The best Elden Ring armor locations and sets

There are Elden Ring armor locations where you can find great protective gear spread all over the Lands in Between. It can be dropped by powerful enemies or discovered while hunting in chests and catacombs. But where are the best armor locations and which armor sets will help the most? A lot depends on builds, class, and player Stamina, but we’ve narrowed down some of the best Elden Ring armor locations and how you can get them. Be warned – some of these are pretty hard to get, but totally worth it.

Elden Ring armor locations

While some armor in Elden Ring can be randomly dropped by certain enemies, most of the best armor sets are not, and we’ve narrowed down the armor to help players who are feeling a little bare. What we’ve put below and above are some of the best armor locations considering the needs of multiple players. If these armor sets are reclaimed in Roundtable Hold, we’ve marked the location of the boss you need to kill to unlock them.

1. Exiled Knight armor. A fairly common armor that is surprisingly one of the best in the game, despite being quite heavy. All pieces have a very low chance of dropping from Banished Knights, the tall, tough knights that roam the later areas of Stormveil Castle (like the mimic veiled room).
2. Radahn armor. Incredibly high weight and defense – definitely only for those with great Stamina. Can be purchased from Enia in Roundtable Hold after defeating Starscourge Radahn in Redmane Castle. It also makes you look a bit like Ganandorf.
3. Raging Wolf armor. It looks great, but also provides very good defense without being too heavy. Make two assassination contracts for Lady Tanith at Volcano Manor, and then go hunting with her valet Bernahl in Leyndell. Along the way, you’ll also get the handy and pretty cool-looking Scaled Armor.
4. knight armor. A heavy but solid midgame armor. Sold by Twin Husks in Roundtable Hold after defeating Godrick. If you’re struggling with this, we have a guide on how to beat Godrick in Elden Ring.
5. Queen’s Crescent Crown. Part of the Queen’s kit, this helmet increases intelligence when worn. Defeat boss Rennala in Raya Lucaria Academy, then buy from Enia in Roundtable Hold.
6. punk armor. Another heavy but solid option that isn’t organically available until the middle of the game. Vagabond starts with it, or is sold by the trader on the Hills of Giants’ Mountain, next to the Ancient Snow Valley Ruins Place.
7. Scale armor. Lightweight but protective armor that works well in the early game. Sold by the merchant next to Castle Mone Rampart Grace District.
8. Land of Reeds (Samurai) armor. Good protection and surprisingly light. The samurai starts with it or is sold by the merchant in North Caelid next to the Isolated Merchant’s Grace Estate.
9. big helmet. Despite being just a helmet, this provides incredibly high defense and is well worth pursuing. Sold by the merchant in Southern Caelid with the less conspicuous Champion armor set.
10. Karolus and Olivinus Glintstone Crowns. If you don’t get the Queen’s Crescent Crown, these helmets increase your intelligence at the expense of Stamina or HP, depending on which you use – a solid choice for Mages. Both found at Raya Lucaria Academy, both need detours to find the following:
    • (a) Olivunus Located south of the Grace Schoolhouse Classroom Estate. Go left and hit the bookshelf to reveal a hidden balcony. Jump left, follow it and climb the rocks to find the crown on a corpse.
    • (b) Carolus Right after the Grace Debate Hall Site, where you fight the Radagon’s Red Wolf boss. Go outside, then head to the northwest corner of the courtyard and hug the left road at the cliff edge to find a glowing crab in the bushes. Kill him for the Crown of Karolus.

What is the best armor set in Elden Ring?

The best armor sets for us are the Banished Knight and Radahn armor, the first two options in the list above. Both offer great protection, but they’re also very heavy, so you’ll want to be mindful of how much you wear in case you weigh yourself down. In general, if armor is important to you, we recommend boosting your Stamina a lot. Wearing too much armor and equipment will trigger the “Heavy Load” state, causing you to move and roll much slower and at the expense of more stamina – a bad effect we don’t recommend, no matter how protected you are.

As for the rest, the best armor in Elden Ring will depend on what type of character you are making, as well as what type of enemy you are facing. Armor doesn’t have just one protective feature, instead how much protection you get depends on what hits you – some resist magic attacks better, others help you more against physical attacks. Keep this in mind when considering boss fights and what you’re up against, as well as your own weaknesses and strengths.

Can you upgrade armor in Blacksmith?

No, armor cannot be upgraded or upgraded in Elden Ring, with the minor exception of changing clothes in Sites of Grace that slightly changes certain sets’ stats without improving them. Hewg and the other blacksmiths won’t upgrade your armor no matter how many Elden Ring Smithing Stones you offer – it’s up to you to find a better set.

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