You have fought valiantly against countless raid bosses, defeated invading players from other servers, and conquered the PvP arena. Now, you must face your greatest threat: fashion. That’s right. In order to win what is dubbed the “true endgame of Guild Wars 2,” you need to wear only the best. Let us break down some of the best armor sets in Guild Wars 2 as you strut down the runway.
10. Dungeon Armor Set (Various)
Prior to the introduction of ascended and legendary gear, dungeon armors were a popular way for players to mix and match their clothing. The dungeon armor you can unlock skins for is linked to the dungeons that inspired it. Whatever armor parts you choose to wear, you will always have a variety of alternatives.
What Dungeon Armor Set excels in
- They can serve as technically free exotic armor sets for players that love to participate in the explorable dungeon paths.
- The armor sets are a great source of exotic gear for those who may be lacking in gold.
- There are many designs to choose from, depending on which dungeon-styled armor you wish to rock. If you want something to go with your Hellfire armor set, try either the Citadel of Flames or Sorrow’s Embrace dungeon armor.
- The dungeon armor is one of the easier methods in gearing your professions if you lack gold but do dungeons regularly with friends. Most players have an idea of how to quickly beat dungeons by this point in time and runs can take a few minutes to do with a good team.
How to get Dungeon Armor Set:
You can get various Dungeon Armor sets by completing both the dungeon story missions to unlock the explorable mode and the various dungeon paths to receive Tales of Dungeon Delving, the unique currency needed to purchase the armor sets. According to the Guild Wars 2 wiki, you will need at least 1380 for a full set of armor, not including the other weight classes and the other dungeon armor.
You can also acquire these dungeon armors through the PvP and WvW Reward Tracks based on the dungeon armor you are attempting to get.
Dungeon Armor Set description and stats:
- Depending on which armor set you are trying to get, the stats and description will differ accordingly.
- Ascalonian Catacombs - Magi stat (power + healing + precision + vitality), Rampager’s (precision + power + condition damage), and Soldier’s (power + toughness + vitality)
- Caudecus’ Manor - Rabid (condition damage + precision + toughness), Rampager’s (precision + power + condition damage), and Shaman’s (vitality + condition damage + healing power)
- Twilight Arbor - Magi stat (power + healing + precision + vitality), Rabid (condition damage + precision + toughness), and Rampager’s (precision + power + condition damage)
- Sorrow’s Embrace - Carrion (condition damage + power + vitality), Knight’s (toughness + power + precision), and Soldier’s (power + toughness + vitality)
- Citadel of Flame - Berserker’s (power + precision + ferocity), Carrion (condition damage + power + vitality), and Rampager’s (precision + power + condition damage)
- Honor of the Waves - Magi stat (power + healing + precision + vitality), Rabid (condition damage + precision + toughness), and Soldier’s (power + toughness + vitality)
- Crucible of Eternity - Berserker’s (power + precision + ferocity), Dire (condition damage + toughness + vitality), and Rampager’s (precision + power + condition damage)
- The Ruined City of Arah - Berserker’s (power + precision + ferocity), Knight’s (toughness + power + precision), and Rabid (condition damage + precision + toughness)
9. Requiem Armor Set
Play a dirge for your soon-to-be defeated foes as you slay them with your Requiem Armor set. These cool-looking armors are more than just shiny upgrades of the Elegy Armor Set. They show your dedication to doing the story and collecting tons of bits and pieces. Lore-loving players and achievement hunters seek this for that sweet, sweet loot.
What Requiem Armor Set excels in
- Although the Requiem Armor Set is merely a skin you can use for your current armor, it is still a great reward for completing a set of achievements.
- As previously mentioned, it is the upgraded version of the Elegy Armor Set and features a glow effect, perfect for giving your character that mystical vibe.
- The heavy armor version of the armor set makes a good combination with other similar armor pieces that have flames on them for that industrial armor vibe.
How to get the Requiem Armor Set:
In order to get the Requiem Armor Set, for the first set of your choosing, you need to complete two achievements:
- The Convergence of Sorrow I: Elegy - unlocks the first Elegy Armor Set
- The Convergence of Sorrow II: Requiem - unlocks the first Requiem Armor Set.
After acquiring your first set, you can purchase additional pieces from Trader Hyacinth, an NPC located near the Yatendi Village Waypoint at Jahai Bluffs. She sells pieces of the Requiem Armor set for Ectoplasm and Lumps of Mistonium.
Requiem Armor Set description and stats:
Since the Requiem armor set is simply an armor skin that can be transmuted to other armor, it takes on the attributes of whatever armor it is used on. One thing to note is that it is the upgraded version of the Elegy armor set which has no glowing animations.
8. Radiant / Hellfire Armor Set
Players who have been playing for a long time will no doubt have opportunities to attain certain achievements. As their achievement points increase, they will be rewarded with two awesome-looking skins which they can use repeatedly for free at any time: the Radiant and Hellfire Armor Sets. The Radiant armor set features a distinct glowing effect that makes it pure and righteous while the Hellfire armor set is the complete opposite, with its dark hues and flames pouring from multiple points.
What Radiant and Hellfire Armor Sets excel in
- Both armor sets showcase your account’s achievement level and rank.
- Depending on which one you decided to go for first, you can either pull off a fun, flashy character, or a dark, chaotic enigma with a burning passion.
- Because they are mostly just skins that are rewarded to players, they are free and can be used in every armor class.
How to get the Radiant or Hellfire Armor Sets:
Depending on which armor piece you choose to go first, you can get either set after getting a certain amount of achievement points.
- 3000 - Radiant or Hellfire Vambraces (gloves)
- 6000 - Radiant or Hellfire Mantle (shoulders)
- 9000 - Radiant or Hellfire Warhelm (helmet)
- 12000 - Radiant or Hellfire Vambraces (pick whichever you didn’t pick previously)
- 15000 - Radiant or Hellfire Mantle (coat)
- 18000 - Radiant or Hellfire Warhelm (pick whichever you didn’t pick previously)
- 21000 - Radiant or Hellfire Greaves (boots)
- 24000 - Radiant or Hellfire Greaves (pick whichever you didn’t pick previously)
- 27000 - Radiant or Hellfire Legs (pants)
- 30000 - Radiant or Hellfire Chest (chest)
- 33000 - Radiant or Hellfire Legs (pick whichever you didn’t pick previously)
- 36000 - Radiant or Hellfire Chest (pick whichever you didn’t pick previously)
- 39000 - Radiant or Hellfire Backguard (backpiece)
- 42000 - Radiant or Hellfire Backguard (pick whichever you didn’t pick previously)
Radiant and Hellfire Armor Set description and stats:
Both Radiant and Hellfire Armor sets don’t have stats attached to them as they are primarily free skins from achievement rewards.
You can freely use the skins from your Wardrobe and apply them to any armor piece. Mix and match between the sets and find a combination that can make you look like a shiny paladin or a fiery demon knight.
The Radiant Armor set features a bright, shiny particle effect on all of its armor pieces.
The Hellfire Armor set features dark colors and flame effects around the player’s body.
7. Spearmarshal’s Armor Set
The sands of Elona can be excruciating for would-be adventurers. Having the garb necessary for desert trekking is almost a requirement for these parts (in roleplaying, that is). These armor sets allow players to look sleek and stylish as they cross the blazing-hot desert and face the challenges ahead.
What Spearmarshal’s Armor Set excels in
- The Spearmarshal’s Armor Set uses the Marshall stat prefix which increases power, healing, precision, and condition damage. Its stat combination leads you to believe that it would be great for professions that can inflict condition damage, as well as provide additional support with healing.
- If you are looking for a desert-themed armor set, you can use this in conjunction with other armor pieces to pull off an Elonian-centric character.
- This armor set may take a while to complete, but there is no denying how beautiful the details are, making it worthwhile to acquire.
How to get the Spearmarshal’s Armor Set:
In order to acquire this armor set, you first need to unlock the Elonian Armor Set. It is very similar to the Spearmarshal’s Armor Set with some bits and pieces either missing or less pronounced. There are also some details that are lacking in the Elonian Armor that is present in Spearmarshal’s armor.
After getting all the pieces, you attain the armor through various Renown Heart NPCs in Elona. You will need at least 134,694 Karma and 1,170 Trade Contracts, which you can earn by doing events around the Crystal Desert of Elona.
An easier method is simply purchasing them on the Trading Post, going through the Personal Story in Cantha, and attaining the Crate of the First Spear (one piece per account).
Spearmarshal’s Armor Set description and stats:
- Power - 357
- Healing - 357
- Precision - 196
- Condition Damage - 196
- Light Armor Defense - 920
- Medium Armor Defense - 1064
- Heavy Armor Defense - 1211
6. Bladed Armor
The Heart of Thorns expansion introduced players to the exciting Verdant Brink map, and with it came the cool-looking Bladed Armor Set. This intimidating armor set is filled with sharp, pointy objects that would make the heavy Temple Armor blush. Not only does it have some striking features, but it also comes with a very useful function. This is one of the armor sets where you can choose different exotic stat prefix combinations.
What Bladed Armor excels in
- These deadly-looking apparel are one of the cheapest alternatives to purchasing expensive gear on the Trading Post. From Celestial to Viper’s stat armor, you can use this as a replacement for them.
- You can select from a wide selection of exotic attribute combinations in-game and be ready for any of the game’s content rather quickly.
- If you don’t like the appearance of the armor, you can easily change it with Transmutation stones. You are getting the Bladed Armor for its ability to be any attribute combination before you lock it in, after all.
How to get the Bladed Armor set:
You need to earn Airship Parts from Verdant Brink by doing the various events, the meta, and by opening various Airship Cargo “chests” on the map. In order to attain the armor set, you can purchase them through the Itzel Mastery Vendor in Jaka Itzel (Verdant Brink), Tarir, the Forgotten City (Auric Basic), or Maguuma’s Breach (Verdant Brink). Another vendor is Xochitl in Teku Nuhoch (Tangled Depths).
You will need at least 500 Airship Parts, 1 gold per armor piece, and the Itzel Language Mastery. The chest piece, however, can only be found by doing the meta event, Kill the Wyvern Matriarch. You can only open the chest once per day.
You can also receive these by repeatedly doing the Heart of Maguuma Reward Track for PvP and WvW.
Bladed Armor Set description and stats:
The armor set can be switched to any of the exotic stat combinations currently available in the game.
They can be used instead of purchasing armor from the Trading Post because some of the stat combinations in it tend to be very pricey and the Bladed Armor set is a much cheaper alternative that looks awesome.
As the name suggests, the armor consists of various blades and pointy protrusions that can be found all around the armor. If you are looking for armor pieces that make characters look menacing, the Bladed Armor set is an easy choice.
5. Cultural Armor Set (Human, Asura, Charr, Sylvari, Norn)
Every race has three tiers of cultural armor which can be purchased in their home cities. These apparel fit snuggly with your character’s race and fits their themes quite well. They can also be mixed and matched with other armor pieces to your leisure.
What Cultural Armor set excels in
- These armor sets look quite nice on your character and depends entirely on their race. They won’t fit on other races, obviously, giving your character a unique look outside of the usual armor pieces and combinations.
- While the stats are completely overshadowed due to them having only rare-level attributes and not exotic or ascended, it is the aesthetic that matters.
- Both the Charr and Asura cultural armor fit the races perfectly unlike other armor pieces that simply look awkward on them. With the cultural armor, however, you can simply transmute the other pieces to mix and match.
- The Tier 3 variants may be pricey, but they are often the most appealing visually.
How to get the Cultural Armor Set:
Depending on your character’s race, they can be found in their home city and can be purchased from several cultural armorsmiths.
- Humans - Firenzia, Glory, and Jerafim (The Upper City - Divinity’s Reach)
- Charr - Comidus, Eliana, and Scyllix (Imperator’s Core - Black Citadel
- Sylvari - Annamh, Imma, and Onnoir (The Quester’s Terrace - The Grove)
- Asura - Clott, Frinna, and Slokk (Creator’s Commons - Rata Sum)
- Norn - Dela, Sken, and Valdsam (The Great Lodge - Hoelbrak)
You can also get the cultural armor from the Skritt Trader NPC in World versus World within your Borderlands, Tarocheeki the Skritt in Grothmar Valley, and the Skritt Weapons Collector via the Mercenary Requisitioner in the Silverwastes.
Cultural Armor description and stats:
- Because the cultural armors are of rare quality, they are not advisable for combat and are only to be used as salvage. You only need the skins to unlock it for your account.
4. Named armor set
You heard us right. That first exotic armor you just purchased off the trading post when you are level 80 as you work your way up to better armor? Those ones. The named armor sets are the cheap exotic armor you can randomly acquire just by playing the game or by purchasing them off the trading post and have helped many players who have just started out in gearing their characters for various game modes. Don’t sleep on these just because of their looks. Most of the time, what’s important is functionality over form, and you can always transmute them to your liking (or at least transmute the pieces you don’t like).
What Named Armor set excels in
- The Named Armor sets will most likely be every character’s first exotic armor that they will attempt to get first upon reaching level 80. They can be easily bought in the Trading Post.
- They are varied and can have different stat combinations depending on the name. For example, Zhed’s, Nika’s, and Devona’s armor sets have Berserker attributes while Jatoro’s, Errol’s, and Yakkington’s armor sets have Dire attributes.
- The armor set can be randomly acquired anywhere in the game if you are especially lucky. From normal overworld PvE enemies to dungeons, even during raid encounters and World versus World, you can find these armor sets. The only exception may be in PvP except, of course, the Reward Track.
- You can also receive this armor when you use the free Level 80 boost item that comes with every purchase of an expansion and has the very useful Celestial stat (increases all stats).
- The ascended version of the Named Armor set isn’t included because they are considered ascended armor.
How to get the Named Armor set:
You can simply get the Named Armor set by playing the game normally and randomly attaining it. You can also purchase them from the Trading Post.
Named Armor description and stats:
- Zhed’s (light), Nika’s (medium), Devona’s (heavy) armor - Berserker stats
- Ogden’s, Shiro’s, Brutus and Sheena’s armor - Carrion stats
- Mhenlo’s, Zho’s, Rurick’s - Cleric stats
- Jatoro’s, Errol’s, Yakkington’s - Dire stats
- Khilbron’s, Vatlaaw’s, Galrath’s - Rabid stats
- Norgu’s, Aidan’s, Koss’ - Rampager stats
- Tahlkora’s, Reyna’s, Jalis’ - Shaman stats
3. Mistforged Triumphant Hero's Armor Set (WvW)
The top three armor sets in the game are the legendary armor trio, and for good reason. This glorious-looking, hard-to-acquire armor sets showcase the effort of players seeking these unique legendary armor sets. The Mistforged Triumphant Hero’s armor set is one of the harder items to get because of the nature of World versus World, and that is why it sits in third place.
What Mistforged Triumphant Hero’s Armor excels in
- Much like every legendary armor set, you can freely change the attribute combinations as long as you are out of combat.
- The attributes are all the ascended variants of exotic gear and are a bit stronger.
- You can also swap out the superior runes without the need for an Upgrade Extractor and potentially destroying your gear.
- You can change the skin of the legendary armor if you don’t like it while retaining its abilities without the need for Transmutation Stones.
- What’s unique to both this armor and the Mistforged Glorious Hero’s armor is how they have an ascended armor variant with the same name.
How to get the Mistforged Triumphant Hero’s Armor Set:
The legendary variant of the Mistforged Triumphant Hero’s armor set is acquired by:
- You need to first receive the Triumphant Hero’s armor from tier 2 and have a World versus World rank of 500 to be able to purchase the ascended variant of the armor. Here is a link to the cost per ascended armor: link
- You will need a lot of WvW Skirmish Claim Tickets, Memories of Battle, a lot of gold, and patience.
- While at the Mystic Forge in Lion’s Arch or lounge areas (tickets needed), you need to have the ascended version of the armor set, Gift of War Prosperity, Gift of War Prowess, and Gift of War Dedication. Repeat the process five more times for each piece.
Mistforged Triumphant Hero’s Armor Set description and stats:
- Ascended attributes that can be freely changed while out of combat.
- Upgrade rune slots that can be swapped out without the need for an Upgrade Extractor
2. Mistforged Glorious Hero's Armor Set (sPvP)
The Mistforged Glorious Hero’s Armor Set is the PvP equivalent of the legendary armor in the game. Those who are able to conquer the Structured PvP Arena gain the opportunity to show their prowess in the game mode with this beautiful legendary armor set. These, like the WvW legendary armor set, come with an ascended precursor that needs to be crafted into the legendary variant and is worth all the effort.
What Mistforged Glorious Hero’s Armor Set excels in
- If you want an armor set that excels in providing you with pure attack power, Berserker is at the top of the ranks for non-condition damage-based classes.
- Classes that use this armor set can be considered glass cannons and need to be more careful during fights.
- In Structured PvP, certain classes excel with the Berserker PvP Amulet for those looking to fight other players and take nodes across the game map.
- If you want to melt enemies with pure power and even make meta-events a breeze, you can overwhelm enemies with sheer force alone.
How to get the Mistforged Glorious Hero’s Armor Set:
Before attempting to get this armor set, take note that you may need to have at least 300 PvP League Tickets or 3 PvP Season’s worth of tickets, as well as over 3600 Ascended Shards of Glory. In order to begin, you need to:
- Acquire the Ardent Glorious or Glorious Hero’s Armor from the Ascended Armor League Vendor NPC in the Heart of the Mists.
- Once you have the skins for the armor set you want, you need to raise your PvP Rank to 100 and the Ardent Glorious or Glorious Hero’s skins in your wardrobe. You will be able to purchase the ascended version of the Mistforged Glorious Hero’s Armor Set from there or by picking a piece from the Mistforged Glorious Victor’s Armor Box.
- Once you’ve received the ascended armor, you need to have tons of gold for a bunch of materials. In the Mystic Forge, you need the ascended version of the armor piece, a Gift of Competitive Prosperity, a Gift of Competitive Prowess, and a Gift of Competitive Dedication. Do this five more times for the rest of the ascended armor pieces.
Mistforged Glorious Hero’s Armor Set description and stats:
- Ascended attributes that can be freely changed while out of combat.
- Upgrade rune slots that can be swapped out without the need for an Upgrade Extractor
- According to the Guild Wars 2 wiki, the chest piece has a variant called the “Slumbering” variant which removes the glowing tendril features. Acquiring it will unlock this and the normal version of the armor skin.
1. Perfected Envoy Armor a.k.a. Legendary Armor Set (PvE)
It should be no surprise as to why the Perfected Envoy Armor or the PvE Legendary Armor set sits at the top of the list. It isn’t just a fashion statement but also a status symbol. It shows the dedication of the player to get through the toughest challenges in the game and conquer them. The armor set is also one of the first Legendary Armor sets in the game, which debuted in 2016.
What Perfected Envoy Armor excels in
- The legendary armor set is able to switch attributes while players are out of combat, allowing players to swap builds a lot easier than needing to equip another set of armor.
- The armor has unique idle and combat animations that look pretty cool.
- The legendary armor’s attributes are always the ascended stats, making them a lot stronger than exotic attribute stats.
- If the armor’s cosmetic doesn’t appeal to you, you can always transmute it to a different look while retaining the ability to switch attributes freely.
How to get Perfected Envoy Armor:
The road to acquiring the legendary armor set will take you a minimum of five weeks, according to the Guild Wars 2 wiki, assuming you are a regular raid player with enough resources. Here are the steps needed:
You need to complete the Legendary Armor achievements which will give you the Refined Envoy Armor set for either light, medium, or heavy armor. This armor serves as the precursor to the legendary armor set. If you want to obtain the other armor set for the other weight classes, you need to craft them with the unique currency of raids and strike missions, the Legendary Insight. Sadly, you can only obtain 31 of these in a week.
For the Perfected Envoy Armor, you will need to have deep pockets to complete this, much like how you craft legendary weapons. You need the precursor armor of your choice, Gift of Prosperity, Gift of Prowess, and Gift of Dedication.
Perfected Envoy Armor description and stats:
- Ascended attributes that can be freely changed while out of combat.
- Upgrade rune slots which can be swapped out without the need for an Upgrade Extractor
Closing Thoughts
Mixing and matching your gear is one of the most fun aspects of Guild Wars 2, and those who are willing to invest their time into hunting down cool pieces will wind up with awesome-looking characters. Looks are subjective, however, and what may seem fashionable now may not be in a month’s time. If you would like to see what the community has done with their characters and what armor pieces they use, you can go to GW2Style.com and find some inspiration.
What do you think, dear reader, did you agree with our list of the best armor sets in Guild Wars 2? Is there any other armor set that you feel would be a top contender in Fashion Wars? Let us know in the comments and maybe share your fashion tips with us.
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