The Best Armor for Kratos for Every Stage of God of War Ragnarok

Ragnarok is here, and with it, we’ve got an action-packed, contemplative final act to the Norse arc of Kratos’ story, though there are dark hints as to where we’ll go next. The gods of Asgard are vindictive and the Nine Realms are packed to the brim with danger. There are enemies ready to destroy Kratos and Atreus around every corner, which means you’ll need some good armor.

Fortunately, going off the beaten path and taking time to explore the Realms means finding useful equipment and resources, which can be used to improve your survivability against the game’s greatest foes. Here are the best armor sets for every stage of God of War Ragnarok.

What is the best early-game armor in God of War Ragnarok?

In the early hours of Ragnarok, you should work towards crafting the Nidavellir armor set. Kratos and Atreus’s first big mission in Ragnarok takes them to the realm of Svartalfheim.

Along your way towards completing the main objective, you will encounter the side-quest “In Service of Asgard.” During this favor, you will collect Nidavellir Ore. Once you have completed the favor and have six Nidavellir Ore you will be able to craft the Nidavellir armor set.

The key trait of the Nidavellir set is a focus on health regeneration. Every time Kratos executes a stunned enemy with R3, he will gain vitality. In the early hours of the game when you are still upgrading your abilities, it is helpful to have a boost in health to make sure Kratos doesn’t lose more often than needed.

What is the best mid-game armor in God of War Ragnarok?

By the midpoint of Ragnarok, you should find yourself in the realm of Vanaheim. This is also where you can get one of the best sets that will serve you well for a good amount of time. The specific set is Lunda’s Lost Armour.

Unlock many of Ragnarok’s armor sets, you won’t pick this up naturally. Instead, you will need to go on a lengthy side-quest filled with traversing obstacles and fighting enemies. After collecting each piece of the armor set it will be repaired by Lunda and you can then equip it. Check out our detailed guide on how to get Lunda’s Lost Armour here.

The main benefit that this set gives you is an increased chance to inflict poison on enemies as well as increased damage on poisoned enemies. This is a powerful combo that can reduce even the toughest enemies to nothing in a few well-placed hits.

What is the best late/post-game armor in God of War Ragnarok?

In the late hours of Ragnarok, the whole might of Asgard will try and stand in the way of Kratos. This will require an exceptional set of armor to withstand. That is where the Steinbjorn armor set comes in.

The armor set itself boosts Kratos’ defense, which can be helpful in some of the more intense late-game boss fights. But the abilities that the armor adds are the real treat. Kratos will be able to regain some health after taking heavy damage. It also gives Kratos a higher probability of stunning enemies and inflicting critical hits.

In order to get the Steinbjorn armor set you need to travel to Midgard after acquiring the spear for Kratos. You will need to find the Mystical Heirloom Relix and use it on troll statues found in Midgard, Vanaheim, and Alfheim. Once you defeat the trolls you can collect Slumber Stones which are used to craft the armor set.

In addition to being well suited for the later hours of Ragnarok, the Steinbjorn set also makes for a great set to keep equipped once you are in the post-game. There are plenty of stories to wrap up and secrets to find, most of which are hidden behind strong enemies. The combination of high defense and an increase in critical hits makes the Steinbjorn set the perfect companion for these adventures.

God of War Ragnarok supports New Game Plus thanks to a post-launch patch. Due to the nature of New Game Plus, where enemies, bosses, and Kratos are all more powerful with an increased level cap. Because of this, the end-game armor is still our main suggestion for New Game Plus, though do note that New Game Plus introduces a number of additional customization options, so ultimately even more up to you depending on your playstyle.

God of War Ragnarok is currently available on PS5 and PS4.