For NPCs you see so frequently, the Stormcloaks and Hold Guards of Skyrim tend to get rather little attention, and what attention they do get tends to either be few and far between. Skyrim Special Edition has yet to see much of any love for either group as of yet, so this mod aims to change that in a few simple ways;

 + Hold Mantles - This mod adds cloth mantles in the colors and insignias of each hold. These mantles now act as the guards badge of office, or in the case of Windhelm and the Stormcloaks, a symbol of rebellion.

 + Proper Armor - Gone are the days of the faceless clone troopers berating you about lost confectionery delights! Now they will (mostly) say it to your face while wearing armor sets based on the lore, location, climate and prosperity of the hold they represent. While the Silver Blood family can afford to deck the guards of the Reach out in sets of steel and plate, the slow trade and lack of skilled tradesmen leaves the guards of the Hjaalmarch to work with simple hides and mismatched sets of iron. Each hold has multiple sets of armor befitting them, some overlap, while others remain somewhat unique to their Hold. 

 + A True Rebellion - One of the biggest mistakes Bethesda made in my own opinion, was not giving the Stormcloaks equipment enough attention, muddying their identity as little more than faceless xenophobic, as opposed to being real (virtual) men fighting for what they believe in. I did my best to remedy this by giving them a massive boon to their variety of armors and outfits for them to spawn with. Those joining the Rebellion would likely bring their own armor, be it a suit of steel, or a bundle of furs, before dawning the mantle of Windhelm's colors for better or worse.

This mod isn't especially complicated, nor is it flashy, sexy nor elaborate. What it is, is a simple and realistic answer to the problem of lacking variety that marred an otherwise untouchable experience Bethesda gave us.


If you do enjoy, please remember to leave an endorsement, a comment, and/or a screenshot of the mod in use!



keungkeung - For allowing me to use the models and base texture of his excellent mod BlanketScarf which i retextured to give the hold guards their new look!

Faelrin - For his simple and clean retexture of the Guard Armor that allowed me to make a generic cuirass and helmet so not to lose any potential variety of equipment!

Kyim - For giving me permission to include his Guard Gut Fix, which single handedly raises the guard armor model from embarrassing trash to respectable protection!



Perfect Legionnaire - In case you want your intimidating Imperial Legion to look like something that isn't a roving leather clad Canadian biker gang.
(used in my screenshots)

Warmth - Light Armor Replacer - For those who don't really enjoy freezing their virtual naughty bits off... Put on some &%m$ pants you plebeian.
(used in my screenshots)

Super Sleeves of Skyrim- Because arms are people too! Or at least arn't very useful when entirely numb from the cold.

Gut Fix - Guards and Stormcloaks- Works perfectly with SE without any need to modify... Included in my mod; in case you don't want to use my mod.. *sniffle*
(used in my screenshots)

Bane - Leather Helmet Replacer- When the phallic nature of the Vanilla Leather Helmet is, just too much to take.




Q; Does this conflict with....
A; Although few to my knowledge exist, this mod WILL conflict with any mod that changes the guard armors/outfits or the stormcloak armors/outfits. Make a merged patch with Xedit if you feel it necessary. Otherwise there should be no conflicts.

Q; Can I install this mod mid play-through?
A; Yes, doing so will not hurt your game in any way. However, any guards you have already met will still be wearing vanilla guard outfits, since to avoid naked men I did not change/remove any of their assets. To fix this either use the Resurrect command through console, or wait 30 days in a bed. (this doesnt always work.) Though not necessary this mod is best used with a fresh play-through.

Q; OH MY GAWD! There is like.. CLIPPING!!!
A; Yup.

...

*sigh* Fiiiine...

A2, Electric Boogaloo; Yes there is and always will be clipping, especially with the female model of the Hold Mantles. They are tight in many places and do tend to clip with anything bulkier. I did my best to pair chest-plates/curiasses with them that would keep clipping to a minimum, this is however an inherently imperfect solution. I have no experience with model work, If you wish to try and loosen/modify the models ask the author and send it to me when you finish and i would be glad to include them, otherwise.. dem's da breaks.

Q; Will you release this on ______?
A; Probably not. I only have a gaming PC, and would prefer not to release something I cannot test nor maintain properly.

Q; I dont like X feature! Change it for meee?
A; No, learn to mod or be grateful to those who do it for you. You cannot have your cake and eat it too, the cake is a lie anyway. The Universe is a Hologram. BUY GOLD!

Q; Can 1 seez ur boobles gurl?
A; U wot m8!?



- You are NOT allowed to distribute this file or its assets to any other site without my permission.
- You are NOT allowed to monitize this file or its assets in any way.
- You are ARE allowed to post translations of this mod WITHOUT assets as long as long as credit is given to myself and the creators of its assets.