In the past, Kratos was perfectly fine fighting his way through monsters and gods alike bare-chested. Perhaps in his older age, or due to the new, chilly climate he finds himself in in God of War Ragnarok, he has taken to wearing a variety of armor to better protect himself. Aside from looking cool, these armors also add different buffs to Kratos’ stats, allowing you to tweak your build to better suit your playstyle. That being said, there are a ton of armors in the game to find and upgrade.
Armor in God of War Ragnarok comes in three pieces: your chest, wrist, and waist armor. While you can mix and match them to your heart’s content, they typically give the best buffs when worn as a complete set. These are some of the strongest armor sets you can equip in God of War Ragnarok and why. Also note that, once fully upgraded, you do have the option to transmog your armor if you don’t like the look of it but still want the benefits.
Further reading
Steinbjorn armor
Out of all the armor in God of War Ragnarok, the Steinbjorn armor set has basically been unanimously decided as either the best or at least one of the best there is. The reason for this is simply due to how useful it is for how most people will end up playing the game. Here’s what each of the pieces does:
- Steinbjorn Plackart: boosts your Defense stat and has the ability to restore HP with every successful attack while at low health.
- Steinbjorn Gauntlets: bests both Strength and Defense. This piece has a moderate Luck chance to stagger and inflict Stun on enemies when you take damage.
- Steinbjorn Waist Guard: Adding in more Defense, the waist piece also has a moderate Luck chance to deal stagger and Stun damage to enemies when you’re hit.
Not only is this armor one of the best for adding pure defense to Kratos, but it makes it so that even when you do take damage, you typically get some kind of benefit from it you can use to turn the tables. If you ever do end up in a tight situation, being aggressive and taking advantage of that HP resorting function is a massive benefit too.
You won’t be able to get this armor for a while. It is tied to the Mystical Heirloom Relic in Midgard, which you then need to use to defeat four mini-bosses that drop the required crafting materials.
Guiding Light armor
If you’re feeling lucky, the Guiding Light armor set has a bit more risk associated with it but is still a great choice. Here’s how each piece looks:
- Breastplate of Guiding Light: gives stats to Strength, Defense, and Luck; grants a moderate Luck chance on any hit to increase your Strength, Runic, and Luck for one of your weapons.
- Gauntlets of Guiding Light: boosts Strength and Luck, as well as gives melee strikes a Luck chance to deal a critical hit that also creates a small AoE explosion.
- Waist Guard of Guiding Light: Giving you more Defense and Luck, this has the exact same effect as the gauntlets.
If you’re a melee-focused, aggressive attacker, then this is a perfect set to try out. The base stat increases are nice, but when those Luck procs begin to stack up, you will feel unstoppable.
Thankfully, it is very clear how to get this set. Simply play through the game until you get the Guiding Light Favour in Midgard, which can be started by interacting with the broken parts of Tyr’s temple.
Surtr’s Scorched armor
One of the more unique-looking armors in the game, Surtr’s Scorched armor lets you muscle your way through combat. You’re going to get a ton of Strength and Defense with this set, plus some unique effects to make you even more powerful with a little skill. Here’s how the armor looks:
- Surtr’s Scorched Cuirass: increases Strength, Defense, and Vitality; makes any attack you land on an enemy while they’re in the process of attacking you deal bonus damage.
- Surtr’s Scorched Arm: grants a hefty Strength and Vitality boost, plus reduces any damage and stagger you would take if hit while performing an attack.
- Surtr’s Scorched Girdle: You will get a bit more Strength, Defense, and Vitality here and the same effect as the arms.
With great stats, this armor can let you tank your way through a lot of encounters. If you’re able to capitalize on the bonus damage, you can crush most basic encounters in a flash.
To get this set, simply complete the required Crucible Challenge in Musphelheim.
Dragon Scaled armor
What is a better show of strength than wearing the hide of a dragon? Just like the legendary beasts this armor is named for, it is not only strong but extremely tough as well. However, it is slightly more geared toward players who utilize their shield. Here’s the breakdown:
- Dragon Scaled Breastplate: boosts Strength and Defense. All your blocks and parries will give you a Strength and Defense buff that stacks until you take a hit.
- Dragon Scaled Bracers: gives you more Strength and Defense. Not only does it make your shield do more damage, but it also makes it so that blocks and parries also deal damage to nearby enemies.
- Dragon Scaled Girdle: This one functions identically to the bracers.
Naturally, this set is great if you’re a parry master or more of a defensive player since it turns your ability to block damage into offensive power. The stat buffs are just icing on the cake.
To get this armor, you need to first gain access to the Favour called Quaking Hollow. While following this side quest, you will reach an open area you can explore and locate different dragons you need to defeat. Take their loot, and you can craft this set at the shop.
Fallen Stars set
Last on the list is the Fallen Stars set. This set is more for Runic users or players who just want a broad set they can put on and not really worry about. It covers a lot of stats but doesn’t have any particularly strong effects. Here’s a look:
- Plackart of Fallen Stars: buffs your Strength, Defense, Runic, and Vitality. If you’re hit while performing a Runic attack or using your Relic, you will take far less damage.
- Bracers of Fallen Stars: you’ll get more Strength, Runic, and Vitality stars; makes it so any damage you take while using a Runic attack or Relic will reduce the cooldown.
- Waist Guard of Fallen Stars: Buffing your Defense, Runic, and Vitality, it has the same effect as the bracers.
While the effect is nice, ideally, you will be using your Runic and Relics when you’re not in danger of being hit. It’s cool to have that in your back pocket if you get surprised, but it shouldn’t be relied on. The stats are really what makes it worth it.
You can get this set by tossing Crystalline Fragments and Shards into the Wishing Well you find in Vanaheim.
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