Baldur's Gate 3: Best Very Rare Armor Pieces

Highlights

Very Rare Armor pieces in Baldur's Gate 3 provide overpowered effects and high AC, making them the best in the game.
The Grymskull Helm, Helldusk Boots, and Adamantine Scale Mail are examples of Very Rare Armor pieces that are accessible in Act 3 and offer powerful buffs and high AC.
The Emblazoned Plate of the Marshall, Robe of the Weave, Elegant Studded Leather, Armor of Agility, and Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength are other Very Rare Armor pieces with unique effects and high AC that players can acquire.

Armor pieces in Baldur's Gate 3 come in five different rarities, and apart from the Legendary Helldusk Armor, and a few helmets and gloves, Very Rare Armor is the best, providing players with overpowered effects and extremely high AC. Armor Class (AC) is the number that enemies must roll to successfully hit a target in Baldur's Gate 3.

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The best Very Rare Armor pieces in BG3 will synergize with a character's playstyle and overall build, but all of them provide high AC or other great buffs. Characters must have the correct Armor Proficiency to wear either Light, Medium, or Heavy Armor, whereas anyone can wear Clothing that technically still counts as Armor.

Updated January 8, 2024 by Joe Grantham: Game of the Year winner Baldur's Gate 3 is now available on all platforms and whether players are enjoying their first run or gearing up for their 10th playthrough, knowing where to find the best armor pieces is always vital. When it comes to Very Rare armor pieces, including helmets, gloves, boots, and chest armor, these items are often found in the later stages of the game, particularly Act 3. While some of these items are OP as part of specific builds, the following are examples that can be used by a broad variety of builds.

9 Grymskull Helm

Can't Be Crit, Resistance To Fire Damage

Type	Effects
Heavy Helmet	Attackers can't land Critical Hits on the wearer. Grants Resistance to Fire damage. Hunter's Mark (Lvl 1 Spell): Mark a target to deal additional Physical damage to them. Once per Long Rest.

Although characters will need to have Heavy Armor Proficiency in order to wear the Grymskull Helm, it is nonetheless one of the best helmets in BG3. Not only does it stop enemies from landing crits, but it also halves all incoming Fire damage. The Hunter's Mark spell can also be very useful against bosses, especially as it is used as a Bonus Action.

Thankfully, the Grymskull Helm can also be found earlier on in the game than most Very Rare items, as it is dropped by Grym in the Adamantine Forge.

8 Helldusk Boots

Become Unmovable & Teleport, Which Deals AOE Damage

Type	Effects
Boots	Steadfast: Cannot be forcibly moved by a foe's spells or actions, and ignore the effects of Difficult Terrain. Infernal Evasion: When failing a Saving Throw, the wearer may use a Reaction to succeed instead. Hellcrawler: Teleport to an area and deal 2d8 Fire damage when landing. The impact blast spreads in a 3m zone. Once per Short Rest.

Helldusk Boots are incredibly overpowered on the feet of any character for a multitude of reasons. Wearers not only overcome Difficult Terrain but also cannot be forcibly moved. Additionally, the ability to choose when to succeed in certain Saving Throws cannot be overlooked. The most powerful component of these boots, however, is the Hellcrawler action, which is similar to Misty Step, but deals Fire damage upon landing.

Helldusk Boots can be found on the top floor of Wyrm's Rock fortress, inside a locked Gilded Chest, making them accessible fairly early on in Act 3.

7 Adamantine Scale Mail

Good For Repelling Attackers

Type	AC	Effects
Medium Armor	16 + Dexterity Modifier (Max 2)	Magical Plate: All incoming damage is reduced by 1. Adamantine Backlash: When a melee attack hits, the attacker is sent Reeling for 2 turns. Attackers can't land Critical Hits on the wearer. Disadvantage on Stealth Checks.

The 16 AC from the Adamantine Scale Mail which can be increased to 18 AC for players with at least 14 Dexterity, makes it one of the best Medium Armor pieces in the game, and one of the best Very Rare Armor pieces in general.

It is particularly strong against melee attackers as it sends them Reeling, which basically means they will have a -1 penalty to any successive attack rolls. Players can craft Adamantine Scale Mail as part of "The Adamantine Forge" quest.

6 Emblazoned Plate Of The Marshall

High AC & Fire Resistance

Baldur's Gate 3 Emblazoned Plate of the Marshal

Type	AC	Effects
Heavy Armor	19	Magical Plate: All incoming damage is reduced by 2. Endurance by Fire (Lvl 4 Spell): Resistance to Fire damage and a +2 bonus to Saving Throws. Once per Long Rest.

If players are ever facing off against enemies who rely on fire damage, then the Emblazoned Plate of the Marshall Heavy Armor piece will pretty much guarantee them victory, thanks to its fire resistance on top of 19 AC.

The Magic Plate effect is also extremely strong over the course of a long fight, constantly reducing any damage received. Emblazoned Plate of the Marshall is dropped by Duke Ulder Ravengardif players choose to kill him.

5 Robe Of The Weave

Heals The Wearer When Succeeding Saving Throws

Baldur's Gate 3 Robe of the Weave Clothing

Type	AC	Effects
Clothing	10 + Dexterity Modifier	Arcane Enchantment: Gain a +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls. Weave Eater: Whenever the wearer succeeds a Saving Throw against a spell, they regain 1~6 hit points. Armor Class +2

Not every character in Baldur's Gate 3 has proficiency with one of the three Armor types, and Wizards, for example, will normally have to wear Clothing instead. There are a number of Very Rare Clothing items in the game, some of which will be perfectly suited to certain builds and playstyles.

Baldur's Gate 3: Best Clothing

From Gortash's garbs to Isobel's robes, players can't go wrong with the following clothing items in Baldur's Gate 3.

Robe of the Weave is arguably the strongest overall, offering a bonus 2 AC, which is rare for Clothing, as well as the incredible Weave Eater effect that heals the character on successful saving throws. This robe can be found inside a Globe of Invulnerability on the lower level of Ramazith's Tower.

4 Elegant Studded Leather

High AC For Light Armor & Has The Shield Spell

Baldur's Gate 3 Elegant Studded Leather (Light Armor)

Type	AC	Effects
Light Armor	14 + Dexterity Modifier	Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls. Advantage on Stealth Checks. Shield (Lvl 1 Spell): Use a Reaction to increase AC by 5 when an attack is incoming.

Elegant Studded Leather is one of the best Light Armor sets in Baldur's Gate 3, providing players with an impressive 14 AC that can be increased with a high Dexterity stat.

Given that this is a Very Rare piece of Armor, it also happens to give players one of the best Abjuration Spells, Shield, which gives a character an additional 5 AC when they are about to be hit. Elegant Studded Leather can be obtained in the Counting House as part of the "Return Rakath's Gold" quest.

3 Armor Of Agility

Good AC & No Disadvantages For Stealth

Type	AC	Effects
Medium Armor	18 + Dexterity Modifier (Max 2)	Exotic Material: Add Dexterity Modifier to Armor Class. Additionally, this armor does not impose a Disadvantage on Stealth Ability Checks. Saving Throw +2

When it comes to the best Medium Armor in Baldur's Gate 3, the Very Rare Armor of Agility is hard to beat, offering 20 AC to characters with at least 14 Dexterity.

This puts it on par with most Heavy Armor, and yet as the Agility part of the name suggests, it is good for stealth too despite its defensive capabilities. Armor of Agility is sold by Gloomy Fentonson at Stormshore Armory in the Lower City.

2 Gauntlets Of Hill Giant Strength

Sets The Wearer's Strength Stat To 23

Baldur's Gate 3 Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength

Type	Effects
Gloves	Set the wearer's Strength to 23. The enchantment has no effect if their Strength score is higher without it. Strength Saving Throws +1.

The Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength are by far one of the best gloves in BG3, especially for any character who uses the Strength stat. With these gauntlets equipped, players can respec their character to have the minimum Strength stat available and allocate points elsewhere, as these gloves set Strength to a whopping 23.

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Given their power, players will have to wait until Act 3 to acquire them, where the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength can be taken from a pedestal in the House of Hope's archives.

1 Armor Of Persistence

High AC & Damage Reduction

Type	AC	Effects
Heavy Armor	20	Magical Plate: All incoming damage is reduced by 2. Legendary Persistence: Gain Resistance and Blade Ward. Disadvantage on Stealth Checks.

Armor of Persistence is the second-best Heavy Armor in Baldur's Gate 3, only beaten by the Legendary Helldusk Armor. The AC of 20 makes any character wearing this armor extremely hard to hit, with bonuses or a natural 20 roll required.

Even when hit, players will take 2 less damage, and the permanent defensive spells of Resistance and Blade Ward, mean that it is very hard to die with this equipped. Armor of Persistence can be bought from the merchant Dammon in Act 3.