Leg Armor

Leg armour carries the same armour figures as the chest of its set and the same 5% movement penalty, which is why a full heavy set costs 10% in total.

Protection

Pros

No filler. Every pair is craftable armour with an upgrade ladder, while the chest slot is half Hildir's wardrobe.
The figures match the chest piece of the set, up to 44 on the Trousers of the Protector, so these 2 slots together make up most of your armour rating.
Flametal Greaves carry 20% heat resistance, which makes them the Ashlands answer rather than a luxury.

Cons

Every heavy set costs another 5% movement speed here, on top of the chest piece.
A pair weighs up to 15.0, matching the chest piece and 5 times the helmet.
No leg piece carries a set bonus of its own. The bonus is announced on the head piece and simply requires these to be worn.
Root Leggings carry the Root set's 1.5x fire weakness without the harnesk's pierce resistance to make up for it.

Builds

Match the chest. A set bonus needs all 3 pieces and the armour figures are identical, so the only reason to mix tiers here is while one piece is still being upgraded.

The mage sets cost 2% rather than 5%, and the Fenris Leggings give +3%. For a dodge build, that is worth more than the 6 armour they give up.

Leg armour is made at the Workbench, the Forge, the Black forge, the Frost Foundry and the Galdr table.

Best Leg Armor

Build	Name	Stats
Most armour	Trousers of the Protector	44 armour at quality 1
Longest lasting	Carapace Greaves	1800 durability at quality 4
Lightest to carry	Trousers of Ask	5 weight
Most armour without a forge	Fenris Leggings	10 armour at a Workbench

Notes

The movement speed penalties of chest and leg armor add up, so a full heavy set is 10% slower.
Armor reduces physical, fire, frost and lightning damage, but it does nothing against poison or spirit damage.
Every craftable armor piece gains 2 armor with each upgrade.
Upgrading a piece that is being worn takes it off, so check the gear before heading back out.