Armor
Armor is equipment that provide defense against direct damage in combat and also provide attribute bonuses. Depending on the class or job, the adventurer will be able to equip different types of armor.
Armor slots
Armor is divided into five standard slots, besides shields – useable only by gladiators, paladins, and low level thaumaturges and conjurers: head, body (or "chest"), hands, legs, and feet.
Armor types
Most armor is equipable by multiple jobs/classes based on the following categories.
Fending
Fending armor is equipable by all 
Tank jobs.
Healing
Healing armor is equipable by all 
Healers.
Striking
Striking armor is equipable by the following 
Melee DPS.
Maiming
Maiming armor is equipable by the following Melee DPS.
Scouting
Scouting armor is equipable by the following Melee DPS.
Aiming
Aiming armor is equipable by all 
Physical Ranged DPS.
Casting
Casting armor is equipable by all 
Magical Ranged DPS.
Acquisition
- See also: Leveling Gear Guide and Endgame Gear Guide
Armor can be acquired through various means depending on the type and rarity. All players are given a set of starting armor when they create a character. Beyond that, some common methods of acquisition are:
- Crafted armor, typically made by
Armorer, 
Leatherworker, or 
Weaver. - Dropped in duties as loot.
- As a reward for completing quests.
- Purchased from various NPCs with a variety of currencies.
- Purchased from other players via the Market Board (the sole source of
High Quality crafted gear for 
Gil).
Rarity is as follows: Basic → Aetherial → Green → Blue → Relic. Rarity does not indicate anything about an item's power, merely how it is obtained. For gear power, see Item Level.
Glamour system
- Main article: Glamour
In Final Fantasy XIV the glamour system is used to change the appearance of equippable items. Most physical items allow glamours to be cast on them, as long as the physical item's ilvl is equal or higher than the glamour chosen. Similarly most physical items can be dyed. Glamours can be understood as physical items whose appearance will be projected on other physical, target items. There are two ways of applying glamours:
- Casting a glamour directly on an armor piece by right-clicking it and choosing "
Cast Glamour". The player will be prompted to select the glamour in their inventory. This option requires one 
Glamour Prism per piece. - Applying a previously built "
Glamour Plate". When selecting a glamour plate each armor piece on the plate will be applied to its respective slot, including any dyes applied to the glamour plate's pieces. This option has no extra requirements.
Lore
As with arms, nations have pursued the research and development of superior armor throughout the history of warfare. Modern "armor" includes not only protective suits of plate and mail, but also garb tailored to provide offensive benefits for mages and the like.
For Disciples of War
The use of defensive gear dates back to ancient times, when combatants would affix wood or leather to their bodies to protect vital organs, though armor in the modern sense did not come about until the advent of bronze. Early metal armor consisted of only a simple plate of hammered bronze for the chest; however, it took on a more recognizable form with the invention of lamellar armor, made of many smaller metal plates strapped together. This concept was further refined to create scale mail and chain mail, which offered greater defense and superior mobility. Advances in armorcraft then made it possible to cover oneself head to toe in nearly solid metal in the form of plate armor. With several types of armor available, preferences for heavy armor among cavalry and light armor among infantry began to emerge, and over time, armor became increasingly specialized by combat role, giving rise to the many varieties seen today.
Acton
Actons were originally designed to be worn under armor, their thick padding meant to absorb impact and protect the wearer’s skin from being rubbed raw. They were eventually modified to be suitable for wearing alone, and are most commonly donned as light armor or craftsman’s attire today.
Leather Harness
The leather harness was designed for use in the Coliseum, and thus provides only sparse coverage so as to allow those in the stands to observe combatants' muscular forms. Its popularity among Ala Mhigan refugees in Ul’dah indicates that no small number of them have taken to the bloodsands.
Scale Mail
As the name indicates, scale mail is constructed by overlapping small, flat pieces to resemble the skin of a fish or snake. Because it is comparatively simple to make, it is both inexpensive and prolific—traits that make it popular amongst fledgling adventurers. Though modern suits are most often metal, some are made of materials harvested from particularly hardy scalekin.
Plate Armor
Plate armor encases the wearer entirely in sheet metal, and therefore excels in defense; however, its sheer bulk means that it leaves much to be desired in terms of mobility. For this reason, suits lacking pauldrons and other heavy components have become common, as they can be worn by even those without the strength to equip full plate.
For Disciples of Magic
Defensive properties are not necessarily of primary concern to a Disciple of Magic when selecting battlegarb. Of greater import is each piece’s ability to aid in the channeling and manipulation of aether.
As the first to harness aetherial magicks, the shamans of the Second Astral Era were, naturally, also the first to seek out items with the power to enhance their incantations’ potency and swiftness. These items—which included branches from sacred trees, the fangs and claws of fell beasts, and crystals and gems imbued with aether—were first used as ritual implements, then developed into the earliest magical arms, armor, and accessories. With the discovery of aetherially conductive silken and metallic thread, weavers began incorporating these materials into fabrics and embroidered designs to create magic-enhancing vestments. As the enduring popularity of flowing robes and cowls attests, full-body garb has remained the ideal attire for magic users ever since.
Robe
The best known example of magical garb, the robe, is also the simplest. Though modern robes are oft bedecked with gems or metal, these are not mere adornments, but rather additional aetherial conduits.
Doublet
Like the acton, the doublet was originally developed as a padded inner layer to be worn under armor, but it has since come into common use as a jacket. The type preferred by the magically inclined does, of course, incorporate materials which promote increased aetherial conductivity.
Halfrobe
Though full robes make the most of their wearer’s aetherial control by covering the entire body in focus-enhancing material, they are undoubtedly an impediment to movement. Halfrobes and gowns, with their shorter hemlines, were created in answer to this conundrum, and today are available in an ever-increasing array of diverse designs.
Shawl
Whatever arcane power a combatant might possess, none can defy the Coliseum’s strict code of dress, which demands skin be unburdened by bulky fabrics. Thus are shawls designed to balance the needs of the mage with the desires of the paying customer. [1]
References
- ↑ Encyclopaedia Eorzea: Volume II, page 223-224