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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatula" data-source="post: 4048330" data-attributes="member: 2198">Eh what?  Heavy armor certainly isn't required (of anyone) in 3e.  Armor is the best AC boost for the buck, especially at low levels, but I just finished off a campaign that went from 1st to 19th level, and no one wore anything heavier than a chain shirt.  Ever.  Unless you boost AC to ridiculous levels (40+) it's almost meaningless in high-level play, and other forms of avoiding or absorbing damage become more important.True, but some tasks are easier than others.  Mearls' comment says to me that the ever-present "math" of 4e expects the "tank" to have a high armor class, and expects that to come from wearing heavy armor.  If you wanted a game where heavy armor didn't exist (a jungle or desert campaign), you can tack the difference onto the fighter's AC, for example, and that's a quick and easy fix.  Or just ramp up the AC values of those armors that do exist to match those of heavy armor in the default game.The 3e Dex monkeys were only made possible by the magic item stacking abuse that 4e it trying to tone down.  So I would guess that "light armor, high Dex"-based characters won't be able to compete on pure AC terms anymore, given the probable lack of extra AC from non-armor sources (+dex gloves, amulet of natural armor, etc.).</blockquote>