God of War Ragnarok best armor sets for Svartalfheim, Alfheim, and more

The Ghost of Sparta is in damn decent shape, but there’s only so much his pecs and abs can withstand on their own. It is just like its predecessor. God of War RagnarökKratos may wear a wide variety of armor when engaged in combat. It is tough to choose the best; there are, quite frankly, too many options to choose from — Kratos can be a slow-ass fortress, a speedy warrior, or a jack-of-all-trades depending on what you pick.

There’s also another wrinkle to armor in God of War Ragnarök: As we noted in our beginner’s guide, all sets of armor can be leveled up entirely. You will need this stuff for the duration of the game. It’s up to you to prioritize what you want to max out based on the stats and perks that fit your playstyle.

This guide will show you how to choose the most effective armor. God of War Ragnarök. For now, this only covers the early game (ranks 2 to 4), but we’ll be updating this guide over the coming days with the best builds for pivotal points in the narrative. This way, Atreus won’t have to do all the heavy lifting while his father rushes to pick up healthstones around the battlefield every two seconds.

God of War Ragnarök Best Armor Build (Ranks 2 to 4)

Our first recommendation for armor building God of War RagnarökThe combination consists two distinct sets. It is intended to give Kratos the most healing possible. The build increases your ability to heal. For strength, Defense, Good luckAnd Vitality stats — at the early stage of the game, building a solid foundation that targets the basics of the character is key.

Here are the armor pieces you’ll need, their starting stats, and where to find them:

Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

Nidavellir’s Finest Plackart (Chest Armor)

• Skill: The “Stunning Restoration” skill grants a health burst (which restores Kratos’ health for a few seconds) whenever you stun grab an enemy with R3.
• Start statsStart at rank 2, with 10 strength and defense points, as well as 10 vitality.
• How do you get there?Get the Nidavellir’s Finest PlackartChest armor available at storefronts Svartalfheim. It is at this point that the armor set will become available for purchase in the shop. You’ll need Forged Iron and Dwarven Steel to craft and upgrade it later, for which I recommend tackling the “In Service of Asgard” favor, which can be started with the dwarf playing the instrument in the tavern as you’re looking for Durlin.

Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

Bracers for Raven Tears (Wrist Armor).

• Skill: The “Healing Efficacy II” skill increases the healing from all sources, whether it’s picking up healthstones, using rage abilities, or relying on an armor perk. You’ll get a 15% increase if you wear one piece of the set (either wrist or waist), and 30% if you wear both.
• Start statsIt starts with rank 3, which includes 19 strength, 9 defense and 9 luck points.
• How do you get there?Get the Raven Tears Bracers wrist armor as a reward for eliminating six of Odin’s Ravens. Once that’s done, head over to Niflheim and open the first chest on the left side of the tree.

Image: SIE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment via Polygon

Girdle of Raven Tears, Waist Armor

• Skill: The “Healing Efficacy II” skill increases the healing from all sources, whether it’s picking up healthstones, using rage abilities, or relying on an armor perk. You’ll get a 15% increase if you wear one piece of the set (either wrist or waist), and 30% if you wear both.
• Start stats: Armor starts at rank 3 with 29 defense and 9 luck points.
• How do you get there?Get the Girdle for Raven Tears waist armor as a reward for eliminating 12 of Odin’s Ravens. Once that’s done, head over to Niflheim and open the second chest on the left side of the tree.

The combination of the Bracers of Raven Tears, and the Girdle of Raven Tears, is an easy way to increase your healing. As for Nidavellir’s Finest Plackart, the boost to vitality is more than welcome in the early stages of the game. Plus, Stun-Grabbing is an action you’ll be doing often against early-game enemies, so the health burst is a great pair.

The chest armor’s skill acts similarly to Doom’s glory kills, in a way, leading you to always stay in movement without having to stop to grab healthstones all the time. Yet again, you can always go wherever you want. Do need a pick-me-up from the ground, you’ll have increased healing from it — the same goes with using your rage whenever it’s available.

This armor build should have you covered from rank 2 to at least rank 4 which, depending on where you’re in the main story, should be the stage to start looking for a new set. In the interim, upgrade the above pieces as often as possible.