Furia's Updated Guide to Looted Armor Components/Enhancers v. 1.0
Purpose
This guide is designed to provide a guide to armorsmiths and loot hunters, as to what the various components and enhancements in armor do, and what makes them valuable. The question "Are these segments I looted any good" is often asked, and the answer is somewhat subjective. In the guide below I will attempt to give you my opinion on what components are valuable, and what stats make them worthwhile. Please take these statements as general advice, and not absolute truth.. one person's trash could be another's treasure. I will rate components on a 1-5 star rating system (for a rough guide) as well. 3 stars and up are potentially worth saving as a rough rule.
This guide is influenced by an early guide by EasyMcRhinoPants. Thanks also to Oa'kron for feedback. 
Types of components and enhancements
There are 5 general types of useful looted armor components.
Armor Segments can be used in the place of segments crafted by armorsmiths, when crafting armor. They are generally of lower quality than the segments that armorsmiths can craft, so 90% of these are junk. The one handy use they have is they are handy for quickly making display quality armor (such as display padded armor in particular) and tend to be low in encumbrance as well.
Armor Segment Enhancers are used in the crafting of Armor Segments. They go into the (optional) Armor Segment Enhancer slot on the crafting screen. These can be handy for giving your crafted armor a little boost, but can be a bit tedious to work with in armor that requires factory matched segments. They are great for starting armorsmiths, who want to make some unique pieces, and they serve a valuable purpose for established/high end armorsmiths, who use some valuable enhancers in making high end armor (padded, composite and RIS in particular).
Armor Layers are only represented by one type of looted Layer, the Nightsister Armor Layer. These can be used in the optional layer slot when crafting armor.
Geonosian Cubes are used in crafting interwoven bone armor, and in particular RIS. Weaponsmiths value these as well, but they use different stats on the cubes.
RIS Crafting Components are vital in the crafting of RIS armor. With the exception of the peko peko albatross feather they are all mandatory when making RIS
The Big List!
Armor Segments
Acklay Hide
Used in: Padded
Dropped by: Acklay, Geonosian Lab, Yavin IV
Approximate Base Stats:
11% base
15000 integrity
10% heat resistance
10% energy resistance
Summary: Best looted padded segment available. The integrity bonus is great for boosting the condition of your armor. With base % over 20%, you can start to beat out the resists of crafted padded segments. Exceptional ones are quite impressive.
Usefulness Rating: * * * *
Brackaset Plate Segment
Used in: Chitin
Dropped by: Brackasets on Dathomir
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 4%
Integrity: 650
Action Encumbrance: 20
Mind Encumbrance: 24
Blast Effectiveness: 4%
Summary: Useless.
Usefulness Rating: *
Fambaa Hide Segment
Used in: Padded
Dropped by: Fambaa on Naboo
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 5%
Integrity: 450
Action Encumbrance: 13
Mind Encumbrance: 16
Cold Effectiveness: 4%
Summary: Acklay hide is far more useful.
Usefulness Rating: *
Kimogila Scale Segment
Used in: Bone
Dropped by: Kimogilas on Lok
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 8%
Integrity: 750
Action Encumbrance: 12
Mind Encumbrance: 6
Heat Effectiveness: 7%
Cold Effectiveness: 7%
Summary: For bone armor voritor segments are far more useful (provides kinetic)
Usefulness Rating: *
Kliknik Chitin Armor Segment
Used in: Chitin
Dropped by: Klikniks on Yavin IV
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 3%
Integrity: 500
Action Encumbrance: -7
Mind Encumbrance: -7
Summary: Somewhat handy for decorative chitin armor.Terrible resists.
Usefuness Rating: * *
Krayt Dragon Composite Armor Segment
Used in: Composite
Dropped by: Krayt Dragons on Tatooine
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 10%
Integrity: 5000
Summary: Can be used to make light composite. Condition boost is very helpful as well. Will not match most crafted composite for resists however (typical crafted base is 30%+)
Usefulness Rating: * * * *
Rancor Padded Armor Segment
Used in: Padded
Dropped by: Rancors
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 12%
Integrity: 2500
Health Encumbrance: 20
Action Encumbrance: 15
Mind Encumbrance: 20
Heat Effectiveness: 15%
Cold Effectiveness: 15%
Summary: Can be used to make decorative, reasonably high condition padded. Generally inferior to Acklay hides.
Usefulness Rating: * *
Reinforced Kliknik Chitin Armor Segment
Used in: Chitin
Dropped by: Enhanced Klikniks in the Geonosian Lab, Yavin IV
Approximate Base Stats (these were taken from a yellow text set, so they are above base)
Base effectiveness: 16%
Integrity: 5800
Health Encumbrance -9
Action Encumbrance -10
Mind Encumbrance -9
Summary: Makes light, high condition chitin. Will not match most crafted chitin for resists however. Handy for decorative chitin.
Usefulness Rating: * * *
Sharnaff Plating Segment
Used in: Chitin
Dropped by: Sharnaffs on Corellia
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 15%
Integrity: 800
Action Encumbrance: 24
Mind Encumbrance: 28
Cold Effectiveness: 5%
Heat Effectiveness: 5%
Acid Effectiveness: 5%
Summary: Reinforced Kliknik Chitin is probably better (lighter), but these can be used for decorative Chitin as well.
Usefulness Rating: * *
Voritor Lizard Hide Segment
Used in: Bone Armor
Dropped by: Voritors on Dantooine
Approximate Base stats:
Base Effectiveness: 5%
Integrity: 500
Action Encumbrance: 15
Mind Encumbrance: 8
Energy Effectiveness: 5%
Kinetic Effectiveness: 6%
Summary: Makes for decent bone armor, with kinetic resists.
Usefulness Rating: * *
Armor Segment Enhancers
Brackaset Plates
Dropped by: Brackasets on Dathomir
Approximate Base Stats::
Health Encumbrance: 4
Action Encumbrace: 4
Mind Encumbrance: 4
Blast Effectiveness: 3%
Summary: Unless you want to boost your blast resists a small amount, mostly useless.
Usefulness Rating: *
Fambaa Plates
Dropped by: Fambaa on Naboo
Approximate Base Stats:
Health Encumbrance: 3
Action Encumbrace: 3
Mind Encumbrance: 3
Cold Effectiveness: 3%
Summary: Unless you want to boost your cold resists a small amount, mostly useless.
Usefulness Rating: *
Janta Hides
Dropped by Janta tribesmen on Dantooine
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Resistance 3% (can often be 4% or more)
Summary: The cadillac of segment enhancers. Boosts resists for no cost to ham, and keeps all resists in base resist, so preserves the slicability of the armor.
Useful in all types of armor but particularly Composite, Kashyyykian Hunting, and RIS. Sets of 4 or more are desirable.
Usefulness Rating: * * * * *
Kimogila Scales
Dropped by: Kimogilas on Lok
Approximate Base Stats:
Action Encumbrance: 4
Mind Encumbrance: 4
Heat Effectiveness: 4%
Cold Effectiveness: 4%
Summary: Mostly useless, and particularly annoying when you are trying to get Giant Dune Kimogila Scales. Usefulness Rating: *
Krayt Dragon Scale
Dropped by Krayt Dragons on Tatooine
Approximate Base Stats:
Cold Effectiveness: 4%
Blast Effectiveness: 4%
Energy Effectiveness: 4%
Acid Effectiveness: 4%
Kinetic Effectiveness: 4%
Heat Effectiveness: 4%
Summary: Boosts alot of resists, but unforunately moves them to special resists, making them immune to improvement by slicing. Can be handy for filling vulnerabilities in some armor types (particularly bone). Stats can vary wildly... high acid effectiveness can be desireable for RIS (for fixing the acid vulnerability).
Usefulness Rating: * * *
Nightsister Shard
Dropped by: Nightsisters on Dathomir
Approximate Base Stats:
Health Encumbrance: -10
Action Encumbrance: -10
Mind Encumbrance: -10
Summary: Can be used to lighten heavy armor types (padded, composite, hunting, RIS) effectively. Although base shards are only moderately useful, values of -20 or more in some stats will make these more valuable.
Usefulness Rating: * * * *
Rancor Hides
Dropped by: Rancors on Dathomir
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 3%
Integrity: 1500
Health Encumbrance 5
Action Encumbrance 5
Mind Encumbrance 5
Heat Effectiveness: 3%
Cold Effectiveness: 3%
Summary: Rivals Janta Hide for usefulness. Although it adds encumbrance and moves heat and cold to special resists, it also adds condition to armor which is very useful. Particularly handy for RIS, Kashyykian Hunting, or composite, especially when stats are higher than base (5% base is fairly common)
Usefulness Rating: * * * * *
Voritor Lizard Scales
Dropped by: Voritors on Dantooine
Approximate Base Stats:
Action Encumbrance: 5
Mind Encumbrance: 5
Energy Effectiveness: 3%
Kinetic Effectiveness: 4%
Summary: Can be handy for boosting kinetic resists in most armor types (especially ubese). Fills kinetic hole in bone armor. Great for starting armorsmiths who wish to give their armor pieces a little edge.
Usefulness Rating: * * *
Armor Segment Layers
Nightsister Layers
Dropped by: Nightsisters on Dathomir
Used in: Any layer slot in any armor that takes layers
Approximate Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 3%
Action Encumbrance -5
Summary: Very handy, low encumbrance layers, particularly when base effect is 5% or more. Armorsmiths can craft 4% base layers, but they will be much heavier. High base effect layers are very useful for making lightweight RIS.
Usefulness Rating: * * * * *
Geonosian Cubes
All types of Geonosian cubes are dropped by Crazed Geonosians in the Geonosian Lab, Yavin IV. White cubes offer no improvement to interwoven RIS/bone stats and are therefore useless to armorsmiths.
Green Cubes
Base Stats:
Integrity 6000
Summary: Increases the condition of interwoven RIS or bone armor by the integrity value. Integrities of 7000 and more are useful to save. These are also quite popular with weaponsmiths, but they use the other stat (Unit Integrity).
Usefulness Rating: * * * *
Red Cubes
Base Stats:
Health Encumbrance -4
Action Encumbrance -4
Mind Encumbrance -4
Summary: Lightens RIS or bone armor's encumbrance. Rarely used, but values of -8 or more can be useful in crafting very light RIS and are worth saving.
Usefulness Rating: * * *
Yellow Cubes
Base Stats:
Base Effectiveness: 3%
Summary: Increases the base resistance of RIS or bone armor. Mostly useless in interwoven bone as this only effects electricity resist. However these are generally the most desirable cubes for RIS crafting. Values as high as 8% can be found rarely.
Usefulness Rating: * * * * *
RIS Components
Peko Peko Albatross Feathers
Used in: RIS Layer
Summary: Peko peko feathers are used in crafting RIS layers, which can be used in any armor. These tend to be very light layers with reasonable effectiveness. However they are not mandatory for RIS crafting as is commonly believed. They are also necessary for completing the RIS certification quest. They are not often used by most RIS crafters.
Usefulness Rating: * * *
Gurk King Hides
Used in: RIS Segment or Interwoven RIS Segment
Summary: Found when looting Reclusive Gurk Kings, which spawn from wild Gurk lairs when the lair is nearly destroyed. Most common RIS component except for peko peko feathers.
Usefulness Rating: * * * * *
Woolamander Harrower Bone Fragments
Used in: RIS Segment or Interwoven RIS Segment
Summary: Found when looting Woolamander Harrowers, which only spawn in the right rear of the woolamander temple on Yavin IV (right rear as you face the entrance).
Usefulness Rating: * * * * *
Giant Dune Kimogila Scales
Used in: RIS Armor Pieces
Summary: The most valuable armor component in the game. Only dropped by Giant Dune Kimogilas. Do not confuse these with Kimogila Scales (GDK scales have no stats). Extremely rare, as they are infrequently dropped.
Usefulness Rating: * * * * * * * * * *
Conclusions
Looted armor components are a vital part of armorsmithing. Though they are a huge nuisance to store (they don't stack), and they require extra effort when making manufacturing schematics, they can make average armor above average, or can even make armor that eclipses all other armor of it's type (with exceptional components). Any corrections or omissions, please let me know and i will edit and update. Message Edited by Baccarat on 02-09-2005 10:50 PM
Furia, Kavala, Xana, Tarantella (Xana's alt, before NGE), all cancelled.(3 accts total)
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