For all the ways that Kratos can be customized in God of War Ragnarok, armor has one of the biggest impacts on gameplay. Like weapons, weapon attachments, and shields, each set has stats and abilities that suit a certain play style, but armor sets also allow players to drastically change Kratos’ appearance during gameplay and cutscenes. As the game introduces more armor as the story progresses, it can be fun to experiment with new styles of combat and give Kratos a hard-earned fashion makeover.
Unlocking every armor set in the game requires the player to discover most optional content in Ragnarok and meeting all the best side characters in God of War, including finding Odin’s Ravens and beating the Berserker boss fights. Each armor set then has additional resource requirements to fully upgrade them, but most sets get additional visual changes when upgraded. YouTuber Shirrako has compiled a handy video (from which the gameplay screenshots below were pulled) showcasing all fully upgraded armor sets in God of War Ragnarok. Judging them on both their style and their combat implications, below is every armor set ranked.
#21 - Survival Set
Unsurprisingly, the Survival set finds itself at the bottom of the ranking, since it’s easily outclassed by other early-game armor. Said to be “built to endure Fimbulwinter,” players start God of War Ragnarok with this set. Old and in hiding in Ragnarok, Kratos suits the rugged nature of the survival set well, although it is visually quite boring when compared with other sets. The Survival armor can be upgraded to the maximum power level to compete in the endgame, providing a balanced array of stats along the way, but is best suited for masochists looking to challenge themselves since it doesn’t provide the game-changing abilities that other sets do.
#20 - Vidar's Might Set
The Vidar’s Might set is an early game armor set with an emphasis on pulling off combos, as this set’s unique abilities revolve around combo finishers. Vidar’s set can be an excellent choice for an early strength build in Ragnarok, but on higher difficulties it becomes harder to finish off combos smoothly, with parrying and using abilities becoming more important. Moreover, Vidar’s set gives middling buffs to Kratos’ stats and doesn’t particularly stand out on the battlefield.
#19 - Hunter's Set
The Hunter’s set isn’t available in God of War Ragnarok until late in the game, and its abilities revolve around ranged attacks. While the buffs that it provides allow Kratos to pull off some incredible single-hit damage, Ragnarok’s combat can become dizzying and manic during its final hours, meaning Kratos will be turned into a glass cannon if this armor set is fully upgraded. It does provide a boost to Kratos’ cooldowns, and has some nice visual touches, but only really works with one play style.
#18 - Enlightenment Set
The Enlightenment set is a great choice to complement God of War Ragnarok's best early Runic attacks, elemental abilities which usually inflict massive damage and status effect. Its abilities revolve around the elemental abilities of Kratos’ two main weapons - the Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos - which, when used, will buff the next Runic attack made. Runic attacks and status damage become much more important as the game progresses, so there may be better choices for an optimal early game, although the silver-and-burgundy design of the armor is subtly eye-catching.
#17 - Fortified Husk Set
The Fortified Husk set might be the best choice for the first few hours of Ragnarok, as it provides two important benefits: a high defense stat, which allows Kratos to eat more damage, and abilities that encourage the player to parry attacks. The specific abilities on the wrist and waist pieces mitigate damage from unblockable attacks while blocking, meaning they were probably designed to teach players about Ragnarok's new combat moves and enemies. On top of this, the chest piece gains a unique inscription of two serpents as it is upgraded, although against some other sets, it will quickly become obsolete.
#16 - Spiritual Set
For a monk-like Kratos, look no further than the Spiritual set, which emphasizes balance between Runic and melee attacks to ensure a stylish flow in combat. With this armor equipped, hits with Runic attacks buff Kratos’ melee damage, and melee hits have a chance to restore cooldown to Runic attacks. A solid combat loop can be established with the Spiritual set, but it is visually dull and might not stand up against other sets that lean on the Runic stat.
#15 - Raven's Tears Set
The Raven’s Tears set requires players to find half of Odin’s Ravens in God of War Ragnarok, which should be possible by the middle of the game, and provides an interesting and unique healing boost to Kratos in combat. These healing abilities, as well as its significant defense stats, make it a solid defensive choice, and the boost to Luck it gives mean the player will earn more XP and Hacksilver after combat. Although it doesn’t enhance Kratos’ offensive abilities enough to make it to the top ranks, it deserves an honorable mention for its intricate design.
#14 - Radiance Set
On the other hand, the Radiance set deserves props for its unique offensive abilities, which change the game entirely. This armor set focuses on an ability called Realm Shift, which slows time whenever Kratos performs a last-second evade. The set also gives a buff to Runic damage on last-second evades, meaning it provides a stylish counter to fast enemies, like God of War Ragnarok's Huntress. It doesn’t work for all encounters, but reacting to enemies in a Matrix-style brawl is a heap of fun.
#13 - Sol's Courage Set
The Sol’s Courage set is all about harnessing Kratos’ Rage meter as a defensive option, as its main ability allows Kratos’ Rage meter to soak up incoming damage that would otherwise be fatal. On the other end, it fills the Rage meter up when Kratos’ health is low, and buffs melee damage when the meter is high. It’s disappointing that this, along with some other sets, is a re-skin, but Kratos’ Rage abilities are some of the most powerful in the game and anything harnessing them is sure to be a viable late-game option.
#12 - Mani's Wisdom Set
Mani’s Wisdom set is another Runic-based armor set which exploits the skills Ragnarok players should unlock first, Extinguish Flames and Vaporise Frost. These are passive abilities which allow the frosty Leviathan Axe to deal more damage to enemies who are burning thanks to the Blades of Chaos, and vice-versa. Mani’s set encourages players to switch weapons often, adding a layer of frantic stylishness to the game’s combat encounters.
#11 - Steinbjorn's Set
Possibly the tankiest armor in the game, Steinbjorn’s set is unlocked through a secret quest involving trolls in Midgard. With its unique stone-like plating, it casts a menacing figure on Kratos, and looks just as imposing in action. The Steinbjorn set grants a big boost to God of War Ragnarok's defense builds and its abilities mean there is a chance that enemies will be stunned when attacking Kratos, who can recover lost health after taking damage. However, this focus on defense turns the game into a slog on higher difficulties and might be best suited as a symbol of prestige rather than actual battle armor.
#10 - Surtr's Scorched Set
Surtr’s Scorched set is one of the rewards granted for completing the Muspelheim trials and grants a balance between offensive and defensive stats. It allows Kratos to do extra damage while interrupting enemies and mitigates the negative effects of being interrupted. It’s a well-rounded set, and its Rage meter buff is welcome, but it’s a shame that this high-level armor is a re-skin of the early game Fortified Husk set.
#9 - Dragon Scaled Set
Finding God of War Ragnarok's Dragon Scaled Armor set is difficult, but well worth it once it’s been crafted, as it provides direct buffs to Kratos’ blocks and parries. These are increasingly important as Ragnarok approaches its late game, and even more so on higher difficulties, so players who are looking to rely on their shield to open enemies up for massive attacks can’t go wrong with this set. To top it off, the Dragon set has one of the most colorful and detailed designs in Ragnarok, and Kratos always looks like a tried-and-true warrior while he’s wearing it.
#8 - Fate Breaker Set
The Fate Breaker set won’t be available until the player has progressed very far into God of War Ragnarok's main story, which is a shame as it offers a well-rounded and useful buff to Kratos’ stats upon exiting the Rage state, while also increasing the Rage gain rate. Exiting Rage can leave Kratos in a precarious position during a heated encounter, so this exit buff is a welcome addition. Aptly, it also uses the same model as the basic Survival set, signifying that in some ways, Kratos has come full circle by the end of his journey in Ragnarok.
#7 - Fallen Stars Set
With its crystaline, golden chest plate, the Fallen Stars set is a looker, and its risk-reward gameplay adds an interesting edge for those comfortable with Ragnarok’s combat system. Found while exploring Ragnarok's Vanaheim, which is filled with Vanir artifacts, this set mitigates damage that Kratos takes while performing a Runic attack, while reducing Runic cooldowns if he does. Since Runic attacks are so powerful, this can be incredibly useful, although players wearing this set will need to think carefully about how they will approach defensive play.
#6 - Lunda's Lost Set
Lunda’s Lost Armor set is unique in that it’s the only set which buffs a particular kind of status effect: poison. Contrary to other games with poison attacks, which usually apply damage over time, poison in Ragnarok lowers the power level of enemies, making them deal less damage and take more. This is critical to beating encounters on higher difficulties, and the set’s emphasis on hand-to-hand combat encourages an aggressive style of play.
#5 - Giptumadr's Set
Giptumadr’s set has incredible synergy with heavy Runic attacks, which in Ragnarok usually come with an equally heavy cooldown. This set grants Kratos a chance, based on his Luck, to restore a whopping 70% of a Runic ability’s cooldown when used, and increases the amount of Healthstones and Ragestones that drop from enemies. This means it has a formidable advantage both offensively and defensively and might be the best all-rounder set in the game.
#4 - Guiding Light Set
The Guiding Light set is a great offensive option with an intricate design, which depicts two wolves on Kratos’ chest plate. By buffing the Luck stat, this armor grants the chance to generate mini explosions on the battlefield and buff the stats of the weapon that Kratos is currently using. The Guiding Light armor is found in God of War Ragnarok's Midgard location, which has frozen over since the events of the first game, and offers both visual and gameplay dominance over enemies.
#3 - Nidavellir's Finest Set
One of the earlier armor sets in the game, Nidavellir’s set compliments its unique dwarven design with a straight-forward, but very useful, ability. This set buffs the rate at which enemies’ stun meter rises and grants a health burst when Kratos stun grabs an enemy. Learning how to apply stun makes combat encounters much more manageable, and there are few scenarios in the game that don’t benefit from these abilities. If upgraded along with the main story, the Nidavellir set can carry a player solidly to the story’s end - and finding it is very easy, as it only require the player to fix God of War Ragnarok's mining rigs in Svartalfheim.
#2 - Undying Pyres Set
The earliest reward for completing the Muspelheim trials is the Undying Pyres set, which stands well above the other reward - Surtr’s Scorched Armor - in the abilities that it grants. This set emphasizes the use of the Permafrost and Immolation weapon skills, which allow Kratos’ weapons to charge with elemental power as they are used, so long as Kratos does not take damage. Since the Undying Pyres set allows these skills to stay charged for longer, and buffs the Runic stat, it can allow for some massive damage if the elements are manipulated correctly. The smoldering design of the armor also makes it feel like a product of Muspelheim’s fire in a satisfying way.
#1 - Berserker Set
Finally, to get the best armor in the game, Kratos will need to work for it by beating all of Ragnarok’s difficult Berserker boss battles. Much like the Valkyries in 2018’s God of War, these fights are tough, but the reward is well worth it, as this set gives a massive buff to Kratos’ melee damage after using a Relic ability. Relics have some of the most powerful effects in Ragnarok, and this is the only set which provides a boost to their cooldowns while also staying on the offensive, as the set spawns explosions which synergize with Kratos’ Relic abilities. The design is also tough and detailed, making the reward for beating God of War Ragnarok’s hardest challenges even more worth it.
Source: Shirrako/YouTube