As an avid survival gamer with over 200 hours exploring the wilds of Sons of the Forest, solid armor is absolutely essential for defense and progression. With so many armor set options and nuanced stats to weigh, gearing up properly in this game can get confusing.
That‘s why I‘ve created this comprehensive guide as your armor master handbook. I‘ll be drawing from extensive in-game testing and community feedback to break down all the nitty-gritty details on the best SOTF armors – locations, crafting, comparisons, recommendations – so you can optimize your defenses and dominate the island!
Why Armor Matters in Sons of the Forest
Before jumping into the specific armors, it‘s important to understand why protection is so crucial in this game:
- Enemies hit brutally hard – even basic cannibals can shred your small HP pool quickly
- Environmental hazards like cold sap health fast without insulation
- Specific armor unlocks key content/story areas
- Upgrading gear signals progression milestones
Having no armor or weak early-game sets also tanks your confidence traversing the world. But stepping out decked in late-game Tech or Golden armor makes you feel unstoppable!
So let‘s delve into all the armor particulars so you can get that incredible sense of power ASAP!
Overview of All Armor Sets
Sons of the Forest contains 6 armor sets spanning early to endgame:
- Leaf Armor
- Creepy Armor
- Bone Armor
- Hide Armor
- Golden Armor
- Tech Armor
Here is a comparison overview table of core armor stats:
| Armor Type | Defense Rating | Crafting Difficulty | Stealth Debuffs | Weather Resistances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden | Medium | None (Pre-set location) | None | None |
| Tech | High | Very hard | None | None |
| Hide | Medium | Medium | None | Yes (warmth) |
| Bone | Medium | Medium | None | None |
| Creepy | Medium | Easy | Yes | None |
| Leaf | Low | Very easy | None | None |
Now let‘s do deeper dives on each armor set exploring the nitty-gritty details from my own SOTF experiences getting geared up!
#1 – Golden Armor (Best Overall)
Without a doubt, the pinnacle armor set is the brilliant Golden Armor. Like a treasured artifact award, donning this shiny masterwork armor makes you feel godly stalking the island.
Here‘s why the Golden gear stands leagues above the rest:
Golden Armor Perks
- Permanent – Never degrades or breaks
- Full body coverage – Head to toe protection
- Unlocks major progression – Opens story bunker gates
- Stylish gold aesthetic – Ultra sleek look
As an avid RPG looter, I love collecting the best looking endgame Mythic sets, and this Sons of the Forest Golden armor captures that vibe perfectly.
Acquiring the Elite Golden Armor
Unlike all other armors, you can‘t craft the Golden set. There is only one pre-set suit hidden in a secret underground basement.
To retrieve this exclusive armor prize, follow these steps:
- Locate hidden bunker on map mark
- Fight through waves of mutants
- Unlock basement door with Maintenance Keycard
- Traverse to final back room on Level 2
- Gear up with Golden Armor on display!
It‘s a harrowing dungeon dive feeling like a true epic quest battle. But reaching that climatic armor treasure payoff makes it all worth it!
Now to be fully transparent, the Golden Armor defense stats are only moderate comparably. But the permanence perk combined with its gateway unlocking progression value make it absolutely mandatory to pursue ASAP.
No other armor choice can compete with the Golden‘s unique trait combo!
#2 – Hide Armor (Top Early + Mid Game)
Transitioning to more conventional craftable armor, the Hide set stands out as my top choice for early and mid-game defense needs.
Here‘s why Hide Armor excels as starter gear:
Hide Armor Benefits
- Great protection – On par with top sets
- Uncommon ingredients – Reliably obtained
- Weatherproof – Bonus warmth resist
- Lightweight feel – Greater mobility
I typically rock the Hide armor for at least half the game before upgrading. Its well-balanced defensive stats can withstand fierce mid-game enemy attacks, while the weatherproofing keeps you battling hard in blizzards.
The Hide set notably seems to obstruct your movement less than bulky metal or bone options. That ninja-like fluidity allows evading attacks more smoothly during intense combat.
Crafting Pro Tips
Assembling your own Hide Armor only requires:
- 1 Cloth Scrap
- 2 Deer Hides
For the cloth, ransack any random debris pile or container. I tend to stockpile excess cloths extremely fast just searching camps and plane crash sites.
To get deer hides, hunt the peaceful forest deer with bow headshots or chasing melee attacks from behind. Their quick speed makes ranged weapons safest; I can typically down deer in 2-3 arrows. Each will drop 1 hide for crafting after skinning.
#3 – Bone Armor (Top Budget Early Game)
If you‘re looking to gear up on a budget, the Bone Armor set offers the best bang for buck as early game protection, with moderately solid stats.
Here‘s why Bone Armor dominates as a cost-effective starter set:
Bone Armor Benefits
- Common ingredients – Bones extremely abundant
- Decent protection – Better than Leaf/Creepy
- Lightweight – Enables greater agility
I often rock Bone Armor simultaneously with my Hide set for a mixed matched look. Alone it can feel slightly less protective, but combining Bone braces with Hide chest gear gives a nice boost for early game hunting trips.
And you really can‘t beat the crafting efficiency of Bone Armor…
Crafting from Common Bones
Constructing your homemade Bone set only requires:
- 4 Bones
- 1 Rope
- 1 Duct Tape
The magical thing about Bone Armor is bones are everywhere – litter cave floors, leftover from cannibal camps, cemeteries, randomly scattered. You‘re drowning in materials!
I typically accumulate bones way faster than other mid-tier ingredients like tape or circuit boards. So when gearing up fast, Bone Armor just makes sense.
The rope and duct tape do require some deeper looting through bunkers and shipwrecks. But once you have a few stockpiled, you‘re set to churn out Bone sets to your heart‘s content!
#4 Creepy Armor (Situational Stealth Gear)
Living up to its skin-crawling name, the Creepy Armor set stands out not for defense, but sacrificing stealth for easier access.
Here‘s the give-and-take with building Creepy gear:
Creepy Armor Tradeoffs
- Easy ingredients – Mutant skin common
- Reduced stealth – Easier enemy detection
- Full set bonuses – Minor damage buffs
I only break out the Creepy Armor in niche situations – namely the dark caves. Fighting through hordes of mutated monsters, I enjoy recklessly barging straight into the fray baiting beasts to me.
The armor does make you an easy target, but also helps rapidly complete those cramped cave clearance side quests.
Skinning Mutants for Materials
To craft your own Creepy armor, skin mutants to collect:
- 5 Mutant Skins
- 1 Generic Leaves
- 1 Rope
I typically farm basic mutant skins from the finger monsters – mostly found underground. Lure them out and pepper with fire arrows until dead.
Pro Tip: Only use your plane axe or weaker weapons when skinning. Katanas or modern gear damages the hides!
If you enjoy bull rushing groups of enemies, the Creepy set buffs those aggro tactics. But for general world exploring, stick to more subtle armor.
#5 Tech Armor (Endgame Force)
When only the most advanced protective technologies will do, the ultra-modern Tech Armor set delivers those top tier defenses.
Here‘s why Tech Armor dominates as late-game power gear:
Tech Armor Assets
- Cutting-edge defense – Stronger resistance
- Prestige aesthetic – Sleek black titanium
- Enhanced confidence – Feel unstoppable
After grinding all my crafting skills to max level and exploring the deepest map corners, only the Tech Armor seemed fitting for my mighty survivor build.
The corruption-spreading endgame brought such overwhelming enemy waves, making the Tech set‘s maxed out protective capacities an absolute necessity.
Crafting Complexity
Constructing a Tech Armor system is no easy task though, requiring:
- 1 Tech Mesh
- 10 Circuit Boards
- 10 Wiring Kits
- 20 Batteries
- 10 Duct Tapes
Each individual armor piece has specific ingredient quotas. So all combined, a full set demands mass resource harvesting from across the world, especially bunkers.
But that long-term grinding journey ultimately pays off the first time an armsy claws glances off your impenetrable Tech shoulder guard!
#6 Leaf Armor (Desperation Stopgap)
When your bare flesh just can‘t withstand more exposure, hastily crafted Leaf Armor at least patches covering vulnerability temporarily.
But make no mistake – the Leaf set should be shed as soon as remotely possible!
Flimsy Leaf Armor Stats
- Trivial protection – Won‘t stop stronger attacks
- Abundant ingredients – Fast to create
- Rapid degradation – Very temporary boost
I typically have to force myself to use Leaf Armor after getting complacent from late-game set advantages. But the shocking incoming damage reminds just how paper thin those leafy layers are!
Crafting from Forest Debris
Assembling rudimentary Leaf coverage simply requires:
- 10 Leafs
- 1 Cloth
Cruising through any forested area easily racks up 10 or more sticks and leaves breaking off trees and bushes. Scraps of cloth litter the world similarly.
So when desperate and under-geared, Leaf Armor offer a quick bandage solution. But invest in literally any other armor type as soon as viable weapons or resources allow.
Ranking Armor Priority Recommendations
Now to tie everything together into direct strategic recommendations, here is how I would tier rank armor priorities through Sons of the Forest progression:
| Tier | Armor | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| S | Golden | Permanent/Unlocks Endgame |
| A | Tech | God-mode Late Game Defense |
| A | Hide | Reliable Mid-Game Protection |
| B | Bone | Cost-Effective Starting Defense |
| C | Creepy | Niche Stealth Tradeoff |
| D | Leaf | Only When Desperate |
Top Tier S: The Golden Armor‘s uniqueness makes it top priority always.
Tier A: Tech scales damage resistance exponentially for endgame. Hide bridges early to mid game extremely effectively.
Tier B: Bone Armor provides chest coverage fast if low on hides.
Tier C: Creepy fills gaps but has stealth drawbacks.
Tier D: Avoid Leaf Armor whenever possible.
So in summary:
- Pursue Golden first above all
- Default to Hide Armor for general coverage
- Bone fills early game gaps
- Tech for late game god mode
- Leaf only as an emergency stand-in!
Getting the Golden treasure ASAP while mixing and matching Bone, Hide, and eventual Tech pieces is my ultimate Sons of the Forest armor loadout recommendation from hundreds of hours exploring the island!
Wrap Up
Hopefully this guide has given you tons of helpful insights on optimizing armor selection through your Sons of the Forest playthrough!
Having the right protective gear truly transforms gameplay from a terrifying struggle to an empowering dominator experience.
The unique Golden and Tech sets should be endgame goals, while Hide and Bone fill the early-mid needs reliably. Just try to minimize time wasted with flimsy Leaf pieces!
Feel free to reference back for crafting details, stat comparisons, ingredient tips, or ranking advice as you gear up your perfect customized SOTF armor loadouts. Now get out there fully covered and conquer the island!
