Exploration and combat have a much bigger role than ever with the sequel, as players can unlock almost 28 Armor sets throughout GOW Ragnarok, but only a few manage to stand out as the best for Kratos and for a variety of other situations. So without further delay, let’s get started with my hand-picked list of the top 10 best armor sets that you can uncover and equip for Kratos in God Of War Ragnarok.
Why I Chose This: Nedavellir armor works best against stunned enemies as it provides healing when dealing with them and increases the stun duration.
Show Full Text
The Nidavellir armor set, forgeable in the early stages of the game, proves indispensable for those newly exploring the realm of Svartalfheim. Offering a significant boost in both Vitality and Defense, it provides a strategic advantage against formidable foes encountered throughout the journey.
Perks
The Chest piece stands out, allowing you to regain health when grabbing stunned enemies. This creates a dynamic healing loop during combat.
Waist and wrist pieces extend stun duration, facilitating the chaining of stun attacks against multiple opponents. Utilize constant shield bashing to build the stun gauge beneath enemy health bars rapidly. Subsequently, execute a death finisher (R3 prompt with a red circle) to maximize health gain, surpassing the effectiveness of a standard stun grab (Yellow R3 prompt).
Unlocking the Set
Obtain the Nidavellir armor set by solving the Geyser Puzzle in Svartalfheim, leading to the “In Service of Asgard” side quest.
Complete the quest by destroying three marked mining rigs, eliminating enemy groups, and collecting Nidavellir Ore drops.
Return to Brok and Sindri to craft the armor using the acquired ores.
Chest piece provides healing when dealing with stun enemies.
Waist and wrist increase the stun duration of enemies.
The stun duration is only increased at level 3 of both pieces.
Needs completion of a side quest.
9. Berserker Armor
The Best Armor For Risky Play.
Berserker armor (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Vitality
Defense
Runic
Cooldown
Luck
Berserker Cuirass
36
22
14
22
22
22
Berserker Gauntlets
41
11
–
11
11
11
Berserker Waist Guard
–
11
41
11
11
11
Why I Chose This: The Berserker Armor increases melee dmg and has high Str stat making it best for DPS builds.
Show Full Text
The Berserker Armor rolls with a high stat spread in Strength, allowing you to fully focus your playstyle into dishing out unrelenting attacks on your foes. The description of the armor itself states that it was crafted in the spirit of the tarnished berserker souls who fought for their king in both life and death. Follow along as Ilist the perks of the armor and how you can go about obtaining it in short detail.
Perks
The main chest piece, as shown in the image of the armor, allows you to increase the damage of Kratos’ melee attacks when you trigger a relic ability. But keep in mind that, in turn, you will also receive extra incoming damage from enemies, making it one of the best high-risk, high-reward playstyle armor sets in GOW Ragnarok.
The wrist and waist pieces of the set will allow you to cause soul explosions upon successful attacks while your attacks have extra damage enabled from the chest piece perk. I recommend dodging incoming attacks and using the set if you are looking to gain an edge over the towering boss fights or mini-bosses of the game. As long as you can evade or parry the incoming attacks, it will ensure your DPS stays strong at all times.
How To Unlock
You will need to hunt down Three specific Berserker Gravestones,they will contain a challenging boss fight.
You will need to defeat the following bosses to gain each piece of the Berserker armor set:
Berserker Waist: Defeat Fraekni the Zealous in Midgard, Lake Of The Nine
Berserker Chest: Defeat Svipdagr the Cold, 2 Sisters of Illska in the Barrens Area of Alfheim
Berserker Gauntlets: Defeat Skjothendi the Unerring in the Mist Fields area of Nilfheim
Provides exceptionally high Str stat.
Increases the dmg of melee attacks.
Also increases the damage taken from enemies.
Need to kill 3 different bosses to obtain 3 pieces.
8. Dragon-Scaled Armor Set
The Best Armor For Stats Boost.
Dragonscaled armor (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Vitality
Defense
Dragon-Scaled Breastplate
62
–
62
Dragon-Scaled Bracers
60
–
17
Dragon-Scaled Girdle
17
–
60
Why I Chose This: Dragon-Scaled Armor provides the wearer with high Def and Str which increases with every block or parry.
Show Full Text
The Dragon Scaled Armor set resembles something straight out of an old-school RPG; that’s because the armor itself is crafted from the materials of the creatures as well as other supernatural foes slain by Kratos. It is said to be crafted by the remains of dragons, drekis, and drakes. Follow along as I showcase the perks of the armor set as well as how you can unlock and craft it.
Perks
The chest piece of the dragon-scaled armor has a perk that allows you to increase your Strength and Defence parameters as you execute successful dodges and parries from incoming attacks. It is an especially great set for those players who are capable of remaining untouched or unphased by the enemy’s onslaught. The Strength and Defense boosts can stack, making it an amazing set to have if you can get used to dodging and parrying.
The waist and wrist pieces allow you to increase your shield damage as well as deal additional Shield damage to enemies around you when you successfully block or parry their attacks.
How To Unlock
The armor is crafted with materials, which you can do once you complete the For Vanaheim side quest.
The materials themselves will drop from enemies as you go around and complete side quests in Vanaheim.
You will need to return to Brok and Sindri, make sure you have the following materials in stock:
Upon crafting the set, you will also obtain the Dragon Slayer Trophy required for the Platinum Trophy. There is no RNG involved with the materials, so as long as you complete every available quest in the area and loot bodies for materials, and explore thoroughly, you should be able to gather the necessary materials for the armor set.
Has pretty high Str and Def Stat.
Further increases both Stats on Blocks and Parries.
All stacks of increased stats are lost upon taking dmg.
The materials required can be difficult to obtain.
7. Máni’s Armour Of Wisdom
The Best Armor For Elemental Skill Buff.
Manis Armor of Wisdom (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Cooldown
Defense
Runic
Mani’s Pauldron of Wisdom
32
32
36
14
Mani’s Bracers of Wisdom
43
32
–
9
Mani’s Belt of Wisdom
–
20
43
9
Why I Chose This: Máni’s Armor of Wisdom provides you with the option to use both Leviathan Axe and the Blades effectively as it buffs their elemental interaction.
Show Full Text
The Mani’s armor of Wisdom closely resembles the Niflheim Mist Armor set from God Of War 2018 as it supports a crystallized look throughout each piece with a green coating on it to give it a finishing touch. According to the in-game description of the armor, it is said to shine like the light of the moon. The armor is easily one of my favorites and earns a place in my list of the Best armor sets in GOW Ragnarok for its one specific perk.
Perks
The prized possession of this armor set is the chest piece called the Mani’s pauldron of Wisdom. It allows you to increase the damage of the Extinguished Flames and Vaporize Frost reactions.
If you’re someone who enjoys switching between the two weapons and using them in conjunction with each other, then you will absolutely love destroying enemies with the armor set. Furthermore, it is highly recommended that you use the bracers and waist armor alongside it, which will grant you an increased duration of the status effects, which is excellent if you’re looking to utilize the armor and the elemental reaction attacks fully.
How To Unlock
If you are following along with the main quests, the armor will be available to craft at Brok and Sindri
Once you reach or progress past the Word Of Fate Main Quest, which takes place in Midgard.
It is the Ninth overall main quest of the game, which takes place during the mid-game scenarios.
Provides a buff to both Axe and Blades simultaneously.
The Waist armor provides increased duration to the status effect.
Has relatively low defenses overall.
Acquired in a mid-game area.
6. Giptumadr’s Armor
The Best Armor For Cooldown Reset.
Giptumandr’s armor (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Luck
Defense
Runic
Giptumadr’s Breastplate
32
36
36
11
Giptumadr’s Gauntlets
43
23
–
7
Giptumadr’s Waist Guard
43
23
–
7
Why I Chose This: Giptumadr’s Armor has decent defense and the passive can save you in many situations but can also cost you greatly if it does not trigger.
Show Full Text
If you’re someone who likes to gamble on luck and go against the odds, then by all means, try out Giptumadr’s armor set, which is said to make you instantly likable and lucky. The armor has a decent stat spread in almost all of the parameters aside from Vitality and Cooldown. The perks are quite unique in how they function, so let’s briefly discuss what they do for you in combat.
Perks
The chest piece has the main trait called Fortune’s Refresh, which basically allows you to gamble with RNG and reset your Runic attack cooldown by 70%. You can, of course, upgrade the chest piece and increase the luck stat to boost the capabilities of the perk.
Furthermore, the waist and wrist pieces will allow you to spawn rage or health stones if you successfully dish out Relic or Runic attacks on enemies. It is completely dependent on your Luck stat so you can upgrade the armor pieces to increase the conditions of the perk.
How To Unlock
The Giptumadr’s armor set will become available to craft as progress the ninth main quest “The Word Of Fate” In Midgard.
Simply return back to Brok and Sindri after or during the quest to be able to access this armor set and craft it.
Significantly restores the cooldown of a skill.
Also has a Luck stat to boost the chance.
Depends on RNG and thus can cause problems.
Very low Runic Stat despite providing a buff to them.
Why I Chose This: Spiritual Armor Set provides a decent mix between defenses and dmg buff with its passive. It can also reduce abilities’ cooldowns.
Show Full Text
The spiritual armor set provides a decent stat spread across strength, defense, and cooldown, which can all be increased by upgrading each of its armor pieces. The in-game description states that it provides the wearer with maximum breathability, enhancing their cooldown stats. The armor earns a place in my top 5 best armor pieces in GOW Ragnarok due to the perks alone, which I have mentioned below.
Perks
The chest piece of the spiritual armor set has a perk called Arcane Strength, which allows you to increase the Melee and ranged attacks of Kratos by 15% if you successfully hit enemies with Runic or Relic attacks. The buff can be stacked up to a total of 3 times.
The wrist and waist pieces of the set have a low luck chance to restore the cooldown of the runic attacks on the currently equipped weapon of Kratos during battle. So if you are someone who loves the feel of unleashing mayhem upon your enemies, then this set might work wonders for you.
Furthermore, any chance to reduce the cooldown of the runic attacks means you can endlessly get the Arcane Strength stacks for Kratos to make him a killing machine during the hectic battles.
How To Unlock
Unlocking the armor set is pretty self-explanatory.
As you will be able to craft it at Brok’s shop during “The Reckoning” main quest.
Why I Chose This: If you like to bare-handedly deal with your enemies, then this armor would provide you extra benefits with blocks, parries and bare handed combat.
Show Full Text
Lunda is one of the new characters you meet in GOW Ragnarok, who is a Dwarf blacksmith just like Brok and Sindri. The armor set you see in the image above is one of her long-lost prized possessions, and she just so happens to send Kratos on a goose chase to hunt it down, piece by piece. The armor design itself is sleek and metallic, with a red coating to give it a fearsome warrior’s touch.
Perks
The main perk of the chest piece, Vanir Poison, has a High Luck chance to poison enemies and lower their power levels as you deal bare-handed attacks and parry or block incoming attacks from your foes. The arm piece and waist pieces are a must-have along the set as they can boost your melee damage to poisoned enemies.
Not only will the set boost your DPS by a large amount, but it will also help weaken any kind of enemy if you so wish via its poison attacks. The armor set is straightforward, and a no-brainer pick for anyone who is looking to collect the best armor sets in GOW Ragnarok.
How To Unlock
You can collect the armor fragment pieces during the Mysterious Orb sidequest.
It is found during the sixth main quest of the story called “The Reckoning”.
Lunda will also hand over a favor for you amidst the side quest to collect the armor pieces.
They can be found around the River Delta.
Deals significant dmg and poisons the enemy.
Has a high chance of triggering and also has a Luck stat.
Relatively low Runic and Def Stats.
Acquired after completing a side quest.
3. Raven Tears Armor
The Best Armor For Lucky Healing.
Raven tears armor (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Luck
Defense
Raven Tears Cuirass
14
14
32
Raven Tears Bracers
19
9
10
Raven Tears Girdle
–
9
29
Why I Chose This: Raven Tears has great Def stat and a passive to create a healing mist whose effectiveness is boosted by the Waist and Wrist pieces.
Show Full Text
If you are a player who prefers a defensive playstyle and is looking for a step up from the Nidavellir armor set, then look no further than the Raven Tears set, which provides excellent healing capabilities. The armor is also notably strong due to its high stat spread in defense. According to the in-game description of the set shown in the image above, the armor set is said to be stronger than the hardened ice of the realm of Niflheim.
Perks
The simple yet powerful trait of this armor set grants Kratos a healing mist with a low luck chance. It can be compensated by increasing your luck stat and upgrading the set. Most importantly, the waist and wrist pieces will increase the effectiveness of the healing mist, making it an armor set that most players will end up using for survivability purposes on the higher difficulty levels of GOW Ragnarok.
How To Unlock
The three chests containing the set (image credit: eXputer)
The armor is linked to the Odin’s Ravens collectibles scattered throughout the game.
You will need a specific amount to unlock the chests containing the armor set pieces.
The chests themselves are found in Niflheim under the Raven Tree.
You will need precisely 18 Ravens in order to unlock each of the chests.
The armor has innate luck stat for more chance.
Has high Def Stat, viable for safer gameplay.
The Heal Mist has a very low Chance to trigger.
Can be quite challenging to acquire.
2. Guiding Light Armor
The Best Armor For Offensive Buffs.
Guiding Light armor (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Luck
Defense
Guiding Light Breastplate
36
36
29
Guiding Light Gauntlets
–
23
41
Guiding Light Waist Guard
–
23
41
Why I Chose This: Guiding Light Armor has the best offensive buffs in the game as it increases Str and Runic stats. It also deals dmg with the weapon’s strikes.
Show Full Text
The Guiding Light Armor is perhaps one of the best offensive-based sets for Kratos in GOW Ragnarok, as the traits are fundamentally unique for all types of battles, whether it’s against normal enemies or boss fights. It offers a fantastic stat increase to both Strength and Luck, which you will need in large commodities for this set to work as efficiently as possible.
The armor itself is said to honor Tyr as each of the pieces of the set is scattered across the Lake of Nine. Follow along as I discuss its perks below.
Perks
The chest piece, Weapon Blessing, bestows a moderate Luck chance on Kratos’ hits, enhancing the Strength, Runic, and Luck of one weapon. Despite initial skepticism, especially with weapons like the Blades of Chaos, this perk proves effective in consistently boosting overall damage during battles.
The bracers and waistpiece contribute to a total 8% chance, tied to the Luck stat, triggering melee damage explosions on enemy hits. When paired with the Blades and adequately upgraded, the set unleashes its full potential, establishing itself as a top-tier damage-focused armor set in God of War Ragnarok.
How To Unlock
The set can be unlocked by completing the Guiding Light Favor found in the Lake Of Nine.
Which has you unraveling 4 different hidden messages and rune codes left by Tyr.
Near each of the marked locations, you will be able to access treasures containing the armor pieces.
One of the four chests near each message location will just contain the Jotunheim Essence.
Increases Str and Runic stats, useful for any weapon.
Deals timed dmg with the weapon strikes for extra dmg.
Lacks defensive capabilities, needs to be upgraded.
Can be difficult to acquire.
1. Steinbjorn Armor Set
The Best Defense In The Game.
The Steinbjorn armor (image credit: eXputer)
Piece
Strength
Vitality
Defense
Steinbjorn Plackart
–
–
123
Steinbjorn Gauntlets
22
–
55
Steinbjorn Waist Guard
–
–
77
Why I Chose This: Steinbjorn Armor has the best defense in the game and also heals you after taking a set amount of dmg.
Show Full Text
Special Features of the Armor Set:
It stands out with raw defense stats, making it particularly useful on higher difficulties and for NG+ in future updates.
Capable of withstanding formidable challenges.
Perks
Bloodthirsty Retaliation (chest piece perk): Kratos regains a significant portion of health by retaliating with attacks, making him nearly invincible during boss fights and encounters.
Additional Perks
Waist and gauntlets provide a moderate Luck chance to deal Stun damage to nearby foes, perfect for those who prefer an onslaught of unstoppable attacks.
Unlocking The Armor
During major story events in Svartalfheim, Kratos and an ally forge the Draupnir Spear, capable of breaking open Yellow-colored marks.
Head to the Southern edge of the Lake Of Nine to find the Mystical Heirloom.
Use the Draupnir Spear to awaken four trolls in Midgard, Alfheim, and Vanaheim.
Defeat them to obtain the needed slumber stones for crafting the Steinbjorn armor set.
Provides the best defense and also heals you.
Wearing full set also has a chance to stun enemies.
Obtained at a fairly late-game stage.
Doesn’t provide anything to offense.
Alternative Armors
While there are additional Armor Sets available for players to utilize in GOW Ragnarok, I opted not to include them in my top list due to some factors:
Ares Armor Set: A viable option, but it is slightly heavy, which can result in slower and more sluggish movement.
Surtr’s Scorched Armor Set: It offers no elemental resistances, making players more susceptible to damage from fire, ice, and other elemental attacks.
Hunter’s Armor Set: Ideal for players aiming to develop a potent Runic build, but its acquisition is difficult.
Zeus Armor Set: Despite its immense power and increased damage output, it is only available in New Game Plus.
Spartan Armor Set: A commendable option, but it offers no specific perks or bonuses compared to the other armors I mentioned above.
My Opinion On The Best Armor Sets
GOW Ragnarok contains a plethora of armor sets, but I still can’t recommend anything other than the Steinbjorn Armor Set for your end-game build. It really helped me defeat all of the Berserkers with ease, including the fights where two or three bosses group up on the player. Now, I was running a pure physical build and only needed high-defense stats from my armor.
Haris Umar Game Hours GOW Ragnarök (Image by eXputer)
Lunda’s Armor Set is an underrated and overpowered option. You’ll be restricted to using bare-fist attacks, but you will deal huge poison damage to enemies. Additionally, I would recommend transforming these powerful armor sets because their original designs do not look that great.
If you enjoyed reading this guide to the best armors in GOW Ragnarok, then do let us know what you think about them in the comments below, and I hope you’re having fun being reunited with the Father-son duo as you take on the Norse Gods in full force with God Of War Ragnarok.
What’s Your Opinion
Disclaimer Note: These armor choices and their rankings on my list are based on my personal experience with the game. If you know or have any of your favorite sets to share, then let us know in the comments section below.
Haris Umer is a Guides Writer on eXputer who can be seen torturing himself by playing FromSoftware’s offering of Souls games. He speaks about games with overwhelming passion, which readers can spot in his guides. Haris has been avidly playing video games for 15+ years now. You can learn more about his gaming experience through his PSNand Steamprofiles.
Experience: 3+ Years || Education: Bachelors In Medicine And Surgery.
Enjoyed this article? Discuss the latest gaming news, get expert help with guides and errors, and chat about all things gaming on eXputer Forums and Discord Server. Connect with fellow gamers who share your passion by becoming a part of eXputer's community.
Fact Checked By 
Join Our Community