Choosing an armor set in From Software games is mostly a matter of weight and style. Looking cool and classy is the most important thing, but if you want to upgrade your character and survive with plenty of defense, here’s a guide on where to find them.
Elden Ring is in the same vein as Souls when it comes to armor. This means that there aren’t some better than others. It is possible to determine which armor is best in a given situation, for example, to protect you specifically against fire damage. Or with very specific parameters: such as a very specific weight limit, and promoting physical defenses.
Listing all the armors for each situation is obviously not an option, we will try to list the best armors in Elden Ring that stand out the most in terms of stats and bonuses.
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General information about armor
– The most important thing with armor is to stay below the 70% equipment load limit. Beyond this point, you will have a slow and ineffective flip, the “fat roll” that will doom you to death in many situations. No armor justifies this sacrifice. If you have less than 30% charge, you have a slightly more efficient fast roll.
– As mentioned above, don’t be afraid to wear whatever armor you like best. As long as you have a piece of armor equipped in each slot, even if it is cloth, the difference in protection from one piece of armor to another is quite limited. It may take the boss one or two more hits to kill you if you’re wearing the heaviest armor in the game instead of light armor. Of course, this tip can make a big difference in giving you time to heal, but it also doesn’t allow you to take it all in stride.
– The bonuses set on armor are quite rare, they are just minor cumulative bonuses. These rare exceptions are not of much interest unless you are playing a specific build.
– Head and chest armor: this is something you’ll need to pay close attention to if you want to optimize your character. There are dozens of different helmets that offer different attribute bonuses, ranging from +1 to +8 points, and there are other much more exotic effects. The same goes for breastplates, although it is much rarer. You have to read their description to find out. There are no special bonus gloves or boots.
Light magic swordsman armor: spellblade set
Rogier combines the use of magic and his rapier with combat, and his set reflects that. Contrary to what he may suggest, he does not increase the power of spells but does increase the power of abilities, whether magic or frost, by 2% per set piece. This includes certain weapons and Ashes. Each piece of the set increases the damage of the special attack of the Sword of Flame and Night (L2+R1), as well as the abilities of the Great Sword of the Dark Moon (R2).
This set is obtained after Rogier’s death, you must talk to him in the Storm Veil Castle, then kill Godrick. It will then reappear in the Round Table. He dies as soon as you talk to Ranni, north of Liurnia.
Medium armor: Black Knife set
Black Knife assassins are fearsome and troublesome, especially when they are invisible. If you want to look more like them, or look like a couple with your Tiche summon, then you need this Black Knife set. Its defensive properties are correct, but it’s mostly the chest piece that we’re interested in.
Not only will it give you a semi-transparent cloak and a hood that will cover your head and some hooves, but it will also dampen all the noise. This means you’ll be able to run, jump and roll silently without alerting enemies, allowing you to easily stab them in the back.
Unfortunately, you don’t get this set until very late, as it is found in Ordina, the city north of Camp Sacroníveo. The complete set can be found on the corpse of an assassin under the stairs leading to the Sacred Tree of Miquella.
Best Armor Mid-Game Elden Ring: Radahn’s Armor
Although it is quite heavy compared to the average, it is far from being the most. Radahn’s armor is one of the best in the game and can accompany you throughout the game without any problems. It has excellent stats in all areas and a good defense/weight ratio, as well as being very nice.
The helmet in particular is among the best in the game, obtaining it is not particularly difficult, although you’re going to have to advance a bit in the story. As the name suggests, this is the armor of General Radhan, the boss of Caelid. You must then buy it from the Two Fingers merchant at the Round Table.
Other great sets of heavy armor
If you want to be well protected and have a look you like, here are some alternative sets with stats more or less equivalent to Radahn’s:
Blaidd: Want to look like Blaidd? To do this, it’s best to complete Blaidd and Ranni’s quests to the end. Then you must kill Blaidd in front of Ranni’s tower, in the 3 sisters. The helmet of the wolf’s head is behind the tower of Seluvis, on the low wall.
Defiled Regal Armor: Kill Ensha after starting the secret medallion quests. Each piece of the set regenerates 2 health per second below 15% health.
Imputrescible Armor: Can be earned from knights of the same name. They are everywhere in the game, but mainly in the Caelid Swamp.
Tree Sentinel Armor: By destroying the chariots in the Tomb of Auriza’s heroes, you can think of yourself as this new player-killing boss.
Crucible Knight Armor: By defeating the Ordovis boss in the Tomb of the Heroes of Auriza. And by defeating the Crucible Knight boss in the northwest of the Depths. Each piece of these sets grants a small bonus of 3.75% damage to Crucible spells.
Veteran Armor: One of the best heavy sets in the game, purchased from the two-fingered merchant after defeating Commander Nial in Summits of the Giants.
Best Endgame Heavy Armor Elden Ring: Lionel
An alternative to the billy goat set is the Lionel set. It offers less balance and a bit less defense, but some of its stats are a bit superior in certain areas. It has several advantages to compensate for, for starters, it is a little less heavy.
This set is also a bit easier to obtain, as it doesn’t depend on a quest and an NPC you killed earlier in the adventure. There’s also no need to farm it. You can pick it up in a bed in the city of Leyndell, the royal capital. This set is really heavy, but your survival will be greatly improved. Remember to get this armor before killing Maliketh in Farum Azula, after that it will be inaccessible.
There is too much equipment in Elden Ring to list them all, especially since in some cases it’s just one or two specific builds. But with these armors, not only will you have an idea of which path to take when you choose them, but you can refine your equipment throughout the rest of the game.
What is your favorite armor? Is it included in this list of the best armors in Elden Ring? Do you have your own build in mind? Tell us in the comments!
