All 168 Armor Pieces and How to Get Them in Necesse

Armor pieces are the gear you wear in Necesse to take less damage from enemies, and many of them add extra boosts like faster movement, more damage, or room for more summons, the creatures that fight alongside you. Armor comes in Cave Tier, Deep Cave Tier, and Incursion Tier, so the gear you can wear gets stronger as you push deeper into the game. Once you know how defense, set bonuses, and crafting work, it gets much easier to choose the pieces that suit your weapon.

Find an item in this collection

Showing 73 of 168 items.

Progression Tier

Cave Tier

73 items

Leather Hood

A cheap starter hood whose main value comes from the Leather set’s 10% attack-speed bonus.

Defense: 1
Set Bonus: +10% attack speed
Materials or Source: 12 Leather at a Workstation or Iron Anvil

Leather Shirt

This sturdier Leather piece helps early melee builds reach the set bonus of 10% faster attacks.

Defense: 2
Set Bonus: +10% attack speed
Materials or Source: 16 Leather at a Workstation or Iron Anvil

Leather Boots

Light Leather footwear for early adventurers; the complete set raises attack speed by 10%.

Defense: 1
Set Bonus: +10% attack speed
Materials or Source: 8 Leather at a Workstation or Iron Anvil

Cloth Hat

The Cloth Hat restores mana 50% faster and completes a set that adds magic damage and mana.

Defense: 1
Piece Effects: +50% mana regen
Set Bonus: +15% magic damage
+30 max mana
Materials or Source: 12 Wool at a Workstation or Iron Anvil

Cloth Robe

A simple caster robe that contributes to the Cloth set’s magic-damage and max-mana bonuses.

Defense: 2
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: +15% magic damage
+30 max mana
Materials or Source: 16 Wool at a Workstation or Iron Anvil

Cloth Boots

These Wool boots round out the Cloth set, which increases magic damage and maximum mana.

Defense: 1
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: +15% magic damage
+30 max mana
Materials or Source: 8 Wool at a Workstation or Iron Anvil

Copper Helmet

A basic metal helmet that adds protection, with another 2 armor from the full Copper set.

Defense: 2
Set Bonus: +2 armor
Materials or Source: 12 Copper Bar at the Iron Anvil

Copper Chestplate

Copper’s chest piece offers solid early defense and helps activate the set’s extra 2 armor.

Defense: 2
Set Bonus: +2 armor
Materials or Source: 16 Copper Bar at the Iron Anvil

Copper Boots

A modest defensive upgrade whose matching Copper set adds 2 armor when complete.

Defense: 1
Set Bonus: +2 armor
Materials or Source: 8 Copper Bar at the Iron Anvil

Iron Helmet

This Iron headpiece provides early protection and contributes to the set’s additional 2 armor.

Defense: 2
Set Bonus: +2 armor
Materials or Source: 12 Iron Bar at the Iron Anvil

Iron Chestplate

The Iron set’s chest piece carries the highest defense in its trio and helps add 2 set armor.

Defense: 3
Set Bonus: +2 armor
Materials or Source: 16 Iron Bar at the Iron Anvil

Iron Boots

Iron boots offer a defensive step up, while the full set grants 2 more armor.

Defense: 2
Set Bonus: +2 armor
Materials or Source: 8 Iron Bar at the Iron Anvil

Gold Helmet

Choose this Gold headpiece for the set’s armor bonus; pairing it with the Crown instead boosts summons.

Defense: 4
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +2 armor
With Crown: +1 max summons
Materials or Source: 12 Gold Bar at the Iron Anvil

Gold Crown

This Crown adds a summon slot on its own, and the Gold set can add another with the Crown equipped.

Defense: 1
Piece Effects: +1 max summons
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +2 armor
With Crown: +1 max summons
Materials or Source: 12 Gold Bar at the Iron Anvil

Gold Chestplate

Gold’s chest armor helps activate either the Helmet’s armor bonus or the Crown’s extra summon.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +2 armor
With Crown: +1 max summons
Materials or Source: 16 Gold Bar at the Iron Anvil

Gold Boots

These Gold boots support either branch of the set bonus: more armor with its Helmet or a summon with its Crown.

Defense: 3
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +2 armor
With Crown: +1 max summons
Materials or Source: 8 Gold Bar at the Iron Anvil

Soldier's Helmet

A crafted Soldier headpiece that builds attack speed and movement speed as you defeat enemies.

Defense: 4
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Gain a stacking frenzy buff when you kill an enemy, frenzy increases attack speed and movement speed
With Cap: Ranged weapon projectiles ricochet to other enemies on kill
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Hood, 2 Gold Bar at the Iron Anvil

Soldier's Cap

The Cap’s Soldier set option makes ranged projectiles bounce to another enemy after a kill.

Defense: 3
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Gain a stacking frenzy buff when you kill an enemy, frenzy increases attack speed and movement speed
With Cap: Ranged weapon projectiles ricochet to other enemies on kill
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Hood, 1 Gold Bar, 2 Wool at the Iron Anvil

Soldier's Chestplate

This crafted chest piece supports Soldier’s kill streak bonus or the Cap’s ranged ricochets.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Gain a stacking frenzy buff when you kill an enemy, frenzy increases attack speed and movement speed
With Cap: Ranged weapon projectiles ricochet to other enemies on kill
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Leather Shirt, 2 Copper Bar at the Iron Anvil

Soldier's Boots

Soldier’s footwear completes the set for kill-triggered frenzy or ranged shots that ricochet.

Defense: 3
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Gain a stacking frenzy buff when you kill an enemy, frenzy increases attack speed and movement speed
With Cap: Ranged weapon projectiles ricochet to other enemies on kill
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Boots, 1 Wool at the Iron Anvil

Shark Helmet

Extra damage and resilience suit aggressive play; the Shark set bleeds targets and rewards nearby bleeds.

Defense: 5
Piece Effects: +5% damage
+10 max resilience
+0.25 resilience regen
Set Bonus: Successful attacks bleed the target for 40 damage over 4 seconds
You gain temporary movement speed and damage for every enemy bled recently
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Helmet, 6 Iron Bar, 2 Shark Tooth at the Demonic Anvil

Shark Chestplate

Health regeneration and damage make this chest piece sturdy, while Shark attacks inflict a damaging bleed.

Defense: 7
Piece Effects: +5% damage
+0.25 health regen
Set Bonus: Successful attacks bleed the target for 40 damage over 4 seconds
You gain temporary movement speed and damage for every enemy bled recently
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Chestplate, 4 Shark Scales, 4 Wool at the Demonic Anvil

Shark Boots

Swim faster and move faster; the Shark set also bleeds enemies and grants temporary combat boosts.

Defense: 4
Piece Effects: +5% movement speed
+100% swim speed
Set Bonus: Successful attacks bleed the target for 40 damage over 4 seconds
You gain temporary movement speed and damage for every enemy bled recently
Materials or Source: 1 Iron Boots, 1 Fins, 3 Wool at the Demonic Anvil

Spider Helmet

This summoner helmet adds a summon slot, while the Spider set poisons foes and prevents slowing.

Defense: 1
Piece Effects: +1 max summons
Set Bonus: +1 max summons
Attacks poison target for 10 damage over 5 seconds
Grants immunity to slows
Materials or Source: 7 Cave Spider Gland at the Iron Anvil

Spider Chestplate

Reduced knockback helps you hold position, and the Spider set adds poison and slow immunity.

Defense: 3
Piece Effects: Reduces knockback
Set Bonus: +1 max summons
Attacks poison target for 10 damage over 5 seconds
Grants immunity to slows
Materials or Source: 10 Cave Spider Gland at the Iron Anvil

Spider Boots

Summons move faster and you gain movement speed; the full Spider set also poisons and resists slows.

Defense: 2
Piece Effects: +10% movement speed
+20% summons speed
Set Bonus: +1 max summons
Attacks poison target for 10 damage over 5 seconds
Grants immunity to slows
Materials or Source: 4 Cave Spider Gland at the Iron Anvil

Frost Helmet

A melee-focused Frost headpiece that adds damage and lets matching-set melee hits slow and wound foes.

Defense: 5
Piece Effects: +10% melee damage
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Melee attacks slows and damages the target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hood: +10% crit chance, +15% projectile velocity
With Hat: +10% magic crit chance, +60 max mana
Materials or Source: 12 Frost Shard at the Iron Anvil

Frost Hood

Ranged users gain damage from this hood, with the Frost Hood set path adding crit chance and projectile speed.

Defense: 4
Piece Effects: +10% ranged damage
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Melee attacks slows and damages the target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hood: +10% crit chance, +15% projectile velocity
With Hat: +10% magic crit chance, +60 max mana
Materials or Source: 12 Frost Shard at the Iron Anvil

Frost Hat

This caster hat improves magic damage and mana recovery, with the matching set adding magic crit chance.

Defense: 3
Piece Effects: +10% magic damage
+50% mana regen
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Melee attacks slows and damages the target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hood: +10% crit chance, +15% projectile velocity
With Hat: +10% magic crit chance, +60 max mana
Materials or Source: 12 Frost Shard at the Iron Anvil

Frost Chestplate

Faster attacks are its standout stat; Frost headwear also unlocks class-specific set effects.

Defense: 7
Piece Effects: +10% attack speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Melee attacks slows and damages the target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hood: +10% crit chance, +15% projectile velocity
With Hat: +10% magic crit chance, +60 max mana
Materials or Source: 16 Frost Shard at the Iron Anvil

Frost Boots

Extra movement speed helps reposition, while Frost headwear selects melee, ranged, or magic set bonuses.

Defense: 4
Piece Effects: +10% movement speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: Melee attacks slows and damages the target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hood: +10% crit chance, +15% projectile velocity
With Hat: +10% magic crit chance, +60 max mana
Materials or Source: 8 Frost Shard at the Iron Anvil

Demonic Helmet

The Demonic set trades 10% of your health for a short burst of damage, critical chance, and speed.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: Press action button to sacrifice 10% of your max health
Grants a buff of +15% damage +15% crit chance and +15% movement speed for 8 seconds
Materials or Source: 12 Demonic Bar, 1 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Demonic Chestplate

Pair this chest armor with Demonic pieces to spend health for an eight-second combat boost.

Defense: 7
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: Press action button to sacrifice 10% of your max health
Grants a buff of +15% damage +15% crit chance and +15% movement speed for 8 seconds
Materials or Source: 16 Demonic Bar, 1 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Demonic Boots

These boots complete a set that can sacrifice health for extra damage, crit chance, and movement speed.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: -
Set Bonus: Press action button to sacrifice 10% of your max health
Grants a buff of +15% damage +15% crit chance and +15% movement speed for 8 seconds
Materials or Source: 8 Demonic Bar, 1 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Void Hat

A mana-focused hat with crit and magic attack speed; the Void set also grants a quick movement burst.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: +10% crit chance
+75% mana regen
+10% magic attack speed
Set Bonus: With Hat: +100 max mana
With Mask: +1 max summons
With Either: Press V to gain a burst of movement speed (30-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 12 Wool, 4 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Void Mask

This mask adds a summon slot and summon speed, with another slot available from the full set.

Defense: 2
Piece Effects: +1 max summons
+20% summons speed
Set Bonus: With Hat: +100 max mana
With Mask: +1 max summons
With Either: Press V to gain a burst of movement speed (30-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 12 Wool, 4 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Void Robe

A flexible robe with a damage bonus; Void headwear adds mana or summons depending on the piece.

Defense: 7
Piece Effects: +5% damage
Set Bonus: With Hat: +100 max mana
With Mask: +1 max summons
With Either: Press V to gain a burst of movement speed (30-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 16 Wool, 6 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Void Boots

Fast movement is the key bonus here, and either Void headpiece unlocks a burst of speed on V.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: With Hat: +100 max mana
With Mask: +1 max summons
With Either: Press V to gain a burst of movement speed (30-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 8 Wool, 3 Void Shard at the Demonic Anvil

Thief's Cowl

The Cowl improves ranged attack speed and crits, while the Thief set can steal coins and throw them.

Defense: 5
Piece Effects: +5% crit chance
+5% ranged attack speed
Set Bonus: You have a chance to steal coins from enemies on hit
Press V to throw a handful of coins at enemies
25 coins thrown (15-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 1 Gold Helmet, 2 Void Shard, 2 Sapphire at the Demonic Anvil

Thief's Cloak

Ranged damage is boosted by this cloak; Thief attacks may steal coins for the set’s coin toss.

Defense: 7
Piece Effects: +5% ranged damage
Set Bonus: You have a chance to steal coins from enemies on hit
Press V to throw a handful of coins at enemies
25 coins thrown (15-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 1 Gold Chestplate, 3 Void Shard, 100 Coins at the Demonic Anvil

Thief's Boots

These boots add movement speed, and the Thief set can steal coins when you hit enemies.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: You have a chance to steal coins from enemies on hit
Press V to throw a handful of coins at enemies
25 coins thrown (15-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 1 Gold Boots, 75 Coins, 1 Sapphire at the Demonic Anvil

Bloodplate Cowl

Taking a hit doubles this set’s health regeneration briefly, and the Cowl adds a small regen bonus.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: +0.15 health regen
Set Bonus: After taking damage, your health regen is doubled for 4 seconds
Materials or Source: 14 Demonic Bar, 8 Bat Wing at the Demonic Anvil

Bloodplate Chestplate

The chest piece has the set’s largest passive health-regeneration boost and doubles regen after damage.

Defense: 8
Piece Effects: +0.3 health regen
Set Bonus: After taking damage, your health regen is doubled for 4 seconds
Materials or Source: 18 Demonic Bar, 10 Bat Wing at the Demonic Anvil

Bloodplate Boots

Movement speed and health regeneration make these useful for sustain; damage taken briefly doubles regen.

Defense: 5
Piece Effects: +10% movement speed
+0.15 health regen
Set Bonus: After taking damage, your health regen is doubled for 4 seconds
Materials or Source: 10 Demonic Bar, 6 Bat Wing at the Demonic Anvil

Arachnid Helmet

An extra summon and faster summon attacks pair with the set’s bonus spider for every three slots used.

Defense: 1
Piece Effects: +1 max summons
+5% summon attack speed
Set Bonus: +1 max summons
Spawns an additional spider summon for every third summon slot used
Materials or Source: 1 Spider Helmet, 2 Frost Shard, 1 Royal Egg at the Demonic Anvil

Arachnid Chestplate

Summon damage comes with increased knockback taken; the full set creates extra spiders from used slots.

Defense: 7
Piece Effects: +10% summon damage
+50% incoming knockback
Set Bonus: +1 max summons
Spawns an additional spider summon for every third summon slot used
Materials or Source: 1 Spider Chestplate, 4 Frost Shard, 2 Cave Spider Gland at the Demonic Anvil

Arachnid Legs

These legs speed movement and summons, while the Arachnid set can add spiders as summon slots fill.

Defense: 4
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
+25% summon speed
Set Bonus: +1 max summons
Spawns an additional spider summon for every third summon slot used
Materials or Source: 1 Spider Boots, 2 Frost Shard, 1 Cave Spider Gland at the Demonic Anvil

Stealth Basket

Stand still for two seconds to turn invisible; this unusual armor piece drops from a Suspicious Basket.

Defense: 5
Piece Effects: Stand completely still for 2 seconds to become invisible!
Set Bonus: -
Materials or Source: Dropped by a Suspicious Basket.

Runic Helmet

Melee damage and crits lead this Runic variant; its headpiece can also trade mana for a rapid damage surge.

Defense: 11
Piece Effects: +5% melee damage
+10% melee crit chance
Set Bonus: With Helmet, Hood, or Crown: +100% mana regen, +10% attack speed, press V to rapidly gain damage output while mana drains
With Hat: +100 max mana, +50% life essence gain chance, press V to gain 3 life essence orbs (60-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 12 Runestone, 8 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Runic Hood

Projectile speed and ranged crits suit this hood, while the Runic set can spend mana for a damage burst.

Defense: 11
Piece Effects: +10% ranged crit chance
+15% projectile velocity
Set Bonus: With Helmet, Hood, or Crown: +100% mana regen, +10% attack speed, press V to rapidly gain damage output while mana drains
With Hat: +100 max mana, +50% life essence gain chance, press V to gain 3 life essence orbs (60-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 10 Runestone, 10 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Runic Hat

Life essence drops more often with this hat, and the Runic Hat set bonus can create three essence orbs.

Defense: 9
Piece Effects: +10% magic crit chance
+100% life essence gain chance
Set Bonus: With Helmet, Hood, or Crown: +100% mana regen, +10% attack speed, press V to rapidly gain damage output while mana drains
With Hat: +100 max mana, +50% life essence gain chance, press V to gain 3 life essence orbs (60-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 8 Runestone, 12 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Runic Crown

This crown adds a summon slot and summon crit chance; the Runic Hat bonus can also generate life essence.

Defense: 2
Piece Effects: +10% summon crit chance
+1 max summons
Set Bonus: With Helmet, Hood, or Crown: +100% mana regen, +10% attack speed, press V to rapidly gain damage output while mana drains
With Hat: +100 max mana, +50% life essence gain chance, press V to gain 3 life essence orbs (60-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 9 Runestone, 11 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Runic Chestplate

A balanced Runic chest piece with crit chance and speed, supporting the set’s mana-powered attack ability.

Defense: 11
Piece Effects: +5% crit chance
+5% movement speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet, Hood, or Crown: +100% mana regen, +10% attack speed, press V to rapidly gain damage output while mana drains
With Hat: +100 max mana, +50% life essence gain chance, press V to gain 3 life essence orbs (60-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 15 Runestone, 9 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Runic Boots

These boots improve movement, and Runic headgear can unlock a powerful mana-draining attack burst.

Defense: 6
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet, Hood, or Crown: +100% mana regen, +10% attack speed, press V to rapidly gain damage output while mana drains
With Hat: +100 max mana, +50% life essence gain chance, press V to gain 3 life essence orbs (60-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 8 Runestone, 6 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Pharaoh's Headdress

Magic damage comes with higher mana use; the Pharaoh set periodically sends explosive locusts at enemies.

Defense: 10
Piece Effects: +10% magic damage
+10% mana usage
Set Bonus: Periodically spawn locusts that explode on impact with enemies
Spending 75 mana will also cause a locust to spawn
Materials or Source: 1 Runic Hood, 1 Cloth Hat, 2 Amethyst at the Demonic Anvil

Pharaoh's Robe

This robe speeds attacks, while the Pharaoh set creates explosive locusts and triggers one after mana spending.

Defense: 14
Piece Effects: +5% attack speed
Set Bonus: Periodically spawn locusts that explode on impact with enemies
Spending 75 mana will also cause a locust to spawn
Materials or Source: 1 Runic Chestplate, 1 Cloth Robe, 6 Cloth Scraps at the Demonic Anvil

Pharaoh's Sandals

Movement speed is the Sandals’ draw; Pharaoh pieces add locust explosions as you fight and cast.

Defense: 10
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: Periodically spawn locusts that explode on impact with enemies
Spending 75 mana will also cause a locust to spawn
Materials or Source: 1 Runic Boots, 1 Cloth Boots, 2 Gold Bar at the Demonic Anvil

Ivy Helmet

Melee speed and crits pair with a resilience bonus; Ivy headwear can also drop poison when you are hit.

Defense: 16
Piece Effects: +10% melee attack speed
+10% crit chance
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +20 max resilience, being hit drops a poisonous goo
With Hood: Attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hat: +150 max mana, attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Circlet: +1 max summons, while in combat, occasionally spawn a poison slime
Materials or Source: 12 Ivy Bar, 6 Swamp Sludge at the Demonic Anvil

Ivy Hood

Ranged speed and projectile velocity distinguish this hood, and its set path poisons targets on attack.

Defense: 11
Piece Effects: +10% ranged attack speed
+20% projectile velocity
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +20 max resilience, being hit drops a poisonous goo
With Hood: Attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hat: +150 max mana, attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Circlet: +1 max summons, while in combat, occasionally spawn a poison slime
Materials or Source: 12 Ivy Bar, 6 Swamp Sludge at the Demonic Anvil

Ivy Hat

Fast mana recovery and magic attacks pair with an Ivy bonus that poisons enemies you strike.

Defense: 10
Piece Effects: +100% mana regen
+15% magic attack speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +20 max resilience, being hit drops a poisonous goo
With Hood: Attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hat: +150 max mana, attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Circlet: +1 max summons, while in combat, occasionally spawn a poison slime
Materials or Source: 12 Ivy Bar, 6 Swamp Sludge at the Demonic Anvil

Ivy Circlet

A summon slot and faster summons make this circlet useful for summoners; Ivy can spawn a poison slime in combat.

Defense: 2
Piece Effects: +1 max summons
+20% summons speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +20 max resilience, being hit drops a poisonous goo
With Hood: Attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hat: +150 max mana, attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Circlet: +1 max summons, while in combat, occasionally spawn a poison slime
Materials or Source: 12 Ivy Bar, 6 Swamp Sludge at the Demonic Anvil

Ivy Chestplate

This chest piece gives a general damage boost and contributes to Ivy’s poison-focused set effects.

Defense: 15
Piece Effects: +5% damage
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +20 max resilience, being hit drops a poisonous goo
With Hood: Attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hat: +150 max mana, attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Circlet: +1 max summons, while in combat, occasionally spawn a poison slime
Materials or Source: 16 Ivy Bar, 8 Swamp Sludge at the Demonic Anvil

Ivy Boots

Ivy boots increase movement speed, while the full set can add a poison slime during combat.

Defense: 10
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +20 max resilience, being hit drops a poisonous goo
With Hood: Attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Hat: +150 max mana, attacks poison target for 15 damage over 5 seconds
With Circlet: +1 max summons, while in combat, occasionally spawn a poison slime
Materials or Source: 8 Ivy Bar, 4 Swamp Sludge at the Demonic Anvil

Quartz Helmet

Attack speed and crit chance suit direct combat; Quartz also grants a speed burst after you are hit.

Defense: 18
Piece Effects: +10% attack speed
+5% crit chance
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +10 max resilience
With Crown: +1 max summons
With Any: Get a burst of movement speed after being hit (10-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 12 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Quartz Crown

Summoners gain an extra slot from this crown, and Quartz can trigger a movement burst after damage.

Defense: 4
Piece Effects: +1 max summons
+20% summons speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +10 max resilience
With Crown: +1 max summons
With Any: Get a burst of movement speed after being hit (10-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 12 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Quartz Chestplate

A broad damage bonus makes this Quartz piece versatile; the set’s speed burst triggers when hit.

Defense: 18
Piece Effects: +5% damage
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +10 max resilience
With Crown: +1 max summons
With Any: Get a burst of movement speed after being hit (10-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 16 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Quartz Boots

These boots improve movement, and any Quartz piece can trigger a short speed burst after a hit.

Defense: 12
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: With Helmet: +10 max resilience
With Crown: +1 max summons
With Any: Get a burst of movement speed after being hit (10-second cooldown)
Materials or Source: 8 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Gunslinger Hat

Ranged crit chance supports this hat’s six-shot ability, which fires bullets at nearby enemies.

Defense: 13
Piece Effects: +10% ranged crit chance
Set Bonus: Press V to rapidly shoot 6 bullets at surrounding enemies
Materials or Source: 10 Leather, 10 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Gunslinger Vest

The Vest boosts ranged attack speed, while the set lets you fire six bullets around you on V.

Defense: 18
Piece Effects: +5% ranged attack speed
Set Bonus: Press V to rapidly shoot 6 bullets at surrounding enemies
Materials or Source: 12 Leather, 14 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Gunslinger Boots

Movement speed and projectile velocity aid ranged combat; the Gunslinger set fires six nearby shots.

Defense: 12
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
+20% projectile velocity
Set Bonus: Press V to rapidly shoot 6 bullets at surrounding enemies
Materials or Source: 8 Leather, 6 Quartz at the Demonic Anvil

Witch Hat

A strong caster-summoner mix with faster mana recovery and an extra summon; hits can summon a slowing zombie.

Defense: 12
Piece Effects: +100% mana regen
+15% magic attack speed
+15% summon attack speed
+1 max summons
Set Bonus: +150 max mana
Being hit sometimes slows the attacker and spawns a charging baby crawling zombie
Materials or Source: Dropped by the Evil Witch or bought from the Friendly Witch after defeating the Evil Witch.

Witch Robe

Magic and summon damage both rise with this robe, and the Witch set can punish attackers with a zombie.

Defense: 14
Piece Effects: +5% magic damage
+5% summon damage
Set Bonus: +150 max mana
Being hit sometimes slows the attacker and spawns a charging baby crawling zombie
Materials or Source: Dropped by the Evil Witch or bought from the Friendly Witch after defeating the Evil Witch.

Witch Shoes

Witch Shoes improve movement speed; the set also adds mana and may slow attackers who hit you.

Defense: 10
Piece Effects: +15% movement speed
Set Bonus: +150 max mana
Being hit sometimes slows the attacker and spawns a charging baby crawling zombie
Materials or Source: Dropped by the Evil Witch or bought from the Friendly Witch after defeating the Evil Witch.

What Armor Does in Necesse

Armor protects you by reducing the damage you take. Each point of defense cuts incoming damage by 0.5 health, and the defense from every piece you wear adds up to your total protection. Armor only counts when it's equipped in the armor slots, since cosmetic slots are for looks and add no defense.

Many pieces also have their own effects, such as faster movement, bonus damage, or better mana recovery. Those effects work alongside the protection, so many pieces do two jobs at once. That's why it pays to look at both the defense number and the effects before you decide what to wear.

How Armor Set Bonuses Work

Most armor comes as a set: a head piece, a body piece, and a lower piece such as boots, greaves, or sandals. When you wear every piece of a set, you unlock its set bonus, which is an extra effect on top of what each piece does alone. Wearing only some of the pieces won't turn it on, so the bonus is a reason to commit to the whole set.

Many sets have more than one head piece, and the bonus can change depending on which one you wear. The Frost set shows this well. Its helmet slows and damages enemies you hit in melee, its hood adds critical hit chance and faster projectiles, and its hat adds magic critical chance and max mana. Gold works the same way, with a helmet that adds armor and a crown that adds room for one more summon.

Sets also lean toward different ways of fighting. Some favor melee, others ranged weapons, magic, or summons, so the best set usually depends on the weapon you use. Gunslinger pieces push ranged attacks, while Spider pieces lean toward summons. Choosing by your main weapon usually does more for you than chasing the highest defense number.

How to Craft Armor in Necesse

Most armor is crafted at an anvil, and the anvil lists how much of each material a piece needs. The Iron Anvil covers the early pieces, including Leather, Cloth, Copper, Iron, Gold, and the Spider and Frost sets. The Demonic Anvil handles many of the later Cave Tier sets, the Tungsten Anvil makes Deep Cave pieces, and the Fallen Anvil makes Incursion pieces, including Ravenlord and Arcanic.

Many recipes call for bars, such as Copper Bar or Iron Bar, which you make in a forge from ore. If your materials are sitting in a nearby storage box, tick the "Use nearby inventories" box at the bottom left of the crafting window, and the anvil can use them from there.

Some pieces need earlier armor as an ingredient, so you'll often build up to a set in stages. The Arachnid Helmet needs a Spider Helmet, the Cryo Witch Hat needs a Witch Hat, and the Soldier's Helmet is made from an Iron Helmet, a Leather Hood, and a Gold Bar. Frost pieces also need Frost Shard, which you can't find in the forest caves, so you'll need to visit the snow biome for it. Gold is the strongest of the early metal sets, and a full set of it is enough to make that trip.

Upgrading and Enchanting Armor in Necesse

Once Incursions are unlocked, you get an Upgrade Station, where you can tier-upgrade earlier armor. Upgraded pieces can have different values at each tier, so the defense numbers on the cards are the base values before any upgrade. Incursion armor is usually found at Tier 1 or higher, so the pieces you wear may be stronger than the cards show.

You can also enchant armor. The enchanting scroll is used up when you apply it, but a piece's enchantment can be changed as often as you like. The Sturdy enchantment, for example, adds 4 armor, which makes it easy to test a few on the same piece before settling on one.

Getting Armor From Enemies and Bosses in Necesse

Not all armor is crafted. Some sets have to be earned from enemies or bosses, so gathering materials won't get you there. The Witch set drops from the Evil Witch, or you can buy it from the Friendly Witch after defeating the Evil Witch. Aged Champion pieces drop from the Aged Champion, a miniboss in a Deep Swamp Caves sub-biome.

Incursions are temporary late-game areas where you complete an objective to face a boss at the end. Dusk and Dawn armor are boss drops from the Moon Arena and Sun Arena incursions, and bosses can also reward upgraded armor as special rewards. Battle Chef pieces have a chance to drop from the Battle Chef in Incursions, so it may take more than one run.

Which Armor Pieces Matter Most

The best pick depends on how you fight, but a few sets stand out for clear reasons. The Phoenix set is the one to know for survival. Wearing the full set prevents death every five minutes, when a protective egg heals you before exploding in a fiery blast, and its boots also grant fire damage immunity.

The Dusk and Dawn sets change your attacks depending on the time of day. Dusk pieces reshape magic and summon attacks at night, from 19:00 to 7:00. Dawn pieces add burning to melee and ranged attacks during the day, from 7:00 to 19:00, so each set's effects only show up in its own half of the day.

The Witch set is a strong pick for mage builds. Its set bonus adds 150 max mana, and being hit sometimes slows the attacker and spawns a charging baby crawling zombie. Start with the set that suits your main weapon, and let the others come as you reach deeper areas.

FAQ

Is there invisible armor in Necesse?

Yes. The Stealth Basket is a head piece that turns you invisible after you stand completely still for two seconds. It drops from a Suspicious Basket.

What armor keeps you moving while you attack?

The Ninja set does this, since its set bonus removes the movement slowdown that normally comes with attacking. Its pieces drop from Ninjas in Deep Snow Caves. If you don't have that set yet, the Aged Champion Greaves reduce the attack slowdown by 25 percent on their own.

What armor gives the most movement speed?

The Ravenlord's Boots give 40 percent movement speed, the largest boost of any piece. Their set bonus also spawns feathers as you move, and those feathers home in on enemies and deal damage based on how fast you're moving.

What armor has the highest defense?

The Ancient Fossil Chestplate has the highest base defense of any piece, at 34. It also adds 10 percent damage, and the Ancient Fossil set has a skill you trigger by pressing V that gives 100 percent critical hit chance for five seconds on a 60-second cooldown.