Poise is a crucial stat inElden Ring. It keeps you from getting staggered by enemy hits, allowing you to take favorable trades in combat and avoid getting stunlocked. Unsurprisingly, armor sets with high Poise values tend to be quite heavy, so they will often be restricted to characters with a lot of levels in Endurance, or are willing to boost their maximum Equip Load by other means.
However, they also tend to provide some of the best defenses in the game. Let’s take a stroll through the Lands Between and find the sets you need if you’re looking to become the toughest Tarnished around.
72
41.6
In theory, you’re able to get theBeast Champion Setextremely early in the game by killing Knight Bernahl in the Warmaster’s Shack. Choosing to do so will give you a set with exceptionally high Poise right out of the gate, long before you could access any of the other options on this list.
Of course, it will also mean you miss out on the rewards from Bernahl’s questline. However, if you wait, Bernahl will eventually leave the Shack and move to Volcano Manor, at which point he can’t be attacked. Your next opportunity to get the set will arise if you defeat his invading phantom in Crumbling Farum Azula, which would actually make it the last set on this list you find.
The version of theBanished Knight Setthat is relevant to this list isn’t the one you’ll find worn by Banished Knights early on in your playthrough. You’ll only reach 72 poise if you’re wearing the altered versions of the chest piece (the unaltered helm both looks cooler and has better stats, but the poise isn’t changed), which drops from a pair of spectral Banished Knights in Castle Sol.
Of course, the basic version only has one less poise, so it may not be worth the effort farming those late-game enemies. It is also worth noting that this set is tied with Lionel’s Set for the highest Slash Resistance, providing excellent protection againstbosses like Malenia and Morgott, along with many popular PvP weapons.
Arguably the most stylish armor set on this list, theGeneral Radahn Setis worn by one of Elden Ring’s most badass characters,Starscourge Radahn. It’s a solid set overall, and is particularly strong against Bleed and Frostbite, tying Lionel’s Set from much later on this list for the highest Robustness.
The set can be bought from Enia at the Roundtable Hold after you defeat the General in Caelid. Unfortunately, it will cost you an extortionate 36,000 runes, which is a hefty price even as you near the end of the game, so you’ll have to really want it compared to better alternatives.
80
45
The first three sets on this list have all had identical Poise, but the Veteran’s set is where the numbers really start to ramp up. Aside from Poise, it doesn’t excel in any particular area, but that alone is enough to make it worth considering.
Like the Radahn Set, theVeteran’s Setis acquired by killing a boss (in this case Commander Niall, in Castle Sol) and purchasing the armor from Enia at the Roundtable Hold. However, at just 18,000 Runes, it’s much more cost-efficient than Radahn’s Set despite the boss it’s associated with appearing far later in the game.
82
It’s important to note that this is not theMalformed Dragon Set, worn by the Draconic Tree Sentinels, which has surprisingly poor Poise at just 67. Rather, it belongs to the regular Tree Sentinals, like the one that probably killed you when you stepped into Limgrave for the first time.
It’s a solid armor set, with particularly high Holy defense, second to the Crucible Tree Set by an extremely narrow margin. Unfortunately, theTree Sentinel Setmight be the most difficult entry on this list to acquire, as you’ll need to destroy three Chariots in the Auriza Hero’s Grave by forcing them to crash into one another.
86
50.5
This is the set worn by Lionel the Lionhearted, who you will encounter as both an ally when fighting General Radahn and as a foe during Fia’s questline. You can find it on what is presumably his corpse on a bed in Leyndell, Royal Capital (Fia’s followers love their naps), right next to the Lower Capital Church Site of Grace.
In addition to its exceptional Poise, this orb-shaped set provides excellent protection in a number of areas, topping the charts against Pierce and Slash damage along with resistance to Bleed and Frostbite. Apparently, modeling your armor after a woodlouse is actually an effective strategy.
91
55
The signature armor of the loathsome Dung Eater makes up for its revolting appearance with exceptionally high Poise. The Dung Eater appears to you as a phantom on multiple occasions, but his armor set can only be acquired by killing his real body in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
In addition to having high Poise, theOmen Setis tied for the best Lightning resistance with the substantially heavier Bull-Goat Set. It’s also the only armor set on this list with a unique effect, boosting the damage of the Omen Bairn and Regal Omen Bairn items for each piece you’re wearing.
96
58.8
The Fire Prelate Set is notable for having the best Fire defenses in the game, making it a great option against the many enemies in the Lands Between that try to burn you to death. Interestingly, it also has the highest protections against Sleep and Madness, which is relevant in PvP and if you are casting Frenzied Flame Incantations, which cause Madness buildup when used.
Getting this set can be a bit of a pain, though; you’ll need to farm the tough Fire Prelate enemies, and there are only a few of them in the game. They are mostly found in the Mountaintops of the Giants, but if you want to farm for the set earlier, there’s one in Fort Laiedd, Mt. Gelmir, although it only drops the slightly weaker altered version of the chest piece.
100
63
If you have the equip load to wear it, theBull-Goat Setis going to be hands-down your best option in terms of Poise. It also boasts the highest resistances to Standard, Strike, and Lightning damage, and it’s no slouch in other areas either.
The Bull-Goat set is actually relatively easy to get compared to some of the other sets on this list as well, although you likely won’t be able to wear it right away. After reaching Volcano Manor and finishing Lady Tanith’s first quest,Patcheswill ask you to do his dirty work and kill Great Horned Tragoth for him. If you accept the request, Tragoth will drop this set.
