What do you think? Is it best to go all light or all heavy? Barring other skills, is a mix/match melee character viable? I always seem to end up with either a light armor + heavy boots/gloves or heavy armor + light boots/gloves character. Some of them just go so well together.

Unfortunately most of the perks require a full set of the armor type to be of any use, so one would mainly be stuck to the Juggernaut and Agile Defender perks.

With decent smithing, and decent skill scores (in both) you'll do fine. It's not ideal, but hitting the cap isn't all that tough. A little training won't hurt, if one falls behind a little.

I wouldn't do it, but currently I'm playing a "scavenger" (sorta) and he's going for both one and two handed. There's plenty of perks, and you can do everything in the game just fine without taking any of them, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

So many variables....

If you are only looking at the Armor stats then:
Are you using Legendary+ smithing (the enchanting/alchemy stuff to get 100+ smithing)?
Bugged "Ancient Knowledge" perk?
2HD or Schield?
low level build?
...

Both light and heavy are usefull.
But a mix of heavy/light is less usefull.

No
No
No (single sword duelist)
Yes (for the moment)

I can only improve steel to Superior as of right now, except that for some reason, I cannot increase my Imperial Steel Helmet past Fine. I've got Studded Imperial armor to Fine, as well. I've tried taking a 30% Smithing potion, but that didn't help any. My skill is probably too low at the moment for it to make much of a difference.

I've leveling slowly with the Uncapper Mod. I can make it from Helgen to Riverwood, to Falkreath, to Markarth and then Solitude (doing all the first-time quests and at least one Rumor/Bounty quest) and be only level 15. I'd probably be almost 30 with default leveling.

Then it is:
Heavy -> more armor, high stmina use in sprint, "high" movment slowdown, high weight in inventory.
vs.
Light -> less armor, low stmina use in sprint, "low" movment slowdown, low weight in inventory.

My opinion: Heavy armor without its "weight perk" svcks.

My opinion: Heavy armor without its "weight perk" svcks.

I concur.

You can mix and match until you decide to take a 'one type' or 'one set' perk, and once you get up near the armour cap, you can mix and match again.

With his "no legendary+" build there is no way in hell to get near cap with a mix build.

Enchanting can cap you easier than you (seem to) think.

is a "Legendary +" (over 100 smithing)
And he said the he dos not use it.

Fortify armor.

He said nothing about that, that I remember.

^

^

What 'no legendary+' build? (not being narky, just I don't follow...although I was assuming that improving the smithing skill etc was part and parcel of OP's character progression).

On the other hand, my current character mix and matches at time at level 45, and is coping quite well with an armour rating of around 120-130...just depends on how you play. Ultimately I would suggest that either a decent ranged attack capability, or a decent sneak ability would come in very handy...with good sneak skills, and playing it right, a single 1H character is very viable...but, like the song says "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run."

Legandry is the highest smithing bonus.
It adds (if you have the perk like steel smithing) +10 dmg(base) to weapons + 10 armor(base) to head/feet/hands or 20 armor(base) to chest.

Using Alchemy/Enchanting to get 100+ smithing result in a so called Legendary+1,2,3,4,5,6,7, and will add more than the 10/20 points.

Example from UESP
Effective Smithing skill = ((Smithing Skill - 13.29) * (1 + Perk) * (1 + Enchant) * (1 + Potion)) + 13.29
Perk is either 1 or 0.
Enchant is the sum of your fortify smithing enchants, divided by 100.
Potion is your fortify smithing potion percent divided by 100.
((100 - 13.29) * (1 + 1) * (1 + 1.16) * (1 + 1.3)) + 13.29 = 874.84
With 100 skill, 4x29% enchants (4*29% = 116%), 130% potion enchant, and the perk,
you will reach 874.84, for a bonus of +92 to Armor and +46 to other items (Legendary 21)