Is the Ancient Armor the Best Set in Breath of the Wild? A Comprehensive Guide

If you‘ve played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for any length of time, you know how important armor can be. With so many devastating enemies across Hyrule, upgrading Link‘s armor is critical to survive.

Of all the armor sets available, the Ancient Armor stands head and shoulders above the rest. When fully upgraded, it boasts the highest defense rating in the game and provides invaluable bonuses against Guardians.

In this guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about why the Ancient Armor is so powerful, how to get it, and tips for using it effectively. Time to suit up!

Why the Ancient Armor is Undoubtedly the Best

Let‘s break down the key reasons why the Ancient Armor surpasses all other sets:

• Each upgraded piece provides 28 defense – the max in the game. This outpaces even late-game heavy sets like the Soldier Armor.

• The Guardian Resist bonus decreases damage from all Guardian enemies by a whopping 80%. This applies to everything from Guardian Scouts to the deadly Laser Turrets.

• When all 3 pieces are worn, you get the Ancient Proficiency set bonus. This increases your damage with all Ancient and Guardian weapons by 80% too!

• Ancient weapons like the Ancient Battle Axe already deal massive damage. That 80% proficiency bonus makes them exceedingly overpowered.

• The set bonus also applies to Ancient Arrows, enabling you to easily destroy or severely damage Guardians.

Here‘s a breakdown of how the Ancient Proficiency bonus stacks up on damage:

As you can see, it provides an enormous boost to these already strong weapons. Compared to armor set bonuses that only increase attack power, Ancient Proficiency is far more valuable.

The only downside is that Ancient Armor provides no attack or defense buffs against enemies other than Guardians. But its raw power and Guardian perks make it the top choice regardless.

Step-by-Step Guide to Obtaining the Ancient Armor

Now that you know why the Ancient Armor is so good, here‘s how to get it:

Step 1) Complete the "Robbie‘s Research" Side Quest. This involves visiting the Akkala Tech Lab and demonstrating armored defense to Robbie.

Step 2) Gather ingredients to trade for each armor piece:

• Ancient Helm – 3 Ancient Screws, 3 Ancient Springs, 2 Ancient Cores
• Ancient Cuirass – 3 Ancient Screws, 3 Ancient Springs, 2 Ancient Cores
• Ancient Greaves – 3 Ancient Screws, 3 Ancient Springs, 2 Ancient Cores

Step 3) Trade the materials to Robbie‘s assistant Cherry at the Tech Lab to purchase each piece of armor. They cost:

• Ancient Helm – 5,000 rupees
• Ancient Cuirass – 6,000 rupees
• Ancient Greaves – 4,000 rupees

Step 4) Fully upgrade the armor using more ancient materials to unlock its bonuses:

• Ancient Helm – 5 Ancient Screws, 1 Ancient Core
• Ancient Cuirass – 5 Ancient Springs, 2 Ancient Cores
• Ancient Greaves – 2 Ancient Screws, 1 Ancient Spring, 1 Ancient Core

So in total, you‘ll need a sizable stash of ancient parts like screws, shafts, and cores. But ancient materials are plentiful from Guardians and in shrines. And the payoff is astronomical!

5 Tips to Use the Ancient Armor Effectively

Once you have the Ancient Armor upgraded, here are some tips to use it most effectively:

1. Prioritize acquiring Ancient weapons like swords, spears, and battle axes to take advantage of the damage bonus.

2. Cook up triple Attack Up recipes for a temporary damage boost stacking with Ancient Proficiency.

3. Use Ancient Arrows to instantly destroy Skywatchers and Turrets. This preserves weapon durability.

4. Freeze Guardians with Stasis+ so you can wail on them safely. The resist will let you tank hits.

5. Equip Barbarian armor for heavy 2-handed weapons. Then swap to Ancient for spears and 1-handed swords to demolish Guardians.

Pro tip: Ancient Proficiency even boosts damage from the Master Cycle Zero‘s laser cannon!

My Experience Using This Game-changing Armor

Upgrading to the Ancient Armor was a total game-changer in my playthrough.

I struggled mightily taking down Major Test of Strength shrines early on. But after obtaining the Ancient Armor alongside some Ancient Battle Axes, I could complete them with ease!

The damage bonus also let me shred through the coliseum Lynel which I had no business fighting at that point in the game. It makes you feel invincible.

Later on while tackling Hyrule Castle, I ended up unequipping the Ancient Helm to wear the Stealth Mask. This let me sneak past Guardian Turrets to save weapon durability.

But for the Gatehouses and Guardians along the main path, I swapped back to the full Ancient Armor set. Even on Master Mode, the resist coupled with an Ancient Sawblade made them a breeze.

Simply put, the Ancient Armor carried me through the most dangerous sections of the game. I can‘t imagine taking on end-game enemies and Hyrule Castle without it!

In Summary

• The Ancient Armor‘s tremendous defense and Guardian resist make it the best set in the game.

• Ancient Proficiency provides an unrivaled 80% damage increase with powerful ancient weapons and arrows.

• You must complete Robbie‘s Research and gather ancient materials to obtain it.

• Use tips like Attack Up stacking and Stasis+ freezing to maximize your damage capabilities.

• Upgrading to Ancient Armor can help you demolish the toughest enemies and challenges.

I hope this guide has shed light on why the Ancient Armor reigns supreme in Breath of the Wild. Let me know if you have any other questions!