VERSION 4.5 UPDATES:
First off, I want to thank MrGamer100, without whose help I probably would have lacked the initiative to fix all that was broken with this mod. So yeah, thanks so much!

Version 4.5 is a pseudo-update to the Version 4 I released a few days ago. This version fixes all the altered textures issues from previous editions - weapons should now appear as they're meant to. Also includes the recent addition of armor ratings for clothing.

VERSION 4.0 UPDATES:
After an extended absence from Skyrim and modding in general, I've returned with an updated version of this mod. Version 4.0 finally fixes the much-maligned Dawnbreaker mesh issue, along with the lesser-noticed but still despised Forsworn Bow mesh issue. I've also corrected a few minor typos and small errors. Furthermore, the largest change to the mod's core concept in this version is the addition and incorporation of clothing as Light Armor. I've been pretty deeply entrenched lately in learning about historical armor, most notably gambesons and other cloth armors. Such armor was not only ubiquitous and cross-cultural in the past, but it has actually proven far more effective as armor than leather and other "light" armor materials (though, to be fair, leather armor in the fantasy biker-gear sense was never an historical innovation). In any case, I always found it troubling and inaccurate that the clothing in Skyrim - from the lowliest ragged trousers to the exquisite quilted finery - offered no protective value whatsoever. Now, almost every article of clothing (with the exception of, like, hand wraps and tattered head scarves and such) offers some degree of protection. Moreover, the blue and brown quilted versions of the "Fine Clothes" have been aptly renamed to "Quilted Gambeson", to reflect what they actually are; their prices have been accordingly increased and their protective value is superb for cloth armor (on par with leather and fur). I hope the inclusion of clothing as armor not only furthers the aim of this mod (to make combat and defense more realistic), but also deepens and expands roleplaying opportunities and player choice. Just a quick note: if there are any subsequent issues with Dawnbreaker or other meshes, please message me and I'll do my best to respond and remedy the problems. Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and constructive criticism. ENJOY!      ( - Rowan 2/1/2018)

*VERSION 3.0 UPDATES*, Hothtrooper44 Armor Compilation Compatibility Patch:
Fixed a number of small errors, minor tweaks, diversified bows a bit. This mod also now supports compatibility with hothtrooper44's amazing compilation of new armors. All armor and shields added by that mod have now been slightly tweaked to facilitate compatibility with Combat Realism. I'm currently working on a compatibility patch for hothtrooper's weapon compilation, but it's a lot more comprehensive and complex than the armor mod, so it's definitely going to take some time. For all those folks sending my requests and feedback on this mod, thank you for your support and patience!


*VERSION 2.0 UPDATES*:
Finally, after like a year and a half, I've managed to create a second version of this mod. Version 2.0 incorporates Dragonborn support (I know, I know, it's a little late...), AND fixes the ridiculously fast dagger speed. Daggers are now still faster than all other weapons, but less lightning quick than they were in the previous edition.

Along with this second edition, I want to extend my deep gratitude to the Skyrim modding community. Thank you all so deeply for the encouragement, support, feedback, positive commentary, and, of course, for all the endorsements. Cheers!



After searching far and wide for a combat/weapon-realism mod to suit my needs, and resigning myself to coming up empty handed every time, I threw together this little mod to satisfy my lust for deadly, realistic, and fast-paced combat.

Combat Realism - Weapons, Armor, and Blocking strives to do just that. With this mod, every weapon in the game has been altered and (hopefully) vastly improved. Following below is a brief description of changes. Those wanting a list of full changes and mod features should see the read-me provided in the download.

First, every weapon in Skyrim has been altered to be deadlier and more fearsome. No longer will your enemies withstand hundreds of blows from battleaxes and shrug of pincushions of arrows with disdain. Weapons are now DEADLY, as weapons in real life tend to be.

Weapons have also been streamlined and balanced with other weapons. So, for example, all steel hand axes (regular steel, Nordic steel, Orcish steel, Elven steel, etc.) have almost identical damage stats, but the different kinds of steel have their own unique characteristics. Orcish axes deal slightly more damage, but swing more slowly than other axes, as Orcish weapons are manufactured to be heavy and deal brutal blows. Elven weapons, being elegant and finely crafted, are lighter and swing more quickly, and deal slightly less damage. Glass weapons, being fragile, deal somewhat less damage, but, due to their extreme sharpness, have a much higher critical chance than mundane steel weapons. Ebony and Daedric weapons remain superior to mundane steel weapons in almost every stat, being that they're superior arcane materials.

Another major weapon change is daggers. Let's be honest- in vanilla Skyrim, daggers are a joke until a character earns the Assassin's Blade perk, and even then, on high difficulties, sneaking up on unwary enemies is uncommon. With this mod, daggers are now a viable primary weapons choice. They deal slightly more damage than vanilla daggers, but swing more quickly, as daggers in real life are light and can be swung with great speed.

Bows are similarly much deadlier and more viable as a primary weapon. As a long time hunter and primitive skills enthusiast, the most offensively wrong aspect of vanilla Skyrim is its laughably weak ranged weapons. Also, the idea that Imperial longbows are made of steel is absurd. A steel longbow would be entirely too heavy to pull and impossible to use. Just so, I've altered Imperial (steel) bows to be wooden, and to use leather strips for improvement, as with vanilla hunting bows.

In keeping with these changes, armor has also been modified to be slightly more effective and more useful against these deadlier weapons. Certain armors have been hugely altered from their vanilla counterparts. For example, Studded Leather Armor is now better than regular Leather Armor, not weaker as in the vanilla game. In my feeble real-life attempts at fabricating armor (and also experimenting with studded punk jackets), fastening metal studs to leather makes it much more effective as armor, not weaker as vanilla Skyrim would suggest.

Finally, to counterbalance the effects of deadly weaponry, and to emulate real-world combat, Blocking as a skill has seen some major changes. Blocking with a shield and blocking with weapons are both now much more effective at level 1. Taking several ranks in the Shield Wall perk makes a character essentially impervious to attack. I've always thought it was absurd that damage still soaks through a successful block. I mean, what's the point in even blocking if I'm still somehow hurt by the weapon that didn't even contact me? As in reality, when a block is successful with this mod activated and several ranks of Shield Wall taken, blocking becomes truly essential to and quite useful in combat.

This concludes the major sweeping changes brought about by this mod. For players who desire a complete list of changes and mod features, please view the read-me provided in the downloads.

Also, on a final note, players should be aware that this mod complements other realism and immersion mods- especially other combat immersion mods- quite nicely. I'm the kind of die-hard immersion and realism fanatic who can't play first person RPGs if I find them at all unbelievable or unrealistic (fantasy elements aside), so I tend to play Skyrim with a crapton of mods. That being said, here's a list of other mods that I use in tandem with Combat Realism - Weapons, Armor, and Blocking that I recommend other players use as well:

- Faster Arrows (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/1009/?)
- Dodge Mod (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/29258/?)
- Dual Wield Parrying (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/9247/?)
[Srsly, who thought that blocking while dual wielding is impossible? Shame on you, Bethesda.]
- Training Dummies and Targets (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/23698//?)
- Mercy (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/11932//?)
- Sneak Tools (http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19447/?) - allows stealthy characters to "slit throats", making daggers vastly more viable