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With complex DnD systems, the best armour types in Baldur’s Gate 3 are not prominent, so our tier list and guide aim to rank them while providing usage tips.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, understanding the different armour types and how Armour Class (AC) works is essential for optimizing your character’s survivability. Light, medium, and heavy armours offer varying protection and set bonuses, with different implications for your character’s effectiveness in combat. Moreover, the choice of protective gear should align with your character’s class, build, and role within the party to ensure they remain protected and effective in battle.
However, for armour to be used without a penalty, your build and class must have proficiency in that type. Without armour proficiency, you won’t be able to cast spells and have a disadvantage on all of its ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. Therefore, your class, race, and subclass selection are critical for determining which armour you can wear and utilize effectively.
Our guide aims to explain how all of the different armour types, including clothing, can be used and optimized depending on your build. We rank each armour types in tier list format from best to worst overall in Baldur’s Gate 3. We hope you can walk away from this guide and know exactly which armours to use, which to obtain, and why.
Armour Types Tier List – Baldur’s Gate 3
The best armour type in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Heavy Armour due to set bonuses, application throughout each Act, and Helldusk Armour. Helldusk Armour allows any class, regardless of prociency, to gain 21 AC in Act 3 and become incredibly survivable. Our second choice is clothing due to the wide variety of classes, set bonuses, and availability. Third, we suggest medium armour as a great option for dexterity-based builds that want decent protection. Lastly, Light Armour is the weakest due to limited powerful set bonuses and protection.
Here is the tier list ranking the best Armour Types in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3):
- S Tier – Heavy Armour
- A Tier – Clothing
- B Tier – Medium Armour
- C Tier – Light Armour
Light Armour (C Tier)
Sources of Light Armour proficiency:
- Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock
- Races: Human, Half-elf
- Feat: Lightly Armoured
The Light armour is designed for characters who prioritize mobility and stealth. Light armour allows the full Dexterity modifier to be added to the AC. Consequently, if you have 20 Dexterity, you will gain 5 AC plus your Armour’s AC value. However, the weakness of Light Armour is the lack of powerful set bonuses, and it’s limited to a small set of classes. Only in Act 3 do you get three powerful light armour chest pieces. Otherwise, the first 75% of the game is limited.
Furthermore, Light Armour only has one primary class that uses it, the Rogues. While many classes have proficiency, there are many better options throughout the game. The Warlock is an incentive to wear clothing rather than light armour, especially with potent robes. The only class that gains some utility from light armour is the Druid, but that isn’t until you reach Baldur’s Gate City, with particular chest pieces giving a bonus depending on their subclass (Sporekeeper, Moonbasking, Landfall).
The only other advantage of Light armour is that you can add your full dexterity modifier to AC. However, Medium Armour gets this same bonus in chapters 2 and 3 and completely negates the utility. Therefore, we rank Light Armour as C Tier and recommend avoiding it until the third Act with particular builds.
Best Light Armour
The best Light Armour sets per Act are from first to third: Drow Studded Leather Armour, Studded Leather Armour +2, and Bhaalist Armour. Specifically, the Bhaalist Armour is the most potent offensive armour in BG3 because it doubles piercing damage. Additionally, you can use daggers and other weapons with a rogue playing in melee to produce incredible damage. Elegant Studded Leather is another valuable choice and specific gear for Druid.
Below is a list of the best and strongest medium armour in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Drow Studded Leather Armour (Found in the Underdark, the Festering Cove) | Studded Leather Armour +2 (Sold from traders at level 9 or above.) | Armour of Sporekeeper (Bought or looted from the Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion.) |
| Padded Armour +2 (Sold by traders between levels 5-8.) | Armour of Moonbasking (Sold in the Undercity Ruins, lower city sewers from Voiceless Penitent Bareki.) | |
| Armour of Landfall (Bought from Vendor in Socrerous Sundires within Ramazith’s Tower.) | ||
| Elegant Studded Leather (High Security Vault in the Counting House Lower City Baldur’s Gate.) | ||
| Bhaalist Armour (Become the Unholy Assassin of Baul in the Murder Tribunal.) |
Medium Armour (B Tier)
Sources of Medium Armour proficiency:
- Classes: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger
- Subclass Features: College of Valour, College of Swords
- Races: Shield Dwarf, Githyanki
- Feat: Medium Armour Master
Medium armour offers a balance between protection and mobility. It is suitable for characters with medium to high Dexterity scores. Typically, Rangers and Druids use Medium armour, with some Clerics lacking heavy proficiency in their subclass. Medium armour allows up to a +2 Dexterity modifier to be added to the AC. Therefore, if you have 16 Dexterity, you will only gain +2 to your AC. Normally, medium armour grants higher AC than light, and the +2 modifier bonus can be negated with Act 3 armour. Thus, you get more protection than Light, especially early in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Another advantage of medium armour is it’s solid from the start with Githyanki Half Plate and Adamantine Scale Mail. You can immediately strip Lae’zel of her armour and wear a shield, gaining 17 AC. This is higher than almost every heavy armour initially, making you much harder to hit. Crafting the Adamantine Scale Mail within the Underdark (Grymforge) grants 16 AC with a +2 bonus. You can use this armour until the last chapter, which includes excellent set bonuses.
However, the negatives to medium armour are that some of them give a disadvantage to stealth and aren’t suitable for stealth gameplay. In the third portion of the game, they become lackluster, with better options for your builds. With the ability to gain medium armour via the Githyanki overpowered race or multiclassing, it’s a much better option than light but falls short later. Therefore, we rank Medium Armour B tier on our list and wish it had better-set bonuses with armour available at the end game.
Best Medium Armour
The best Medium Armour sets per act from the first to the third are Adamantine Scale Mail, Dark Justiciar Half-Plate, and Armour of Agility. We highly suggest crafting the Adamantine Scale Mail in the Grymforge during the first chapter. You can use this until you reach Baldur’s Gate City or Rivenspire unless you play a stealth Ranger. In that case, use Hide Armour +2. Lastly, Light Clerics look for Luminous Armour as a robust spell-casting set with Radiant damage.
Below is a list of the best and strongest medium armour in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Githyanki Half Plate (Taken from Lae’zel during the prologue or other Githyanki fights.) | Scale Mail +2 (Sold by traders at level 7 or higher.) | Unwanted Masterwork Scalemail (Sold by Dammon at the Forge of the Nine.) |
| Hide Armour +2 (Sold by traders at level 5 or higher.) | Yuan-Ti Scale Mail (Sold by Talli in the Last Light Inn.) | Armour of Agility (Sold by Gloomy Fentonson at Stormshore Armoury.) |
| Luminous Armour (Locked chest in Selunite Outpost, Underdark.) | Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (The reward for killing the Nightsong.) | |
| Adamantine Scale Mail (Crafted with Mithral Ore and Mould in Grymforge.) |
Clothing (A Tier)
Unlike armour, clothing does not require proficiency to utilize. Typically, spellcasters like Sorcerer, Wizard, and Warlock use clothing. However, the Barbarian and Monk melee damage dealers use clothing because of their unarmoured defense bonuses. Both the Barbarian and the Monk gain additional AC from ability scores, therefore, they do not need armour to be protected. Thus, clothing applies to various builds and classes, and we rank it as An A-tier for this reason.
The strength of clothing is the set bonuses, various classes, and powerful options throughout the Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. Unlike other armour types on this tier list, clothing is relevant and influential throughout your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. Moreover, clothing offers ability score bonuses like +2 Dexterity or Strength, which adds damage. Very few armour or clothing types add damage, which gives clothing the edge in our ranking.
However, the downside of clothing is it doesn’t apply to every class. The reason we rank heavy armour higher in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Helldusk Armour specifically. Helldusk grants proficiency in heavy and the most protection possible. Therefore, every class and build can be used effectively and become protected. As a result, if it weren’t for this, clothing would be ranked higher.
Best Clothing
The best clothing sets per act from the first to the third are Bloodguzzler Garb, Potent Robe, and Vest of Soul Rejuvenation. Barbarians want to use Bloodguzzler, Enraging Heart Garb, and Bonespike Garb, while Monks, Armour or Uninhibited Kushigo and Vest of Soul Rejuvenation. In contrast, spellcasters want to use Potent Robe and Robe of the Weave.
Below is a list of the best and strongest clothing in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bloodguzzler Garb (Looted from Bulette boss in Underdark.) | Enraging Heart Garb (Sold by Lann Tarv in the Moonrise Towers.) | Bonespike Garb (Sold by Exxvikyap in Rivington General store.) |
| Armour of Unihibited Kushigo (Reward from Sergeant Thrinn in Underdark.) | Potent Robe (Save the Tieflings and report to Alfira in the Last Light Inn.) | Robe of Supreme Defences (Sold by Ferg Drogher in Rivington.) |
| The Graceful Cloth (Sold by Lady Esther on Rosymorn Monastery Trail.) | Icebite Robe (Sarcophagus in Shadow-Cursed Lands north area.) | Robe of the Weave (Found in Ramazith’s Tower.) |
| The Mighty Cloth (Sold by Quartermaster Talli in the Last Light Inn.) | Vest of Soul Rejuvenation (Sold at the Sorcerous and Sundries.) |
Heavy Armour (S Tier)
Sources of Heavy Armour proficiency:
- Classes: Fighter, Paladin, Ranger (Favoured Enemy Ranger Knight)
- Subclass Features: Cleric Life Domain, Cleric Nature Domain, Cleric Tempest Domain, Cleric War Domain
- Feat: Heavily Armoured
The S Tier’s best overall armour is heavy, providing the most protection, AC, and defensive set bonuses in Baldur’s Gate 3. Heavy armour best suits frontline builds who must avoid attacks high AC. Also, heavy armour does not allow any Dexterity modifier to be added to the AC. Instead, it relies solely on its inherent defensive value.
What separates heavy armour from others is the sheer amount of protection regardless of your Dexterity. Throughout all of Baldur’s Gate 3, heavy armour strengthens with better options. Therefore, you feel a constant sense of progression until you reach the mighty Helldusk Armour. What makes Helldusk so effective is it automatically grants proficiency to wear it. Therefore, even if you are a spellcaster just using cloth, you can wear Helldusk Armour for 21 AC! Throw on a shield with a quarterstaff in the Cloak of Protection, and then that squishy spellcaster will be sitting at 24 AC without a single spell being cast.
The downside of heavy armour is many classes do not have proficiency. Moreover, if you have extrondarily high dexterity, you will still have good AC with medium or light armour. But, the set bonuses and availability of Helldusk to all classes make it the best armour type overall, all in Baldur’s Gate 3 and S Tier on our list.
Best Heavy Armour
The best heavy armour per act from the first to the third are Adamantine Splint Armour, Dwarven Splintmail, and Helldusk Armour. The best thing to do is craft the Adamantine Splint Armour in the first chapter and only upgrade to Helldusk Armour once you reach Baldurs Gate City. If you have a companion or another party member that uses heavy, forge Flawed Helledusk Armour in the Last Light Inn for a solid backup.
Below is a table of the best and strongest heavy armour in Baldur’s Gate 3:
| Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Chain Mail +1 (Sold by traders between levels 4 and 6) | Dwarven Splintmail (Sold by Lann Tarve after convincing him to reveal extra stock.) | Armour of Persistence (Sold by Dammon in Lower City of Baldur’s Gate.) |
| Adamantine Splint Armour (Crafted in the Grymforge) | Flawed Helldusk Armour (Forged by Dammon with Infernal Alloy.) | Blackguard’s Plate (Looed from That Which Guards in Murder Tribunal.) |
| Reaper’s Embrace (Looted from Ketheric Thorm.) | Helldusk Armour (Looted from Raphael in the House of Hope.) |
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