Octopath Traveler 2: 10 Best Armor Pieces, Ranked

Surviving a fight is the primary objective of every encounter in Octopath Traveler 2. More important than how much damage you can put out, your party needs to stay alive so that they can swing away on your foes. Obtaining the highest quality armor pieces is the best strategy for keeping your units in the fight and winning your next bout.

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This list contains ten of the best armor pieces that can be found in Solistia. Some items earned their spot because of how versatile they are, while others are just the strongest options you can get. As soon as you can, get your hands on these pieces of gear and keep your units in good health.

10 Conjurer’s Raiment

With the highest defensive stats of any item on this list, Conjurer’s Raiment is best-in-slot for units under attack. This body piece has Physical Defense +121 and Elemental Defense +220, but what puts it over the top is its highly useful Equip Effect.

After performing an action, the wearer of a Conjurer’s Raiment recovers HP. Whether you’re Defending, using an Item, or Attacking, Conjurer’s Raiment will restore missing HP. The only downside to this item is that your unit needs to be missing HP in order for the effect to be useful.

9 Swift Shield

The most versatile gear piece in the game, the Swift Shield, will be the most solid shield option for every one of your characters (aside from the very rare and unique shields). As you’re playing through the game and come across a vendor with the Swift Shield, buy 4 of them and then hit Optimize.

With Physical Defense +79, Elemental Defense +97, and Speed +47, this shield is the best combination of defensive and offensive stats. So if you’re near Merry Hills or Rogue Island, stop by their shops.

8 Imperial Armor

Items that increase your units’ Maximum HP are always beneficial. Especially useful when used on low HP units like Temenos, Castti, or Osvald, the Imperial Armor will keep your most vulnerable party members alive for longer.

Offering Physical Defense +162, Elemental Defense +132, and Max. HP +600, it’s an excellent idea to have an Imperial Armor on your units that tend to fall in battle. With strong defensive stats and a huge boost to HP, this armor is vital in the mid-to-late game as you’re fighting the end-game bosses without out-leveling them.

7 Antique Ceremonial Mask

Physical Defense +49 and Elemental Defense +73 aren’t the highest defensive stats you can find on a Headpiece, but for a caster the Antique Ceremonial Mask is amazing. The real benefit of this item comes from its Equip Effect: recover SP after performing an action.

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For healers and spell slingers, running low on SP can put a bottleneck on their output. Having an Antique Ceremonial Mask equipped will ensure that your mage’s SP gauge stays full without having to waste a turn using Inspiriting Plums.

6 Quartz Robe

If you equipped a spell caster with the Antique Ceremonial Mask and felt its benefits, pair that unit with a Quartz Robe and complete the package. The Quartz Robe is a Body armor piece that adds Physical Defense +146, Elemental Defense +149, and (most importantly) SP +60.

Additional SP can be huge for certain character builds. Many spells cost a tremendous amount of SP or even scale in damage based on how much SP you have. If you leverage one of these builds or just want to make sure your units can always use their abilities, equip them with a Quartz Robe.

5 Ancient Circlet

Once your units level up enough to where SP is no longer an issue, consider swapping the Antique Ceremonial Mask out and replacing it with an Ancient Circlet. Providing Physical Defense +41 and Elemental Defense +77 is in line with the stats on an Antique Ceremonial Mask, but where the Ancient Circlet shines is in its 3rd stat.

For units that use spell attacks as their primary source of output, an Ancient Circlet granting Elemental Attack +55 is the best option they can have. This Head armor has the ability to add offensive power, a rare but highly welcomed benefit.

4 Quick Cloak

Just like a Swift Shield, the Quick Cloak is the best-in-slot option for any unit that doesn’t have an extremely rare item. Unless you’ve uncovered a rare quest reward or secret treasure chest, travel to Gravell or Roque Island and pick up 4 Quick Cloaks.

Highlighted by the awesome Speed +65 stat, Quick Cloak also has a very respectable Physical Defense +132 and Elemental Defense +162. If your entire active party had 4 Swift Shields and 4 Quick Cloaks, you’d be set up for success with any combination of travelers.

3 Cursed Shield

Although the Cursed Shield needs a Blessing in Disguise to make itself viable for active duty, it easily becomes the best shield in the game if you have the proper accessory. Cursed Shield has a whopping Physical Defense +133, Elemental Defense +133, and Evasion +66 (so long as you also have a Blessing in Disguise equipped).

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Without a Blessing in Disguise, the Cursed Shield steals -66 Evasion from you – so it generally isn’t it worth it without the transformation. But if you build a character for cursed or forbidden items, the Cursed Shield can contribute to the highest stats in the game.

2 Blessed Vestiments

Characters that thrive from magic will be overjoyed to get Blessed Vestiments in their kit. Offering a massive Physical Defense +130 and Elemental Defense +215 already makes this item one of the best in the game; but with Elemental Attack +74, Blessed Vestiments is unstoppable.

Perfect on Osvald or any other Scholar, Blessed Vestiments is an amazing power spike to spell damage. This item will have you reaching new highs when casting big crits on weak enemies, just make sure the mage doesn’t run out of SP and cast away!

1 Sublime Ornamental Armor

The best armor piece in Octopath Traveler 2 is the Sublime Ornamental Armor. Enhanced by how easily you can get this piece, the Sublime Ornamental Armor is the most valuable Body armor that there is.

With Physical Defense +180 and Elemental Defense +180, your unit will be able to tank nearly everything. But that’s not all, the real bonus with Sublime Ornamental Armor is its Equip Effect: reduces fire, ice, lightning, and wind damage. With this item equipped, the traveler wearing it will have no trouble taking any hits and fighting back.

Next: Octopath Traveler 2: Best Weapons, Ranked