Best Armor in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Nothing is stopping you from seeking out all the fancy, and sometimes ridiculous armor found in the Realm of Shadows in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Well, nothing but time, as hunting down all 30 new armor sets the DLC has added can take a boatload of time. Some armor is nicely tucked away in hidden locations. Meanwhile, some armor gives you exciting buffs to your precious new spells. Still, some armor simply looks fantastic on your character. Considering all the perks you stand to gain from every armor, we’ve compiled the best armor in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that are a must-try.

10. Fire Knight

You’re going to have to go up against the Fire Knights to scoop the Fire Knight chest armor for yourself. And while the Fire Knights are quite tough guards to beat as they protect the Shadow Keep Specimen Storehouse, your hard work does pay off in some valuable armor you can carry through to the end of the game. If you get the Fire Knight armor set, you’ll also gain the Fire Knight helm, the Fire Knight Gauntlets, and the Fire Knight Greaves. And as a bonus, you can enjoy a 4% increase in the potency of Messmer’s flame incantations.

Physical defense: 12.9

Magic defense: 9.5

Immunity: 28

Weight: 9.3

9. Red Bear

Red Bear, on the other hand, requires taking on the Red Bear found in the Nothern Nameless Mausoleum. With the Red Bear armor set, you’ll also gain the Iron Rivet Gauntlets, the Iron Rivet Greaves, Fang Helm, Pelt of Ralva, and Iron Rivet Armor. These pretty much cover all the bases, providing you with protection as you forge ahead fighting stronger enemies and bosses. Unfortunately, Red Bear doesn’t come with a bonus.

Physical defense: 7.1

Magic defense: 10.9

Immunity: 57

Weight: 7.1

8. Night

Night armor is much easier to gain, as all it requires is hunting down a hidden item in the Bonny Gaol dungeon. You’ll have to find a guillotine that is stashed away on the floor close to the elevator. Once you pick the armor up, you can aim to get the Night armor set, which also grants you Gauntless of Night, Greaves of Night, and Helm of Night armor pieces. This one also doesn’t have an extra buff, though still quite powerful in its defense. 

Physical defense: 7.1

Magic defense: 12.4

Immunity: 55

Weight: 7.1

7. Horned Warrior

The Horned Warrior armor must be earned by conquering the Horned Warriors who keep watch at the tower in the Belurat Tower Settlement dungeon. With the Horned Warrior armor set, though, you can further buff your character’s defense, donning them with Horned Warrior Gauntlets, Horned Warrior Greaves, and Horned Warrior Helm. 

Physical defense: 13.5

Magic defense: 10.2

Immunity: 31

Weight: 10.4

6. Gravebird’s Blackquill

In the world of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, pillaging a dead person is completely an okay thing to do. After all, it’s the only way you can get your hands on the Gravebird’s Blackquill armor. The corpse is found in Rauh Base, where there are lines of Gravebird statues inside a gorge. But be sure to also get the Gravebird armor set, which will give you the Gravebird Armor, Gravebird Bracelets, Gravebird Anklets, and Gravebird Helm. In addition, to extra protection during fights, Gravebird’s Blackquill also adds a 10% buff to your jumping attacks. 

Physical defense: 6.9

Magic defense: 9.3

Immunity: 50

Weight: 6

5. Solitude

As far as heavy armor is concerned, you might want to get your hands on Solitude armor. Just prepare for battle against the Blackgaol Knight first, found in the Western Nameless Mausoleum. With the Solitude armor, you can unlock the full set, which adds Helm of Solitude, Greaves of Solitude, and Gauntlets of Solitude. This way, you can cover your character’s entire body, protecting you from harm.

Physical defense: 18.7

Magic defense: 13.3

Immunity: 60

Weight: 24

4. Death Knight

It’s wise to get the full Death Knight armor set, which adds the Death Knight Helm, the Death Knight Gauntlets, and the Death Knight Greaves. That way, you can squeeze every ounce of its bonuses, which buffs your skills and spells, although only for the ancient dragon cult. And, all you have to do to get the armor is pick up the glowing item from the corpse of the Death Knight found in the Darklight Catacombs dungeon.

Physical defense: 12.6

Magic defense: 9.3

Immunity: 25

Weight: 11.2

3. Ascetic

Once you defeat the Masked Curseblade foes, you can scavenge all the armor pieces of the Ascetic armor set. These include Curseblade Mask, Ascetic’s Ankle Guards, Ascetic’s Wrist Guards, and Ascetic’s Loincloth. While you don’t gain any additional bonuses with Ascetic armor, the set does offer you maximum protection against enemies.

Physical defense: 6.1

Magic defense: 12.6

Immunity: 42

Weight: 3.2

2. Rakshasa

As the name suggests, Rakshasa’s armor must be hunted for by defeating Rakshasa at the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum. With the Rakshasa armor set, you’ll also gain Rakshasa Gauntlets, Rakshasa Greaves, and Rakshasa Helm. Meanwhile, the armor comes with an extra bonus too. For every armor piece in the set, you gain more protection from incoming attacks while also inflicting more powerful attacks on the enemy.

Physical defense: 12.8

Magic defense: 9.6

Immunity: 35

Weight: 12.8

1. Verdigris

At last, the Verdigris Armor stands tall above all the best armor in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. It’s a heavy armor piece that lets you pick between two fights: defeating Moore or the easier route, pillaging the corpse in the Cleansing Chamber of Enirllim. Mind you, the latter will still need you to defeat a stream of foes during the Moore quest. In any case, unlocking Moore’s armor set will give you Verdigris Gauntlets, Verdigris Greaves, and Verdigris Helm. While appearing rusty, this armor set doubles down on your strength during combat.

Physical defense: 20.4

Magic defense: 13.5

Immunity: 82

Weight: 25.9

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our best armor in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree? Are there more armor we should know about? Let us know over on our socials here.