Is trade botched? I can't find the highest tier armors.

[Biggiesized]

Okay, so everything isn't all bad.    However, in my almost 300 days of playing time, I've yet to see a Lordly Plate Armor and a Lordly Great Winged Helmet.  I've seen several of Lordly Plate Gauntlets and Lordly Plate Boots/Iron Greaves.

I had my trade setting deviated from the default and my empire is pretty huge now.  Why can't I find those items in any shop in any town?

I've also never seen a Champion horse of any variety; the best I've come across is a Spirited [horse].

Is this a typical occurrence in Diplomacy Mod because it's really the only thing that's bumming me out about it?

 

[Biggiesized]

Just a little update here:

I unchecked the Diplomacy Horse Speed menu option to see if that would make any difference.

Oddly enough I saw my first Lordly Great Helmet (59 armor; not the winged variety) and my first Champion horse (Charger in this case).

Is there a correlation here?

Also, my empire is expanding and I wonder if mercantile trade is causing that effect also.