Should You Upgrade Armor in God of War Ragnarok? An In-Depth Guide
The short answer is yes, upgrading your armor in God of War Ragnarok is extremely worthwhile and highly recommended. Properly upgrading key armor sets can literally make Kratos 3-4 times more powerful by endgame. This allows you to easily crush Valkyries and final bosses on higher difficulties. That said, upgrading all your gear does require investing precious upgrade materials.
In this guide, we‘ll cover when and what armor to upgrade in detail, so you can make the most of the complex crafting systems in God of War Ragnarok.
Armor Upgrade System Basics
Before we dive in, let‘s quickly overview how armor upgrading works:
- All armor comes in sets of Chest, Waist, and Wrist pieces
- Higher rarity gear has more sockets for gems/enchantments
- You upgrade each piece separately at the forges using materials
- Upgrade level ranges from 1 to 9
- Higher levels provide major stat boosts and new perk effects
The main benefits from upgrading armor are:
- Greatly increased defensive and offensive power
- Activating powerful new armor perks and bonuses
- Maintaining gear power relative to enemy scaling
But you‘ll need lots of crafting resources looted from chests and bosses, which can be limited. So upgrading strategically is key.
Should You Upgrade Early Game Armor?
Let‘s start with your options early on in God of War Ragnarok:
-
The Survival armor you begin with has excellent starting stats and perks that activate protective barriers.
-
Craftable sets like Nidavellir and Defender also provide a solid boost from base gear.
However, I only recommend minimal upgrades on your early game armor sets – just enough to boost your power a bit.
The reasons why I don‘t advise over-investing:
- You will replace them quickly as you progress
- Upgrade materials are too scarce to waste
- Perks and stats don‘t scale as well compared to late game sets
For example, here‘s how the Survival Chest armor scales with upgrades:
| Upgrade Level | Strength | Defense | Luck |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 3 | 13 | 15 | 16 |
| 6 | 23 | 27 | 28 |
| 9 | 36 | 42 | 43 |
While helpful early on, those stat gains fall off compared to late game armor. We‘ll see much bigger bonuses later.
My recommendation: Only upgrade early armor to level 3-4 maximum before moving on to better endgame gear.
When Should You Start Upgrading Armor?
A good time to begin meaningful upgrades is once you reach Vanaheim and unlock the Berserker armor set via the main story quests.
This is considered an excellent "bridge" set between early and end game. Here are its great benefits:
- High Strength and Runic to boost damage
- Bonus Rage gains to use Rage powers more often
- Strong additional perks like Fire/Frost Aura
Berserker‘s stats also scale incredibly well with upgrades:
| Upgrade Level | Strength | Defense | Luck | Runic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 24 |
| 3 | 33 | 27 | 30 | 33 |
| 6 | 57 | 47 | 52 | 57 |
| 9 | 84 | 70 | 77 | 84 |
That‘s a 250% Strength increase! This armor set is well worth investing your early upgrade materials into.
I‘d then consider upgrading any late game armors you acquire earlier than expected, like the Draupnir Spear set from favor quests. Take advantage of that high level gear as soon as possible.
Best Armor Sets to Upgrade in God of War Ragnarok
Let‘s compare some of the top armor sets to upgrade to max level in the game:
Berserker Armor
Where to Get: Main story quest in Vanaheim
Best For: Rage build, Melee damage
Upgrade Level 9 Stats:
- Strength: 84
- Runic: 84
- Defense: 70
- Luck: 77
- Activation Chance: 50%
Summary: An excellent "bridge" set between early and end game. Well-rounded stats and the 50% activation chance bonus at L9 makes its Rage power-extending perk extremely potent. Massive damage and Rage potential.
Steinbjorn Armor
Where to Get: Crafting after collecting Slumber Stones in Midgard
Best For: Tank builds, High defense
Upgrade Level 9 Stats:
- Strength: 50
- Runic: 57
- Defense: 99
- Luck: 60
- Activation Chance: 50%
Summary: Arguably the tankiest armor in the game. At Level 9, it unlocks a powerful defensive barrier that makes you nearly invincible while in Spartan Rage. Requires collecting all Slumber Stones though.
Surtr‘s Scorched Armor
Where to Get: Muspelheim trials
Best For: Sustain, High damage
Upgrade Level 9 Stats:
- Strength: 71
- Runic: 68
- Defense: 60
- Luck: 60
- Activation Chance: 50%
Summary: The Health Burst perk restores a chunk of health on any damage dealt. Combined with the excellent strength and runic stats, it provides tremendous sustain for any build. The trials can be difficult, but make this a top priority.
Draupnir Spear Armor
Where to Get: Favor quest in Svartalfheim
Best For: Support builds, Enchantments
Upgrade Level 9 Stats:
- Strength: 36
- Runic: 68
- Defense: 57
- Luck: 84
- Gem Sockets: 4
Summary: While its stats are just decent, the Luck bonus and extra gem slots make this the premiere support set. Use it to amplify the power of your enchantments. The quest is available fairly early too.
Maximize Your Upgrade Efficiency
To upgrade armor efficiently, make sure to:
- Purchase crafting materials from Brok and Sindri regularly
- Open every chest – don‘t skip a single one!
- Cash in side quest rewards and sell unwanted gear
- Invest perk points into upgraded looting skills
- Farm enemies like Ogres and Stonebeaks for crafting drops
- Fully explore realms using Odin‘s ravens to reveal secrets
Trust me, the time invested will pay off with tons of extra materials so you can max out your gear more quickly!
Closing Thoughts
Hopefully this guide has given you a good sense of how to approach upgrading your armor in God of War Ragnarok. To summarize:
- Minimal upgrades for early game armor
- Start meaningful upgrading around Vanaheim/Berserker armor
- Prioritize late game legendary sets like Surtr‘s Flame
- Maximize efficiency with looting skills, selling gear, and farming
Fully upgrading just 2-3 of your best endgame armor sets can easily triple Kratos‘s power. This allows you to crush Valkyries and bosses with ease. The bonus stats also continue helping on higher NG+ difficulties.
Invest your hard-earned resources wisely, upgrade smartly as you progress, and you‘ll be crushing gods and monsters in no time. Now get out there, warrior! Glory awaits in the Nine Realms.