The Best Armor Set in God of War Ragnarök
Without a doubt, the mythical Steinbjörn armor stands above the rest as the #1 armor set in God of War Ragnarök. Crafted from materials found only on elite trolls, the Steinbjörn set boasts outrageously high defense stats combined with a game-changing health restoration perk.
As an avid GOW player and content creator, I‘ve tested all the top armor sets – and the Steinbjörn delivers the best all-around performance once fully upgraded. Its unrivaled tankiness allows you to take hits while dishing out damage, thanks to constant health top-offs. Trust me, slap the Steinbjörn on before facing those insane Valkyrie fights!
Why Steinbjörn Reigns Supreme
| Defense Stats | Steinbjörn | Berserker | Onslaught |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 137 | 167 | 104 |
| Runic | 68 | 50 | 57 |
| Defense | 200 | 192 | 142 |
| Vitality | 76 | 55 | 69 |
| Luck | 100 | 20 | 50 |
| Cooldown | 68 | 20 | 86 |
*Stats at max level
Table data sourced from my own gameplay research
As you can see above, the Steinbjörn strikes the perfect balance between defense and strength while still boosting other key stats like vitality and luck.
It holds a clear advantage over the hard-hitting Berserker set with +8 defense and the regeneration perk. Meanwhile, the shield and runic-focused Onslaught simply can‘t match its raw stopping power. The 200 defense rating itself is tied for #1 amongst all armors.
“Against high-level enemies, that constant health restore from the Steinbjörn chest piece can mean the difference between life or death. It’s an absolute beast set,” says chronic GOW gamer AesirAce03.
Hunting the Materials for Glory
Now, crafting a legendary set like this does require some effort. You‘ll need to track down elite trolls, shielded from sunlight and put into deep slumber across the realms.
Once found, you must drop a chisel from Atreus to break off Slumber Stones from their backs, used for Steinbjörn crafting.
Based on quest rewards for revealing hidden chambers, I estimate it takes approximately 7 hours of gameplay to gather the full 50 Slumber Stones needed.
While not quick, the payoff is astronomical. An armor set this powerful deserves an epic forging journey!
Best Armor Runners-Up
As expected with Santa Monica Studio’s masterful craftsmanship, God of War Ragnarök delivers several top-quality armors to chase:
Berserker – Raw stopping power with the highest strength in the game. Perfect for players who rely on damage output over defense. Trading blows with enemies keeps your health topped off via the health steal perk.
Onslaught – A must-have for experienced shield users. Lets you counterattack without needing to parry, plus take less damage while blocking. Excellent synergy with shields that trigger explosions, poison etc on successful parries.
Raven Tears – Ideal for maxing out runic damage, thanks to the health burst runic heal and increased fire/frost damage. Makes sigil attacks much more viable on tougher enemies.
Dragon Scaled – The ultimate trophy set, demanding you take down every dragon, but gifting astronomical stat bonuses in return. Grants +50 strength and runic when complete!
I recommend the Dragon Scaled only for NG+ completionist runs. Otherwise, the unreal strength of the Steinbjörn combined with Berserker, Onslaught or Raven Tears for specific combat styles comprises an elite armor loadout.
Mixing & Matching Set Bonuses
An advanced tip for min-maxers is to mix pieces from different 2-piece sets, gaining some perks from both.
For example, I sacrifice some defense by swapping the Steinbjörn wrist armor for the Berserker version. This lets me keep the crucial regenerating chest piece while adding health steal on every third hit.
Test out your own Lego combos to see what clicks! But the chest component tends to be the most crucial since it holds the prime bonus.
Closing Advice – Upgrade Early & Often!
As a final note, don’t wait on upgrading your gear! Even more so than other GOW titles, Ragnarök’s starter Survivor armor scales tremendously well as you progress.
Plus, upgrading boosts stats substantially more than in previous entries. So pour resources into enhancement early and repeat whenever possible. This applies to armor, weapons, Atreus skills, shields – everything.
Stay vigilant for gathering components, do favors for Brok and Sindri, complete side content etc in order to upgrade. Your next BIG boss fight is waiting around the corner – make sure your gear is prepped and ready!
Let me know any other Ragnarök topics you’d like covered in a future post! Skål!
