Palworld Best Armor Tier List - Version 1.0

Palworld Best Armor Tier List Quick Summary:

• V1 Armor is my pick for the best armor overall because of the Blood is Fuel perk
• Lightweight Hexolite Armor is the best all-rounder armor
• Heat and Cold-resistant Hexolite Armor are better than normal Hexolite in respective biomes
• V2 Armor is super durable, but it loses to endgame armor in most ways
• Lightweight Plasteel Armor is the best option before you can farm Hexolite

The best way to farm the rarest armor in Palworld is by farming the raid bosses. If you think you’re not ready for that, check out our Palworld Raid Boss Kills and choose any boss farm you want.

 

 

 

How I Ranked the Best Armor in Palworld

This article ranks all the armor available in Palworld for now, and I’ll update it once 1.0 becomes available. I don’t think that the devs will nerf previous armor, so this list will remain mostly actual even after the 1.0 release. The situation where the newly released armor outclasses the previous one is more likely. 

First, there’s one tricky thing about ranking armor in Palworld. The same piece of armor can exist in several rarities, and the difference is quite significant. A Legendary piece gets better defense, HP, and durability than its Common version. Because of that, I’m ranking armor families against each other under the assumption that they are the same rarity. Otherwise, I’d spend the whole article comparing Legendary Pal Metal Armor against Common Hexolite and getting nowhere. I ranked armor based on:

• Survivability
• Unique effects
• Defense
• HP
• Temperature resistance
• Carrying capacity
• How useful it is outside one specific activity
• How quickly it becomes obsolete

I also don’t automatically put the armor with the biggest Defense at #1. Though it’s more work, I tried to make this list stand out from the crowd, but obviously you already know that V1 and Hexolite are up there. It’s not a contrarian list. I just tried to put my opinion here since I think I’ve played a decent amount of Palworld to be knowledgeable on this front.

Palworld Best Armor Tier List - Version 1.0

Let’s dive right into the list before I start breaking down all armor pieces. Here’s my current Palworld armor tier list:

Tier	Armor
S-Tier	V1 Armor, Lightweight Hexolite Armor, Heat Resistant Hexolite Armor, Cold Resistant Hexolite Armor
A-Tier	V2 Armor, Hexolite Armor, Lightweight Plasteel Armor, Heat Resistant Plasteel Armor, Cold Resistant Plasteel Armor
B-Tier	Plasteel Armor, Heat Resistant Pal Metal Armor, Cold Resistant Pal Metal Armor
C-Tier	Hallowed Plate Mail, Pal Metal Armor, Heat Resistant Refined Metal Armor, Cold Resistant Refined Metal Armor
D-Tier	Refined Metal Armor, Heat Resistant Metal Armor, Cold Resistant Metal Armor, Metal Armor

Let me explain each tier before we delve deeper. D-tier armor is not necessarily bad. It just becomes outdated quickly, and you won’t be wearing it for long. Honestly, I wouldn’t even include it in the list, but this is a full armor list for Palworld, so I have to. Here’s the explanation for each tier:

• S-Tier: The best armor in Palworld right now. These sets combine excellent survivability with perks or utility that change how useful they are in combat and exploration.
• A-Tier: Extremely strong armor that can easily carry you through the late game. The only reason these sets aren’t S-Tier is that they’re slightly more situational or get outclassed by a better version.
• B-Tier: Good armor that does its job well but usually lacks a game-changing bonus or gets replaced once you reach the endgame sets.
• C-Tier: Mostly progression or specialist armor. These sets are still useful in the right situation, but I wouldn’t spend time farming perfect schematics for them.
• D-Tier: Temporary armor that you wear because it’s available at your current stage of progression. It works, but there’s no reason to chase it once you get to stronger options.

Now that we’ve covered it, let’s move on to the armor pieces explanation.

S-Tier Palworld Armor

S-Tier is reserved for armor that I’d call endgame gear. These sets either have insane raw stats or bring a perk that changes the way you play. They’re not just a slightly better version of what came before.

V1 Armor

I know a lot of players will automatically put Lightweight Hexolite Armor first because it has a better stat block. I disagree. V1 Armor has Blood Is Fuel, which activates its self-repair effect when you deal damage. If you’ve ever read my other tier lists, you know that I consider vampiric effects to be broken in most games. This is no exception. This perk gives you much more defense than just a raw defense stat. Why I rank V1 Armor this high:

• Blood Is Fuel gives you sustain while fighting
• It works especially well against bosses
• You trigger the effect just by doing damage
• The Legendary version is still very good stat-wise with 608 Defense and 2,112 HP

The only situation where I’d prefer something else is when the enemy has more burst damage than chip. For normal endgame combat, V1 Armor is my #1 pick.

Lightweight Hexolite Armor

Lightweight Hexolite Armor is the best all-purpose armor in Palworld. The Legendary version gives you 780 Defense and 2,275 HP, plus extra carrying capacity. That makes it useful everywhere. The main advantages are pretty obvious:

• Some of the best defensive stats in the game
• Extra carrying weight
• Great for farming and exploration
• No special condition to make it useful

I still put V1 Armor slightly above it, and the fact that I’m an Ultrakill fan has nothing to do with it, but Lightweight Hexolite is the safer choice for the majority of players if you only want one armor set and don’t wanna swap gear every time you leave the base.

Heat-Resistant Hexolite Armor

Heat-resistant Hexolite Armor has the same excellent endgame stats as the Lightweight version, but replaces the carrying bonus with stronger heat protection. That makes it better in hot areas where temperature is the problem. Use it when:

• Exploring extreme heat zones
• Farming in volcanic areas
• You don’t want to waste accessory slots on heat resistance
• You still want top-tier Defense and HP

I wouldn’t wear it everywhere because carrying capacity is more useful most of the time. In the right biome, though, this is the best choice.

Cold-Resistant Hexolite Armor

Cold-resistant Hexolite Armor is the freezing-zone equivalent of the heat-resistant version. It keeps the same elite defensive stats while giving you stronger Cold Resistance. I’d use it for:

• Snowy and freezing biomes
• Farming in cold areas
• If you don’t want to waste an accessory slot for cold protection

Outside cold regions, Lightweight Hexolite is better. Inside them, there’s no reason to make your life harder.

A-Tier Palworld Armor

A-Tier armor is still excellent and can easily carry you through late-game content. These sets aren’t S-Tier because they’re either outclassed by a better version or their utility is more situational. I mean, even more situational than just heat or cold resistance.

V2 Armor

V2 Armor was probably the hardest set on this list to rank. The Legendary version gives you 750 Defense, 1,900 HP, and level 2 resistance to both heat and cold. Those are excellent stats, and it’s one of the easiest armor sets to use because temperature barely becomes a problem. What holds it back is the lack of Blood Is Fuel.

Compared to V1 Armor:

• V2 has better raw Defense
• V2 is much better for temperature protection
• V1 gives you healing during combat
• V1 is stronger in boss fights

If you value comfort and tankiness, you can easily move V2 into S-Tier. I just think that sustain is more useful than extra resistance in most scenarios.

Hexolite Armor

Normal Hexolite Armor is still incredibly strong. The problem is that every specialized Hexolite version outclasses this armor. At Legendary rarity, you get 754 Defense and 2,275 HP, which is enough for basically any kind of content. The issue is that Lightweight Hexolite gives you more Defense and extra carry weight, while the temperature-resistant variants are irreplaceable when you need them. Use normal Hexolite if:

• It’s the best schematic you currently own
• You haven’t found a better variant
• You want raw stats and nothing else

I wouldn’t specifically farm for it once one of the improved versions becomes available.

Lightweight Plasteel Armor

Lightweight Plasteel Armor is the best armor before you reach the Hexolite stage, because it targets the same stats. It gives you strong late-game Defense and HP while also increasing carrying capacity. That makes it useful for combat, farming, exploration, and basically everything else you do before endgame. I’d recommend it to most players because:

• It stays useful for a long time
• Extra carrying weight is always good
• It’s a much better investment than normal Plasteel Armor

If you’re moving through the late game and don’t know what to farm next, start here.

Heat-Resistant and Cold-Resistant Plasteel Armor

Both temperature-resistant Plasteel variants are excellent for dangerous biomes. They have strong late-game stats and let you explore extreme environments without building your whole setup around temperature resistance. I still prefer Lightweight Plasteel for everyday gameplay, but these sets are worth keeping around for the areas where you need them.

B-Tier Palworld Armor

B-Tier armor is good enough to use but not good enough to chase. Most of these sets are replaced by better variants once you reach the next stage of progression.

• Plasteel Armor: Strong late-game Defense and HP, but as I previously said, stats aren’t everything.
• Heat-Resistant Pal Metal Armor: Good for hot biomes and mid-to-late-game progression, but Plasteel replaces it very fast, which leaves it in this awkward position.
• Cold-Resistant Pal Metal Armor: Same story as the Heat-Resistant version. Useful while progressing, but not something I’d farm a perfect schematic for.

All these armor pieces are good for mid-game progression, but aren’t nearly as good even in legendary variants.

 

 

C-Tier Palworld Armor

C-Tier is mostly progression gear and specialist armor. These sets can still be useful, but I wouldn’t spend much time farming them once stronger options become available.

• Hallowed Plate Mail: Great against Tides of Terraria monsters, but its stats are too weak for endgame content.
• Pal Metal Armor: Nice progression armor that was once true endgame gear. Plasteel and Hexolite have blown it out of the water.
• Heat-Resistant Refined Metal Armor: Useful for hot areas in the midgame. Becomes obsolete too quickly.
• Cold-Resistant Refined Metal Armor: Good for cold biomes while progressing, but there’s no reason to keep it once Pal Metal becomes available.

C-Tier armor is a stepping stone before you get something better, so don’t build full sets of it if you can get something better sooner.

D-Tier Palworld Armor

The D-Tier sets aren’t bad. They’re just temporary, and you won’t be returning to them after you get anything slightly better.

• Refined Metal Armor
• Heat-Resistant Metal Armor
• Cold-Resistant Metal Armor
• Metal Armor

I wouldn’t farm Legendary schematics for them unless you get one naturally while progressing. By the time you put serious effort into making the perfect version, you could probably be working toward Pal Metal or Plasteel instead.

Best Palworld Armor for Every Stage

If you just want a quick progression route, this is what I’d use:

Game Stage	Best Armor
Early Game	Pelt Armor
Early-Mid Game	Metal Armor
Midgame	Heat/Cold Resistant Refined Metal Armor
Late Game	Lightweight Plasteel Armor
Endgame	Lightweight Hexolite Armor
Endgame Combat	V1 Armor
Extreme Biomes	Heat/Cold Resistant Hexolite Armor

I wouldn’t waste too much time perfecting early armor. Save the real schematic grind for Plasteel, Hexolite, V1, and the new armor in the 1.0 version.

How to Get Better Armor in Palworld

The normal Technology tree only gives you the basic version of most armor. For stronger rarities, you need schematics. Armor can come in:

• Common
• Uncommon
• Rare
• Epic
• Legendary

Higher rarity means better defense, HP, and durability. A Legendary version of the same armor can be dramatically stronger than the basic one. My advice is to upgrade naturally while progressing and only start seriously hunting Legendary schematics once you reach late-game sets. Farming the perfect Metal Armor schematic is a lot less exciting when you replace it shortly afterward.

 

 

Best Armor Combination in Palworld

For normal exploration, my preferred setup is:

• Lightweight Hexolite Armor
• Hexolite Helmet
• Advanced Shield
• Multiclimate Undershirt

For difficult combat, I’d switch the body piece to V1 Armor. This gives you the best balance between survivability, temperature protection, and convenience. The Lightweight Hexolite build is easier for everyday gameplay, while V1 is what I’d choose when I know that I’m going in for a fight.

Read our other Palworld guides:

• Best Pals Tier List
• Leveling Guide
• Best Weapons Tier List

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