The 10 Best Armor Sets in God of War (& How to Craft Them) (2024)

In Sony's fantastic God of War, players must obtain and upgrade different armor sets in order to strengthen and expand Kratos' already considerable powers. Not all armor is created equal, however, with some sets only being useful in certain situations and others having very little use at all. Conversely, there are a handful of armor sets that rise to the top regardless of the circ*mstances.

Though the most powerful armor sets in God of War can only be obtained while playing in New Game Plus mode, that's not to say that there aren't still plenty of other great sets that are capable of helping players survive the main game. This guide will focus on the best armor sets in God of War, with information on their stats as well as how to craft and upgrade them.

Updated January 14, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Following more than a decade and a half of PlayStation exclusivity, the God of War series has finally come to PC. Granted, only one of the series' many installments is available at the time of writing, but that could all change in the not-too-distant future. Even if it doesn't though, most consider the 2018 soft reboot to be the best that the series has to offer, making it a great starting point for anyone who is new to the franchise. For those people, these armor sets will be vital for keeping Kratos alive on his grueling journey through Norse mythology; particularly on higher difficulty settings.

10 Traveler

Don't Worry About The First Hit

The Traveler armor set might not look like much on paper, but it provides a very useful ability. The Protection of the Traveler perk allows the player to tank one hit without taking any damage. This isn't particularly useful in most situations, but it is worth its weight in gold at one particular point in the game.

One of the Muspelheim impossible trials requires players to defeat as many as 35 enemies without taking any damage. Although it's possible to succeed without the Traveler's armor, it provides the player with a metaphorical "Get Out of Jail Free" card and can often be the difference between a gold or a silver ranking.

How to Craft the Traveler Armor Set in God of War

Players will need to craft the Traveler armor set using Hacksilver and materials acquired by defeating Travelers. Killing five or six of them should be enough to get the materials needed to craft the armor, though those hoping to fully upgrade it will need to kill many, many more.

• Breastplate of the Traveler: 5 x Traveler's Armor Shard and 16,400 Hacksilver
• Gauntlets of the Traveler: 18 x Traveler's Grizzly Trophy, 5 x Traveler's Armor Shard, and 12,800 Hacksilver
• War Belt of the Traveler: 12 x Traveler's Grizzly Trophy and 12,800 Hacksilver

9 Sindri's Royal Dwarven Set

Go With This If You Rely Too Much On Kratos' Runic Abilities

Unlike some of the other Legendary armor sets in God of War, Sindri's armor can only be upgraded to level 7 during a regular playthrough. Players should not be fooled, though, as, despite its level, it can hold its own against many of the game's toughest enemies due to its high durability and fantastic passive perks.

With huge bonuses to Runic and Cooldown as well as a high Defense stat, this armor works great for those whose combat style makes heavy use of Kratos' Runic abilities. Better still, the chest plate features the Arcane Protective Barrier perk, which can potentially block all damage while Kratos is using Runic attacks.

How to Craft the Sindri's Royal Dwarven Armor Set in God of War

Before players can craft Sindri's Royal Dwarven armor set, they'll first need to complete Hail to the King, which is the final Draven Favor side quest in the game. After doing so, they'll obtain the recipe and items needed to craft one of the two Royal Dwarven sets. After crafting one of them, the other can then be crafted using only Hacksilver.

• Sindri's Royal Dwarven Breastplate: 1 x Ultimate Sacrifice and 20,500 Hacksilver
• Sindri's Royal Dwarven Gauntlets: 1 x Screams of the Innocent and 15,400 Hacksilver
• Sindri's Royal Dwarven Waist Guard: 1 x Dragon's Fury and 15,400 Hacksilver

8 Brok's Royal Dwarven Set

Get More Of That Spartan Rage

As with Sindri's armor, Brok's Royal Dwarven set can only be upgraded to level 7, which puts it at a bit of a disadvantage when compared to Epic or Perfect armor sets. It still has its uses, however, and differs from Sindri's armor through its excellent selection of innate perks.

Each piece of Brok's armor increases the rate at which Kratos' rage meter fills by 10%, allowing players to utilize his Spartan Rage a lot more often. It also has a noticeably higher Defense stat, so it might just provide a better option for those who don't use Runic attacks that often.

How to Craft the Brok's Royal Dwarven Armor Set in God of War

Before players can craft Brok's Royal Dwarven armor set, they'll first need to complete Hail to the King, which is the final Draven Favor side quest in the game. After doing so, they'll obtain the recipe and items needed to craft one of the two Royal Dwarven sets. After crafting one of them, the other can then be crafted using only Hacksilver.

• Brok's Royal Dwarven Breastplate: 1 x Ultimate Sacrifice and 20,500 Hacksilver
• Brok's Royal Dwarven Gauntlets: 1 x Screams of the Innocent and 15,400 Hacksilver
• Brok's Royal Dwarven Waist Guard: 1 x Dragon's Fury and 15,400 Hacksilver

7 Fallen Ash

Looks Good And Has Great Defense

The Fallen Ash armor is one of the best-looking sets in the game (until players are able to get their hands on the Zeus and Ares sets in New Game Plus, that is) and is an all-around great armor set to have. With 100 Defense and a 24 stat boost to Strength, this armor offers the best of both worlds.

What makes the armor truly unique is its Retaliation of Fire perk, which has a chance of dealing concussive burn damage to any enemy foolish enough to deal damage to Kratos. It’s a great passive ability that can whittle down opponents' health as they attack, making the player's job a whole lot easier.

How to Craft the Fallen Ash Armor Set in God of War

To craft the Fallen Ash armor set, players will require Smoldering Embers, which can only be found in the optional realm of Muspelheim. To upgrade it, they'll need to get their hands on several other Muspelheim-exclusive items as well as Pristine Ore of the Realm and Aesirbane, which are found in Legendary chests at the Iron Cove and in Niflheim respectively.

• Breastplate of Fallen Ash: 24 x Smoldering Ember and 16,400 Hacksilver
• Gauntlets of Fallen Ash: 18 x Smoldering Ember and 12,800 Hacksilver
• War Belt of Fallen Ash: 18 x Smoldering Ember and 12,800 Hacksilver

6 Valkyrie

Time To Hunt Down The Valkyries

Those hoping to fully upgrade the Valkyrie armor set will need to take down the nine deadly Valkyries found throughout the game. To simply obtain the armor, though, players will only actually need to defeat three of them: Hildr (Breastplate), Gondul (Helheim), and Olrun (Waist Guard).

The Valkyrie set grants huge bonuses to Runic, Strength, Defense, and Cooldown, as well as nine Enchantment Sockets once it's at level 8. What really makes the Valkyrie set shine is the Gauntlet's Refreshing Light skill, though, which has a chance to instantly refresh all Runic attack cooldowns following a Runic attack kill.

Where to Find the Valkyrie Armor Set in God of War

Players can obtain the Valkyrie armor set by defeating three of the game's nine Valkyries. The materials needed to fully upgrade the set can be obtained by defeating the other six.

• Cuirass of the Valkyrie: Defeat Hildr in Niflheim
• Gauntlets of the Valkyrie: Defeat Gondul in Muspelheim
• Waist Guard of the Valkyrie: Defeat Olrun in Alfheim

5 Ivaldi’s Cursed Mist

Never Run Out Of Health

Obtaining and upgrading Ivaldi’s Cursed Mist can require quite a bit of time and effort, but doing so can give players a tremendous advantage in the game. It's one of three sets that are obtained by farming Mist Echoes in the maze at Niflheim, with the other two arguably being even better depending on how they're being used.

At level 7, it grants 46 Strength, 112 Runic, and 136 Defense, but its true value is derived from the constant health regeneration Kratos receives while wearing the armor. Sadly, however, it doesn't offer a boost in vitality, making it less than ideal for some of the game's tougher bosses and enemies.

How to Craft the Ivaldi's Cursed Mist Armor Set in God of War

Players hoping to craft the Ivaldi's Cursed Mist armor set will need to visit the optional realm of Niflheim and retrieve Ivaldi's Rusted Armor from the workshop. After obtaining it, they'll be able to craft a set of Mist armor using items procured from the maze. The materials needed to upgrade the armor can also be found in the maze.

• Ivaldi's Spaulders of Cursed Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,500 Mist Echoes, and 20,500 Hacksilver
• Ivaldi's Bracers of Cursed Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,000 Mist Echoes, and 15,400 Hacksilver
• Ivaldi's War Belt of Cursed Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,000 Mist Echoes, and 15,400 Hacksilver

4 Ivaldi’s Endless Mist

One Of The Best Ones For Attack-Heavy Builds

The second best variation of the Mist armor set is Ivaldi’s Endless Mist. At level 9, a full set grants 137 Strength, 250 Defense, and 176 Vitality, making it ridiculously durable. The armor is best for straightforward fighting builds and also grants the same incredibly useful health regeneration as other Mist armor sets.

The only thing holding it back is its lack of bonuses to Runic abilities. Runic powers are, after all, very strong attacks that, if used correctly, can make Kratos nigh on unstoppable and capable of delivering brutal damage towards the end of the game. Unfortunately, however, the Endless Mist armor just doesn’t provide any bonus for it.

How to Craft the Ivaldi's Endless Mist Armor Set in God of War

Players hoping to craft the Ivaldi's Endless Mist armor set will need to visit the optional realm of Niflheim and retrieve Ivaldi's Rusted Armor from the workshop. After obtaining it, they'll be able to craft a set of Mist armor using items procured from the maze. The materials needed to upgrade the armor can also be found in the maze.

• Ivaldi's Cuirass of Endless Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,500 Mist Echoes, and 20,500 Hacksilver
• Ivaldi's Gauntlets of Endless Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,000 Mist Echoes, and 15,400 Hacksilver
• Ivaldi's War Belt of Endless Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,000 Mist Echoes, and 15,400 Hacksilver

3 Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist

A Good One For Almost Every Type Of Build

Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist set is arguably the best armor outside of those that are exclusive to New Game Plus mode. Once fully upgraded, it provides 85 Strength, 68 Runic, 168 Defense, and 50 Vitality, along with the familiar Regenerating Essence perk that constantly heals Kratos.

The reason that the Deadly Mist set is generally preferred to Ivaldi's other armor is that the stats are arguably the most well-balanced, meaning that any build can pick it up and use it well. Granted, a case could be made for why another armor set might suit a specific build better, but this one works for them all.

How to Craft the Ivaldi's Deadly Mist Armor Set in God of War

Players hoping to craft the Ivaldi's Deadly Mist armor set will need to visit the optional realm of Niflheim and retrieve Ivaldi's Rusted Armor from the workshop. After obtaining it, they'll be able to craft a set of Mist armor using items procured from the maze. The materials needed to upgrade the armor can also be found in the maze.

• Ivaldi's Pauldrons of Deadly Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,500 Mist Echoes, and 20,500 Hacksilver
• Ivaldi's Gauntlets of Deadly Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,000 Mist Echoes, and 15,400 Hacksilver
• Ivaldi's War Belt of Deadly Mist: 5 x Niflheim Alloy, 1,000 Mist Echoes, and 15,400 Hacksilver

2 Armor of Ares

Comes With AHefty Cost But Incredible Stats

For those wanting to be the real God of War, Ares' armor provides up to 137 Strength, 200 Defense, 76 Luck, and 100 Cooldown. Those stats alone should be enough to convince players to tackle the game's New Game Plus mode in order to obtain it, but where it really shines is through its perks.

Rage Field massively increases the speed at which Rage is gained and also noticeably decreases the rate at which it drains. There is something of a trade-off, however, as players will need to sacrifice a portion of their Rage bar if they decide to wear this armor.

How to Craft the Armor of Ares in God of War

The Armor of Ares can only be crafted in New Game Plus mode once players have defeated the dragon Hræzlyr. Crafting and upgrading the set requires large amounts of Hacksilver and Skap Slag; a rare ingredient that is found in chests or dropped by certain enemies in New Game Plus mode.

• Cuirass of Ares: 24 x Skap Slag and 75,500 Hacksilver
• Gauntlets of Ares: 20 x Skap Slag & 56,600 Hacksilver
• War Belt of Ares: 20 x Skap Slag & 56,600 Hacksilver

1 Armor of Zeus

Carry Forward The Legacy

The armor that once belonged to Kratos' father is considered by many to be the best in the game. With 145 Strength, Defense, and Runic, as well as a perk that greatly increases the strength of Kratos' regular attacks, this armor is no joke and a more than fitting reward for those who strive to obtain it.

Kratos is able to tear through enemies while wearing the Zeus set, although the perk also increases the damage that enemies deal to Kratos, making him something of a glass cannon. Depending on playstyle, players might be better off opting for a different set or combining sets to find the balance that best suits their needs.

Where to Find the Armor of Zeus in God of War

The Armor of Zeus is obtained by defeating three of the Valkyries while playing in New Game Plus mode. Upgrading the set requires large amounts of Hacksilver and Skap Slag; a rare ingredient that is found in chests or dropped by certain enemies in New Game Plus mode.

• Cuirass of Zeus: Defeat Sigrun in Midgard while playing in New Game Plus mode
• Gauntlets of Zeus: Defeat Gondul in Muspelheim while playing in New Game Plus mode
• War Belt of Zeus: Defeat Hildr in Niflheim while playing in New Game Plus mode

God of War (2018)

Franchise

God of War

Platform(s)

PS4 , PC

Released

April 20, 2018

Developer(s)

Santa Monica Studio

Publisher(s)

Sony

Genre(s)

Action , Adventure

Engine

Proprietary Engine