Best Armour in Crimson Desert

There are countless armour sets in Crimson Desert, but five stand especially tall. In this guide, I’ll break down all of the best armour sets, including their stats, skills, and where to get them. Once you have your set of choice, you’ll find the game considerably easier and more enjoyable.

As a bonus, most of these are technically accessible from the beginning of Crimson Desert, though you may have to dodge a lot of enemies on horseback to get to some pieces. Be sure to bring the Stab skill from the Stamina tree, as you’ll need it to get behind several waterfalls.

Once you’re ready to upgrade your newfound armour set, visit our how to upgrade weapons and armor in Crimson Desert guide.

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Best early game armour in Crimson Desert

Though you can acquire many of the below best armour sets in Crimson Desert early, if you’re really at the very beginning of the game, there are a few that will be easier and quicker to pick up and get you off on the right foot.

• Canta set: After beating the first boss in the game in the town of Hernand, speak with Rhett in front of the blacksmith to purchase all of Matthias’ gear. It doesn’t come with any cores, but it’s a major jump forward from nothing, not just stats-wise, but visually.

• Bolton set: After completing some quests for the residents of Hernand, speak to the guy in the Contribution Shop in Hernand to acquire the Bolton set outright. Again, it doesn’t come with any cores, but it’s certainly a leg up.
• Hernand Ceremonial set: You can pick this set up from the Contribution Shop in Hernand as well after completing some quests for the locals. It boasts some decent stats and will certainly help get you up and running.

Best armour in Crimson Desert

Below, you’ll find some of the best armour sets in Crimson Desert and where to get them from.

Frostcursed Armour Set

• Location: You can find all pieces scattered throughout northern Demeniss using the map below.

Easily one of the strongest armour sets in Crimson Desert, the Frostcursed set boasts an extremely formidable and versatile stat and core list, and just about all the Ice resistance you could ever want for the game’s cold northern regions. In short, this is a stacked set that prepares you very well for just about any situation, and looks cool as hell to boot (no pun intended).

For best results, pair it with the Frozen Anguish Greatsword, which can be claimed from the Spire of Frost (just past its entrance), and the Frost Mantle skill (from the Abyss Puzzle after the Spire of Frost boss).

Here’s where you’ll find the Frostcursed Armour Set in Crimson Desert:

Of the Shadows Armour Set

• Location: You can find all pieces in roughly the same area of western Hernand, using the map below. Be warned: you’ll have to fight a very tough boss (Beloth the Darksworn) to acquire all of it.

Another jarringly strong armour set, Of the Shadows comes with one of the best stat lines in the game, very respectable Fire resistance (handy for the Crimson Desert region), and more cores than you can handle. Apart from making you a better explorer thanks to the Climb Speed +4% multiplier and Swim Speed +2% multiplier, it grants immunity to Daze and Petrification (the latter handy against Bismuth Ore, among other things).

Last but not least is the granted Glacial Domain skill, which functions like a Frost Breath or Cone of Cold type spell, freezing and/or shattering enemies in front of you. It’s a powerful effect, to be sure, enhancing the set’s already high-end defensive capabilities.

Of the Shadows’ closest comparison is the Frostcursed set, to which it loses out on Movement Speed and some Ice resistance, but makes up for it with the added cores and Fire resistance.

Here’s where you’ll find the Of the Shadows Armour Set in Crimson Desert:

Fallen Kingdom Armour Set

• Location: The whole set is spread throughout central and western Hernand, per our map below.

Similar to the Blackwing armour set, the Fallen Kingdom set offers a similar stat line, but with the bonus of wearing a deer head while you obliterate gobs of enemies. The list of cores rounds it out extremely well, in a sense combining the best of the Blackwing and Of the Shadows sets into one juicy set of its own.

With stamina and health regen alongside Food Effect +1 you’ll have tons of sustain, while buffs to climbing and swimming speed will enhance your explorer capabilities. Offensively, it encourages you to go all in on the Turning Slash overhead skill in the Stamina tree, injecting it with an impressive damage buff. And just for the hell of it, you benefit from increased Silver gain.

Here’s where you’ll find the Fallen Kingdom Armour Set in Crimson Desert:

Golden Greed Armour Set

• Location: This set is spread throughout the border between Demeniss and Crimson Desert, slightly west and southwest of the Red River. Make sure you have learned Focused Force Palm.

If you want to flaunt your wealth while carving through enemies, the Golden Greed Armour set is for you. This set’s stat line rivals even Frostcursed and Of the Shadows, and its cores are nothing to sneeze at either, making for a versatile setup in and out of combat.

Its closest comparable is Frostcursed, which it loses to on elemental resistance and Damage reduction, but gains better stats, Swim speed buffs, and Spirit regen in exchange. Overall, this is a top tier, well-rounded set you can strut into combat with.

Aesthetically, there are better options, but some dye will fashion it into something that can compete with the likes of Of the Shadows.

Here’s where you’ll find the Golden Greed Armour Set in Crimson Desert:

Blackwing Armour Set

• Location: Upon beginning Chapter 5, clear the Spire of Soaring and the subsequent Crowcaller boss to receive the Blackwing Mask and Blackwing Armour. The cloak is found southeast of Hernand Highlands, while the boots are southeast of Anvil Hill (in a fake floor in the tower at the House of Healing), bordering Hernand and Demeniss.

A light armour set, Blackwing won’t win awards for its Defense or Attack, but when you’re playing a fast unarmed Crit build and value high sustain, the damage and defense are significantly higher than they appear. The Health and Stamina regen are what keep you in the fight while you go ham on enemies.

An unarmed build is recommended as the Crit on gloves and boots only applies to unarmed attacks, but if you don’t care to minmax, Tauria Curved Sword is a flavourful option for leaning into the crow theme, as it fires crows at enemies regularly. (You acquire this from Crowcaller as well.)

Here’s where you’ll find the Blackwing Armour Set in Crimson Desert:

Good luck collecting some new armour sets in Crimson Desert. For more, take a look at the best skills to unlock first, how to successfully steal, and all fast-travel locations.