Best Updated Warrior's Armor!!!

This is my attempt at creating a new guide for the best all purpose warrior armor.

As far as I've seen its more about preference now and what build you have, either higher armor or higher energy. And it seems that no one wants to really come out and say this is the best set. The only time that you can really get a response (at least its the only time I get one) is when a proclamation about something being good or better is made, then the vultures come in and pick it apart.

So here goes my proclamation, made fully knowing that some Forge Runner or Furnace Stoker is going to come in and tell me how wrong I am (of course he better tell me why as well >_<). And of course if they don't, that means I am 100% correct and none challenge my vast superior uber knowledge!!! :P

*Throws down gauntlet*

Ok. Now this is for a set of armor that is supposed to be flexible. AKA the armor set you want to get when buying an expensive one where you know that you aren't going to be able to buy another for awhile, or it's of a skin that you want to be able to use the most.

Now most "uber" warriors will want to be able to change their entire skill set depending on what it is they wish to accomplish. Thus the armor combination must take this into consideration. If you are a veteran player you most likely do this as well. If you aren't, you may find that you only use one skill set that you fill most comfortable with and think that you won't ever change it (or at least anytime soon). This is ok if you know that you are going to be sticking to your guns, but if you are buying a very expensive armor type you may indeed still wish to go with the flexible option just in case you do stumble upon something else you like better or gain enough experience that you wish to switch back and forth between builds.

So here are the various warrior armor types (PvE) and their basic uses not including helms (which should be swapped out with whatever you need at the time):

Berserker’s: + Health

Dreadnought’s: Part of the normal armor bonus against physical damage only, covers all damage.

Gladiator’s: + Energy

Knight’s: + Physical Absorption

Legionnaire’s: + Armor while in a stance

Sentinel’s: + Best Armor bonus if you maintain a high strength

http://www.gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Warrior_armor

Now from what I have seen on here, (which could be wrong as I haven't been here long, we'll let the vultures decide afterwards ) is that the general consensus is the following:

Legionnaire’s: Legionnaire’s: Not flexible enough as it requires you to be in a stance to gain the benefits. This would require that any build you switch to be stance heavy, which probably won't be the case. But nice if you always use a stance heavy build.

Sentinel’s: Not flexible enough as it requires you to constantly have 13 strength to gain the benefits. Usually warriors will wish to have a maxed weapon attribute and high Tactics. If you always have 13 strength though, this is very good armor.

Knight’s: Very flexible as the bonus is always there regardless of your build. With the latest update each piece of Knight’s Armor gives a max of -3 physical damage to the area that it is protecting. Some people say that the -3 per attack adds up; some say that its not worth it, especially as it only preotects from physical.

Berserker’s: Very flexible as the bonus is always there regardless of your build. However, most say that the health benefits aren't really worth much. Total additional health for a full set of Berserks = +35 Health. (Added benefit: You can play the air guitar (/guitar) and sing: My love for you is like a truck Berserker!! Would you like some making...)

Dreadnought’s: Very flexible as the bonus is always there regardless of your build. This is a favorite among people for the fact that it gives you extra armor against non-physical damage, which is usually what takes a warrior down.

Gladiator’s: Very flexible as the bonus is always there regardless of your build. This is the most favorite armor by the vast majority as there are many great warrior skills that use energy and warriors have very little to start with. However, if you aren't a build switcher and you use mostly adrenaline, this may not benefit you much.

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The following are percentages of how often each part of the body gets hit:

Chest - 37.5% for weapon attacks
Legs - 25% for weapon attacks
Head/Hands/Feet - 12.5% each for weapon attacks

The chest and legs are the main concern for armor as the hands and feet rarely get hit, so the minimum armor bonus is sufficient to deal with damage to those areas, as such if someone is getting a full suit it will usually be a full suit of Gladiator’s for maximum energy which is +7.

The following is my take on armor mixes for the hands and feet:

Legionnaire’s: Pointless to have on hands and feet as they don't get hit enough to warrant the additional armor that will only be present in a stance anyway.

Sentinel’s: Pointless to have as a mix on hands and feet as they don't get hit enough to warrant the additional armor that will only be present when you have 13 strength anyway. Only use if you are going full Sentinel’s.

Knight’s: Pointless to have on hands and feet as they don't get hit enough to warrant the damage absorption.

Dreadnought’s: Pointless to have on hands and feet as they don't get hit enough to warrant the additional armor.

Berserker’s: Only gives you +10 Health. Most think this is pointless as well. However, if you find yourself in a lot of situations where you would have just lived had you survived that one last blow, this could be what you want. This is more beneficial for PvE than PvP as in PvP you will probably be the last person standing if you are under full attack and 10 HP isn't going to save you.

Gladiator’s: Only gives you +2 Energy. Though this may seem like little, depending on the skill chain, it may allow a warrior to use an extra skill that they would have had to wait for their energy to recharge on otherwise. Also this is two less energy that you have to wait on to recharge before using another skill, which could mean life or death in combat time.

Stoneskin Gauntlets: Increases knockdown time on foes by 1 sec (max 3 secs). Very good unless you don't use knockdown, but if you are a skill set switcher you will.

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The first opinions mostly apply to chest and legs, the second was for hands and feet. So for chest and legs the most viable armor selections for a very flexible all around armor build are: Berserker’s, Knight’s, Dreadnought’s, and Gladiator’s. For chest and legs the most viable are: Berserker’s, Gladiator’s, and Stoneskin (See opinion on Stoneskin combo at end of post).

Most people think that Berserker’s and Knight’s are pointless to use now. If you think differently, then the following would be the best sets to use in order of worst set to best set (according to my take on popular opinion):

Berserker’s:

1) Berserker’s Chest and Legs
Berserker’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = +35 Health

2) Berserker’s Chest and Legs
Gladiator’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = +25 Health; +2 Energy

Knight’s:


1) Knight’s Chest and Legs
Berserker’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = -3 damage on Chest and Legs; +10 Health


2) Knight’s Chest and Legs
Gladiator’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = -3 damage on Chest and Legs; +2 Energy


Dreadnought’s and Gladiator’s are the most popular choices so here are the most popular possible armor combinations from least favorite combo to most favorite combo (based on my take of popular opinion ):

Dreadnought’s:

1) Dreadnought’s Chest and Legs
Berserker’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = Half of the Armor Level that normally only covers physical damage (+20) will cover all damage; +10 Health

2) Dreadnought’s Chest and Legs
Gladiator’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = Half of the Armor Level that normally only covers physical damage (+20) will cover all damage; +2 Energy

Gladiator’s:

1) Gladiator’s Chest and Legs
Berserker’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = +5 Energy; +10 Health

2) Gladiator’s Chest and Legs
Gladiator’s Hands and Feet
Total bonus = +7 Energy

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Ok that is the best armor combinations shown in groups in order for people to see exactly what benefits they get from each groupings of specific armor sets so they can form their own opinions of what they like best. Based on those sets, the following are the top 3 most popular (flexible all purpose) warrior armor combinations. #1 being the most favorite (as far as I've seen):

1) Dreadnought's Chest and Legs with Gladiator Hands and Feet
2) Full Gladiator's Armor
3) Knight’s Chest and Legs with Gladiator Hands and Feet

Note: From what I have seen Full Gladiator's is the favorite for PVP. So for PVP switch around one and two.

Some will also wish to tweak these a bit by mixing chest and legs as well giving you:

1) Dreads chest with Glads legs, hands, and feet
2) Knights chest with Glads legs, hands, and feet

And possibly for those who really need that one point of energy for something specific:

3) Dreads legs with Glads chest, hands, and feet
4) Knights legs with Glads chest, hands, and feet

As far as the Stoneskin Gauntlets go, I think these are a must as well. Thus I would recommend purchasing one of the top three sets as well as a pair of Stoneskin Gauntlets. That way you can swap out your gauntlets whenever you are using a knockdown build.

As for Helms, you should choose the one you like best for the build that you use the most, and then work on purchasing others to swap out as needed.

Sentinel's: This armor will give you the best protection against elemental damage (as well as everything else), which is the type that most warriors have problems with. If you can fit 13 strength into most of your builds, then you should definitely consider getting this armor. If so, this can replace Dreadnought's armor in the above combinations. You may also consider going full Sentinel's as it will ensure that you fill your roll as a tank to the fullest.

Well there you go. I will be happy to edit this post as needed once its been thoroughly picked to pieces. There might be a chance that most will agree, but I'm not holding my breath.

Livingston

PS: If this thread helped you or you think it will help others, please give it a 5 star rating by clicking on the 2nd dark brown box from the right, at the top of this thread. Also you could send a request to a mod that this thread link be added to the commonly asked questions thread.

And don't forget a Lieutenant's helm that reduces Hex durations for those heavy hex situations

yea, why is a ranger trying to write a guide to tell people what armor to use?

I have platemale and I have knights, and they have both proven to be invaluable in different situations. I don't know what your idea of "rare" is, but 12.5% is not all that rare... you will get hit in the hands and feet a lot. I think this guide is pointless because you aren't even informed about the armor.

Try doing a solo fow run with platemale. Then try it with knights. Your idea of -3 being pointless really shows how little you know. Over the course of half an hour that -3 bonus can amounts to hundreds and probably even 1000+ of damage you would have otherwise taken, but instead did not.

You want a run down on armor? It's best to have multiple sets for different situations. The best advice I can give to any warrior is NOT to follow this guide.

Sometimes I love when I just buy armor based on looks... not worried about stats just looks hahaha. In PvP though I bring out the armor set for the build we are running and that may not be the prettiest thing in the world but at least I survive longer.

To the guy that posted before this post... geez man the guy might have other characters that he uses... but hasn't update his profile. So do you look at my profile and say WTF!?!?! this guy doesn't even have a character why the f**k is he posting on here. Anyways its a quick rundown of the armor in one post make your own decision from there.

LOL. I was hoping that my post would only be picked on by people who could actually read....

I clearly stated that the worth of Knights armor was based on opinion. From what I have seen many people do not care for it because it only works on physical damage, which you already get +20 AL against, and because physical damage usually isn't what will take a warrior down.

My term of rare was in comparison to the amount taken by the chest and legs. And yes I consider 12.5% to be rare in comparison. Yes you do get hit there a lot as you get hit everywhere a lot, but as far as fortifying those areas, I still believe that the normal AL is quite sufficient to protect them.

However, I will add the chart to the post so others can judge for themselves.

I also clearly stated that this was for the best flexible all around build not soloing FoW. That would be a "specific" function.

Also your argument of it saving you from 1000+ damage isn't a well thought out argument, as the amount it really saves you is whatever you didn't take in the time period spanning from one rest stop to the next, as that’s what determines if it actually saved you from being wiped. Otherwise you could play for two hours straight in FoW with –1 dmg boots and say that they are by far the best because they saved you from hundreds of damage.

Also note that I slotted Knights armor with a mix of glads as the #3 top picked armor...

As for being a Ranger... Yes I have a ranger and I did list that as my character on this board but my main is a warrior. I listed it that way because it is a female warrior (as I find the male warrior skins to be horrid), who just so happens to wear knight's armor most of the time, and since Livingston (a surname) is my user name, I didn't want people on the board thinking that I was female when I am male.

I also stated that I would be modifying my post according to what veterans said, thus if it turns out that many people disagree about something in it, it will be changed. I personally prefer knight's armor myself and I don't really like Glads at all. However, as I said, I'm not basing the post on my personal preferences, I'm basing it on what I have seen others on this board and in the game say. If the responses in this thread say otherwise, then the info will be updated accordingly.

So in closing if you don't have something constructive to say please remain silent. If you do have something constructive to say I will gladly take this into account and modify the post.

Livingston

LOL I know what you mean. That's why I perfer using the Canthan armor. All the diff stats with the same great taste.

I really wish they would add some more armor crafters in Tyria so you could do the same with Tyrian armor.

Livingston

Not to flame you in the slightest...

and IMHO you completely over looked sentinals which is just silly.

Its the only armor which can give you a high armor base against elemental attacks, which is surely what people should be aiming for. although this does make the spamming of Bonettis far more essential... and with Dolyacks its just delicious.

... Obviously theres alot more to this, But i'm at work so i cant go into detail. lol

Thanks.

IIRC somewhere there was a thread/guide about elemental damage that stated that the majority of it hits the chest area, i.e. that only the chest armor matters against most elemental damage types. I can't find the original source (Search failed...), and I don't know if that has changed with any subsequent updates, but if it is true, wouldn't a "most efficient" combo for general use only put wyverns/dragons/plate/etc. (AL 90 base, better vs elemental) on the chest area, then use other armors for legs, hands, and feet?

Might want to note there that the -3 is physical damage only.

Thank you for the information.

There is another warrior armor guide I recently read (but I forgot where it is) that uses an environment perspective. I.e. If the environment the warrior is in is has the following damage: 30% elemental, 30% armor-ignoring and 40% physical which set of armor is best?

Hopefully reading both guides will make better warriors everywhere.

Unfortunately my warrior comes from a poor family. As such, she'll have to make do with what she has.

I love Sentinel’s armor as its real warrior's warrior armor. That's why I said if you plan to have 13 strength on a regular basis then its very good armor.

However, as stated, I'm focusing on a general use armor that you can use while switching back and forth between various builds, which you would do as you gain the money to buy more of your favorite sets for specific purposes. This will mostly be useful for fairly new people who don't have the money for multiple sets of armor. Or those who want to wear an expensive skin that is flexible enough to accommodate switching builds without switching armor.

Dread’s also gives good (though not as good) protection against elemental damage, and is more flexible for various builds.

If one can work 13 strength into most of their builds then Sentinel's definitely out shines Dreads.

I'll add this fact to the post though if you feel Sent's is being overlooked.

Livingston

Thank you for confusing me more...
I am about to head into UW and FoW and now I should look at a different set of armor?

You are saying that 80+20 and -3 physical is better in FoW than 90+10? That means most of the damage you take is physical?
Is it ranged or melee?
Is the same true in UW? The Deep?

If someone experienced in these areas would reply with any advice (even by PM) I would really appreciate it.

Nice guide.

hmmmm....my armor combo i bot for my 15k Luxon .

This was when Knights armor sill only needed gloves....

Dreadnoughts Chest....aka Platemail
Galdiators Leggings
Gladiators Boots
Knights Gauntlets
Exectuioner's Helm

Was better before Knights was nerfed, but still its not bad. this is just imo tho, hopefully it helped some people!

Nice dude, i'll be looking out for other guides. And btw, all you people who flame other people's work, think about the fact that they spent time helping less experienced players and that you are contributing nothing to the original poster.

I've been doing some more research around the board and I've changed Full Glads to being #2 and Dreads chest and legs with Glads hands and feet to #1 as that now seems to be more popular since the update on Knights. Though I believe full glads is still the choice for PVP...

I'll try to garner some more opinions after I do some more hunting into the current effectiveness of Knights versus Dreads.

Livingston

To clear up the elemental damage thing, most offensive spells that do not ignore armor target the chest area. The exceptions to that rule are fairly obvious (like Mind Burn, which targets the head, because, well, it's burning your mind, not your kidneys).

Also, the vast majority of Warriors in PvP are going to have 13+ strength anyways because it grants then extra damage.

Of course not! most people in pvp dont use 13 str! take the shock warrior. he spends attributes on air magic as well as tactics, strenght and axe/hammer/sword mastery... resulting in way less than 13 strenght... and i must admit, i have never as a warrior in pve or pvp had more than 13 str! and i have played warrior alot.

For GvG I'd use 16 weapon, 9 Strength, 11 Tactics. If you need the extra energy from an air magic offhand then you can spec 9 to air but I don't believe it's really needed, in fact I would never do that at all. For Hall of Heroes it's fine running 16 Weapon/13 Strength, since most people don't usually bring a heal sig down there, however you would cut yourself down with the 20 energy cap of Sentinel armour and prefer Gladiator's. The 13 in strength can come handy for Protector's Strike or Bull's Strike though.

Oh, and I wouldn't take a guy serious with an avatar sporting a strength-helmet.

i play warrior in pvp souley, have run every warrior build and run warrior in pve. never, EVER have i ever had more then 10 str. in pve i round my str to 10 for an even armor penetration percent, and its hardly noticed anyways. in pvp i usually round it to 8-9. the only time i have ever seen a warrior including me run 13 str is for running.

As far as I'm concerned, that’s the biggest problem with Guild Wars: not many people can think for themselves. Most people rely on build they find on here or Wiki. I almost exclusively play as a warrior, and I usually always make my own builds. I have a set of 15k Kurzick Sentinels, and it works wonders. There are many times I find myself able to put 13 in strength while still maintaining offence, defense, and healing capabilities.

warriors solo the FOW but not everything down there, you build a build just for it, and attack only the spiders and such, all phy damage and poison

Oooo welll....pvp and pve i usualy go whith the same (AND OLDDDDDDD) mix, it was AWESOME prior the update, and still does fairly well in ANY situation these days...

chest + legs = gladiator (+5 energy is unexpendable)

head = i actualy got 3 of em, 1 for each atribute + sup rune... hammer, sword and axe.


NOW comes the real hard part, gloves + boots...i still run the chunky old (and not so effective anymore) combo of stonefist gloves + gladiator boots...

The bots are not global anymore and the stonefist only work for shock warriors, that even thought are still VERY popular, are becoming to fade away SLOWLY! Since my armor is a 15k kurzkz and i REALY dont wanna spend +50k just ot change those 2 parts, i am sticking whith those for a while, BUT if i would ever change them, it would certanly be for gladiators on BOTH.

The base armor of GLADS take good care of dmg (elemental or physical, you name it), even thought not as good as other armors, but the extra energy u get from a full glads allows you to cover for this extra damge REALY easy, and whith a PLUS, you can also convert those extra points in more damge!

But ooo well, thats just me...

Later.

My personal favorite is sentinals armor, regardless of what flaming it gets ..... gladiators is my second favorite since it works well with my beastmaster build. My least favorite is legionares sinceyou have to be in stance ...

Knights all the way!

The best solution is really just to have a suit of one of everything on a PvE Warrior and adapt to the situation.

I like glads armor, simply cuz warriors only have 2 nrgy regen, and i think they need the enery bonus

energy isnt much if you cant manage it with a zealous blade, this went into a convo i had with a monk when i use to sf farm, which was my first and only time i sfed because i hate southern shiverspeaks and sf, he had over 50 or something like taht and i only had 46, he was all concerned about me since im the healer, saying i wont have enough energy, and then in the end he was the one in the end that almost ran out of energy and almost caused a death because he was having energy problems to keep up his enchantments, im not saying im downing energy boost on warrior, but sometimes you can sac the energy for something else, if you know what your doing, and still be as effective

guys for farming in UW solo i use gladiator -chest,gloves,legs and boots + knight helm. + totem axe and one exalted aegis is cool.I have the needed defense against physical soper energ boost. You should try it . Its better becouse you have much energy to use Khanei and veng wp.

Agreed, 100%. Although I typically find myself using Gladiator's the majority of the time I PvE, I've found having a few extra sets of armour incredibly helpful. It's not really that expensive either, as long as you go with the 1.5k.

Legionair can be very good is combine with physical and elemental resistance if you run a slightly more defensive built in PvE ( which I do). If I din't love those two skill so much, it would be berserker armor for me all the way.

He doesnt update his profile and you give him crap for it? According to your profile you dont even have a warrior...

To the OP, great guide. At the top where you talk about Berserker and the armor bonus of +35 health. Probably one of the best bonuses in PVP. Warrior having insane health = no spike.

My primary set of armor, which is ALSO used in plain party builds:
Ascalon Helmet
Glad's Hauberk, Leggings, and Bracers
Knight's Boots

I also have a set of full Knight's for those farmed enemies that require you to have elemental resistance.