14 Best Armor Sets In Baldur's Gate 3, Ranked (2024)

There's plenty to love about Baldur's Gate 3. The 2023 Game of the Year Winner, developed by Larian Studios, has been praised for its writing, characters, storytelling, gameplay, level design, music, and nearly every other facet of video game production. Given its roots in Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur's Gate 3 is rich in fantasy detail.

There is a lot of armor in Baldur's Gate 3. From helmets to boots, capes, and shields, nearly every piece of your character's body can be donned in a vast selection of plates and drapes. Of course, like any good RPG, a few pieces of armor are among the best Baldur's Gate 3 has to offer.

Updated on June 20, 2024, by Alfredo Robelo: With how massive Baldur's Gate 3 is, we couldn't let this article only show ten pieces of equipment. We have updated this list to include even more must-have items, even if some of them require you to perform questionable deeds to obtain them.

14 Mask Of The Shapeshifter

A Collection Of Faces For Every Occasion

Before launching the third entry in the Baldur's Gate series, Larian Studios was best known for 2017's Divinity: Original Sin 2. Widely regarded as one of the greatest RPGs ever, Larian added some easter eggs referencing their previous masterpiece in Baldur's Gate 3.

The Mask of the Shapeshifter is an apparent reference to a similar item found in Divinity: Original Sin 2, and much like its earlier counterpart, it's a handy piece of gear. The mask allows you to change your appearance to any race you desire.

13 Warped Headband Of Intellect

Even Ogres Are Clever With This On

Act 1 of Baldur's Gate has many items to find, and it's been picked clean by the community since it was the only Act available during the Early Access period. Among the many curious NPCs you can find, a certain group of Ogres might catch your attention, particularly because of how eloquent one of their members is.

This headband makes the wearer have 17 points in intelligence, unless their intelligence score was already higher. It is key for many builds that need intelligence but don't want to spend points on it, like Trickster Rogues or Eldritch Knight Fighters.

12 Adamantine Splint Armor

Forged From A Great Hammer

Often, the best kind of gear is the one tied to a quest. There are few better feelings than conquering several obstacles en route to that legendary piece of gear you've been yearning for. There's no better example of this than the Adamantine Splint Armor.

Crafted in the caverns of the Underdark, the Adamantine Splint Armor comes with the magical plate ability, which reduces all damage by two, and the few attacks you do receive will leave the attacker reeling for three turns.

11 Boots Of Speed

Going Far With These Boots

Sometimes, you don't need an item to be legendary for it to be incredibly useful. The Click Heels ability of the Boots of Speed is very straightforward, letting you dash as a bonus action instead of a standard action, meaning that you can run all around the battlefield, as long as you're playing a class that has no need for bonus actions.

A great example of this is a spell-focused Warlock, who is always far from the enemy and able to rain Eldritch Blasts on their faces. You can also keep this on melee tanks that need to keep pressure on other units, with Fighters being able to get the most out of this thanks to their second wind.

10 Disintegrating Night Walkers

Boots Of Shadow And Dusk

While you might stumble upon a great piece of armor in a rusty chest, more often than not, someone else is already wearing the best gear. Since most NPCs aren't inclined to give you their wares free of charge, you'll have to take a more physical approach.

Nere is one such NPC sporting a sick pair of boots that you'd be wise to snatch from him. The Disintegrating Night Walkers grant the wearer the Misty Step skill and grant you immunity to numerous hazardous terrains such as entangled, enwebbed, and ensnared.

9 Reaper's Embrace

Myrkul's Coat Of Death And Bones

One of Baldur's Gate 3's primary antagonists is Ketheric Thorm, voiced superbly by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons. Thorm was once a proud worshipper of Selûne, but a series of horrific tragedies fell upon him, driving him to turn to the god of bones, Myrkul.

Being Myrkul's chosen, Thorm sports armor befitting a man of his title. Aptly called Reaper's Embrace, the plate comes with the magical plate and Reaper's Rigidity, which, when activated, makes you immune from being displaced.

8 The Deathstalker Mantle

Being Evil Has Its Advantages

Exclusive to the Dark Urge origin, the Deathstalker Mantle is one of the most powerful capes in the game. This cape is rewarded to you after a short while of playing Act 1 (just make sure you Long Rest often), specifically after a gruesome scene plays about an unfortunate murder.

You don't even have to make evil choices to keep the cape, and its power is one most classes can use. Once per turn, when you kill someone, you turn invisible for two turns, which is particularly useful when outnumbered; any sort of ranged ability will have you picking your enemies off with ease.

7 Viconia's Walking Fortress

A Bulwark Of Shar's Most Devoted

It might've been nearly two decades between the launch of Baldur's Gate 3 and its predecessor, Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, but Larian never forgot the series' roots. Many characters from the previous games sprout up in Baldur's Gate 3.

Viconia DeVir is one character who makes a return, albeit in a much more hostile fashion. DeVir's pride and joy is Viconia's Walking Fortress. The shield accords you several abilities, including Rebuke of the Mighty, which grants you a powerful reaction attacking, dealing force damage with a chance to prone.

6 Grymskull Helm

The Crown Of One Of The Underdark's Most Ruthless Automatons

Baldur's Gate 3 features many boss fights, some of which are brutally challenging. Some of the more daunting adversaries can be found deep in the Underdark, lurking in the shadows, just waiting for an unsuspecting adventurer to stumble upon them.

The Grymskull Helm is the crown of Grym, a construct guarding the Adamantine Forge. The battle against Grym is quite the test of perseverance, maneuvering, and strategy, but rest assured, the Grymskull Helm is well worth the trouble since it grants immunity from critical hits.

5 Gauntlets Of Hill Giant Strength

For When 20 Strength Isn't Enough

The Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength are similar to the Warped Headband of Intellect in that, when worn, it raises one of your basic stats. The key difference is that, instead of raising the stat (strength in this case) to 17, these Gauntlets raise the stat to 23.

While this makes sense, you do find the Gauntlets in Act 3 after all, they are one of the very few ways you have to raise a stat beyond 20. While it might seem like a waste to give this to someone with already high strength, the fact that the stat is pushed to beyond 20 makes the Gauntlets a boon to all characters, since you will always get a positive outcome from them.

4 Gloves Of Soul Catching

Where Fist Meets Arcane Mastery

The monk is perhaps the most unorthodox of Baldur's Gate 3 classes. Given how many awesome weapons litter the land of Faerûn, you might not see the appeal of a class where your fists are your only means of attack.

The Gloves of Soul Catching are the perfect choice of gauntlets for anyone focusing on unarmed strikes. Acquired as a reward for the Saving Hope questline, the gloves grant you Soul Catching and Soul Fist, which are incredibly potent abilities and a plus two to your constitution.

3 Helm Of Balduran

The Legacy Of The Great City

The titular city of Baldur's Gate 3 is as vital to the world of the forgotten realms as the many people who travel through it. A rich history of war, freedom, enterprise, and magic has formed the foundation that Baldur's Gate represents.

The Helm of Balduran is a piece of armor supposedly worn by the man who founded Baldur's Gate all those centuries ago. The helm protects you from critical hits, heals two points at the start of every turn, and adds one to your saving throws and armor class.

2 Blackguard's Plate

Tempered By Will And Faith

Say what you will about Baldur's Gate god of murder, Bhaal, but he does have a sense of fashion. While the blood-soaked decor of his temple is hardly appealing, the weapons and armor his followers feature are pretty sweet.

Blackguard's Plate is the armor of That Which Guards, a death knight overlooking Bhaal's Murder Tribunal. This radiant piece of gear grants you a plus one in your wisdom and reduces any incoming damage by one point.

1 Helldusk Armor

A Creation Of Fire And Brimstone

Despite the extensive amount of armor in Baldur's Gate 3, there aren't many matching complete armor sets. Rare armor is usually exclusive to a single body part, and it's up to you to match your look pleasingly with dye or other pieces.

The Helldusk Armor isn't just one of the few good sets but arguably the most legendary in Baldur's Gate 3, giving you numerous powerful perks with each added fragment. Located in the House of Hope, the Helldusk set is a must-have for anybody looking to don the game's pinnacle of protective sheathing.