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Best armor sets in God of War Ragnarök

The best armor for early and late builds.

Jessica Orr avatar
Guide by Jessica Orr Senior Guides Writer
Updated on

The best armor in God of War Ragnarök can completely change how you approach combat, helping you defeat tough enemies with special abilities, or increased stats like Strength, Defence, and Runic.

The best chest, waist, and wrist armor does depend on your own personal preference, so we'll list options that try to take into account all playstyles, as there are a lot of different builds you can kit Kratos with, leading to differing options for the best early armor and best late armor sets.

For more help in God of War Ragnarök, check out our pages on Nornir Chest locations and solutions, Raven locations, and Muspelheim Seed locations.

Best armor in God of War Ragnarök

Although it depends on your personal playstyle, in general, we think the Steinbjorn set is the best armor in God of War Ragnarök. The chest piece may only have Defence as its buffed stat, but it's a very large number of Defence! Especially when upgraded.

Coupled with the Steinbjorn Plackart's ability to restore health for a short time after a significant amount of damage is taken, and the wrist and waist pieces abilities to give a moderate Luck chance to deal Stun damage to nearby foes when you take damage, Kratos basically turns into the Realms' beefiest killing machine.

If you're ever struggling with a tough enemy, then we highly recommend equipping and upgrading the Steinbjorn armor if you can. You can find out how to get the Steinbjorn armor below.

Keep in mind that the Steinbjorn set can't be acquired until quite late in the game's story, so you might want to consider another set to tide you over until you can get the Steinbjorn pieces.

Best early armor in God of War Ragnarök

As the best armor isn't unlockable until quite late in the game, it's also good to know what the best armor sets during the early stages of the story are and how to get them.

We'll go into more detail below, but at a glance, here's the best early armor sets in God of War Ragnarök:

  • Nidavellir armor set
  • Lunda's armor set
  • Raven Tears armor set
  • Spiritual armor set

While you can equip all three pieces of a set, there's not actually an extra perk for doing so, so feel free to read over the descriptions for each armor piece below and mix-and-match to create builds suited towards your playstyle.

Best late armor in God of War Ragnarök

Again, we'll go into more detail below, but at a glance, here's the best late armor sets in God of War Ragnarök:

  • Steinbjorn armor set
  • Guiding Light armor set
  • Dragon armor set

For most cases, you'll want to stick to equipping all the pieces of these late game armor sets, but it does all depend on your personal playstyle. We do recommend upgrading these armor pieces as much as possible, however, to get the most out of equipping them.

Kratos in God of War Ragnarok

How to get Nidavellir armor in God of War Ragnarök

Here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Nidavellir armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Nidavellir's Finest Plackart (chest armor) Strength, Defence, Vitality Stun Grabbing an enemy (R3) grants a health burst
Nidavellir's Finest Arm Guards (wrist armor) Strength, Defence, Vitality Reduces how quickly enemy stun bars drain
Nidavellir's Finest Waist Guard (waist armor) Defence, Vitality Reduces how quickly enemy stun bars drain

To get all three pieces of the Nidavellir armor set in God of War Ragnarök you need to get Nidavellir Ore found while completing the 'In Service of Asgard' Favour in Svartalfheim, then craft the armor at a shop. Make sure to pick up all the loot from destroying each rig during the Favour, or search the chest beside any dwarven shop if you forgot to pick it up.

We think the Nidavellir set is one of the best armor sets in God of War Ragnarök for the early game because it can drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to stun an enemy, especially the weaker ones. Stun Grabbing them can then restore some of your health, which is a fantastic perk on top of the boost to Vitality all three pieces give you already.

How to get Lunda's armor in God of War Ragnarök

Here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Lunda armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Lunda's Lost Cuirass (chest armor) Strength, Defence, Runic, Luck Bare-handed attacks, parrying, and blocking have a high Luck chance to deal bonus damage and Poison enemies, lowering their Power Level
Lunda's Lost Bracers (wrist armor) Strength, Runic, Luck Melee attacks against poisoned enemies do increased damage
Lunda's Lost Belt (waist armor) Defence, Runic, Luck Melee attacks against poisoned enemies do increased damage

You get Lunda's armor set in God of War Ragnarök while going through the 'Mysterious Orb' Favour in Vanaheim as long as you're searching Legendary Chests along the River Delta area on your way to completing the quest. When you find any piece of the damaged Lunda's armor set, take it to a shop to repair, then you can wear it.

Although all three pieces of Lunda's armor go very well together, we actually only equipped the Bracers wrist armor for a long time, as it paired nicely with one of our companions' poison summon. If you do a lot of parrying, blocking, or bare-handed attacks, however, then the Lunda's Lost Cuirass chest armor is a fantastic early piece of gear that can make fights easier by lowering an enemy's Power Level.

How to get Raven Tears armor in God of War Ragnarök

Here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Raven Tears armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Cuirass of Raven Tears (chest armor) Strength, Defence, Luck Hitting enemies has a low Luck chance to grant Healing Mist
Bracers of Raven Tears (wrist armor) Strength, Defence, Luck Increases the healing from Healthstones, Rage, and Gear
Girdle of Raven Tears (waist armor) Defence, Luck Increases the healing from Healthstones, Rage, and Gear

To get all three pieces of the Raven Tears armor set you need to locate and hit 18 of Odin's Ravens, then open the three chests under the Raven Tree in the Niflheim Realm. Finding six Ravens rewards the girdle, 12 the bracers, and 18 the cuirass.

Even with a low luck chance, the probability of receiving a Healing Mist from wearing the Cuirass of Raven Tears chest armor is actually pretty high if you're a big melee attacker - but it counts ranged attacks too. Upping your Luck stat makes this even more likely, making the whole Raven Tears set pretty handy if you find yourself dying a lot in the early and mid game.

How to get Spiritual armor in God of War Ragnarök

Here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Spiritual armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Spiritual Shoulder Straps (chest armor) Strength, Defence, Cooldown Runic or Relic attack hits stack a buff increasing Kratos' Melee and Ranged damage by 15% with each stack (maximum three stacks)
Spiritual Wraps (wrist armor) Strength, Cooldown Melee attacks have a low Luck chance to restore some Cooldown for the equipped weapon's Runic Attacks
Spiritual Belt (waist armor) Defence, Cooldown Melee attacks have a low Luck chance to restore some Cooldown for the equipped weapon's Runic Attacks

To get the Spiritual armor set in God of War Ragnarök you need to reach Vanaheim, then progress with 'The Reckoning' Path main quest until you return to Freyrs Camp and leave Mimir behind, where Brok will now have the full set available to craft in shop for Hacksilver.

We found the Spiritual Shoulder Straps chest armor so good that it stayed equipped on Kratos right until the end of the game. That said, if you don't use a lot of Runic attacks, you definitely shouldn't be using the Spiritual armor set, as it relies on constantly activating them or Relic attacks to keep an incredible strength buff active.

How to get Steinbjorn armor in God of War Ragnarök

It's probably the best armor in the game for most players, so here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Steinbjorn armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Steinbjorn Plackart (chest armor) Defence After significant damage is taken, Kratos' attacks will restore some lost health for a time
Steinbjorn Gauntlets (wrist armor) Strength, Defence Moderate Luck chance to stagger and inflict Stun damage to nearby enemies when damage is taken
Steinbjorn Waist Guard (waist armor) Defence Moderate Luck chance to stagger and inflict Stun damage to nearby enemies when damage is taken

To get the Steinbjorn armor set in God of War Ragnarök you need to find the Mystical Heirloom Relic in the Midgard Realm by using your spear on the yellow glowing ice to the south of the Lake of Nine. Then, use the Mystical Heirloom on the four troll statues found in Midgard, Alfheim, and Vanaheim, so you can kill them and get Slumber Stones to craft the armor.

The Steinbjorn armor is probably the best set for most players, as it has very high Defence stats, and its abilities help restore health, and stagger enemies in a pinch. If you're ever struggling with a powerful enemy in the game, we highly recommend equipping the Steinbjorn armor to help you out.

How to get Guiding Light armor in God of War Ragnarök

Here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Guiding Light armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Breastplate of Guiding Light (chest armor) Strength, Defence, Luck Moderate Luck chance on any hit to increase the Strength, Runic, and Luck of one of Kratos' weapons
Gauntlets of Guiding Light (wrist armor) Strength, Luck Melee attacks have a Luck chance to critically strike, creating a damaging explosion
Waist Guard of Guiding Light (waist armor) Defence, Luck Melee attacks have a Luck chance to critically strike, creating a damaging explosion

To get the Guiding Light armor set in God of War Ragnarök you need to travel to Midgard as Kratos and complete the 'Guiding Light' Favour picked up by interacting with the various large pieces of Tyrs' Temple debris about the Lake of Nine. Once you've completed it, you can then craft the set from any shop.

The Guiding Light is a fantastic armor set for those who want to embody the spirit of the god of war and melee attack your way through every encounter! Just remember to take advantage of the increase to Runic and activate those abilities when possible for even more damage.

How to get Dragon armor in God of War Ragnarök

Here's details on all the stats and abilities for the chest, waist, and wrist armor pieces for the Dragon armor set in God of War Ragnarök:

Armor piece Stat boost to Ability
Dragon Scaled Breastplate (chest armor) Strength, Defence Blocks and parries grant a buff increasing Strength and Defence with each stack. Resets when damage is taken
Dragon Scaled Bracers (wrist armor) Strength, Defence Increases all shield damage, and successful blocks or parries now deal shield damage to nearby enemies
Dragon Scaled Girdle (waist armor) Strength, Defence Increases all shield damage, and successful blocks or parries now deal shield damage to nearby enemies

To get the Dragon armor set in God of War Ragnarök you need to complete the second part of the main story in Vanaheim, then follow the 'Scent of Survival' Favour until you get to The Crater section of Vanaheim. This opens up a massive optional piece of land to explore, which includes dragon hunts. Kill dragons (which include Dreki), and pick up the Dragon Claw and Dragon Tooth needed to craft the set at a shop.

The Dragon armor set is perfect for those who perform a lot of parries, blocks, and Shield Bashes. You'll naturally get buffs to your Strength and Defence for continuing to play this way, on top of the boost applied by just equipping the armor set itself.

If you don't tend to use your shield, however, then we recommend you skip the Dragon armor set and pick some gear more suited to your playstyle. If you like the look of it though, you can transmog your gear and keep the stats of another armor set.

Hope you're having fun in God of War Ragnarök!

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