CiP: KoAs finds a shiny

[artefact]

My newest Kobold disaster just stumbled across this nice early randart: +4 scale mail "Skugupp" {rF++ rN+}. Am I correct in assuming that it is far too heavy for me to use effectively? I have very little experience with melee characters and the new encumbrance system might be a little sophisticated for me to wrap my head around.

  Code:

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.14.0-25-g43f8a4e (webtiles) character file.

Artefact the Slicer (Kobold Assassin)               Turns: 4636, Time: 00:21:27

HP  40/40        AC  6     Str 13      XL: 7   Next: 74%
MP   7/7         EV 17     Int  9      God:
Gold 145         SH  0     Dex 21      Spells:  0 memorised,  6 levels left

rFire  + . .     SeeInvis .     o - +1,+2 dagger (venom)
rCold  . . .     Clarity  .     t - +0 robe
rNeg   . . .     Conserve .     (no shield)
rPois  .         rCorr    .     (no helmet)
rElec  .         rRot     .     d - +0 cloak
SustAb . .       Spirit   .     v - +2 pair of gloves {Str+3}
rMut   .         Warding  .     (no boots)
Saprov + + .     Stasis   .     (no amulet)
MR     .....                    y - ring of protection from fire
                                r - +2 ring of dexterity

@: not resistant to hostile enchantments, quite stealthy
A: disease resistance, carnivore 3, saprovore 2
a: no special abilities


You are on level 4 of the Dungeon.
You are very full.

You have visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and seen 4 of its levels.
You have also visited: Ossuary.

You have collected 145 gold pieces.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 a - a +2,+2 dagger
 b - a +0 blowgun
 o - a +1,+2 dagger of venom (weapon)
Missiles
 e - 9 poisoned needles
 f - 2 curare-tipped needles
 i - 3 exploding darts
 n - 2 darts of flame (quivered)
Armour
 d - a +0 cloak (worn)
 t - a +0 robe (worn)
 u - a pair of gloves
 v - a +2 pair of gloves of strength (worn)
 D - the +4 scale mail "Skugupp" {rF++ rN+}
   (You found it on level 4 of the Dungeon)   
   
   It greatly protects you from fire.
   It protects you from negative energy.
Comestibles
 g - a meat ration
 x - 2 chunks of orc flesh
Scrolls
 c - a scroll labeled FUOLOCUMESS
 j - a scroll of identify
 k - 5 scrolls of remove curse
 p - 4 scrolls of teleportation
 q - a scroll labeled BAIDONAGIE
 A - a scroll labeled LOEZUUGAEL
 B - a scroll labeled PRAL MUCOI
 C - a scroll labeled BEBECKOSKE
Jewellery
 r - a +2 ring of dexterity (left hand)
 y - a ring of protection from fire (right hand)
Potions
 h - 3 potions of heal wounds
 l - a potion of cure mutation
 m - 2 potions of curing
 s - 3 potions of agility
 w - a potion of flight
 z - a potion of invisibility


   Skills:
 - Level 2.1 Fighting
 - Level 9.8 Short Blades
 - Level 2.6 Throwing
 * Level 3.5 Dodging
 - Level 5.3 Stealth


You have 6 spell levels left.
You don't know any spells.

Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (4/15)           
Temple: D:4-7       

Altars:
Ashenzari
Dithmenos
Kikubaaqudgha
Nemelex Xobeh
Okawaru
Sif Muna
The Shining One


Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You recuperate from illness quickly.
You are small and have problems with some larger weapons.
You are carnivorous and can eat meat at any time.
You can eat rotten meat.


Message History

The orc is moderately wounded.
You hit the orc but do no damage.
The orc is severely wounded.
The orc hits you but does no damage.
You hit the orc but do no damage. The orc looks even sicker.
The orc is severely wounded.
You kill the orc!
Things that are here:
a mace; a plate armour; an orc corpse
Found a fine scale mail.
You see here a fine scale mail.
D - a fine scale mail
Read which item? (? for menu, Esc to quit)
Identify which item? (\ to view known items) (? for menu, Esc to quit)
As you read the scroll of identify, it crumbles to dust.
D - the +4 scale mail "Skugupp" {rF++ rN+}
j - a scroll of identify
You are alive. Your movement speed is average. Your attack speed is very fast.
You are not resistant to hostile enchantments.
You feel quite stealthy.

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There are no monsters in sight!

Vanquished Creatures
  An ogre (D:4)
  A phantom (D:4)
  Sigmund (D:3)
  A giant frog (D:4)
  2 orc wizards (D:4)
  Ijyb (D:2)
  Jessica (D:2)
  6 adders
  A shadow imp (D:4)
  2 worms
  A giant eyeball (D:4)
  3 giant geckos
  3 oozes
  20 orcs
  10 bats
  5 giant cockroaches
  9 hobgoblins
  6 jackals
  5 kobolds
  2 ball pythons
  6 giant newts
  2 gnoll zombies (Ossuary)
  18 goblins
  A kobold zombie (Ossuary)
  An orc zombie (D:4)
  2 quokkas (D:3)
  8 rats
119 creatures vanquished.

Notes
Turn   | Place    | Note
--------------------------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1      | Artefact, the Kobold Assassin, began the quest for the Orb.
     0 | D:1      | Reached XP level 1. HP: 12/12 MP: 1/1
   235 | D:1      | Reached XP level 2. HP: 12/17 MP: 2/2
   645 | D:1      | Reached XP level 3. HP: 21/21 MP: 3/3
  1168 | D:2      | Reached skill level 5 in Short Blades
  1324 | D:2      | Reached XP level 4. HP: 23/26 MP: 4/4
  1424 | D:2      | Noticed Jessica
  1427 | D:2      | Killed Jessica
  1427 | D:2      | Reached skill level 6 in Short Blades
  1443 | D:2      | Noticed Ijyb
  1469 | D:2      | Killed Ijyb
  1469 | D:2      | Reached XP level 5. HP: 30/30 MP: 5/5
  2197 | D:3      | Reached skill level 7 in Short Blades
  2246 | D:3      | Noticed Sigmund
  2263 | D:3      | Killed Sigmund
  2263 | D:3      | Reached skill level 8 in Short Blades
  2263 | D:3      | Reached XP level 6. HP: 18/35 MP: 6/6
  2779 | D:3      | Found an iron altar of Okawaru.
  3335 | D:4      | Reached skill level 9 in Short Blades
  3335 | D:4      | Reached XP level 7. HP: 21/40 MP: 7/7
  3652 | D:4      | Found a glowing golden altar of the Shining One.
  3654 | D:4      | Found a deep blue altar of Sif Muna.
  3656 | D:4      | Found an ancient bone altar of Kikubaaqudgha.
  3656 | D:4      | Found a sparkling altar of Nemelex Xobeh.
  3658 | D:4      | Found a shadowy altar of Dithmenos.
  3661 | D:4      | Found a shattered altar of Ashenzari.
  3819 | D:4      | Found a sand-covered staircase.
  3825 | Ossuary  | Entered an ossuary
  4614 | D:4      | Got a fine scale mail
  4615 | D:4      | Identified the +4 scale mail "Skugupp" {rF++ rN+} (You found it on level 4 of the Dungeon)


Action                   |  1- 3 |  4- 6 |  7- 9 || total
-------------------------+-------+-------+-------++-------
Melee: Dagger            |   115 |   151 |   143 ||   409
 Fire: Blowgun           |       |    16 |     4 ||    20
Throw: Dart              |       |     3 |     8 ||    11
  Use: Scroll            |     3 |       |     8 ||    11
 Stab: Distracted        |     1 |       |     1 ||     2
       Sleeping          |     9 |    15 |     3 ||    27


[monty]

You'll be fine using it I think. I usually don't worry about encumbrance if I have more strength than the encumbrance rating (spellcasting aside).

[and into]

You aren't casting spells atm so your main concern is AC/EV. If wearing that armor gives better or same AC/EV outcome (and with 13 strength and high dex it probably will), then definitely use it. Not a bad early game armor, but it isn't *great* however; probably about on par with a +3 leather armor of MR.