its base value once both armors are upgraded to Ledgendary Dragonplate has a slightly higher rating than Daedric along with its lower weight players lacking heavy armor perks are better off with the Dragonplate. However players with the perks can use either to equal effectiveness combining its similar armor rating with its greater aesthetic value.

Versus Glass
Dragonscale armour has a superior armour rating to Glass armour, but a higher weight. Once upgraded, Dragon Scale remains with a higher rating but still only by about 7, making the weight difrence a problem, even through the full Dragonscale set weighs less than a single Iron Armour.

Crafting materials
The materials for crafting Dragon Armour's are much more common than the materials needed for their competitors Daedric and Glass armours.

Dragon Scale vs Glass

Glass armour requires both Refined Malachite and Refined Moonstone both fairly rare materials while the Dragon Scales and Iron Ingots required for Dragonscale armour are easy to come by due to the abundance of Iron and dragons in Skyrim making the Dragonscale a far better alternative for players with little time or gold to spend on gathering materials.

Dragon Plate  vs Daedric

Daedric Armour requres 2 of the rarest materials in Skyrim Ebony Ingots and the ultra rare Daedra Hearts compared to the abundant Dragon Bone's and Scales required fo the Dragon Plate. Daedra Hearts go for 900 gold+ each and ebony for a lesser but still high price per unit making the cheaper yet more effecitve Dragon Plate armour a better alternative to the high priced Daedric armour.

(edit) Ebony ore can be mined easily from Gloombound Mine. there is enough ore in the mine to make a full set of Daedric or Ebony armor, the hearts can get taken from Jorrvaskr on the floor below in the end room. the Heart will respawn once a month (note. if the old guy catches you after you take it he will remove it from you inventory and it wont respawn untill the start of the next month, but if you do make it away he will try and kill you every time you go back, a console command is the only way i have found to stop him from killing me, also if he is attacking you he will still remove it from you invintory, so kill him THEN take it) Currently trying to find a fast way to get the Hearts, so far its kill people, 1 guard = 6 days (1000g crime) so kill 5 people (5000g) and it will be a month if you sleep off you crime. get 5 hearts (for the two handed weapon or 6 if you want a one handed weapon and a shield or even two one handed weapons) then head back to the mine and get some more ore, by now you have more then enough ore and enough hearts to make full daedric armor and a weapon and/or shield. this was the easiest way to make the full set that i have found. Note. if you wanted to improve the armor you have made, the 2nd run of the mine may have given you enough.

Pros and Cons
The main problem with Dragon Armours is they provide no weapon set to go with the perk

Dragon Armours provide better protection than their main rivals (Glass and Daedric)

The Dragon Plate armour weighs less than the Daedric

They are both far cheaper to craft than their rivals

Attributes by piece
These are the base attributes of the armor pieces, calculated without skill level or perks.

NPC reactions
Occasionally, when walking by a guard, they whistle and say "Is your armor made of... dragon bones/scales? By the gods, what I wouldn't do for a set of that."

Bugs

 * When wearing Dragonplate armors and carrying additional dragonplate armors, the weight of the other armors are completely negated. (This is most likely not a bug. It does it with all armors if you have the Steed stone or the Weightless Armor Perks.)
 * When worn by bestial races, such as Khajiit or Argonians, their cranial features and tails might disappear or function abnormally.
 * If worn by a horned Argonian, the back portion of the dragonscale helmet, as well as the Argonian's horns, will disappear leaving the back of the head exposed.

Gallery
Drachen Rüstung (Skyrim)