The Reinforced Insulated Sheath armor, often shortened to R.I.S. armor, represented a robust yet pliable form of battle armor utilized during the era of the Galactic Civil War. Customization was possible through a diverse range of colors. The armor's creation is attributed to Mol Ni'mai, a male Bothan master armorsmith who resided in the mountains of the planet Dantooine. Only the most skilled armorsmiths possessed the ability to craft R.I.S. armor. Beyond standard material requirements, the construction process also necessitated the use of bones and hides harvested from various creatures found throughout the galaxy. This armor comprised eight distinct components: a pair of biceps, a pair of bracers, a chest plate, leggings, a helmet, and a set of boots. Sometime after the Battle of Yavin during the Galactic Civil War, Ni'mai imparted his knowledge of armor creation to a spacer who was also an armorsmith. Subsequently, R.I.S. armor found its way into the arsenals of numerous, varied organizations spread across the galaxy.
The Reinforced Insulated Sheath was a type of battle armor that was both heavy and flexible. It offered consistent defense across the entire body and could be personalized with a broad spectrum of colors, spanning from blue to black and red. A personal energy shield could enhance its protective capabilities. Crafting the armor presented a significant challenge, demanding not only the expertise of a seasoned armorsmith but also the acquisition of numerous rare materials sourced from across the galaxy, in addition to the more common minerals and synthetic materials required. Common materials included fiberplast, copper, gemstone, aluminium, both intrusive and extrusive ores, and synthetic cloth. The rare materials included the hide of a gurk king and the scales from a giant dune kimogila native to Lok, as well as the bones of a woolamander harrower found on Yavin 4. The aesthetic finish of the armor called for the feathers of a peko-peko albatross from Naboo.
The armor was made up of eight distinct pieces, including two bracers, two biceps, a helmet, a chest plate, a set of leggings, and a pair of boots. The helmet featured a wide brim and a visor to shield the eye from sun glare. The bracers and biceps incorporated bladed armor segments. The boots had two spikes extending from their sides. The leggings resembled a skirt, incorporating multiple protective armor pieces.
The Reinforced Insulated Sheath armor, also known as R.I.S. armor, originated with Mol Ni'mai, a male Bothan renowned as a master armorsmith. During the Galactic Civil War, sometime after the Battle of Yavin, a spacer visited Ni'mai at his hut nestled within the mountains of the planet Dantooine. This spacer, also an armorsmith, sought to learn from Ni'mai's expertise. Ni'mai requested 50,000 credits as payment for his instruction, which the spacer promptly provided. With payment secured, Ni'mai began instructing the spacer in the art of R.I.S. armor construction, detailing the creation of each armor segment and the application of the appearance layer. Once satisfied with his student's grasp of the fundamentals, he assigned the spacer the task of crafting a pair of R.I.S. boots. Upon the spacer's successful completion of this task, Ni'mai rewarded him with the schematics for the remaining armor components. Following this exchange, the armor's presence became widespread throughout the galaxy.
Among those who employed R.I.S. armor were Russ Grimblade and other members of the Hidden Daggers pirate group, often seen wearing components of the armor. Borantok and Rhosk, associated with the Blackscale slaving operation on Kashyyyk, also utilized pieces of the armor, as did several Chiss poachers operating within the Etyyy region of Kashyyyk. The Razor Runners, a band of bandits on Mustafar, made extensive use of the armor within their ranks. Additionally, the pilots employed by the Galactic Vacant Building Demolitions company also made use of the armor.
Elite soldiers of the Alliance to Restore the Republic frequently used R.I.S. armors, including Rebel dark trooper hunters, weapons masters, Sith Hunters, and sentries.
The Reinforced Insulated Sheath armor existed as a type of heavy armor within the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game that was developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts before its shutdown on December 15, 2011. The armor, along with its creator and the quest associated with learning its crafting, was introduced to the game with the "Publish 4," which went live on November 13, 2003.
Within the game's mechanics, R.I.S. armor is classified as "Battle" armor, providing equal protection against both energy and kinetic damage. Players were required to achieve the rank of master armorsmith to be able to craft the armor.
Before the addition of Mandalorian armor to the game, R.I.S. armor was the most challenging to create, requiring numerous rare components obtained from creatures that were both difficult to locate and defeat. Prior to 2005 and the implementation of the "New Game Enhancements" for Star Wars Galaxies, the inclusion of peko-peko feathers in the armor's construction granted a health bonus. Furthermore, the acklay found within the Geonosian Bio-Lab on Yavin 4 had a chance to drop a schematic for an Interwoven R.I.S. Armor Segment. However, with the introduction of the NGE, this item ceased to drop, and characters who had previously learned the schematic would only produce a standard R.I.S. armor segment when crafting it. Like most armor in the game, R.I.S. armor could be obtained without cost while playing on the game's test center.