Witcher 3 Best Armor

Armor is an important part of your strategy in The Witcher 3. You need to choose a set that complements your playing style, which means compromising.
▼Article Continues Below▼
Do you go for better defense, adrenaline point generation or stamina regeneration? Before you start thinking about that, you need to find good armor or diagrams for crafting it. In this guide, we’re going to show you sets of the best armor in The Witcher 3, their locations and stats.

New Blood and Wine Armor Sets

Blood and Wine expansion introduces new armor sets Tesham Mutna Armor (heavy armor set for level 39), Manticore Armor (medium set) and a new level – Grandmaster for Bear Ursine, Feline Cat, Wolf and Griffin Witcher Armor. Grandmaster Feline Cat Armor is the only hooded armor in the game! Take a look at our guide for new Blood and Wine armor sets.

Viper Armor Set – Hearts of Stone expansion

Viper Armor Set is a new Witcher gear set from the Hearts of Stone expansion. It’s a level 39 medium set which has a great armor rating and provides near immunity to poison.

Ofieri Armor Set – Hearts of Stone

The Ofieri set is a stylish armor from the HoS DLC. It is a level 38 light armor set which improves Sign intensity a lot. You can get it during one of the side quests in the expansion.

New Moon Armor – Hearts of Stone

The New Moon Armor certainly isn’t the best in terms of stats, but it is one of the better looking ones. You can use it at level 34, and you don’t even need to craft the pieces. They can be found (in various qualities) in certain locations in the new part of the map.

UPDATE: Patch 1.07 changed the level requirements for many sets. We’ve updated the guide to reflect this, so if you find armor whose requirements don’t match the ones written here, you’re probably playing an older version of the game.

Skellige Armor Set

Skellige Undvik Armor Set is an outfit added to the game in a free DLC pack. You have to be level 41 to use it, but it provides unprecedented amounts of protection. It’s a heavy set and comes with matching horse armor.

Wolf School Gear

The Wolf School Gear diagrams can be found scattered around Kaer Morhen. You’ll need to be level 14 to use them. The armor is medium weight – it provides increased attack power and sign intensity, while the swords have a decen damage output. This set is convenient for Signs builds, or hybrids that rely on swords and signs equally.

Enhanced Wolf Gear

The Enhanced Wolf Gear is an upgrade for the Wolf School Gear – expect more sign intensity, better attack power, and a moderate increase in protection. You’ll have to be level 21 in order to equip it.

Superior Wolf Gear

The Superior Wolven Gear is the third tier of upgrade for the Wolf School armor. Even more attack power and sign intensity than the enhanced version, with better protection. You’ll have to be level 29 if you want to use it.

Mastercrafted Wolf Gear

The Mastercrafted Wolf Gear is the final upgrade for the Wolf School armor. It offers great bonuses to attack power and sign intensity, a moderate amount of protection and greatly increased critical hit chance. You need to be level 34 in order to wear it.

Griffin School Gear

The Griffin Armor Set diagrams can be found in Velen, in Dragonslayer’s Grotto, north of Crookback Bog. It’s a medium armor set that requires level 11 to use, and provides increased sign intensity. It’s a great choice for anyone who opted for a Sign build.

Enhanced Griffin Armor

Enhanced Griffin Gear is an upgraded version of the basic Griffin Set. This is the second out of four (Basic, Enhanced, Superior and Mastercrafted) upgrade levels available for Griffin Sword and Armor Set. Diagrams for enhanced Griffin Set versions are found all over Velen (No Man’s Land). This is a level 18 weapon and armor upgrade of the basic Griffin School Gear Set.

Superior Griffin Gear

Superior Griffin Gear is the level 3 upgrade for the Griffin School Set. Before you can upgrade your set to superior, you need to boost it to Enchanced Griffin first. In order to wear this armor your character must be level 26.

Mastercrafted Griffin Gear

Mastercrafted Griffin Gear will give you an amazing increase in elemental damage resistance and sign intensity. Since it’s so good, you’ll need a level 34 character for the armor, as well as the swords.

Cat (Feline) School Gear

The Cat Armor Set diagrams can be found in a cave underneath Novigrad, and are pretty tricky to get. The set is light-weight, and requires a level 17 character (the crossbow requires level 29). It’s biggest strengths are the increased attack power and stamina regeneration – it’s meant for agile swordsmen.

Enhanced Cat (Feline) Gear

Enhanced Feline Gear is level 2 update of the basic Feline / Cat School Gear. This set is best for mid-level players because both the swords and the armor require level 23 to use. Six set diagrams are scattered all over Novigrad and Velen.

Superior Feline Cat Gear

In order to apply Superior Feline Cat Gear diagrams, you’ll first need the Enhanced Cat Gear. This set is suited for players at level 29. Superior Feline diagrams are scattered around Velen (No Man’s Land). There are powerful enemies (level 18-27) guarding some of these diagrams.

Mastercrafted Cat Feline

Mastercrafted Cat Gear is one of the best light armor sets in the game – it massively improves stamina regeneration, adrenaline point generation and provides an immense increase in attack power. Level 34 is required to wear the armor and wield the swords.

Bear School Gear

The Bear Armor Set diagrams can be found in Skellige, on An Skellig, just north of Urialla Harbor. It’s a heavy set which provides amazing protection, but tones down stamina regeneration. As such, it could be of great use to either dedicated alchemists or sturdy tanks. You need to be level 20 to wear it (except for the crossbow, which is level 29).

Enhanced Bear (Ursine) Gear

Enhanced Bear Gear is the second level of upgrade for Bear School Gear armor and weapons. There are six diagrams you need to find in order to upgrade the whole set. You need to be level 25 to wear it.

Superior Bear (Ursine) Gear

Superior Bear Gear is the third tier upgrade for Bear School Gear. In order to get it, you must first have Enhanced Bear Gear. You need to be level 30 to wear it.

Mastercrafted Bear Ursine Gear

Mastercrafted Bear Ursine Gear is the best version of the Bear Gear set – it provides amazing amounts of armor, much improved adrenaline point generation, while crippling your stamina regeneration. In order to use it, you’ll need to be at least level 34.

Nilfguardian Guardsman Armor

Nilfguardian Guardsman Armor is a late-game heavy armor set (lvl 28/31) that provides great protection from all kinds of physical damage, but also decreases stamina regeneration. You can either craft or buy the pieces.


YOU MAY ALSO READ

MORE CONTENT IN Witcher 3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

67 COMMENTS

  1. C
    ChesterJen

    I can ask you?

  2. A
    Andrewnok

    It not absolutely approaches me. Who else, what can prompt?

  3. R
    Randal987lLag

    Thank you

  4. R
    Randal987lLag

    Great post

  5. D
    David23Jitly

    Thank you

  6. K
    Keith2Fex

    Thanks so much

  7. B
    BernardMor

    Thank you very much for the information provided
    I’m very impressed

  8. J
    Jardinero

    Updated by Caleb Bailey on March d, 2020:  However, what matters most is how effective they are in combat. With the second season of Netflix’s Witcher series allegedly coming soon, we’re sure to see more winks and nods to Andrzej Sapkowski’s and CD Projekt Red’s games. Hopefully, Henry Cavill will get to wear one of the awesome armor sets you’ll see down below. The Netflix show will also win bonus points, as far as we’re concerned, if the armor sets retain their in-game abilities; Geralt used his Signs quite a bit in the first season of the show. Just imagine how much stronger his magic would be if he were wearing the Griffin Armor!

  9. J
    Jason

    There’s a hidden underwater cave that lets you into the castle… took me FOREVER to find.

  10. I
    ILuvMyScaryBitchWife Guy

    Kinda of under thinking it folks. Witcher armor starts out as a loot hunt. We’re down because it’s actual Witcher gear, so it has to be cool. But the properties of them nudge us to play a little different, get the full benefit. But it’s rewarding that finished set, at least enough to head out and and grab another schools.
    By the time you get them mastercrafted. You’ve seen the majority of 3 to 4 continent sized maps, learned six different styles of gameplay, been thoroughly challenged with something that counting all sets provided us with bout 36 hours of gameplay, and it was only a little repetitive (just me?), the way they minced them up. I know because I hunted down every set i could get to mastercraft in at least one play through. Hell when I new gamed, I didn’t bother taking sword or suit schematics that didn’t belong to the schools till the dlc
    Then consider the extra layers the DLC tacked on, and that’s before the main story and side quests. Those suits are no small thing. Call’em whatever you like, loot run, gear, min maxing, completionist tripp’en. Those schematics go a long way to helping us experience multiple facets of the game.
    Armor rating does’t even scratch the surface. If you think about how they affected the average play through. Only other game game that made you to customize like that was FO4 was too much, to complicated, to time consuming, to necisarry.

  11. M
    Milad

    I love warriors leather jacket how to I get upgraded this ?

  12. S
    Stiletto

    I think the Toussaint Tournament Armor should be in this list too. Is a heavy armor, level 48 with lot of protection and vitality. Pure tankiness. (I play it in spanish so the name of the armor could be different)

  13. F
    Falcon

    I will never make my cat armor grandmaster , that hood so bad, i love hoods but whose idea was it to give a tail to the hood.

    1. G
      Geralt Of Rivia

      You maybe never liked that appearance, but cmon u wnt to not use that amazing grandmaster Feline Gear stats and perf for just its little hood thing? *Facepalm*

  14. S
    selek323

    Why does it seem like no one likes the wolf school armor? I myself love hybrid builds, and so the wolf school makes sense for me. It also seems like most people only focus on the armor rating rather than the other stats. Why is that?

    1. S
      SmoothCriminal

      Selek323 your not alone! I love the Wolf School gear, I play a hybrid style as well & it’s worked wonders.

      Since the white wolf’s alma mater is the Wolf School wouldn’t you assume Geralt favors the Wolf School gear as well?

      # Wolf School gear

    2. G
      Geralt Of Rivia

      I like that Gear too, u not alone, but sadly my version is the old one and i cant get new dlc, and my version dont have wolf Gear yet, so i’m on cat, and focus on armor rating? Is Feline is good on that rating? Better Ursine, but i prefer more agile and more stamina regenerated on my armor, and btw cat witcher has more easy location (less monster, even if there’s monster guarding, them few and less lvl, so easy, except Kaer Gelen, i dont wnt to get there again, so many monster and they can respawn why) than Bear witcher, they have tricky and clever brain(s) to hide Their precious and unique Witcher School Gear Diagram

      1. G
        Geralt Of Rivia

        Wait i forget one thing
        #Wolf School Gear
        #Cat School Gear
        #Bear School Gear
        #Griffin School Gear
        #Viper School Gear
        #Manticore School Gear
        What again?

  15. L
    labeled5150

    hi just want to know something i didnt know witcher had builds and that armor that fits a sertent buildm,my question is do i need to be a build to use the armor or can i just use whatever armor and not worry about to survive and have fun in the game

    1. G
      Geralt Of Rivia

      Dont worry about all that, u still can have fun and survive, but getting more high lvl means get new armor and sword and crossbow cause u cant fighting lvl 31 Noonwraith with Warrior’s Leather Jacket, u know it

  16. B
    Blue

    So in general which armor has the best stats? Viper/Wolf (master crafted ) / skellige armor ?

  17. T
    Tefg

    For the bear school gear sorry

  18. T
    Tefg

    I’m having trouble completing the quest. I’m able to gain the armour from the chest however the level is none reactive for the portcullis. Any ideas ?

    1. J
      Jason

      There’s a hidden underwater cave that lets you into the castle… took me FOREVER to find.

  19. K
    Kadaphe

    Am I the only one or would it be nice to know the armor stats??

    1. G
      Gosu No0b

      If you click on the link of the particular armor you’ll get information where to find the armor and stats.

  20. H
    HellBlazer

    If you guys haven’t noticed it by now and u should have, there is no armor raining surpreme over another, its based on preference, example, Cat is light armor, good mobility but low in armor rating, Griffen/Wolf/Viper is Medium based, Decent Mobility Decent Defense. Bear Heavy Based, Poor Mobility all Defense. You can sum it up like that. its based on the players play style of the game.

    1. D
      Dryud

      Yeah, the armor ratings are all really roughly similar. The secondary stats are slightly different but usually not really enough to make a huge difference. The biggest difference might be stamina regeneration, but the various secondary skills even wipe that out too.

      So it’s primarily a matter of visual preference. I personally think the Bear set is the most unique and best looking set in the game, so I just use that. Viper looks fairly cool too, but maybe not as fitting lore wise.

      Also, it’s probably important to point out that the armor is all level locked, and the higher level armors are almost always just flat out better than lower level armor. The levels are usually roughly 3 apart, making it usually pointless to even worry much about gearing up while leveling—you’ll out-level the gear quickly making it rather obsolete.

      In fact, I would go so far as to say you are likely better off not even bothering to craft until around lvl 29 (for the crossbows) and 34 for the armor. But you’ll likely find by then you’re at end game, and you’re getting better drops anyway. You’ll get drops throughout the game as well if you like exploring, and from the story too. I’d also because of this suggest not bothering with gear tier perks, of which there are 3. You’re likely better off instead filling that slot with something that combines with the mutagen anyway. That keeps you free to mix and match armor and you’ll probably get a stronger effect too from the mutagen. It’s 10% for the greater mutagens, whereas filling all the gear slots can get you 20% more in damage, but really boxes you in.

  21. A
    Andy

    Could you add new HoS Moon armor? I found 2 pieces only and as it has crit chance and crit dmg it looks really promising 🙂

  22. E
    EliChan

    Good guide, but last update (v1.07) changed level requirements for all Witcher armors (don’t know if it changed other armors too).
    That’s the new levels:
    Griffin basic gear – 11
    Griffin basic weapons – 11
    Griffin enchanted gear – 18
    Griffin enchanted weapons – 18
    Griffin superior gear – 26
    Griffin superior weapons – 26
    Griffin mastercrafted gear – 34
    Griffin mastercrafted weapons – 34

    Feline basic gear – 17
    Feline basic weapons – 17
    Feline enchanted gear – 23
    Feline enchanted weapons – 23
    Feline superior gear – 29
    Feline superior weapons -29
    Feline mastercrafted gear – 34
    Feline mastercrafted weapons – 34
    Feline Crossbow – 29

    Ursine basic gear – 20
    Ursine basic weapons – 20
    Ursine enchanted gear – 25
    Ursine enchanted weapons – 25
    Ursine superior gear – 30
    Ursine superior weapons – 30
    Ursine mastercrafted gear – 34
    Ursine mastercrafted weapons – 34
    Ursine Crossbow – 29

    Wolven basic gear – 14
    Wolven basic weapons – 14
    Wolven enchanted gear – 21
    Wolven enchanted weapons – 21
    Wolven superior gear – 29
    Wolven superior weapons – 29
    Wolven mastercrafted gear – 34
    Wolven mastercrafted weapons – 34

    1. J
      JP

      Thank you for pecising! Was really wondering why mine said 29 for Superior Feline when page said 25 haha.

  23. Z
    ZEROFILA

    this are Good tips but one thing i still don’t get is How about the Armor chest beside the ingredients u need Armor chest right where can i find some ?

  24. S
    SDC

    overall good guide to everything. thx.
    for the screen shots, hv the character holding a touch while shooting can show more detail off it.

  25. T
    Tegan

    Does wearing a competed set of gear give any additional benefits? Or can on mix and mach the gear to a desired effect? Like for example wearing ursine armour with wolf weapons, griffin gauntlets and feline boots (for a mix of defence, attack, sign power, and stamina).

    1. T
      Tom

      Matching the armor set is usually complimented by using its respective skill enhancement perk on the upgrade loading, like light armor

  26. M
    Matth

    where I find the materials to complete the set of armor ursine (monster hide and monster carapace)?

  27. S
    Shadaal

    Why does every site for Witcher 3 armor not list the sun armor? It’s the best one out there.

    1. B
      Brian

      Well I would agree its stats are the highest but its too golden for my taste by the way where do you acquire that

  28. A
    alex siladi

    Gosu No0b please help! I have all the ingredients for crafting mastercrafted ursine except
    x1 chest armor
    x1 trousers
    x1 boots
    x1 gauntlets
    x1 steel sword
    x1 silver sword
    I feel so dumb because these items seem like they would be so plain and simple to find yet all i am coming across is shirts :'( someone please tell me where to find these items

    1. It goes like this, you have to craft basic Ursine, then Enhanced and Superior. Once you have superior set you can craft Mastercrafted Ursine. You can’t skip any of these previous steps in order to obtain Mastercrafted set.

  29. B
    Brian White

    i think I figured it out I been playing the Witcher 3 on Death March level so it looks like it changes the level of the weapons and armor so they are harder to acquire I also have the PC version now I did implement a PC XP cheat so that might of messed things up but the game normally runs fine too

  30. K
    karthick

    I know a way how to get mastered armour at very starting of the game

    1. K
      karthick

      Tat too without following the order straightway to mastered armor but it is a cheat

      1. G
        Guwain

        Then using a cheat defeats the purpose of the game. It’s dumb to cheat. With that out of the way, The Cat School Gear I’ve found so far is the most effective. It’s more effective than the medium level Griffin School Gear, Bear School Gear. I’ve yet to try the Wolven or Manticore School gear so we’ll see

      2. A
        Andrew Donald Olson

        I want to know the cheat. I just hit 18 and made my enhanced griffen stuff, but I still want to know.

  31. N
    Nikita

    Hi, where can i start the quest for getting the mastercrafted feline gear? i understand i can just follow your guide and find all the schemes but i want to start it properly. Is there a map i need buy or something?
    And thanks for a neat guide. Especially for the detailed images of all the tiers.

    1. H
      Human

      You can buy the initial maps from the blacksmith in Blackbough I believe. The other upgrade maps are sold by merchants in Lindenvale and Crow’s Perch.

  32. B
    Brian

    Question, how is the master-crafted witcher armor the best when you can just buy the best armor in the castle at Skellige granted you have to be around level 58 to wear it, like the Nilfgaardin Guardmans Armor, the stats are way higher

    1. J
      Jakub

      The Nilf Guard Armour is only level 29 for me, and way below the Master Ursine Armour, which armourer are you talking about?

      1. N
        Niklaus

        Well , like you said it’s level 58 ! You gotta have something to wear before that , am i right ? Plus it’s the best because basicly you can finish the story around level 30/35 , and a lot of gamers stop playing when the story is done . So it’s the best for the majority ?

      2. D
        Daniel

        I find others.
        Nilfgaardin Guardmans Armor level 32 – 494

        and this
        Mag Deira Amor level 38 – 222

        but the best is de feline
        because your damage per second go up whit this armor.

        1. D
          Daniel

          sorry, Mag Deira armor 553

          and sorry the images is in spanish but your can understand.
          im play in PS4 and im level 42

        2. T
          toijh

          Damn Daniel, back at it again with the Nilfgaardin Guardsmans shoes.

          1. N
            Nilfguardian

            I thought it was clever and funny.

    2. M
      mike

      What a stupid fucking comment.

    3. Z
      ZERO

      Its a matter of preference, i prefer the light armor of feline cuz that boost my attck power, and i allow me to easily dodge attack, while the skellige armor is a heavy armor, so its a differ type

  33. K
    KJ

    Do I need to get them in order or can I just get the base armor and upgrade them to the “Mastercrafted” Level?

    1. G
      Gosu No0b

      No, you can’t upgrade from basic to mastercrafted, you need to follow the order.

      1. Z
        Zaikeil

        Even then, you need to do two different quests in order to get mastercrafted armour/weapons even crafted. There’s two, that I know of, one in Crows Perch, and the other in Novigrad.

    2. I
      IW1911

      You need to start from basic. For example to get the superior gear, the recipe shows you need craft materials and the basic version of whatever is you’re upgrading. Unless you’ve been grinding like crazy the levels are pretty far spread so liklihood is you won’t be leveled enough to use the mastercrafted gear.

      1. I
        IW1911

        ** Correction, it’s basic to Enhanced.