[Top 10] Stardew Valley Best Defense Items and How to Get Them

Updated:

31 Mar 2022

Even though Stardew Valley is primarily a farming game, there are some aspects of it that change up the gameplay dynamic, such as dungeon crawling in The Mines. The Mines will periodically give you weapons and armor that will increase your stats, one of those being Defense. Defense determines how much damage you take from enemies, and should be increased as much as possible to make sure you stay alive as long as possible.

10. Yeti Tooth

The Yeti Tooth is one of the best weapons you can use in the early game, and that is because it is quite easily obtained once you get started in The Mines, even though it requires some luck since it is only gotten from breaking boxes. The Defense it provides is quite solid, while the bonus Crit. damage can greatly increase your early game damage potential.

Why the Yeti Tooth is great:

Good damage
Solid early game Defense
+10 Crit Damage

How to get the Yeti Tooth:

It is obtained by random chance from breaking barrels and boxes on levels 60-120 in The Mines

Yeti Tooth details

9. Magic Rock Candy

Armor and weapons do not need to be your only source of Defense, as you can also use food for the same purpose. Magic Rock Candy is a very powerful resource that can give you many different stats as soon as you eat it, ideal for when you find yourself in a tight situation inside The Mines. While it is fairly difficult to obtain, it is always worth it!

Why Magic Rock Candy is great:

High HP and Energy restored
Bonus Luck
Bonus Mining
Bonus Speed
Bonus Defense
Bonus Attack

How to get Magic Rock Candy:

Dropped by Haunted Skulls
Purchased from the Desert Trader for 3 Prismatic Shards every Thursday
Received from Gunther after making 90 donations to the Museum

Magic Rock Candy details

8. Space Boots

These groovy-looking boots give you both solid Defense and great Immunity and are straightforward when you want to obtain them, since they are a guaranteed drop in the mines. These boots are quite reliable and offer some very decent protection for the point in the game at which you get them.

Why the Space Boots are great:

Good defense
Good Immunity
Reliable

How to get the Space Boots:

Open the chest at level 110 of The Mines
Purchase them at the Adventurer’s Guild after obtaining them in The Mines

Space Boots details

7. Dark Boots

Another excellent choice of footwear, the Dark Boots give you a decent bit of both Defense and Immunity with the added benefit of being easily obtained from reaching a certain point in the mines. They are quite reliable, and can mean the difference between surviving in The Mines and dying a painful death. Another benefit of these boots is the fact that they can be gotten in many other ways, not just in The Mines.

Why the Dark Boots are great:

Can be obtained in a number of ways
Reliable
Good Defense and Immunity

How to get the Dark Boots:

Unlocked in the Adventurer’s Guild after getting to level 80 in The Mines
Fishing Treasure Chests
Breaking boxes and barrels
Monster drops

Dark Boots details

6. Emily’s Magic Boots

It might surprise you to find out that some footwear and clothing can be obtained by improving your relationships with the inhabitants of Pelican Town. Emily is a villager that will give you these boots if you manage to reach a friendship level of 14 with her. The boots are an excellent source of Defense and Immunity.

Why Emily’s Magic Boots are great:

Stylish
Great Defense
Great Immunity
Reliable

How to get Emily’s Magic Boots:

Reach Emily’s 14 heart event

Emily’s Magic Boots details

5. Crabshell Ring

Rings are another great source of extra stats and passive effects, and the Crabshell Ring is one of the best defensive rings in the game. It provides a whopping +5 Defense without any negative side effects, which is always a plus. The Crabshell Ring is a great reason to participate in the Adventurer’s Guild and improve your combat prowess.

Why the Crabshell Ring is great:

Very high Defense stat
Doesn’t get in the way
Straightforward
Can be used in dyes

How to get the Crabshell Ring:

Obtained from Gil after killing 60 Rock Crabs

Crabshell Ring details

4. Dwarf Dagger

Dwarf weapons in Stardew Valley usually carry a few benefits to them and usually specialize in some specific stat. The Dwarf Dagger gives an absurd amount of Defense along with small bonuses in other stats, but it is excellent for tanky builds that want to spend ages in The Mines, as well as the Skull Cavern.

Why the Dwarf Dagger is great:

Great Defense
Bonus Speed
Bonus Crit. Chance

How to get the Dwarf Dagger:

Random drop from chests on Volcano Island

Dwarf Dagger details

3. Mermaid Boots

For players who are running tanky builds and want to have a lot of Immunity, this footwear is absolutely perfect. The Mermaid Boots provide the highest Immunity bonus in the game, as well as the third highest Defense bonus out of all the footwear in the game. Overall, fantastic choice.

Why the Mermaid Boots are great:

Insanely high Immunity
Great Defense
Great value

How to get the Mermaid Boots:

Obtained as a random drop from chests on Volcano Island

Mermaid Boots details

2. Cinderclown Shoes

Yes, one of the best defensive items in the game is a pair of clown shoes. Despite their goofy design and name, this footwear is the second best in the game, in both Immunity and Defense, making it incredibly useful as an all-round item. They are even relatively easy to obtain, once you get your flow going in the Volcano Dungeon!

Why the Cinderclown Shoes are great:

High Immunity
High Defense
Relatively cheap
Stylish

How to get the Cinderclown Shoes:

Purchase them from the Volcano Dwarf’s Shop for 100 Cinder Shards

Cinderclown Shoes details

1. Dragonscale Boots

And now we get to the best Defensive item in the game — the Dragonscale Boots. These boots provide you with a whopping 7 Defense, the highest in the game on a single item. While getting this item is fairly random, if you do get it, you will be set when it comes to footwear for the rest of the game. This item should be on the top of your list if you’re looking for a very reliable defensive item.

Why the Dragonscale Boots are great: