D&D 5E What would be the hierarchy of materials from weakest to strongest used in both Armor & Weapons?

[Slit518]

What would be the hierarchy of materials from weakest to strongest used in both Armor & Weapons?

Weapons:
Flesh
Wood
Bone
Stone
Obsidian
Copper
Brass
Bronze
Iron
Steel
Stainless Steel
Tungsten Steel
Titanium
Mithril
Adamantine

Armor:
Flesh
Cloth
Leather (furs, leathers, hides)
Bone
Stone
Copper
Brass
Bronze
Iron
Steel
Stainless Steel
Tungsten Steel
Titanium
Mithril
Adamantine

I am not asking if I got them in order, but what order would you put them in? Like which materials are harder, better for weapons, better for armor, lighter, more durable, etc...

P.S.
If you feel I forgot anything, like certain materials which you may believe could be useful, such as:
Silver
Aluminium
Tin
Nickle
Emerald
Ruby
Sapphire
Topaz
Amethyst
Diamond
Opal
Quartz
Though I feel most of these would be useless as weapons or armor, or at least not practical.

 

[Horwath]

after you get to high quality steel with equal spread of carbon and without anomalies it is the best material for weapons/armor.

Not including fantasy mithril, adamantium, cold iron etc...

 

[Mephista]

You forgot orichalcum. Or dragon scales/bones - those are better than most other materials. Meteors often have their own fantasy metal. Electrum is sometimes considered a magic metal.

But, more seriously, here - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ElementalCrafting
List of common fantasy forging materials in a list

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

after you get to high quality steel with equal spread of carbon and without anomalies it is the best material for weapons/armor.

Not including fantasy mithril, adamantium, cold iron etc...

Mostly this, particularly the quality and methods of treatment. Bad steel with little treatment produces a much worse weapon from good steel tempered and treated.

Likewise, treatment can compensate somewhat for bad steel to make an acceptable weapon; - katana are probably the most famous example of this.

 

[Horwath]

You forgot orichalcum.

you mean brass?

 

[Mephista]

you mean brass?

no.
As a fantasy metal, it's distinct from brass. Should I start insisting on calling mithril as titanium? Adamantine as just diamond? No, that is not how people intend on the usage.

 

[Coroc]

Leather is much weaker than layers of (linen-) Cloth.

Cold Iron is cold forged iron, means the form and hardening is achieved without heating it just by hammering.
It is an old warding material versus witchcraft. Ist hardness is similar to iron.

 

[Coroc]

Not all Materials here seem to be usable (at all / for every weapon / for every type of armor) though, at least without Magic or Special fabrication methods.

 

[Lylandra]

hm, the question is whether this list should use only "medieval/fantasy" inspired materials or modern ones as well. Right now, I see a mix of both in your table.

Aluminium, for example, cannot be produced in masses without huge electrical currents (or similar magic). For a more modern world, it could be the poor man's mithril though (very light, but durable).
Tungsten Steel and Stainless Steel are similarly problematic as they are both results of "modern" methods of chemistry and I don't know whether they suit the "alchemy" flair of fantasy materials.

However, if you want to include all possible kinds of material, don't forget layered materials like fiberglass mesh or carbon compounds. They make some damn fine armors.

For electrum: I only know it to be another name for amber, which can be used as currency. But I don't think an amber armor or sword would be that viable.

Something to consider adding is horn/keratinous material. It'd be no harder than wood though. Unless you'd use dragon claws or something equally magical.

Crystal materials should be used for small wepons only (daggers, arrowheads, kukris), as they can break quite easily.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Just for laughs and completeness, I'm tempted to ask where foam-core fits into the list....