V Risinglaunched their official 1.0 version of the game in 2024, which brought with it changes to jewels, abilities, bosses, and, of course, armor sets. In fact, the full release saw the addition of four new variations of Dracula’s armor sets — all with different bonuses and buffs. Abilities and jewels (not to be confused with gems) count for a great deal in the game, but armor sets and jewelry have a big effect on PvP.
V Rising: Starter Guide
The starter guide to becoming the best vampire lord in all the land.
Many of the most broken PvP builds center around critical strikes and life leech — whether physical or spell-related. PvE builds leave room for more flexibility, but so do builds for clans of players. Instead of having bruisers, a clan needs more variety in play style for either game type. Sadly, though the recent expansionincluded Castlevania-inspired armor, it provides no real stat benefits. So which armor sets in V Rising are the best?
For the sake of this article, only stats native to the armor sets will be included; no amulets or cloaks will be taken into account. Each entry will include armor set stats, the perks based on number of pieces equipped, durability, ideal play style, and the crafting cost for each set. Do keep in mind that the base stats can change based on server settings.
1Dark Magus Armor
Healing From Spells Helps In PvP and PvE
Max Health
Spell Power
TheDark Magusarmor set is one of the first in the game to really show players how much spell leech and spell crit chance improve offensive capabilities and sustain in battle. V Rising is already a game about dodging when it comes to combat, so anything a player can do to mitigate incoming damage is paramount. Though the lowest on the totem pole, this armor set lets players experiment with a more glass cannon-type build before fully committing with end-game level crafting materials.
Pick up the recipe for this armor around theDunley Farmlandsor theBastion of Dunley. Players can also find it at theRural Book Merchantfor48 Silver Coins.
Crafting Requirements:
2Dawnthorn Armor
A Stepping Stone To Much Better Things
Much like its predecessor, theDawnthornarmor set is not a top tier armor set, but it is a necessary step to get to the best armor in V Rising. Plus, it looks pretty cool, doesn’t it? Aesthetics aside, all the armor really does is boost health and movement speed. This doesn’t help in PvP much at all, so players should rush to get one of the next tier of armor sets instead of sitting on this one. The V Blood bossAngram the Purifierunlocks the recipe for this armor set.
Good For A Duo/Clan Option That Needs A Frontline Tank
Physical Power
Damage Reduction
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You certainly wouldn’t think of V Rising as having a “meta” like League of Legends. But it can have players in groups fall into roles within the team dynamic. If one player wants to be more of a spellcaster, that probably means that another character needs to be melee-focused and maybe even tankier to withstand damage and protect others. TheDread Platearmor set in V Rising is effective for this very purpose with its boosted healing and shielding. The additional weapon skill cooldown isn’t much, but it still lets the player hit more often, which can provide much needed crowd control effects and damage.
Players can find the recipe for this as a drop inSilverlight Hills,Gloomrot North, orthe Ruins of Mortium. THey can also pick up for160 Goldsun Coinsat theCity Book Vendor.
4Grim Knight Armor
The Best All-Rounder For PvE
Weapon Attack Speed
Weapon Skill Leech
If a player doesn’t want to fully commit to a physical or magical damage build, theGrim Knightarmor set provides slight boosts in both arenas. It also gives the player additional health, making it a solid choice for PvE players (solo or otherwise). Builds can further augment spell power, crit chance, and lifesteal with jewelry and ability loadouts. It also has a very warrior king/queen vibe, so if a player wants to roleplay a character, this armor set makes a great choice for that.
PvP-focused V Rising players may find this armor set lacking in comparison due to its jack-of-all-trades approach. Find the recipe for this in the same areas as the Dread Plate armor set.
5Shadowmoon Armor
Solo Players Who Don’t Want To Focus On Spells, Start Here
Physical Critical Strike Chance
Movement Speed
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The Dread Plate armor set doesn’t provide a ton of extra damage – something solo players (in PvP or PvE) require. TheShadowmoonarmor set boosts crit strike with physical attacks and grants players attack leech to heal up as they fight. As they progress through the upper levels ofGloomrotand intoThe Ruins of Mortium, players will value this lifesteal and damage boost. Don’t forget: traveling gets precarious in the upper level areas like Silverlight Hills due to high level enemies and Gloomrot due to its brutal environmental damage.
Take advantage of lifesteal when available and yes – the recipe for this is found in the Ruins of Mortium, the City Book Vendor, Silverlight Hills, or Gloomrot North.
6Maleficer Scholar Armor
Dark Academia Vibes Meet Spellcaster Mayhem
Spell Critical Strike Chance
The drip of theMaleficer Scholararmor set is undeniable – but so is the raw power of it. That extra spell leech and cooldown boost can turn a player into a menace in the mid to late game. It remains a popular choice for PvP though PvE players may opt for something with more versatility. This armor set works best with specific ability loadouts and weapon types. Pick it up in the same places where the previous three armor sets can be found.
7Dracula Armor Set: Dread
Better Than Previous Entries, But The Worst Dracula Armor
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There is no denying that this is a better armor set than even theMaleficer Scholaroption. It comes with loads of raw damage output, since Veil attacks do 30% more damage and the weapon cooldown rate means that players can use their abilities more often in battle. However, compared to the other possibilities and build strategies with the other versions of this armor, theDreadversion ofDracula’sarmor set is lacking. PvP players may not opt for this particular set, but PvE players may like it for faster clears on enemy camps and bosses.
Players unlock the recipe for this by slaying the four final V Blood bosses:Adam the Firstborn,Talzur the Winged Horror,Solarus the Immaculate, andDracula the Immortal Kinghimself. Each bounty nets the player one piece of the set.
8Dracula Armor Set: Shadow
Great For Bruisers And Ranged Damage Dealers
Many players put a focus on spellcasting due to the dodge heavy nature of combat in V Rising. However, prioritizing physical prowess and lifesteal is still a viable strategy – even in PvP. The only problem is that, for solo players, theShadowarmor set isn’t quite as tempting as other versions of the armor.
Players can opt for a stealth, burst damage build by equipping theSlasherweapons to leverage the"Camouflage"weapon skill. Alternatively, they can nuke enemies from range with thePistolsorBow. But this falls more under the “unique challenge” category than “OP strats” category. The color combination on this set also isn’t as pretty as others, butthe developers added dyesto fix this minor problem.
9Dracula Armor Set: Grim
The Jack Of All Trades Gets An Upgrade
Though theGrim Knightarmor set ranked below theShadowmoon, the opposite is true when it gets upgraded toDracula’s Grimarmor set. However, this particular set skews more toward weapon-focused builds vs. spellcaster builds. The bonus attack speed and healing synergize well with a variety of weapon options, ranging from the humbleSwordto the rangedPistols. But that’s the beauty of this armor set: players can highly customize their build and still be viable in challenging PvP servers.
It also allows them to quickly adapt to combat scenarios (provided they have the right items on hand and time enough to switch up their skills). The trouble is in defeating those final four V Blood bosses to get the recipe for the armor set pieces.
10Dracula Armor Set: Maleficer
The title of ultimate armor set in V Rising goes to Dracula’s Maleficer armor set. The set bonuses turn players into spellcasting monstrosities who can crit like no tomorrow. When paired with he right amulet and skillset, PvP players stomp anything in their paths with this armor set. As Stunlock Studios continues to support the game, this set may be dethroned as the best, but for now, the Maleficer maintains its supremacy.
