LARP Armour and Kit: From Leather to Plate Armour

In LARP there is no ceiling: some players wear hand-sewn chainmail, individually crafted helmets, and weapons from small artisan workshops. And there are those who have played brilliantly for years — with a tweed linen shirt from a charity shop and a borrowed sword. This article shows how a kit can evolve with growing experience and investment — without claiming that more is always better.

LARP armour at a glance: the four types

Armour in LARP is 90 % look and feel — and 10 % rules, because at many events it grants extra hit points. Four types cover almost everything you'll see on a field, and they stack: the gambeson is the base, everything else goes over it. (If you're reading from the US: armor — same thing, one letter fewer.)

Gambeson: the first layer of armour

A gambeson is a quilted, padded coat — in the Middle Ages the layer under chain and plate, in LARP often the only armour you'll ever need. It costs 60–150 €, keeps you warm on cold nights, softens hits and instantly turns a plain costume into a fighter's kit. Look for cotton or linen (not polyester — you will sweat), sleeves that let you move, and check whether your event counts it as armour. For beginners it is the most sensible armour purchase there is.

Leather armour: light, affordable, versatile

Breastplates, bracers, and pauldrons in leather or faux leather (30–250 €) are light, suit almost any setting, and look better with a few scuffs than brand new. Ideal for rangers, mercenaries, and rogues. Downside: leather and rain don't mix well — let it dry and condition it after an event.

Chainmail: the classic, with weight

A chainmail hauberk weighs 8–15 kg and costs 100–300 € (galvanised/riveted costs more). It looks great but is a commitment for the whole weekend: anyone who has worn chain for twelve hours knows why a gambeson underneath is non-negotiable. The natural next step for knights, guards, and noble houses.

Plate armour and helmets: for the experienced

Plate pieces in steel or EVA foam (breastplate, greaves, gauntlets) from around 150 € a piece, a helmet from 60 €. Steel is impressive, heavy, and loud; EVA is light and safe but needs a good paint job. Helmets are no rules bonus at most events, but a huge boost to immersion — and headshots are banned anyway, so the helmet is pure look.

Level 1: Getting Started (0–100 €)

For your first event you don't need a perfect kit. You need one that works.

Clothing: Natural materials in muted colours. Linen shirts, simple cotton trousers, a broad belt. Second-hand shops, flea markets, and online platforms are your best friends here.

Shoes: Brown or black leather lace-ups with no visible branding. Rubber soles are fine at most events.

Weapon: Optional for the first event. At many events you can borrow a weapon, or more experienced players will help you out. Alternative: a beginner foam weapon from a reputable LARP shop, starting from around 30–50 €.

Accessories: A simple pouch, a knife belt, a few plain pieces of jewellery — all findable at flea markets or craft shops.

Level 2: Solid Foundation (100–400 €)

After a few events you know what you actually need — and can invest more deliberately.

Clothing: This is when your first purchase from a LARP shop makes sense. Well-fitting linen or cotton tunics, solid trousers, a cloak for bad weather. Quality costume from a specialist retailer lasts many years and survives more intensive events.

Shoes: A good pair of leather boots is the single most worthwhile investment at this level. Twelve hours on your feet in bad shoes is a miserable experience.

Weapon: Regular fighters now invest in their own quality weapon. Mid-range weapons from established brands (80–150 €) are significantly more durable than beginner versions and have better balance.

Armour: Not yet essential, but first pieces can make sense now: a padded gambeson, leather shoulder guards, vambraces. These are affordable, stylistically versatile, and often relevant for game mechanics as well.

Level 3: Developed Kit (400–1,500 €)

At this level equipment begins to become a personal statement. The character's look is more cohesive, higher quality, more immersive.

Clothing: Higher-quality fabrics, hand-sewn or made-to-measure pieces, more complex layering and colour coordination. This is when it makes sense to buy selectively from specialist LARP tailors or historical craft workshops.

Armour: Complete leather armour, riveted brigandines, historically inspired plate pieces in steel or EVA foam. Good armour in this price range is durable and — with proper care — will last decades.

Weapon: Premium latex weapons with better aesthetics, more detailed paint finishes, and greater longevity. Some manufacturers offer individual customisation.

Props and camp equipment: Handcrafted chests, period lanterns, textiles and furniture for an atmospheric camp — this makes a difference when others step into your space.

Level 4: Prestige Kit (1,500 €+)

This level is for passionate LARPers who treat their hobby as an art form. It does not describe a necessary investment, but shows what is possible.

Clothing: Made-to-measure costume from historically accurate materials, crafted by artisans specialising in medieval or fantastical costuming.

Armour: Real steel armour based on historical models, individually fitted. Such pieces are no longer LARP equipment in the narrow sense — they are works of artisan craft.

Weapon: One-off pieces from small workshops, with elaborate pommels, individual blade designs, and premium materials.

Armour for women: fit and makers

Most armour is cut for male proportions — broad shoulders, a straight chest. Women have three options: leather armour is the easiest to adjust, since it's mostly straps rather than fixed sizes. With a gambeson, look for a tailored cut, or size up and cinch it with a belt. And several of the larger LARP shops now stock dedicated women's cuts — look for "tailored" or "women's fit" in the description. What we'd steer you away from: stylised "breastplates" with moulded cups. They deflect hits straight onto the sternum instead of around it, and they're neither historical nor practical.

What Actually Matters

The value of a kit is not measured by its price — it is measured by how well it suits the character, how comfortable it is to wear, and how much it enhances the immersion of everyone on the field. A coherent basic kit for 80 € is preferable to an expensive mishmash that doesn't tell a clear story.

Build your kit slowly. Improving one piece at each event, you eventually arrive at a kit that reflects real decisions — not just purchasing power. More on costume and LARP weapons in our other guides.

Nils Jäkel has organized summer-theater events for five years and has attended LARP events for the same span; for four years he has also been a camp organizer at one of the largest camps at Conquest of Mythodea, the world's largest LARP event. He spent four years chairing a theater association's board, and for the past two years has served as board chair of the State Association for Amateur Theater Saxony (Landesverband für Amateurtheater Sachsen).

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