BotW Best Armor: Which Set to Wear for Defense, Attack and Heat

This page picks The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild armor (DLC and amiibo included) by what you want to do: one or two sets for each job, why, where to get them and what they reach fully upgraded. Every piece with its effect and defense is in the all armor table; this page only answers “which set should I wear”. Where each piece is lies on the set’s own page, and upgrade costs are in armor upgrade materials.

Which set for which job?

Which set has the highest defense?

Three sets reach 28 per piece and 84 for the set at four stars. What sets them apart is the extra effect:

• Ancient set: each piece has Guardian Resist Up, and the Ancient Proficiency bonus makes ancient and Guardian weapons deal 80% more damage. It comes from the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, and upgrades use ancient parts such as Ancient Screws and Ancient Cores.
• Armor of the Wild: its set bonus is Master Sword Beam Up. After all 120 base-game shrines, A Gift from the Monks leads to its three chests in the Forgotten Temple; upgrades use dragon parts and Star Fragments.
• Soldier’s set: no effect and no set bonus, but the earliest to get: Ventest Clothing in Hateno Village sells the Helm for 180 rupees, the Armor for 250 and the Greaves for 200. The last star needs Lynel Hooves and Lynel Guts.

The only way past 84 is to mix pieces. The Champion’s Tunic reaches 32 at four stars, the best single piece in the game; wear it with a 28 head piece (the Ancient Helm or the Diamond Circlet, say) and a 28 leg piece for 88. Impa gives you the Champion’s Tunic in Kakariko Village once you have found the first memory in Captured Memories (see Captured Memories); upgrades use Silent Princess and horn shards from all three dragons.

Which set makes you hit harder?

• Barbarian set: each piece has Attack Up, and all three at two stars add Charge Atk. Stamina Up. Each piece is in the shrine at the heart of a Lomei Labyrinth: Tu Ka’loh Shrine, Qaza Tokki Shrine and Dila Maag Shrine. Upgrades need Lynel parts and dragon horn shards.
• Fierce Deity set: the same effect and set bonus as the Barbarian set, but it only comes from scanning the Majora’s Mask Link amiibo, and a piece is never guaranteed.

Both reach 20 per piece. The DLC Phantom set has 8 defense and Attack Up on each piece but cannot be upgraded, so it suits the time before you start upgrading. If you mostly fight with ancient or Guardian weapons, the Ancient set bonus does more for you.

What should I wear against cold, heat and fire?

All three work the same way: an effect on every piece and one more from the set bonus, 20 per piece at four stars (how temperature works: temperature and weather).

• Cold: the Snowquill set. Cold Resistance on each piece, and the Unfreezable bonus stops ice attacks from freezing you. Sold at Brazen Beak in Rito Village. For a single piece, the Ruby Circlet also gives Cold Resistance (20 at four stars); the Warm Doublet from the Great Plateau does too, but has only 1 defense.
• Heat: the Desert Voe set. Heat Resistance on each piece, and the set bonus is Shock Damage Resist. The Gerudo Secret Club in Gerudo Town sells the Headband for 450 rupees, the Spaulder for 1,300 and the Trousers for 650; you need the password from the side quest The Secret Club’s Secret to get in. The Sapphire Circlet is the single heat piece (20 at four stars). The Gerudo set you wear to enter town also gives Level 1 Heat Resistance with all three on, but each piece has 1 defense and cannot be upgraded.
• Fire: the Flamebreaker set. Flame Guard on each piece keeps you from catching fire near the lava on Death Mountain, and the full-set bonus negates fire damage. Sold at Ripped and Shredded in Goron City; the fourth star needs Hinox Guts.

What should I wear against shock and lightning?

The Rubber set: Shock Resistance on each piece, and all three at two stars give Unshockable, so lightning does not strike you. The Rubber Helm is the reward for the Thunder Magnet side quest at Lakeside Stable, the Rubber Tights are in Qukah Nata Shrine and the Rubber Armor in Toh Yahsa Shrine. As a single piece, the Topaz Earrings give Shock Resistance (they top out at 18). The Thunder Helm is Lightning Proof on its own, but has only 3 defense and cannot be upgraded. The Desert Voe set bonus, Shock Damage Resist, also cuts shock damage.

What should I wear for stealth and night travel?

The Stealth set: Stealth Up on each piece; the set bonus is Night Speed Up (9pm to 4am). Sold at Enchanted in Kakariko Village, 16 per piece at four stars; the fourth star needs Stealthfin Trout and Silent Princess.

For stealth on the head alone, wear Sheik’s Mask (Stealth Up, 16 at four stars, from the Sheik amiibo). The DLC Phantom Ganon set also has Stealth Up on each piece, but only 4 defense and no upgrades. For night travel alone, the non-upgradable Dark set (Kilton’s shop) and Tingle’s Outfit give Night Speed Up with all three pieces on.

What should I wear for climbing, swimming and speed?

• Climbing: the Climbing set. Climb Speed Up on each piece, and the set bonus halves the stamina a climbing jump costs. All three are shrine chests in Necluda: Ree Dahee Shrine, Chaas Qeta Shrine and Tahno O’ah Shrine.
• Swimming: the Zora set. Swim Speed Up on each piece, and the set bonus halves the stamina of a swim dash; the Zora Armor alone lets you swim up waterfalls. For the head you can also use the Opal Earrings (Swim Speed Up, 20 at four stars). The DLC Salvager set also has Swim Speed Up, at 5 per piece with no upgrades.
• Speed: the leg pieces Sand Boots (Sand Speed Up) and Snow Boots (Snow Speed Up) both start at 3 and reach 20 at four stars. Both come from Bozai’s side quests in the Gerudo Desert: the Sand Boots from The Eighth Heroine, the Snow Boots from The Forgotten Sword. The pair he lends you during The Eighth Heroine goes back to him when that quest ends; see side quests.

Is there armor that helps gliding?

No. None of the armor effects in the game has anything to do with gliding. Gliding runs on stamina, so to glide farther add stamina or eat a stamina-restoring meal.

Which other sets have a special use?

• Guardians: every Ancient set piece has Guardian Resist Up; for the head you can also wear the Diamond Circlet (the same effect, 28 at four stars).
• Radiant set: with all three at two stars, Stal enemies do not attack you and bone weapons deal 80% more damage. The Gerudo Secret Club sells each piece for 800 rupees plus 3 Luminous Stones.
• Gerudo set: Gerudo Town keeps men out, and this disguise is how you get in (Sand Boots or Snow Boots can stand in for the trousers).

The remaining sets (the amiibo hero sets and DLC sets) are listed in the all armor table.