The warbands I play don't have access to great armor. Orcs only get light armor and my Strigoi vampire gets no armor (nor do the ghouls). On the flipside, the warbands I play against all get great armor (Lizardmen due to natural save and Dwarfs). I was playtesting some rolls and doing a +2 "parry roll" for shields yielded the Lizardmen to have a 3+ armor save for their Saurus in close combat. My average strength 3 guys, even with axes, were barely denting them.
Who knows though once guys in the warband get higher strength.