Best armor sets in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, ranked

The Lands Between have expanded with Shadow of the Erdtree, with new challenges and of course new loot! Among the treasures you’ll find truly phenomenal armor sets, each offering unique benefits and dripping with character.

Whether you’re a hulking Strength build, an agile assassin, or a nimble spellcaster, there’s a perfect set waiting to be discovered. Here are all the best armor sets Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has in store.

10 best armor sets in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

10) Rellana’s set

If you have a penchant for cosplaying the sleek Carian Knights of Elden Ring, this medium armor will pique your interest. If you’re playing a sorcerer character, swap out the helmet for a Glintstone Crown.

For this set, you have to defeat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, the legendary boss of Castle Ensis. Once you beat her, the Rellana’s set should be up for grabs from Enia at Roundtable Hold.

9) Night set

The sleek Night armor set is for anyone who embraces the stealth assassin archetype in Elden Ring. Don’t be fooled by its nimble appearance though; it provides great overall resistances for how light it weighs. This arguably coolest-looking armor set isn’t too hard to get either. You can get the armor set from a corpse on the top level of Bonny Gaol. Now, it’s your time to cosplay Sauron from Lord of the Rings.

8) Solitude set

This set is for Strength build enthusiasts who don’t want to don bulky-looking armor. You get to trade blows courtesy of the set’s stellar resistances, all the while looking elegant and knightly. It weighs a fair bit though, so make sure your Endurance investment is up to the mark.

You can get the Solitude armor set by beating the Western Nameless Mausoleum’s boss, Blackgaol Knight. While this is pretty early in the DLC, you might want to come back here with a few Scadutree Fragments under your belt to make the fight easier.

7) Gravebird Set

If you don’t mind cosplaying the hated birds of Shadow of the Erdtree, the Gravebird set reigns supreme among the lightweight armors Elden Ring has on offer. This feathery ensemble boasts the highest overall stats for armor sets that weigh less than 15.

Getting the full set is a long process though. Here is where you can get all the parts:

• Gravebird Armor Chest: You can get the chest piece early on at an altar far west of the Abandoned Ailing Village in Gravesite Plain.
• Gravebird Bracelets: The bracelet can be found south of the Pillar Path Waypoint site of grace in east Gravesite Plain.
• Gravebird Anklets: You can get this by heading north from the Moorth Ruins site of grace through the caves in the gravebird-infested swamp.
• Gravebird Helm: The helm is what you’d have to wait for the longest. You can get it just before the Cleansing Chamber Anteroom site of grace, by jumping off the lift midway.
• The Gravebird Blackquill Armor is an alternate chest piece and you might want to swap it for the default one if you plan to utilize its jump attack damage.

6) Dancer’s set

This extremely lightweight armor set is a personal favorite as I became a fan of the dancing weapon skills introduced with Shadow of the Erdtree. It boosts your dancing attack damage by 2.5 percent for every piece you’re wearing, totaling a 10 percent damage increase for the full set.

You get the Dancer’s set by defeating Dancer of Rannah in the Southern Nameless Mausoleum, on an island west of the Cerulean Coast.

5) Messmer’s set

This light armor set will be up your alley if you fancy cosplaying one of the coolest bosses of the DLC, Messmer the Impaler. Besides its looks, Messmer’s set also boasts one of the best resistance-to-weight efficiency among sub-20 carry weight armor sets. As you might have guessed, you get the set only after beating Messmer, the demigod boss in Shadow Keep.

4) Rakshasa set

The Rakshasa set is a glass canon’s dream come true. This medium armor boosts your damage by two percent for every piece you wear, which amounts to a whopping eight percent damage increase when you don the whole set. The only drawback is slightly worse damage negation when compared to other armor sets of similar carry weight.

You get the Rakshasa armor set along with his Great Katana from the Rakshasa boss inside the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum. 

3) Oathseeker Knight set

The Oathseeker Knight set is a great choice due to its impeccable resistance-to-weight ratio, especially considering you can get it minutes after you enter the Shadow Realm. Even if you don’t have too many points in Endurance, this vintage-looking armor set will carry you through the DLC whether you’re a Strength or Dex character.

You can get the Oathseeker Knight set from a hanging body in the Church of Benediction, which lies southwest of Gravesite Plain where you start the DLC.

2) Death Knight set

This imposing set is an instant fan-favorite, boasting not only impressive physical and elemental resistances but also a special perk for Dragon Cult enthusiasts. Each piece of the Death Knight Set enhances Ancient Dragon Cult skills and incantations by two percent, for a total of an eight percent boost to your dragon-themed arsenal. It’s a fantastic choice for those who want to unleash the fury of the ancient dragons in style.

Found atop a Dark Knight corpse in the Darklight Catacombs, this set is both powerful and a lore-hound’s dream.

1) Gaius’s set

If you are after the tank archetype, Gaius’s set is as good as it gets. Its 44.3 carry weight might look intimidating for how many points you’d have to put into your Endurance to ensure medium roll, but the set is well worth it for the incredible defense it provides. Plus, of course, you look like an absolute unit.

You get this set by defeating the boar-riding menace Commander Gaius whom you encounter at the back of Shadow Keep in Erdtree. Once you beat the boss, the armor set (except the leg piece) will be up for grabs from Finger Reader Enia. Gaius’s Greaves is dropped by the Wolf Rider enemy, northwest of where you fight Gaius.