I'm in Chapter 1 and just finished the Kayran fight. I'm pretty sure I'm going to switch to the Kayran armor, but it seems like it was strange for cd projekt red to carry that armor over and replace it so quickly. I'm not missing anything special about the kayran armor, am I?

I don't think there's any practical improvement from migrating from the Raven to the Kayran armor if you've filled all the runeslots.

Keep in mind that you tend to get big armor/weapon upgrades between Acts, rather than within each Act (ie: you can work your butt off for something within an Act and then find it almost immediately replaced with something in the next Act), if you're on the fence about it.

If you didn't import, then there's very clear progression throughout Act 1, but that's a whole other story.

CD Projekt made it a point for the Raven armor not to be the be-all-end-all of armor. Think of games like Dragon Age Origins (not DA2, which fixed the problem) where you pretty much use DLC gear the entire game.

If it helps, think of Raven's Armor as the best "traditional" Witcher armor (leather only). You can still find better armors if you use exotic materials.

Since the armour in Act II is better than the Kayran armour (and is available as soon as you can look around the new area, at least on Iorveth's path), I'd rather go for the armour upgrade (reinforcements?) using the Kayran materials.

Metagaming, aye,

Kayran Armor looks so badass, though, that I changed it only to fight a ***spoiler*** at the end (for the ***spoiler*** sake). I played on normal with a swordman. Group finishers, quen level 3 and +8 armor trophy (don't remember which is that) makes the game extremely easy at the end that you can use almost any armor you like the looks of.

Raven armor all the way, its his signature armor, he's not Geralt without it.

In fact, do an insanity playthrough using that armor exclusively. DO IT!

I kept Raven's armour until Vergen in Act 2.. and then I switched to the Dragon Scale armour because it looks even more badass - like a spellswords armour

its not him without it? you mean the armour you only spend one of the shortest chapters with in the first game?

I've been in act 2 a looooong time and haven't found anything better than the Kayran armor. This is on Roche's path. I have a schematic for better armor that needs special ingredients I have not found yet.

There's a better armor, and you can get it for free, and its story-related. Hint: "your smile makes the gates of paradise open"

And you'll get even better armor for free from the King shortly after getting that particular armor as well. ;p Which is also part of the main plot, so probably why you haven't seen it yet.

Halfway into Act 1 is quickly? Going with the fact that there's a prologue act? I'm surprised the Raven armor lasted as long as it did. Then the Kayran armor lasted me until I was almost done with Act 2.

You know, I don't get it. The Kayran dropped 2 skins for me, I was able to make both the armour and the reinforcements. Did I just get a really lucky loot roll and most people only got one (Playing on normal, so not some easy-level double-loot thing)

I only got one. If I got two I'd still only make the armour upgrades. Maybe I'd make the armour itself if I got 3 skins.