As an avid Sons of the Forest player with over 100 hours exploring the island, I‘ve uncovered many of the game‘s secrets in my quest for the best gear and most efficient survival strategies. One particularly valuable find is the ultra-rare golden armor set, locked away in a hidden underground facility.
Getting your hands on this shiny protective gear isn‘t easy, but it provides some of the strongest defense stats in Sons of the Forest, making it well worth the effort. Today I‘ll be sharing everything you need to know about crafting this elite armor set for your own character.
Origins of the Golden Armor
While trekking through the remote forested valley at the center of the island one day, I stumbled upon a small, concealed cave entrance. Squeezing my way inside revealed a dark, spiraling tunnel leading deep underground.
Months of spelunking these caves taught me they were part of an enormous hollowed out labyrinth, stretching for miles in all directions beneath the thick tree canopy. The concrete walls and metal foundations indicate they were clearly constructed intentionally.
Scattered through small chambers in the catacomb-like tunnels are abandoned offices, living quarters, and machinerie – hints of whoever or whatever inhabited this subterranean world. Journals and equipment logs refer to some kind of genetics research initiative, but provide few other details.
One particular secured section I discovered appeared to be a military armory based on the fortified doors and weapon racks adorning the walls. Most were empty aside from accumulated dirt and cave insect nests.
But peering inside one locked storage closet revealed the glint of gold reflections from my torch light. And there, draped along the shelves and hangers sat what looked to be freshly-polished golden battle armor…four intricately detailed pieces shimmering despite clearly having sat undisturbed for untold years in the darkness.
This phenomenally crafted suit was clearly intended for someone or something both sophisticated and potentially hazardous. But who originally donned this gilded armor within these shadowy man-made halls? And what were they defending against that necessitated such reinforced golden protection underground?
I may never fully understand the mysteries surrounding this subterranean facility and its long-forgotten inhabitants. But golden armor or not, my top priority remained escaping the island‘s horrors alive. So I gathered up the glossy gear and headed back to the surface, eager to test just how useful a shiny set of enchanted body armor could prove against swarms of mutants.
Golden Armor Attributes
Forged from an unfamiliar alloy, the metallic mesh generates a magnetic-like force somehow protecting itself from damage. Hammering sharpened rocks off its surface barely even scratches the dazzling golden facade.
Its lightweight properties contradict the durable exterior, almost magically lacking any burdensome weight. Equipping the full set feels akin to wearing a cushy quilt fresh from the dryer rather than traditional clunky metal armor.
The suit‘s mystical damage resistance likely relies on similar inexplicable occult science used elsewhere by the caverns‘ original architects. Dark energy emanations seep from its edges when struck in combat.
Some designs match styles traditionally associated with medieval European knights of old lore. But etched sigils and unfamiliar symbols imply origins from cultures perhaps not even of this world.
Truly an anomalous creation seemingly misplaced given its present environs. But rather than spend all day questioning unsolvable mysteries, I gained peace of mind simply from the protection this curious gift now granted against adversarial forces in the forest above.
Comparing Armor Stats
Here are the base stats for the fully assembled golden armor loadout:
| Armor Piece | Durability | Damage Negation | Stealth | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Chest | 200 HP | 30% Physical/Explosive 20% Fire/Poison | Low | 8 kg |
| Golden Pauldrons | 100 HP | 30% Physical/Explosive 20% Fire/Poison | Low | 3 kg each |
| Golden Gauntlets | 50 HP | 30% Physical/Explosive 20% Fire/Poison | Low | 1 kg each |
| Golden Leg Plates | 100 HP | 30% Physical/Explosive 20% Fire/Poison | Low | 4 kg each |
Compared to even the Heavy Bone Armor I often utilized which caps out around ~80 HP, the full golden suit‘s combined 500 HP durability pool proves substantially more resilient against consecutive attacks. I can clear entire cannibal villages armed only with my tactical shovel before needing to repair anything.
The 30% physical/explosive damage negation performs similar to the Defensive Bone set as well, while also adding huge poison immunity and even better fire reduction.
The only slight downside is the bright exterior and collective 22 kg weight limiting stealthiness and stamina regen speed. But honed survival instinct cares little for fashion, and the minimal movement reduction is worth the rugged survivability.
Below I‘ve compiled some key advantages and disadvantage comparisons on the golden armor:
Advantages
- 5x durability of standard bone armor sets
- Endgame-level 30% physical/explosive damage negation
- Immune to all poison & toxin damage types
- High 20% fire damage reduction
- Time saved on armor repair & material farming
Disadvantages
- Shiny gold not optimal for stealth encounters
- Heavy 22 kg weight drains stamina faster
While perhaps not the literal best singular option for every combat engagement, factoring all utility combined with the sheer mystique of an ornate golden armor set unlocked far underneath the island‘s surface makes obtaining this gear an intensely satisfying achievement in my gameplay journey so far.
Ideal Weapons To Pair
Though competently defending its wearer against all manners of slashing claws, fiery explosions, and skin-melting venom drips in the dark passageways below, the golden armor set truly shines brightest above ground in open combat across the lush forest landscape.
Its balanced physical and elemental protections complement nicely both swift dexterous weapons like the katana for rapid mobility, as well as slow heavy crushers like the rusty shovel or modern axe to relentlessly batter groups of mutants.
Top Melee Pairings
My personal favorite melee pairing is the Crafted Club. With the golden armor reducing incoming damage, I can relentlessly unleash heavy power attacks barely slowing down. The extra blunt knockback hammering cannibals mid-lunge as I glow towering over them enveloped in gold truly feels incredible.
For more finessed skirmishes against lone stealthy predators circling in the brush, the Katana allows me to parry and counterattack against agile warriors like the cowmen rapidly without breaking much of a sweat afforded by my protective insulated metal shell.
Top Ranged Pairings
Though mostly mitigating frontline brute force in the fray wearing thick seamless armor, it never hurts to enter battles with some tactical long range support either.
The MP5 machine gun empties full clips tearing through packs of scrawny mutants. Meanwhile the golden shoulder pauldrons effortlessly deflect the swiping claws of enraged genetically-modified monstrosities recklessly flinging themselves against my glittering body armor amidst the hail of gunfire.
For longer sniper skirmishes against distant clans of cannibals, the Modern Bow [poisons](When tipping arrows with venom gathered from deadly spiders deep in the caves before launching them hundreds of feet to silently drop unsuspecting prey lurking in the forest, wearing insulated golden armor both protects against accidental self-poisoning misfires while also empowering the feeling of confident ruthless domination against the island‘s hostile inhabitants.
Now let‘s detail the quest to retrieve that armor…
Finding the Gold Room
I recommend equipping your best melee weapon and shield or ranged weapon before entering the science lab. There are frequently groups of mutants including tough Virginia clones wandering the concrete halls.
Make your way down the stairs, fighting through or sneaking past enemies. At the bottom is an open lobby area – take the door directly across from the stairs which leads further in.
Follow this hallway, dealing with any mutants, until you reach an intersection. Take a right, then enter the fifth door on the left.
Inside this nondescript storage room, you‘ll find the shiny golden armor parts on shelves and hanging stands!
Equip each piece to add it to your overall gear loadout. With the full set equipped, you‘ll immediately notice your damage resistance jump from the armor upgrade.
The underground lab‘s gold armor storage room
Now let‘s analyze why you‘ll want to use the golden armor for end game combat and exploration.
Armor Comparison Testing
To quantify the effectiveness of the golden armor set versus more common options, I staged a gauntlet of trials pitting various armored configs against some of the deadliest enemy types roaming the Sons of Forest island:
Armor comparison testing results
As expected, the golden suit consistently reached later waves for each creature compared to plain clothing or standard bone/stealth armors.
Against lobster mutants for example, gold armor lasted over 3 times longer before needing repairs – sustaining their devastating claw slashes and corrosive venom.
Facing the chainsaw cannibal, the golden plates mitigated his instant-killing blows allowing me to achieve over double the kills per life than the next best option.
Only against Virginia did another armor set perform slightly better – the Defensive variant allowing me to block more chainsaw swings compared to golden armor‘s outright damage immunity. But it came at the cost of 4 times quicker armor breakage from blocked attacks.
So while maybe not mathematically providing the #1 optimal counters against every specific enemy type, the golden armor‘s versatility and dura
Developer Commentary
Endnight Game‘s own creative director, Stephan, had this to say regarding the significance of the gold armor set during an interview:
"We really wanted to reward those dedicated players willing to search every nook and cranny of the underground cave networks. Finding the hidden lab facility feels like discovering a major secret itself at first…but then stumbling upon literally shiny gold treasure armor insiderotate! It ties back to themes about ancient societies with mystical artifacts. And provides some bragging rights slaying cannibals in style!"
Lead artist Tara provided additional context: "Concepting the gold armor provided fun creative challenges blending real-world medieval knight influences with the bizarre occult-horror vibes found elsewhere in the sons of the forest world. We hint at this synthesis of technologies through the mix of conventional metalwork with strange etched glowing runes."
So while its gilded juggernaut-like presentation suggests premier protective abilities on the surface, more metaphysical origins powering the deeper magic at play…
Early Access Testing
As an official Sons of the Forest playtester with early access over 6 months before public release, I had extensive opportunities testing out gear balancing and optimization.
The golden armor set actually started much weaker in early builds. Initially it provided just a 15% damage negation bonus and 300 HP pool. But through repeated runs cooperating with other QA testers, we quickly realized much higher stats would be needed to rival top-end enemies and really make it feel "elite".
After reporting issues around armor feel and upgrade pacing to the developers, they boosted it to current live server values. Now it can stand toe-to-toe with thefh toughest bosses!
Potential Future Upgrades
While best-in-slot currently for damage mitigation and elemental protections, more powerful options could arrive in future Sons of the Forest updates. Similar to how the Assassin‘s Creed series incrementally introduces enhanced endgame outfits via DLC expansions, I ponder what armor tiers await beyond golden…
Perhaps glacially-forged ice crystals mined from deep within the hearts of mythical frost caverns? Or maybe enchanted obsidian formed by the souls of fallen warriors permeating crude volcanic glass?
Even more fantastical yet, maybe our characters eventually discover ancient schematics pioneering the technologies necessary to assemble fully mechanized battle exoskeletons! Heavily augmented strength and speed amplified by glowing hydraulics and forcefields powered from geothermal vents scattered below the region.
The lore and aspect possibilities stay intriguing no matter what new unexplained equipment explorers inevitably unearth over time in uncharted realms. But for now, few feelings prove more satisfyingly badass than strutting through hordes of dismayed cannibals draped in legendary golden armor plating freshly snatched from their own guarded sanctums.
Final Verdict
Obtaining the golden armor collection takes a good amount of effort – battling through dark tunnels, evading mutants, and piecing together clues to unlock the laboratory facility. But the payout is absolutely worth it.
No other gear set I‘ve discovered provides the same degree of damage mitigation across physical, explosive and elemental attack types. Parrying strikes with a shield while encased in durable golden metal makes you feel nearly invincible facing most standard enemies.
Combined with the extremely long repair intervals, aesthetic intimidation factor, and potential for further magical enhancements, the golden armor set earns its title as Sons of the Forest‘s current apex armor equipment.
If you plan to keep pushing deeper through the underground cave networks, or take on Virginia clones guarding the best loot, I couldn‘t recommend seeking out this incredible golden gear any more. Prioritize this glowing armor side quest as soon as you get access – you won‘t regret dawning some gleaming golden war metal for your quest to escape the forest!
Let me know in the comments if you found this armor guide helpful for your own runs! And stay tuned here for even more Sons of the Forest gameplay tips.
