Best Armor Builds in God of War Ragnarök

Best Early Game Armor Build

If you're still working through the early chapters of Ragnarök, survivability is usually more important than raw damage. The best early build focuses on healing and keeping Kratos alive during longer fights.

Recommended Pieces

• Nidavellir's Finest Plackart
• Bracers of Raven Tears
• Girdle of Raven Tears

The Nidavellir chest piece restores health whenever you perform a stun grab on an enemy. Since stun finishers are common during the early game, this provides a steady source of healing during combat.

The Raven Tears pieces increase healing received from all sources. Equipping both the bracers and waist armor doubles the bonus effect, making healthstones, Spartan Rage healing, and armor perks much more effective.

This setup can comfortably carry you through the early portions of the story while you continue upgrading your gear.

Best Mid Game Armor Build

Once you reach Vanaheim and gain access to the River Delta region, Lúnda's armor becomes one of the strongest sets available.

Recommended Pieces

• Lúnda's Lost Cuirass
• Lúnda's Lost Bracers
• Lúnda's Lost Belt

The set revolves around poisoning enemies.

The chest piece gives your bare-handed attacks, blocks, and parries a chance to poison opponents. The wrist and waist pieces then increase the damage you deal to poisoned enemies.

This creates a powerful cycle where you weaken enemies while simultaneously boosting your own damage output.

The set rewards aggressive play and remains effective for a large portion of the game.

Best Endgame Armor Build

For players tackling Berserkers, endgame bosses, and post-game content, one of the strongest builds combines pieces from two different armor sets.

Recommended Pieces

• Dragon Scaled Breastplate
• Dragon Scaled Bracers
• Berserker Waist Guard

The Dragon Scaled Breastplate increases Kratos' strength and defense whenever you successfully block or parry attacks. These bonuses can stack repeatedly if you continue defending without taking damage.

The Dragon Scaled Bracers further support this playstyle by increasing shield damage and causing successful blocks and parries to damage nearby enemies.

The Berserker Waist Guard adds a chance to trigger Soul Explosions after taking damage and successfully defending yourself, providing extra damage and relic cooldown recovery.

If you're comfortable with parrying enemy attacks, this setup delivers some of the highest damage potential in Ragnarök.

Strong Armor Alternatives

Several other armor pieces remain excellent choices depending on your preferred playstyle.

Steinbjörn Plackart

One of the tankiest armor pieces in the game. After taking significant damage, Kratos can restore health by attacking enemies. This makes it especially useful during difficult boss fights.

Hunter's Pauldron

Ideal for players who prefer ranged combat. Holding the aim button increases ranged damage, making it a strong option for Leviathan Axe, Draupnir Spear, and ranged-focused builds.

Surtr's Scorched Cuirass

Designed for aggressive players. Attacks deal increased damage when they connect during an enemy's attack animation, rewarding risky but powerful offensive play.

Breastplate of Guiding Light

A versatile armor piece that grants random weapon buffs, increasing the strength, runic, and luck stats of one of Kratos' weapons for a short period.

Which Armor Is Best?

There isn't a single armor set that is best for every situation.

If you want survivability, Raven Tears and Steinbjörn armor are excellent choices.

If you prefer aggressive melee combat, Lúnda's armor remains one of the strongest sets in the entire game.

For endgame content and maximum damage, the Dragon Scaled and Berserker combination is one of the most effective builds available, especially for players who can consistently block and parry incoming attacks.