CD Projekt Red’s 2015 RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting more time in the spotlight these days thanks to the upcoming The Witcher 4. If you’re getting back into the game—or trying it for the first time—you might be wondering what to equip to make the most of your journey.
As with most Western RPGs, The Witcher protagonist Geralt of Rivia has access to a variety of unique armor sets, each with its own pros and cons. From the classic Wolven Witcher Gear to the Netflix-inspired Forgotten Wolven set, there are plenty of options for every type of player, no matter what part of the game you’re currently playing.
Temerian Armor
Ever since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt‘s main marketing campaign, the Kaer Morhen armor Geralt of Rivia wears has essentially become his signature look. However, in-game, this set is nothing to write home about regarding defensive ratings and buffs. That’s where the Temerian Armor Set comes in, as even though this isn’t a sturdy set for the long run, it’s great for early-game use.
And that’s precisely its intended use case, as it was included as free DLC early after the game launched to be bought in White Orchard. Temerian Armor only requires Level 4, has solid armor ratings, and a good spread of elemental/physical defenses.
Nilfgaardian Armor
There are three versions of the Nilfgaardian armor set, and all of them look absolutely awesome. First, you’ll have to download the free Nilfgaardian Armor Set DLC. Than, you’ll be able to buy the set from the quartermaster at Crow’s Perch. You can equip the armor at level 10, or get the upgraded version at level 35.
Both versions provide a decently well-rounded defense, including 25-30% resistance to piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing damage. Best of all, you can change the appearance of the armor to the Netflix show through Settings.
Dol Blathanna Armor
The first of the new additions to The Witcher 3‘s next-gen update, the Dol Blathanna Armor is another great choice for getting through the early-game portion of the story. Found as a gift from Yennefer of Vengerberg in Emperor Emhyr’s royal palace in Vizima, this set won’t take long for players to replace the Temerian Armor obtained earlier in White Orchard.
Dol Blathanna Armor offers stable defense ratings for this stage of the game and provides noticeable defense buffs to physical damage like piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning.
Toussaint Armor
This gaudy but beautiful armor is available through the Blood and Wine DLC. For a chance to loot it, you’ll have to accompany Sylvia’s on her quest in the expansion. Then, just keep your eyes open while exploring near Rapunzel’s tower in the Land of a Thousand Fables.
The armor set is a Heavy class, late-game set that requires level 47 to equip. Despite how ornamental it looks, the armor provides a hefty Vitality boost and very high resistance to most types of damage.
White Tiger Of The West Amor
As a counterpart to the aforementioned Dol Blathanna Armor Set, the White Tiger of the West Armor Set can be obtained similarly. This set can also be found in Emperor Emhyr’s Imperial Palace in Vizima by looking in a chest in Yennefer’s room.
A note left by the beloved Witcher 3 supporting character will give Geralt instructions on where to loot them. The White Tiger of the West requires a minimum of Level 11, which makes this a good next step from the Dol Blathanna set. It gives some good raw defensive ratings and buffs, as well as some boosts to elemental and Poison resistance.
Forgotten Wolven Armor
Perhaps the most popular armor set to come out of the recent next-gen update is the Netflix-inspired set. The Forgotten Wolven Armor is another medium set of armor that’s great for a balanced playthrough when it comes to combat. This can be obtained as part of the original quest added into the update to recontextualize the lore behind the armor in CD Projekt Red’s Witcher universe.
It boasts good defensive stats and physical damage resistances, in addition to some welcome buffs to Sign intensity, especially for Aard and Yrden. The Forgotten Wolven Armor also has a high ceiling for improvement, as it can be upgraded up to Grandmaster Legendary status and change appearance to season 2’s set.
Viper Armor
Though players can start collecting the overall Viper Gear set almost at the beginning of the game by getting the swords, the proper armor itself is unique to the Hearts of Stone storyline. Most players likely won’t find it a burden to play through this and get the armor along the way, as The Witcher 3 has been credited for having some of the best game DLCs.
Aesthetically, it’s almost identical to the Kaer Morhen set except with dark blue coloring, and it features respectable defenses against monsters and elemental damage. However, its biggest selling point is its fantastic Poison resistance.
Griffin Armor
Of course, the Griffin Armor Set that’s been in the vanilla version of the game since its 2015 release is a reliable choice. This medium armor set can be obtained relatively early on while venturing across the war-ravaged lands of Velen.
Just as well, it’s likely to be many players’ first Witcher armor sets they craft. In addition to the expectedly well-rounded defensive stats, the Griffin set is good for boosting Geralt’s overall Sign intensity.
Manticore Armor
For players that know they want to go down the path of balanced strength and defense, the Manticore Armor Set is another ideal pick. It can be used either as an alternative to other medium sets like the Griffin gear or serve as a capable progression from it. Though, this is specifically at the Grandmaster level since the Manticore set can’t be found in lower-tier variations.
Likewise, this is only found in the Blood and Wine DLC expansion. It’s well worth the effort going through this RPGs great side content. It has a massive defensive bonus for the complete set, raises Geralt’s critical hit chance, and raises his Toxicity threshold for those that want to make the most of alchemic potions in combat.
Feline Armor
The Feline Armor Set, as it was in the vanilla version of the game, is an excellent loadout for Geralt in The Witcher 3. Especially so for veteran players, as this set of equipment offers something of a risk/reward system.
As light armor, the Feline set doesn’t have the best stats when it comes to raw defenses. But it compensates for this weakness by offering sizable boosts to Geralt’s damage output and critical strike odds, on top of some increased chances to inflict Bleed when used with the set’s corresponding steel and silver swords.