In the Elden Ring, your survival often comes down to the type of armor you wear. While a proper weapon takes precedence over a set of armor, players will still have a tough time in the lands between shields if they don’t pair their shield properly with their overall build. There are many categories into which armor sets can be divided. Obviously, there are combinations compatible with melee and magical characters. However, there are also specific pieces of armor that simply look better than others visually or are more useful to get in an early or late Elden Ring game. If you are looking for the best armor combinations in the Elden Ring, read below to find out the most powerful armor combinations for each class.
Best melee armor sets
We will start this list with some armor sets designed for melee characters. These combos don’t have to be the heaviest or provide the best protection but will provide the most advantages for players using a melee weapon.
Radan Group

Most Elden Ring players have probably seen the famous red-haired helmet of General Starscorch Radan by now. Radahn is a demigod located in the Caelid region but it is not a mandatory battle for players to advance on the Elden Ring. If players choose to face and defeat Radahn, they can return to the Roundtable Hold, talk to Finger Reader Enia, and purchase Radahn’s full set of armor.
For balanced fighting builds, it’s hard to find a stronger armor set. The Radahn range offers great protection and balance, along with not being too heavy.
Crucible ax set

Tired of being defeated over and over by the Crucible Knights? Well, during the last part of the Elden Ring, players have the opportunity to wear the enemy’s set of armor that keeps killing him. The Crucible Axe Set is a cool but heavy armor set that players can use after defeating two Crucible Knights in the Azuria Hero Cave outside of Leyndell.
Compared to the Radahn range, the Crucible Ax is heavier but offers better overall protection. This includes having some defenses against magical attacks, which can save players’ lives during some parts of the game.
Veteran group

This is arguably the highest combat armor set in the Elden Ring. The Veterans Pack has the highest poise, capping the 70’s with the full set equipped and Physical Defense. If players really want an all-around build but still want it to stay a bit light, this is the set of armor to choose from.
Unfortunately, it can’t be unlocked until players defeat Commander Niall at Fort Sol at the mountaintops in Giants and then speak to Finger Reader Enia. This is one of the last locations players will visit on the Elden Ring but the group of veterans is well worth the wait.
Best Magical Armor Sets
If players decide to go with a design geared toward magic, they’ll want to use one of these armor sets over anything else in the Elden Ring.
Queen of the full moon

If Elden Ring players decide to make their way through Raya Lucaria Academy and encounter Reinala, they will immediately recognize this set of armor. They are the ones that Rennala wears and feature some of the best magical defense, focus and dynamism in the game. This combination also increases the player’s IQ statistic by 3 points, assuming they are wearing the hat.
To get this set of armor, defeat Rennala and then visit Finger Reader Enia in Roundtable Hold. The complete set costs 31,000 Runes.
Spellblade Collection

The Spellblade set is not as powerful as the Queen of the Full Moon armor set but players can acquire it much easier and it gives a boost to Glintstone Ashes of War. However, this comes at the cost of not increasing the damage of sorcery or intelligence law. Spellblade armor is perfect for those who don’t want to fight Rennala or want to make great use of Glintstone Ashes of War, like Glintstone Phalanx.
This set of armor was obtained by Sorcier Rogier and furthers the Ranni mission. Players can start Ranni’s mission, return to Rogier in the Roundtable Hold, talk to him several times, and then find his shield that he left behind to take.
black monk group

The Blackflame Monk collection is geared more towards magical characters who want as much protection as possible while also keeping their Equip Load light. This set of armor offers some of the best overall protection, in both physical and magical stats. It also provides a good boost to vitality and focus while weighing only 27 pounds.
Players can loot the Blackflame Monk’s set by entering the Caelid Tower and going to the basement floor and defeating the Blackflame Monks. A set of armor drops one piece at a time by defeating these enemies.
Best early game armor sets
Early Elden Ring could be a rough time for players trying to break out of the starting shield. Fortunately, there are two sets of combos that players can loot within the first few hours of the game.
Royal collection of remains

The Royal Remains has become the most popular armor in the Elden Ring thanks to its appearance and simplicity to obtain. It also features some great stats, offers great physical and magical protection, and doesn’t weigh much. When worn together, a combination of armor also slowly replenishes the player’s HP.
The Royal Remains set can be obtained by visiting the village of Albinaurics and talking to Albus, who is disguised as a Destiny. Talking to Albus will award players the Haligtree Secret (right) and trigger a battle with Ensha the next time players visit the Roundtable Hold. Defeating an Insha and reloading the Round Table will result in players getting their Royal Relic collection if they look outside Olfnir’s room.
twin armor set

This set of armor was unlocked before the Royal Remains set and provides better protection, strength, balance and vitality. However, it is also heavier and has no HP regeneration effect. The Twinned Armor set is the deck worn by D, which players first encounter in Limgrave or in Roundtable Hold. If players loot this set in the early Elden Ring game, it will definitely be the best general armor set players will come across.
To add it to the inventory, players can either kill a D the first time they see a Limgrave or advance a Fia quest in Roundtable Hold. Fia is the NPC who gives hugs on the bed. Once players receive two hugs, Fia will give them a dagger belonging to D. Return it to D and reload the Roundtable Hold. Enter the room after Hewg, the blacksmith to find D dead and his shield lying on top of him.
Cleanrot . group

The Cleanrot Armor set is better than the Twinned Armor set in every condition except for vitality. It’s also heavier, which players should consider if they want to stay under the load of heavy equipment. This set of armor can be found faster than the twin armor but requires more work.
Players need to defeat the enemies of Cleanrot Knight in Caelid. Defeating these enemies will drop the pieces of armor one by one. Of course, at the beginning of the game, Caelid’s enemies are among the toughest in the Elden Ring, so this won’t be a picnic. To find Cleanrot Knights, players can search the Aeonia Swamp or within the War-Dead Catacombs. However, the War-Dead Catacombs only become available after defeating Radahn.
Best light armor set
There is one piece of light armor in the Elden Ring that stands out from the rest, which we have highlighted below.
Malinia group

Malenia, Blade of Miquella is one of the toughest demigods in the Elden Ring. Defeating it at Haligtree is sure to provoke a great deal of anger for most players but the end result is well worth it. After players defeat Malenia, they can purchase her set of armor from Finger Reader Enia in Roundtable Hold.
The set of armor weighs only 20 lbs but provides decent magical, physical protection, immunity, strength and vitality. Malenia’s armor is also one of the best looking Elden Ring armor.
Best heavy armor set
On the flip side, if players are looking to be the ultimate tank and don’t care about Max Equip Load, these heavy armor sets are perfect.
Lionel group

Perhaps the most famous of the heavy armor sets is the Lionel set. Players will encounter Lionel during the middle of an Elden Ring game but cannot loot his set of armor until later. This set of armor offers some of the best physical protection in the game. It also has nearly 80 poise, over 230 strength, and decent magic defenses too. Of course, all this comes at the cost of weight. The Lionel set weighs just over 50 lbs.
To don the look of Lionel, players can venture into Leyndell, the Royal Capital, and go to the Lower Capital Church Site of Grace. Inside this room, there will be a bed with Lionel’s shield installed.
goat bull group

The last armor made on this list is the heaviest of them all. The Bull-Goat Armor Kit comes in at a whopping 63 pounds and is for those who really want to knock the tanks out of any Elden Ring boss. While it’s almost impossible not to be in the Heavy Equip Load while using this set, players gain the advantage of having a better-in-class physical defense and balance. The other stats aren’t as high as Lionel’s group, which is why the Bull-Goat group isn’t as popular.
To get this set, players need to defeat the Great Horned Tragoth after saving Patches’ lives. Once you save Patches, advance his mission line until he reaches Volcano Manor. During this time, players will have completed an assassination contract for Lady Tanith. After speaking to Patches at the mansion, he will send you to kill Tragoth. If the players are successful, they will loot the Bull-Goat.
GameSpot may earn a commission from retail offers.