The Forsworn – also known as the Madmen of the Reach – is one of the most unusual and mysterious factions in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Regarded by other races as “barbaric,” these outdoorsy rebels refuse to give up their ties to their Reachmen ancestors, claiming to have inhabited the region since far before the Nords came to “put them in chains.”
This ancestral connection to the land is evident in the way they dress – mostly with untreated animal hides and fur – and their religion, which involves worshiping Hagravens for their connection to nature and the spirit world.
Unfortunately, Bethesda also contributed to discriminating the Forsworn, and their armor sets leave a lot to be desired.
So check out these custom armor mods if you’re looking to give the Reachmen the honor they deserve.
The Reachmen set themselves apart from all other cultures in Skyrim by rejecting modernity and embracing their primal instinct and vigor.
This is reflected by their hide armor, which offers some protection from the cold while still exposing their muscles and showing their enemies that they are brutal savages not to be meddled with.
Banditry – Forsworn Gear allows you to craft these menacing garments yourself. They’re arranged in different tiers with different crafting costs and armor ratings.
You’ll be able to get the same protection as Leather, Steel, Ebony, or Dragonborn, while still looking like a madman/madwoman.
Personally, I could never get over how little protection the vanilla Forsworn equipment provided.
I get they’re the original indigenous people of the Reach, but why would they choose to barely cover themselves when living in the tundra?
Forsworn Armor Redux introduces a more believable version of this rugged armor. It’s still heavy in fur, horns, and animal bones – so it looks wild and fierce – but now, it covers the entire body.
The Forsworn Briarhearts are some of the most fearsome humanoid enemies in Skyrim.
After their heart is replaced by a Briar Heart, which looks like a slightly spikier artichoke, Forsworn become beefy primal terminators with immense strength and no fear.
I always liked their chest-exposing loincloth-styled armor, but regrettably, there’s no way to get it in the vanilla game.
For the Forsworn makes these loincloths lootable from Briarheart corpses, along with the rest of their armor. It also adds alternative versions of the loincloth, new headdresses, and a new bow.
Most cultures in Skyrim have some real-world inspiration.
The Cyrodiilic legions are inspired by the Roman Empire, the Nords are evidently a Norse people (AKA Vikings), and the people of High Rock share many similarities with ancient Brits.
If High Rock is Great Britain, the Reach is basically Scotland – full of strong, vigorous clans with a distinct culture and fashion.
Scottish Celtic Reachmen takes this idea and runs with it, granting the Madmen of the Reach Scottish-looking armor, including kilts and bad-ass Celtic tattoos.
No, I didn’t check whether they wear underwear under the kilts.
Nothing grinds my gears in Skyrim like legendary magical armor looking precisely like any other armor set.
A prime example is the Armor of the Old Gods. This “unique” item is basically just your run-of-the-mill Forsworn armor with a powerful enchantment – unless you get Daken’s Forsworn Revival.
Well this custom mod is a model replacement for the Armor of the Old Gods for both males and females that sets it apart from the average Forsworn apparel.
It also introduces a much cooler, more menacing version of Forsworn weaponry and several new headpieces that add variety to the Reachmen hordes.
Negotiating with culturally different societies always involves a little bit of adaptation – stuff like covering your nether regions in respect of their customs.
The Forsworn Envoy set seems to build on that idea.
Designed for female characters, this set protects against the elements while also shielding the silly Nords and Imperials from the primal power of the naked form.
At the same time, it retains staples of Forsworn culture like Hagraven feathers and human skulls.
Creator Kredans also includes a powerful and visually striking replacement for the Staff of Hag’s Wrath found in Darklight Tower that goes very well with these shamanic robes.
I know many of you are fundamentalists who believe in respecting Bethesda’s original vision for Skyrim.
If that’s your case, consider the Rustic Forsworn set by Gamwich.
Instead of disregarding the Reachmen’s rich culture by replacing their armor sets, this mod breathes new life into them with high-resolution textures that look just as rugged as the originals.
This also addresses a significant oversight on the part of Bethesda, who didn’t even bother to provide 2K textures for this armor set back when the official High-Resolution Texture Pack came out.
You’ll find a slightly more up-to-date version coupled with a “Rustic Daedric” set here.
One of the main things that give Skyrim and other open-world games that “video-gamey” feel that completely murders immersion is the repetitive nature of in-game equipment.
Nowhere is this as obvious as the Forsworn equipment. Despite having many different named warrior types, they all carry the exact same armor!
Forsworn Fashions by GolinskiRH overhauls the Forsworn’s ranks by granting each soldier their own armor variant and some badass Celtic body markings.
Easily my favorite is the Forsworn Ravager heavy armor, which incorporates pieces of plate seemingly taken from dead enemies and re-fitted into Forsworn-friendly styles.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
