Ancient Armor is Better than Barbarian Armor for Most Players

When it comes to armor in Breath of the Wild, the Ancient and Barbarian sets stand out as two of the best available. But if you had to choose one, the Ancient armor is the superior set for most players.

The Ancient armor simply outclasses the Barbarian armor in terms of base defense and guardian/ancient weapon damage output. The Barbarian set can potentially boost regular melee weapons more, but the Ancient armor‘s huge 80% attack bonus for guardian/ancient weapons combined with its 28 defense per piece is hard to beat.

In this detailed comparison guide, I‘ll break down how the Ancient and Barbarian sets differ to help you decide which is better for your playstyle and needs in BOTW.

How to Obtain Each Armor Set

First, let‘s look at what it takes to get your hands on each set initially:

Ancient Armor:

• Ancient Helm, Cuirass & Greaves obtained from Akkala Tech Lab

• Costs Rupees, Ancient Screws, Ancient Gears, Ancient Shafts & Ancient Cores

• Available after completing the Robbie‘s Research side quest

Barbarian Armor:

• Barbarian Helm found in Skull Lake

• Barbarian Armor found in Torin Wetland

• Barbarian Leg Wraps found at Barbarian Settlement

• Found inside treasure chests in the overworld

The Ancient set requires completing Robbie‘s side quest which can take some time. You also need to collect Guardian parts from Decayed Guardians around Hyrule. The Barbarian set pieces are found in treasure chests, so no quest needed and no special materials to obtain them.

Upgrading Each Set Fully

To upgrade the sets to maximum defense/ratings, you‘ll need:

Ancient Armor Upgrade Materials:

• Ancient Screws, Cores, Gears, Shafts, Springs

• Total Parts Needed:

  • Ancient Helm – 16 Ancient Materials
  • Ancient Cuirass – 19 Ancient Materials
  • Ancient Greaves – 12 Ancient Materials

Barbarian Armor Upgrade Materials:

• Gems, Topaz, Flint, Amber, Ore, Dinraal‘s Claw

• Total Resources Needed:

  • Barbarian Helm – 2 Topaz, 4 Flint
  • Barbarian Armor – 3 Topaz, 2 Amber
  • Barbarian Leg Wraps – 3 Topaz, 5 Amber

Fully upgrading the Ancient set takes a lot more effort since Guardian parts are limited and time-consuming to farm. The Barbarian set uses more common resources you likely have plenty of from mining and enemy drops.

Comparing Defense Stats

Here‘s how the defense ratings stack up when both sets are fully upgraded:

The Ancient armor provides over 2x more defense per piece! No contest here – the Ancient set will let you take significantly more damage before you risk taking hits to your health.

Examining Damage Output

Now let‘s compare the attack power bonuses each set provides:

• Ancient Armor: 80% damage increase with Ancient and Guardian weapons
• Barbarian Armor: 50% damage increase with all melee weapons

Some example damage improvements:

The Ancient set gives better damage output with Guardian and Ancient weapons. But the Barbarian set can potentially boost more powerful regular melee weapons higher.

So if you have late-game royal or lynel equipment, the Barbarian bonus may pull ahead slightly in terms of raw damage. But for ancient/guardian weapons, the Ancient armor‘s 80% boost is unmatched.

Unique Set Bonuses

Each armor set also gives bonus effects when the full 3 pieces are worn:

• Ancient Armor Set Bonus: Guardian Resist Up – Reduces damage taken from Guardians
• Barbarian Armor Set Bonus: Charge Atk Stamina Up – Reduces charge attack stamina consumption

The Ancient set‘s bonus is very useful for increasing survival against the game‘s deadliest foes. Barbarian‘s charge attack stamina boost can be nice quality-of-life improvement but isn‘t a game-changer.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Ancient Armor is the Overall Winner for Most

When you weigh the stats and bonuses, the Ancient set simply comes out on top in most regards. The crazy high 28 defense per piece combined with the 80% damage increase for Guardian/Ancient weapons outweighs the Barbarian set‘s pros in my opinion.

The only real exception is if you have extremely powerful royal broadswords, royal claymores, or five-shot lynel bows. In those cases, the Barbarian set may give you slightly better damage output.

But even then, the difference is minor – we‘re talking like 10-15 points of damage. And you have to sacrifice a ton of defense for that minor upside.

So for general use, I‘d recommend the Ancient armor set for most players. The defense upgrade is too good to pass up, and you really feel that 80% ancient weapon damage boost when fighting tough enemies like Lynels.

When to Use Each Set

Here is my advice on when to equip each armor type:

• Ancient Armor – General exploration, Guardian/Lynel fights, areas with lots of combat
• Barbarian Armor – Fighting regular enemies with high level melee weapons equipped
• Ancient Armor – Boss battles, Master Mode, Trial of the Sword (for the defense!)
• Barbarian Armor – If you really need the stamina reduction for spin attacks

And make sure to upgrade each set fully to get the most out of them!

The Verdict is In!

While both are awesome sets, in nearly all cases I would recommend the Ancient armor over the Barbarian armor in Breath of the Wild. Only go for Barbarian if min-maxing non-ancient melee weapons for slightly better damage output.

Let me know if this guide helped you choose which set to use in BOTW! I‘m happy to answer any other questions you have.