What is the best Valheim armor?
How to craft the very best armor in Valheim
What is the best armor in Valheim, and how can you craft it? Valheim can be a punishing experience even by survival game standards. So it's imperative that you bring the best possible armor into every battle and dangerous situation.
As you progress through the various biomes in your Valheim world, you'll gain access to new crafting materials that you can use to craft ever-stronger armor sets. But after your first few tiers of armor, you may need to start making choices about which armor you pick. Do you go for full Troll Armor to get the added Sneak bonus, or do you substitute some for the weightier but stronger Brnoze or Iron? And in the late game, do you opt for full protection with Carapace Armor, or focus on magic-casting with the Eitr-Weave outfit?
Below we'll walk you through every armor set in the game and how to craft each one. We'll also delve into exact armor stats, weight, and movemen speed penalties so that we can answer once and for all what is the very best Valheim armor.
What is the best Valheim armor?
If you want the very best armor in Valheim, then Carapace Armor is the way to go. Available only once you reach the Mistlands biome, Carapace Armor delivers the highest protection of any armor in the game right now, and it's even lighter than Iron and Wolf Armor to boot.
However, if you want something other than pure protection, other armor sets are potentially even better for you. If you want the best protection without sacrificing too much in weight, then Eitr-Weave Armor is the way to go. For Frost protection, you should look at Wolf Armor or Fenris Armor. And for some exceptionally strong early-game armor, look no further than Troll Armor and Root Armor.
Rag Armor Set
Total Weight: 4
Total Armor: 2
Rag Armor is the lowest tier of Valheim armor. A new character will begin with nothing but a torch and a Rag Tunic by way of clothing, and there's almost no reason to bother crafting Rag Pants as you'll quickly move up to Leather Armor anyway.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rag Tunic | • 5 Leather | 1 | 2 | N/A |
| Rag Pants | • 5 Leather | 1 | 2 | N/A |
Leather Armor Set
Total Weight: 15
Total Armor: 7
More respectable than Rag Armor, Leather Armor is a bit of a misnomer as it's made from Deer Hide rather than Leather Scraps. It's good enough for the starting Meadows biome, but not much more than that.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leather Helmet | • 6 Deer Hide | 2 | 1 | N/A |
| Leather Tunic | • 6 Deer Hide | 2 | 5 | N/A |
| Leather Pants | • 6 Deer Hide | 2 | 5 | N/A |
| Deer Hide Cape | • 4 Deer Hide • 5 Bone Fragments |
1 | 4 | N/A |
Troll Armor Set
Total Weight: 15
Total Armor: 19
Troll Armor is the first significant step up in Valheim armor sets. Made from Troll Hide and Bone Fragments, a full set gives you a potent +15 to your Sneak skill, and also provides you with 19 Armor compared to the Leather Set's 7.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troll Leather Helmet | • 5 Troll Hide • 3 Bone Fragments |
6 | 1 | N/A | • Troll Set |
| Troll Leather Tunic | • 5 Troll Hide | 6 | 5 | N/A | • Troll Set |
| Troll Leather Pants | • 5 Troll Hide | 6 | 5 | N/A | • Troll Set |
| Troll Hide Cape | • 10 Troll Hide • 10 Bone Fragments |
1 | 4 | N/A | • Troll Set |
Troll Set bonus: +15 Sneak
Root Armor Set
Total Weight: 23
Total Armor: 24
Root Armor comes with a couple of hefty downsides - the first is its heavy weight, and the second is that it is weak to fire damage. So don't use it against Surtlings. Otherwise, it's more or less a straight upgrade from everything that's come before it, with better overall armor ratings than the Troll Set, and trading in the Sneak bonus for some Poison and Pierce Resistance.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root Mask | • 10 Root • 10 Ancient Bark • 4 Leather |
8 | 3 | N/A | • Poison Resist • Fire Weakness • Root Set |
| Root Harnesk | • 10 Root • 10 Ancient Bark • 2 Deer Hide |
8 | 10 | -2% | • Pierce Resist • Fire Weakness • Root Set |
| Root Leggings | • 10 Root • 10 Ancient Bark • 2 Deer Hide |
8 | 10 | -2% | • Fire Weakness • Root Set |
Bronze Armor Set
Total Weight: 23
Total Armor: 24
Bronze Armor is the first of the metal armor sets, and as such it's very heavy, equalling the weight of the hefty Root Armor Set. This is its main downside, and those looking to stay light on their feet might want to stick to the Troll Set for a while. But there's no denying the amazing protection that Bronze Armor provides - equivalent to Root Armor, but without the specific strengths and weaknesses for those who want to keep things simple.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze Helmet | • 5 Bronze • 2 Deer Hide |
8 | 3 | N/A |
| Bronze Plate Cuirass | • 5 Bronze • 2 Deer Hide |
8 | 10 | -5% |
| Bronze Plate Leggings | • 5 Bronze • 2 Deer Hide |
8 | 10 | -5% |
Iron Armor Set
Total Weight: 33
Total Armor: 42
Iron Armor is heavier still, but provides even greater protection than Bronze Armor. It'll take a lot of delving into Sunken Crypts to get all the Iron you need, but this is by far the strongest armor you'll have found so far.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Helmet | • 20 Iron • 2 Deer Hide |
14 | 3 | N/A |
| Iron Scale Mail | • 20 Iron • 2 Deer Hide |
14 | 15 | -5% |
| Iron Greaves | • 20 Iron • 2 Deer Hide |
14 | 15 | -5% |
Fenris Armor Set
Total Weight: 21
Total Armor: 30
Fenris Armor requires you to defeat the canine monstrosities lurking up the tops of Mountain biomes, and at first it may not appear worth the effort, as Fenris Armor actually provides less protection than Iron Armor. In fact it sits between Bronze and Iron in armor values. But the Fenris Set, unlike most armor, actually increases your movement speed while wearing it, and comes with some useful elemental Resistances to Fire and Frost.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenris Hood | • 20 Fenris Hair • 2 Wolf Pelt • 1 Cultist Trophy |
10 | 1 | +3% | • Fenris Set |
| Fenris Coat | • 20 Fenris Hair • 5 Wolf Pelt • 10 Leather |
10 | 10 | +3% | • Frost Resist • Fenris Set |
| Fenris Leggings | • 20 Fenris Hair • 5 Wolf Pelt • 10 Leather |
10 | 10 | +3% | • Fenris Set |
Fenris Set bonus: Resistant vs Fire, +15 Fists
Wolf Armor Set
Total Weight: 37
Total Armor: 67
Wolf Armor is one of the coolest-looking armor sets in Valheim, and fortunately it's one of the better sets for protecting you as well. Considerably stronger than Iron Armor (but just as heavy), Wolf Armor uses Silver and Wolf Pelts and protects you from the cold of the Mountain biomes.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Helmet | • 20 Silver • 2 Wolf Pelt • 2 Drake Trophy |
20 | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| Wolf Armor Chest | • 20 Silver • 5 Wolf Pelt • 1 Chain |
20 | 15 | -5% | • Frost Resist |
| Wolf Armor Legs | • 20 Silver • 5 Wolf Pelt • 4 Wolf Fang |
20 | 15 | -5% | N/A |
| Wolf Fur Cape | • 6 Wolf Pelt • 4 Silver • 1 Wolf Trophy |
1 | 4 | N/A | • Frost Resist |
Padded Armor Set
Total Weight: 27
Total Armor: 79
To make Padded Armor, you'll need to venture into the deathly Plains biomes and collect Flax to make Linen Thread. The result is one of the best armor sets in Valheim, lighter and markedly stronger than Wolf Armor.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Helmet | • 10 Iron • 15 Linen Thread |
26 | 3 | N/A |
| Padded Cuirass | • 10 Iron • 20 Linen Thread |
26 | 10 | -5% |
| Padded Greaves | • 10 Iron • 20 Linen Thread |
26 | 10 | -5% |
| Linen Cape | • 20 Linen Thread • 1 Silver |
1 | 4 | N/A |
Carapace Armor Set
Total Weight: 23
Total Armor: 96
If you want the maximum amount of protection, then Carapace Armor is the best armor in Valheim. It's the weight of Bronze, but provides a staggering 4x the amount of armor, to help keep you safe even in the perilous Mistlands - currently the most dangerous area in the game.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carapace Helmet | • 16 Carapace • 3 Scale Hide • 2 Mandible • 4 Refined Eitr |
32 | 3 | N/A |
| Carapace Breastplate | • 20 Carapace • 3 Scale Hide • 5 Iron • 4 Refined Eitr |
32 | 10 | -5% |
| Carapace Greaves | • 20 Carapace • 3 Scale Hide • 5 Iron • 4 Refined Eitr |
32 | 10 | -5% |
Eitr-Weave Armor Set
Total Weight: 15
Total Armor: 49
The Eitr-Weave Armor set is a potent late-game alternative to the Carapace Set, and while it only affords a little bit more protection than Iron Armor, it is a lot lighter than most mid-to-late-game sets, and provides you with a huge boost in Eitr regeneration for spellcasting with Staves. The Feather Cape is also a fantastic utility item which eliminates fall damage while it's being worn.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eitr-Weave Hood | • 16 Linen Thread • 15 Refined Eitr • 2 Iron |
16 | 1 | N/A | • +20% Eitr Regen |
| Eitr-Weave Robe | • 20 Linen Thread • 20 Refined Eitr • 10 Feathers • 5 Scale Hide |
16 | 5 | -2% | • +40% Eitr Regen |
| Eitr-Weave Trousers | • 20 Linen Thread • 20 Refined Eitr • 10 Scale Hide |
16 | 5 | -2% | • +40% Eitr Regen |
| Feather Cape | • 10 Feathers • 5 Scale Hide • 20 Refined Eitr |
1 | 4 | N/A | • Frost Resist • Slow Fall • No Fall Damage |
Miscellaneous Armor
For completion's sake, below we've listed the remanining bits of Valheim armor which don't fit into a specific set or category.
| Name | Recipe | Armor | Weight | Move Speed | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishing Hat | • All Fish types | 8 | 3 | N/A | • Fishing +20 • Swim +20 |
| Lox Cape | • 6 Lox Pelt • 2 Silver |
1 | 4 | N/A | • Frost Resist |
Alright, that's every piece of Armor in Valheim covered. Now why not take a look at our list of the best Valheim weapons to help round out your knowledge of the ultimate gear in this excellent survival game? If you're just getting started in Valheim, explore the other facets of the game with out general tips and tricks guide.
