By Emily Barnes

Armor has always been an essential part of RPG games, and it’s not all about the visual look and aesthetic. When you’re placed into a world full of enemies and battles to be fought, your normal body isn’t going to be enough to protect yourself from potentially massive amounts of damage. All attacks in-game do a specific amount of damage whether it’s 100, 200, or 5,00 damage. There are also multiple types of damage including piercing damage, environmental damage, monster damage, and many more. This is where armor can really save the day and enable you to succeed in your play through. Armor takes away some of the damage that attacks do, and each armor differs in just how much damage and what specific kind that it will be most resistant to. The different visual appeal makes them fun to collect and discover, so keep reading for the list of the top ten sets in The Witcher 3.

10. Kaer Morhen Armor

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

We are starting with one of the easiest armors to discover: the Kaer Morhen, your starting armor. This armor can eventually be crafted into a much stronger version, the Warrior’s leather jacket. You will simply combine the Kaer Morhen, one cured leather, two pieces of wire, and two leather scraps. The Warrior’s leather jacket is a medium type of armor and has some hefty stats. This armor provides a 9% increase in resistance to piercing damage and bludgeoning damage. On top of that, your resistance to slashing damage will increase by 18%, your resistance to damage from monsters by 12%, and finally your resistance to elemental damage will increase by 15%. This armor may be found in the beginning of the game, but it’s upgraded version is not to be overlooked.

9. Assassin’s Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

The Assassin’s Armor Set is a moderately resistant set that makes up for what it lacks in being available early on. This set is a great option towards the beginning of your play through but can be replaced with something better later on. However, a pair of Assassin’s Gauntlets provide a significant critical hit boost, an increase of 10% to be exact. Your resistance to piercing damage and bludgeoning damage will both increase by 2%, slashing damage resistance will increase by 5%, and your chances of finding herbs will go up by 5%. While this armor may not be especially defensive, the increase in critical hit chance will be very effective in battle.

8. Viper School Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

This set becomes available with the Hearts of Stone expansion. You will complete the “Open Sesame!” Quest and buy the armor diagram from Countless Mignole. The items required to craft the Viper School Armor set include linen, leather straps, hardened leather, wire, and cured draconid leather. This set requires the player to be level 39, and this armor has very high defensive stats. The player’s resistance to piercing and slashing damage will increase by 30%, resistance to monster and elemental damage will increase by 40%, and your resistance to poisoning will increase by a whopping 50%. With this armor on you are going to be a tough enemy to defeat!

7. Griffin School Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

The Griffin School Gear includes a full armor set and weapons. Each of these is upgradeable, and the Griffin armor can be used to craft the Enhanced Griffin Armor. You will need one shirt, two hardened leather, a meteorite silver plate, five leather straps, and two monster eyes. When wearing this armor your sign intensity, resistance to piercing damage, and resistance to bludgeoning damage will all increase by 5%. Your resistance to slashing damage will increase by 10%, and your resistance to monster damage will increase by 15%. This armor is best for players who will prioritize swift movements and attacks over defense.

6. Toussaint Knight’s Tourney Armor (Crafted)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

The Toussaint Knight’s Tourney Armor is a heavy armor that is available in three versions: crafted, magic and master. For this list, I chose the crafted Toussaint Knight’s Tourney armor. When completing the Night of Long Fangs quest you must pick Syanna’s route. Then the relic form on this armor can be found at the Land of Thousand Fables. First of all, this armor increases Geralt’s Vitality by 500. On top of that, your resistance to piercing damage, bludgeoning damage, and slashing damage will all increase by 43%. This piece of armor provides a unique increase of chance to deflect projectiles with the Quen magical sign by 25%.

5. Hen Gaidth Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

The Hen Gaidth Armor Set becomes available with the Blood and Wine expansion. The set can be found while completing the “What Lies Unseen” quest while inside the Unseen Elder’s lair. This set has a red and black visual look that resembles something Dracula would have worn, and it’s definitely a resistant heavy armor. Your resistance to slashing and monster damage will both increase by 35%. Your resistance to piercing damage will go up by 40%, resistance to bludgeoning damage will increase by 30%, and finally your resistance to bleeding will increase by 50%!

4. Manticore School Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

Some sets of armor will include a bonus when wearing multiple pieces from the same set, and the fourth set on our list is a perfect example. The Manticore School Armor Set is introduced with the Blood and Wine expansion. You can craft this powerful armor set with the following ingredients: two cured Draconid leather, two Dimeritium plates, two monster eyes, and two monster ears. This armor provides the player with 240 points to their Vitality. Your resistance to toxicity increases by 10, your resistance to piercing damage increases by 19%, and your resistance to slashing damage by 24%. Furthermore, your resistance to damage from monsters increases by 31%. This armor has great defense stats and a boost to critical hit damage as well at an increase of 25%.

3. Wolf School Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear was added on as a DLC to the original Witcher 3 game, and the point of the mission is to obtain the diagrams for the Wolf School Gear. South of the Kaer Morhen signpost is an old signal tower that contains the diagrams. The armor can be crafted with one shirt, two pieces of hardened leather, five leather straps, two monster eyes, and one meteorite silver plate. The Wolf School Armor Set gives the player a 105 point increase in Vitality. Your adrenaline, resistance to piercing damage, and resistance to bludgeoning damage will all increase by 5%. Then your resistance to slashing damage will increase by 10%, and your resistance to monster damage will increase by 15%.

2. Ursine School Armor Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

The second set on this list is undoubtedly one of the most powerful pieces of armor available in The Witcher 3, rightfully earning its high placement. The Ursine School Armor is found in Skellige at the peak of Yngvar’s Fang. The player only has to be level 20 to find this armor and can craft the armor with these ingredients: one shirt, one dark steel plate, four pieces of linen, one monster bone, and two pieces of hardened leather. Geralt’s Vitality will increase by 135 points. Your adrenaline grain, resistance to piercing damage, and resistance to bludgeoning damage will all increase by 5%. Slashing damage will decrease by 15% and your resistance to monster damage will go up by 20%.

1. Feline School Gear Set

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Credit: CD Project Red

The number one most valuable and resistant armor on this list is none other than the Feline School Gear Set. The Feline set is from the Cat School, and this specific set can be crafted. Follow a road around the western cliffside near Novigrad’s temple. You will end up walking behind the houses until you discover a path that goes behind the tower. You will need Keira Metz’s amulet in order to make it through this part of the quest. Once you’ve equipped this armor Geralt’s Vitality will increase by 135 points and his attack power will increase by 10%. Your piercing damage will increase by 6%, your resistance to slashing damage and damage from monsters will increase by 8%, and finally your resistance to elemental damage will increase by 30%.

Conclusion

There is a long list of available armor pieces in the Witcher 3, complicated even more from upgradeable options and customizations. Even though the base game is plenty filled with discoverable and craftable items, the multiple expansions after the release have added even more options to the game. This can seem intimidating to anyone who has just begun their Witcher 3 journey. However, exploring a world filled with valuable treasure is rewarding and exciting! You will fight your way through dark caves riddles with monsters, cross great distances, and fight many battles to find these armor sets.

Whether you are trying to find the best lightweight armor or simply collect them all, I hope this list made it easier to decide which specific set to look for. If you are interested in more descriptive guides on the best items in The Witcher 3, take a look at our Top Ten Silver Swords list! and our Top Ten Steel Swords List!