God of War features several Armor sets that Kratos can equip throughout his journeys in the nine realms. Each armor set is unique from a visual standpoint and in its functionality, providing Kratos with various buffs and stat increases.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at the 10 best armors in God of War. We’ll go over how you can unlock them, how they affect your base stats, and the perks they come equipped with. Without any further ado, let’s get into it.
10. Traveler Set
The Traveler Set kicks off our list of the best armor in God of War. To acquire this set you must first find and kill all the travelers in the game. They drop Traveler’s Armor Shards which can then be used to buy all three pieces of the set at Brok and Sindri’s shop.
The Traveler Set is mainly centered around Defense and Vitality, allowing you to tank your way through most battles. This set is perfect for players who struggle with keeping their health high during tough boss battles.
The Traveler Set can be upgraded to level 6 during normal playthroughs and level 9 during NG+. These are the stats for the Traveler Set when fully maxed out:
| Armor Sets | Chest (Breast Plate of the Traveler) | Wrist (Gauntlets of the Traveler) | Waist (Wat Belt of the Traveler) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 30 | 23 | 23 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 100 | 75 | 75 |
| Vitality | 100 | 75 | 75 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Traveler set comes equipped with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Protection of the Traveler | Allows you to create a barrier that absorbs one attack | Breast Plate of the Traveler |
| Bade-Handed Damage Increase | Increases bare-handed damage by up to +18% | Gauntlets of the Traveler |
9. Fallen Ash Set
The Fallen Ash Set can be crafted by Brok and Sindri. It requires a couple of different resources that you won’t be able to acquire until the late game. The resources include Pristine Ores, Smoldering Embers, Crests of Flame, Aesirbane, and more.
Like the Traveler Set, the Fallen Ash Set is built around defense, allowing you to preserve a significant amount of health on every hit. The Fallen Ash Set also comes with a respectable Strength stat buff.
When maxed out during NG+ the Fallen Ash Set possesses the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Breast Plate of Fallen Ash) | Wrist (Gauntlets of Fallen Ash) | Waist (War Belt of Fallen Ash) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 35 | 26 | 26 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 155 | 116 | 116 |
| Vitality | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
It also comes with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Retaliation of Fire | Chance to inflict concussive burning damage to enemies when you take damage | Breast Plate of Fallen Ash |
| Gauntlets of Fallen Ash | ||
| War Belt of Fallen Ash |
8. Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist Set
Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist Set can be crafted at Brok and Sindri’s shop and requires several different resources including Niflheim Alloy, Mist Echoes, and Ivaldi’s Rusted Armor. All of these resources can be found within Niflheim.
This armor set provides a very balanced overall protection, possessing respectable values for every stat besides Luck and Cooldown. The biggest upside of using this armor over any other armor is its high defensive capabilities, which are further accentuated by this set’s armor perks.
When maxed out, Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist Set possesses the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Ivaldi’s Pauldron of Deadly Mist) | Wrist (Ivaldi’s Gauntlet of Deadly Mist) | Waist (Ivaldi’s War Belt of Deadly Mist) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 55 | 41 | 41 |
| Runic | 55 | 41 | 41 |
| Defense | 80 | 60 | 60 |
| Vitality | 30 | 23 | 23 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist comes with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Regenerating Essence | Imbues you with a small amount of constant health regeneration | Ivaldi’s Pauldron of Deadly Mist |
| Ivaldi’s Gauntlet of Deadly Mist | ||
| Ivaldi’s War Belt of Deadly Mist |
7. Blazing Magma Set
Next up on our list is the Blazing Magma Set. To craft this armor at Brok and Sindri’s, you’ll need Crests of Flame, Crest of Surtr, and Smoldering Embers from Muspelheim in God of War. Furthermore, you’ll also need to acquire Aesirbane and Pristine Ore of the Realm, the former can be found in Niflheim while the latter can be picked up from chests in the Iron Cove.
This set is centered around Cooldown, making it a perfect choice for those who wish to make liberal and frequent use of their runic attacks and abilities. Though you don’t see an increase in the effectiveness of your Runic attacks, the high cooldown time means you’ll be able to use them more frequently:
When fully upgraded, the Blazing Magma Set possesses the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Blazing Magma Pauldrons) | Wrist (Blazing Magma Wrappings) | Waist (Blazing Magma War Belt) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 35 | 26 | 26 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 85 | 64 | 64 |
| Vitality | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 80 | 60 | 60 |
This armor set comes equipped with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Magma Shield | Chance to create a fire shield that deals burning damage to enemies when you take damage | Blazing Magma Pauldrons |
| Blazing Magma Wrappings | ||
| Blazing Magma War Belt |
6. Smoldering Brimstone Set
The Smoldering Brimstone Set requires all the same materials as the Blazing Magma Set and can be crafted at Brok and Sindri’s. This armor set is centered around Strength, Defense, and Vitality, allowing you to increase your damage output while also providing you with enough health to withstand some of the toughest foes.
When fully upgraded, this set has the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Smoldering Brimstone Pauldron) | Wrist (Smoldering Brimstone Gauntlets) | Waist (Smoldering Brimstone Battle Belt) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 90 | 68 | 68 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 80 | 60 | 60 |
| Vitality | 50 | 38 | 38 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The associated perks for this set, further increase your strength and defensive capabilities:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Aura of Fire | Imbues you with a small chance to increase strength and restore some health when you take damage. | Smoldering Brimstone Pauldron |
| Smoldering Brimstone Gauntlets | ||
| Smoldering Brimstone Battle Belt |
5. Ivaldi’s Endless Mist Set
The fifth spot on our list goes to Ivaldi’s Endless Mist Set. To craft this armor, you must acquire several materials including Ivaldi’s Rusted Armor, Mist Echoes, and Niflheim Alloy in God of War. All of these materials are found within Niflheim.
Like the Smoldering Brimstone Set, Ivaldi’s Endless Mist Set is centered around Strength, Defense, and Vitality, however, it boasts higher values for all three of these stats. Coupled with the associated perks, this armor set has the potential to be one of the best when it comes to defense and health.
When fully upgraded, Ivaldi’s Endless Mist Set has the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Cuirass of Endless Mist) | Wrist (Ivaldi’s Gauntlets of Endless Mist) | Waist (Ivaldi’s War Belt of Endless Mist) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 55 | 41 | 41 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 100 | 75 | 75 |
| Vitality | 70 | 53 | 53 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ivaldi’s Endless Mist Set shares the same perks as Ivaldi’s Deadly Mist Set:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Regenerating Essence | Imbues you with a small amount of constant health regeneration | Cuirass of Endless Mist |
| Ivaldi’s Gauntlets of Endless Mist | ||
| Ivaldi’s War Belt of Endless Mist |
4. Zeus Set
The Zeus Set in God of War is only available during a Give Me God of War run of New Game+. To unlock each armor piece, you’ll have to kill a Valkyrie. To unlock the Cuirass of Zeus you must defeat Sigrun, the queen of the Valkyries. While defeating Gondul and Hildr unlocks the Gauntlets of Zeus and the War Belt of Zeus.
The Zeus Set is centered around damage output increase, with both Strength and Runic stats seeing a significant bump. This armor set also sees an increase in Defense, providing an overall balanced build that perfectly mixes offense and defense.
The Zeus Set has the following stats when completely leveled up:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Cuirass of Zeus) | Wrist (Gauntlets of Zeus) | Waist (War Belt of Zeus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 60 | 45 | 45 |
| Runic | 60 | 45 | 45 |
| Defense | 60 | 45 | 45 |
| Vitality | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
This armor set comes with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Pieces |
|---|---|---|
| Glass Ballista | Increases your Runic attacks and Strength by +40% but increases the damage you take by +100% | Cuirass of Zeus |
| Gauntlets of Zeus | ||
| War Belt of Zeus |
3. Ares Set
Kicking off the top three is the Ares Set. Like the Zeus set, it can only be unlocked during New Game+. To unlock all three pieces, you must defeat the dragon Hraezlyr during the quest ‘Inside the Mountain’.
The Ares Set is perfect for players looking for extra resources as it significantly boosts your Luck stat. On the combat side, this set reduces the cooldown for runic attacks while also giving you increased damage output through a very respectable Strength stat.
The Ares armor set possesses the following stats when fully maxed out in God of War:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Cuirass of Ares) | Wrist (Gauntlets of Ares) | Waist (War Belt of Ares) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 55 | 41 | 41 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 80 | 60 | 60 |
| Vitality | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luck | 30 | 23 | 23 |
| Cooldown | 40 | 30 | 30 |
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Rage Fiend | increases the rate at which you earn rage during combat, however it reduces the length of the rage bar | Cuirass of Ares |
| Gauntlets of Ares | ||
| War Belt of Ares |
This armor set comes with the Rage Fiend skill which increases the rate at which you earn rage during combat. However, it also reduces the total amount of rage.
2. Cod of War
The Cod of War armor can be acquired by simply talking to Brok and Sindri when you first meet them during NG+. This armor set provides buffs for all stats except Runic and Cooldown. While you’ll have to rely less on your Runic attacks, this armor set ensures that all other facets of Kratos are bumped up to the max.
When fully upgraded, this armor set has the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Cod of War Tunic) | Wrist (Cod of War Fin-wraps) | Waist (Cod of War Underbelly-guard) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 30 | 23 | 23 |
| Runic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defense | 90 | 68 | 68 |
| Vitality | 30 | 23 | 23 |
| Luck | 70 | 53 | 53 |
| Cooldown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Cod of War armor comes with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Big Splash | Using a Healthstone or Ragestone creates an explosion that deals burn and frost damage to all nearby enemies. | Cod of War Tunic |
| Sea Change | Grants Kratos health instead of Rage when using a Ragestone at maximum rage and vice versa. | Cod of War Fin-wraps |
| Cry Haddock | Using a Healthstone or Ragestone creates a protective barrier for a small amount of time. | Cod of War Underbelly-guard |
1. Valkyrie Set
The top spot on our list goes to the Valkyrie Set. Like the Zeus Set, you’ll have to defeat three separate Valkyries to acquire all three pieces of this armor set in God of War. Defeating Olrun unlocks the Waist Guard of the Valkyrie while defeating Hildr and Gondul unlocks the Gauntlets and Cuirass.
Being the best armor in the game, it provides buffs to all combat stats, including Cooldown and Runic, allowing you to not only increase your damage and runic attack output but also your defense and health
When fully upgraded, the Valkyrie Set has the following stats:
| Armor Stats | Chest (Cuirass of the Valkyrie) | Wrist (Gauntlets of the Valkyrie) | Waist (Waist Guard of the Valkyrie) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 35 | 26 | 26 |
| Runic | 35 | 26 | 26 |
| Defense | 100 | 75 | 75 |
| Vitality | 25 | 19 | 19 |
| Luck | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooldown | 45 | 34 | 34 |
This armor set also comes with the following perks:
| Perk | Effect | Armor Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior’s Unstoppable Aura | Chance to grant Unstoppable Aura that prevents Kratos from getting staggered by attacks from small enemies | Cuirass of the Valkyrie |
| Refreshing Light | Chance to instantly cooldown all Runic attacks on a Runic attack kill. | Gauntlets of the Valkyrie |
| Arcane Runic | Chance to grant Blessing of Runic when using a Runic attack. | Waist Guard of the Valkyrie |
