I went to castle Dawnguard to get me some crossbows. I didn't really want to do the quest yet. So I will not be heading off to Dimhollow for quite a while. Therefore, I will not be able to get Gunmar to buy Dawnguard armor from. I did find a Dawnguard helment, gauntlets, shield, and boots laying around. But I could not find the armor portion. Is there a copy of the Dawnguard light armor armor somewhere in the castle when you first arrive?

Generally, it appears that Dawnguard light armer is supperior to Elven, yet only requires a steel smithing perk to improve it twice as much. Also, it only weighs about 50% more than Elven. Dawnguard light armor has now become my go-to choice for light armor.

Sorry, but Dawnguard cuirasses are not available until Gunmar has his forge up and running.

Edit: Yes, they're quite nice. I have all three light versions, each with it's own custom enchant.

It uses the advanced smithing perk to get the full improvement.

does the heavey armor need the advanced armor perk?

Thanks. I just figured that out.

Yes.
- All Dawnguard and Volkihar armors utilize the Advanced smithing perk
- Dawnguard gear is tempered with Steel Ingots
- Vampire gear is tempered with Leather

Hope that helps