How Much Does Ancient Armor Protect You? A Deep Dive into Defense and More
The Ancient Armor set in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is renowned for its formidable defensive capabilities and unique bonuses, making it a highly sought-after collection for players facing the game’s most challenging foes. So, exactly how much protection does it offer? In its base form, each piece of the Ancient Armor—the Ancient Helm, Ancient Cuirass, and Ancient Greaves—provides a defense stat of 4. However, with the aid of the Great Fairy Fountains, this defense can be upgraded significantly, reaching an impressive 28 defense per piece at maximum enhancement. This places the Ancient Armor set at the apex of defensive options in the game, sharing the top spot with certain other sets when fully upgraded. But its protection extends far beyond raw numbers.
The true power of the Ancient Armor lies not just in its high defense stat, but also in its passive Guardian resistance and the Ancient Proficiency set bonus. This unique combination makes it a compelling choice for battling Guardians and other Ancient-tech infused enemies, including Ganon. The Ancient Proficiency bonus, gained by upgrading each piece at least twice, provides an 80% damage increase when using Ancient or Guardian weapons. This significant boost, in addition to the raw defense, makes the Ancient Armor a top-tier option for various combat scenarios. In essence, it not only reduces incoming damage but also increases your offensive output when using appropriate weaponry.
Unpacking the Benefits of Ancient Armor
Enhanced Defense and Damage Reduction
The base defense of 4 per piece might seem modest, but the capacity to upgrade to 28 per piece makes the Ancient Armor a game-changer, as this stat is only matched by a few other sets. This level of defense effectively reduces the amount of damage Link takes from enemy attacks, allowing for more aggressive combat strategies and providing greater survivability, particularly when exploring dangerous regions or engaging with powerful foes.
Guardian Resistance: A Game Changer
One of the most valuable aspects of the Ancient Armor is its passive resistance to Guardian lasers. Guardians are among the most challenging and formidable foes in the game, and their laser attacks can deal significant damage. The Ancient Armor mitigates this, allowing for better survivability when dealing with these enemies, a key factor when exploring Hyrule Castle. This resistance can be the difference between victory and defeat when navigating areas densely populated by Guardians.
Ancient Proficiency: Maximizing Weapon Potential
The Ancient Proficiency bonus is where the Ancient Armor truly shines. By upgrading each piece twice, you unlock an 80% damage increase when using Ancient and Guardian weapons. This not only drastically increases the damage output of these weapons, but also makes their durability last longer, making the Ancient Bow, for instance, more effective for a longer period. When combined with the already high defense, this makes the Ancient Armor set an all-in-one combat powerhouse.
Compared to Other Armor Sets
While the Ancient Armor is often considered the best overall set, it’s important to compare it to other notable armor sets:
- Barbarian Armor: This set provides an attack boost to all weapons, but its defense per piece reaches only 20. However, this set can be more potent depending on player preference and the style of combat.
- Hylian Armor: A versatile set that’s often the first real armor players encounter. It provides a good defense but doesn’t have the unique bonuses of the Ancient set.
- Soldier’s Armor: This armor set has the same defense stats as the Ancient Armor set, but without the Guardian resistance or set bonus making it an inferior option.
The Ancient Armor distinguishes itself through its unique combination of defense, Guardian resistance, and Ancient weapon proficiency, cementing its status as one of the best armor sets in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ancient Armor
1. Is Ancient Armor the best armor in Breath of the Wild?
Yes, the Ancient Armor set is arguably the best overall armor set due to its high defense, Guardian resistance, and powerful Ancient Proficiency bonus when using Ancient or Guardian weapons.
2. How much defense does fully upgraded Ancient Armor provide?
Fully upgraded, each piece of Ancient Armor provides 28 defense, for a total of 84 defense.
3. Does the Ancient Armor set provide any other benefits besides defense?
Yes, it grants passive resistance to Guardian lasers and an 80% damage boost to Ancient and Guardian weapons when the full set is upgraded at least twice.
4. Does Ancient Armor work against Ganon?
Yes, Ancient Armor is effective against Ganon, especially when used in conjunction with Ancient or Guardian weapons, due to its unique bonus against Ancient-tech enemies and structures.
5. How do I obtain Ancient Armor?
The Ancient Armor is obtained by purchasing it at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab using Rupees and Ancient parts dropped by Guardians.
6. What materials are required to purchase the Ancient Armor?
You’ll need a combination of Ancient Gears, Ancient Shafts, Ancient Cores, and Rupees. These are primarily obtained by defeating Guardians.
7. Can Ancient Armor be upgraded?
Yes, the Ancient Armor can be upgraded at Great Fairy Fountains to reach its maximum potential, which is vital to obtain its full defensive and offensive capabilities.
8. Is Ancient Armor better than the Barbarian Armor?
It depends on player preference and the situation. The Ancient Armor boasts higher defensive stats and resistance to Guardians while the Barbarian set provides a general boost to attack power for all weapon types, not just ancient weapons. However, for its damage against guardians and ancient foes the Ancient Armor is better in most cases.
9. Does the Ancient Armor set bonus apply to the Master Sword?
No, the Ancient Proficiency bonus is specific to Ancient and Guardian weapons. The Master Sword is unaffected by the Ancient Armor’s set bonus.
10. Can you get the Ancient Armor early in the game?
While it is possible to obtain it earlier on, it requires exploring dangerous areas with Guardians and farming their components. It’s generally recommended to acquire it after gaining some experience and upgrading other gear.
11. How many hearts do you need to fight Ganon with Ancient Armor?
There is no set number of hearts required to fight Ganon, but with fully upgraded Ancient Armor and Ancient weapons, most players find the final fight much more manageable with around 20 heart containers or more.
12. Is there an Ancient shield? What are its capabilities?
Yes, the Ancient Shield is an excellent choice of shield. It has high defense, durability, and automatically deflects Guardian lasers.
13. Does the Ancient shield break easily?
While it’s one of the strongest shields in the game, the Ancient Shield will break if it reflects too many laser blasts in quick succession, but its durability is significantly higher than most other shields in the game.
14. What is the best way to farm Ancient Parts for the armor?
The most effective method is to repeatedly defeat Guardians around Hyrule Castle, collecting the parts they drop as well as Giant Ancient Cores which will allow you to make the entire set.
15. Is Ancient Armor worth the investment?
Absolutely. The Ancient Armor is an excellent investment for players, especially when looking to take on Guardians, powerful bosses, and the final fight with Ganon. Its combination of strong defense, Guardian resistance, and Ancient Proficiency bonus make it a top-tier set that will serve you well during the toughest challenges in Breath of the Wild.