7 Armor Pieces You Positively Need in BotW
Link has a sense of fashion, finally!
BotW is one of the very few Zelda games that allows you to voluntarily change Link’s clothes and lets the hero of Hyrule show off his own fashion for once. But, aside from the looks, all the extra gear options do make for a much more likely chance of survival in the dangerous world of Hyrule – bundling up for the cold and equipping a stealth suit have never been more important. Here are seven armor pieces that will leave Link nearly untouchable by the natural conditions and his enemies, and how to obtain them.
6. Soldier’s Set (Ventest Clothing, Hateno Village)
The Soldier’s Set is a naturally necessary armor piece beneficial for its defense effects. Upgrading this via Great Fairies will reduce most damage, even sword hits from a Red-Maned Lynel, to only one-quarter of a heart. All you need to do is visit the Ventest Clothing shop in Hateno Village and buy this for 630 Rupees – no prerequisite challenges. (If you think this costs too much, this set is actually the least expensive set on this list.)
6. Ancient Set (Akkala Ancient Tech Lab)
Guardians are dangerous laser-firing enemies that you are bound to encounter on your journey. You first see only a few crawling on the Great Plateau and then swarms of them in Hyrule Castle’s vicinity. Their lasers are extremely deadly if you do not perfect-guard them with your shield or shoot their small glowing eye with an arrow before they can. The real only way to take a lot less damage is by wearing the Ancient Set, an outfit that looks a lot like a Guardian itself, which is only sold at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab for 6,000 Rupees (that’s a lot!). You also have to trade in some ancient parts to scientist Robbie’s robot Cherry. While this in total is more expensive than all the other armor sets listed in this article, it will protect you greatly in future fights with Guardians.
5. The Zora Armor (Zora’s Domain Throne Room)
The Zora Armor top is practically the only way to scale a waterfall besides climbing the old-fashioned way (which takes much too long anyway, and it will take up lots of stamina especially if the waterfall is extremely tall). All you need to do is head to the Lanayru region and to Zora’s Domain, which should show up on your map if you have activated Lanayru Tower. Speak to Prince Sidon (the muscular red Zora to the right of King Dorephan) and then the King himself (the fat blue Zora in the center of the room). This will greatly assist you in your scouring of the Faron region, having plenty of waterfalls to climb all over the place, and the rest of Lanayru, not least the Divine Beast Vah Ruta you should be visiting soon.
4. Desert Voe Set (Gerudo Secret Club, Gerudo Town)
The Desert Voe set is immediately superior to the Gerudo Vai set (that weird meshy thing you had to wear to get into the town): it gives complete protection against the desert heat rather than only a Level 1 effect, and it arguably looks a lot better on our poor Link. It is also more protective than the thin vai costume. Simply buy the set for 2,400 Rupees from the Gerudo Secret Club on the right-side door of the vai outfit shop – the password is GSC ♦︎ – and you can be on your way to explore the vast Gerudo Desert. However, you unfortunately cannot wear it within the town walls even though it was made by a Gerudo designer.
3. Flamebreaker Armor Set (Ripped and Shredded, Goron City)
To explore the Eldin region and safely board the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, the Flamebreaker armor set is a must-have. It doesn’t come cheap, though: you can own the entire set by buying it for a whopping 3,300 Rupees. You’re freed from constantly checking your fireproof elixir’s timer! Upgrade the set (you have to select upgrades per piece) at least two times via Great Fairies to achieve the fireproof set bonus, which protects you from Lava Chuchus and Fire Lizalfoses’ flame attacks. You must equip all three parts of the set to enjoy this effect. Also, Link won’t light up in flames anymore while he’s collecting ore from the Eldin deposits. If that’s not good news for you, I don’t know what is!
2. Thunder Helm (Riju’s Palace, Gerudo Town)
As you progress through BotW, you will realize that the weather plays a huge role of your exploration of Hyrule: rain can make you slip down steep climbs, and your metal weapons + armor will attract lightning unless you take cover or equip non-metallic items until the storm ends. All this switching gear and risks of being fatally shocked can come to an end if you earn the Thunder Helm – and yes, earn, not purchase. You must free the Divine Beast Vah Naboris in the Gerudo province and then speak to the chief of Gerudo Town, Riju, to initiate a side quest to acquire the completely lightning-proof Thunder Helm. You can basically wear all the metal you want in the middle of Hyrule’s most dangerous lightning storm wearing this thing. All you need to do is complete four side quests all begun in Gerudo Town: “Medicinal Molduga,” “Tools of the Trade,” “The Search for Barta,” and “The Mystery Polluter.” (Barta can be found at the head of the Gerudo Great Skeleton pleading for a hearty durian. After giving her the durian, she will instantly go back home and the quest will be closed.)
1. Snowquill Set (Brazen Beak, Rito Village)
If you haven’t noticed already, Hyrule’s most common inclement terrain is snow – deep snow, like really, really deep. And it’s also just as cold: if you thought the Great Plateau’s Mount Hylia was freezing, even lower temperatures are found in the humungous Hebra, Lanayru, and Gerudo Highland regions. No, the Warm Doublet is not sufficient at only Level 1 cold resistance. This is exactly why the Snowquill Set is extremely vital for survival in Hyrule. Even if you aren’t trying to explore the land and find hidden shrines, you will undoubtedly still end up crossing this frozen land at least once in the main questline. It is also necessary for boarding and completing the Rito’s Divine Beast, Vah Medoh. All it takes is 2,150 Rupees, which is cheaper than either one of the Desert Voe and Flamebreaker sets. While chili pepper dishes also work to protect you from the cold, they are only temporary while the Snowquill set has a permanent effect. Even trekking across the Gerudo Desert at night requires proper cold resistance gear, emphasizing even more why not purchasing this set will involve much more cooking effort to keep Link warm. He will eventually get full, you know, from eating that many peppers. (No, he won’t, he can eat an unlimited amount of food at any time.)
Stay tuned to Galaxy of Fans for more articles (and Breath of the Wild guides!) fit for every fan!
