Grounded: The Best Armor Sets

Summary

• Grounded offers various armor sets with unique bonuses for different play styles, offering enhancements to stamina, movement speed, ranged attacks, and more.
• Armor sets range from light to heavy classifications with benefits like health regeneration and increased damage output.
• A player’s best armor set will depend on their situation and combat style, with options like the durable Ladybug armor or stealthy Assassin armor.

Grounded from Obsidian Entertainment is likely the closest fans will ever get to a modern Honey, I Shrunk The Kids game. It’s a large part of why the game has garnered a lot of interest from general gamers as well as the Xbox Game Pass subscriber base. It provides an open sandbox for players to explore in the form of a simple backyard.

Grounded features plenty of crafting, survival, and building options allowing the player to mold the game into whatever they want it to be. Knowing what items are worth investing resources into is important, and armor is a key component of that philosophy. Grounded, the not-quite indie game not-quite AAA title, finally hit its full release in 2022 and will likely see additional updates and content from Obsidian Entertainment in the future.

Updated February 14th, 2025 by Mati Kent-Nye: Trapped in this dangerous land, players will need all the armor they can get their hands on if they’re to survive the constant onslaught of bugs lurking in the Backyard. Gathering it is far from straightforward, however. Players will have to take the fight to the bugs, crafting armor out of the remains of their slain foes. These battles won’t be easy, but with every stronger armor procured players will gain access to new, more dangerous areas of the garden, unraveling further the mysteries of the Backyard. Good luck adventurers!

12

Spider Armor

Tier II

• Medium Armor Classification: 20% damage reduction, 15% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Hunter’s Prowess: Increases stamina regeneration by 25%.
• Piece Effect – Hasty Regen: Lower exhaustion by 5% when running out of stamina.

Sure, the Widow Armor is the best set of arachnid-centric protection in Grounded, but for players not yet ready to take on a Black Widow, there’s an alternate choice. The Tier II Spider Armor is grotesquely dazzling in its own right and is much easier to obtain the crafting materials for. A mix of berry leather, spider parts, and some silk is all that is needed to put it all together.

Though it does give bonuses to poison damage, its real gift to its wearer is a boost in how stamina works. Not only is a 25 percent increase in stamina regeneration given thanks to the Hunter’s Prowess perk, but it also lowers exhaustion by five percent specifically when running out of stamina.

11

Koi Scale Armor

Tier II

• Light Armor Classification: 10% damage reduction, 5% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Dazzling Riposte: Perfect blocks decrease enemy defense by 20% for 10 seconds.
• Piece Effect – +Perfect Block: Increase perfect block timing window by 15 milliseconds.

One of the newer armor sets to find its way into Grounded is one built on the body parts of dead fish, Koi fish specifically. The Koi Scale Armor is a Tier II armor set that is made mostly of eelgrass, lilypads, bones, and Koi fish parts.

At first glance, the assumption would be that in addition to the resistance and defensive bonuses, it would aid with water-related activities, but that’s not the case. Koi Scale Armor improves blocking, parrying, and riposte in combat. So players who enjoy approaching confrontation from a give-and-take perspective will get the most out of this white, orange, and black-speckled set of armor.

10

Bee Armor

Tier II

• Light Armor Classification: 10% damage reduction, 5% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Pollen Shot: Ranged attacks have a 25% chance to release a cloud of pollen that deals 5 Stun.
• Piece Effect – +Bow Stun: Bow/crossbows have a 20% chance to inflict 3 stun.

Irrational or not, a common fear among humans is that of bees and wasps. Those fears become even more upfront and apparent in a game like Grounded where the insects are much larger from a shrunken-down perspective. The game thankfully lets players take control of these fears by crafting armor made of dead bee parts, which can serve as a bit of therapy.

Even those who aren’t looking to take control of their fear of bees will find this Tier II armor worth building if they love ranged combat. All of the bonus effects for the Bee Armor directly improved ranged attacks, which is understandable considering it’s made from a flying insect that requires a bit of luck or range to dispose of.

9

Moth Armor

Tier III

• Light Armor Classification: 10% damage reduction, 5% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Wind Runner: Ranged attacks have a 25% chance to increase the player’s movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds.
• Piece Effect – Ranged Cut: Range weapons have a 30% chance to inflict Bleed.

The fear of spiders or cockroaches is rather common, but these days there are plenty of people who won’t go five feet from a butterfly or moth. Luckily for those people, in Grounded, the developers provide an armor set perfect for players who prefer ranged combat.

Among its various bonuses, the Moth Armor makes it so that ranged attacks have a chance to inflict a bleeding effect. Add in the ability to replenish the player’s stamina bar and/or increase movement speed with each successively landed ranged attack and it becomes a must-own for players who prefer this distance-focused approach to combat.

8

Fire Ant Armor

Tier III

• Medium Armor Classification: 20% damage reduction, 15% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Acidic Splash: Melee attacks have a 10% chance to launch an additional acidic splash that does an extra 25 damage. Can hit targets from any distance. Attacks ignore all enemy defense and resistances.
• Piece Effect – Corrosion: Attacks can weaken enemy defense.

Any kid who went outside barefoot and stepped on a fire ant understands the pain that their tiny mandibles can cause. Now imagine being small enough to cover oneself in armor made of fire ant parts and the vision becomes clear. The Fire Ant armor is meant to break down the enemy through the use of acid.

As a medium armor, players will have to navigate 15% extra stamina usage, while also benefitting from a 20% damage reduction that works alongside the corrosive nature of the set. Fire Ant armor is also a bright red color and happens to be aesthetically pleasing for a piece of clothing made of ant parts.

7

Black Widow Armor

Tier III

• Light Armor Classification: 10% damage reduction, 5% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Death’s Impetus: Killing enemies increases the player’s movement speed by 20% for 10 seconds.
• Piece Effect – +Poison Damage: Melee attacks have a 25% chance to increase the damage of player-dealt Poison attacks by 30%. Does not stack with multiple armor pieces.

Spiders are the toughest challenge in Grounded and serve as a barometer for progress in the game in terms of both personal skill and combat effectiveness. Black Widow armor sounds like something that would be deadly, or at least deadly to the touch. That holds true as this armor set enhances movement speed when killing something while also offering the chance to poison the target when a perfect block is performed.

This means that enemies in Grounded won’t just have a hard time hitting the player, but, in the event that they do, it could easily result in their demise via poisoning. Sure, it’s fitting for something made out of black widow parts, but it gets more horrifying the longer one thinks about it.

6

Fire Strategist Armor

Tier III

• Medium Armor Classification: 20% damage reduction, 15% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Fire Ant Commander: Attacks have a 10% chance to summon a Fire Soldier Ant that will die after 12 seconds.
• Piece Effect – +Summon Crit: Friendly summon critical hit chance increases by 15%.

The Fire Strategist Armor can make all the difference in battle for some players as it gives them a chance to summon a friendly Fire Soldier Ant that will deal additional damage to enemies. This can be particularly useful against bosses or stronger enemies as it not only dishes out damage but also provides another source of aggro for a 12-second period of time, giving players a chance to heal up or change positions without the worry of being downed by the enemy.

Procuring this armor isn’t the easiest. Players must delve into the depths of the Fire Anthill, battling through hordes of Fire Ants to find their elusive queen. Only once the queen has been killed by being fed a Poison or Infected Toejam Sandwich will the recipe for this armor be unlocked.

5

Antlion Armor

Tier III

• Medium Armor Classification: 20% damage reduction, 15% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Quickdraw: Increases the reload speed of Crossbows and Bows for 3 seconds after ranged attacks.
• Piece Effect – Sizzle Protection: Various % increases to sizzle resistance depending on the armor piece.

When considering what armor set one should go for in Grounded, several factors come to mind. The beauty of the Antlion Armor is that it isn’t just a Tier III set of protection, but visually it makes the player take on a desperado cowboy style of look.

Thematically this makes sense since it comes with perks that reduce dehydration rates, which is something a cowboy or desert traveler would appreciate. Anyone looking to roleplay as an outlaw in the world of Grounded while still getting plenty of defense and resistance should go out of their way to make this top-tier set of armor. It doesn’t come easy, though, as crafting it will take plenty of resources.

4

Assassin Armor

Tier III

• Light Armor Classification: 10% damage reduction, 5% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Critical Chain: Performing a critical hit increases the chance of performing another critical hit by 2.5% for 10 seconds.
• Piece Effect – Cutman: 50% chance to inflict Bleed on critical hits.

Every job doesn’t need a battering ram, and anybody who’s played the original Assassin’s Creed or Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell games knows that stealth can sometimes be the best option. It may seem odd to have an armor set in Grounded be called Assassin’s Armor, but it’s crafted from Mantis parts, an insect who could be labeled nature’s deadly assassin.

There are plenty of people who lack patience in combat or want to gain an advantage as a fight begins. This armor set provides critical hit bonuses for both chaining together attacks and stunning the target. It also helps that it’s a light armor set, meaning stamina can be prioritized for movement and attacks.

3

Ladybug Armor

Tier II

• Heavy Armor Classification: 30% damage reduction, 25% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Scarlet Embrace: 50% chance to apply health regeneration when blocking an attack, healing 1 health every 2 seconds for 20 seconds.
• Piece Effect – +Block Strength: Increases block gauge by 100 or 200 depending on the armor piece.

A powerful learning moment in Grounded is when players come across a ladybug for the first time. Based on real-world experiences it’s expected that they’re docile, and, if provoked, will run away. Well, it turns out they want all the smoke and, if attacked, will charge at the player like a small bus speeding down the road.

The Ladybug armor set is as durable and strong as one would expect. It really shines when it comes to its armor set bonuses which provide the player with an opportunity to regain health with every successful block made. As with most heavy armor sets, they’re designed for a block-and-strike combat approach.

2

Roly Poly Armor

Tier III

• Heavy Armor Classification: 30% damage reduction, 25% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Taunting Gaze: Increases target favor for the player over other sources of aggression by 50%.
• Piece Effect – Block Stun: Blocking inflicts 3 stun on the attacker.

Roly Poly isn’t a name that screams tough or intimidating, but the armor made from the scraps of these childhood bugs more than does the job. It’s heavy armor, meaning that the 30% damage reduction comes with the tradeoff of expending stamina at an additional usage rate of 25%. That may sound steep because it is, but the 7.5% head/lower body resistance and 15% upper body resistance justify it.

This armor is perfect for the type of player who likes to block incoming attacks and then retaliate when the opening presents itself. Part of finding great armor is understanding which set fits the type of play style the specific player most enjoys implementing.

1

Black Ox Armor

Tier III

• Medium Armor Classification: 20% damage reduction, 15% extra stamina usage.
• Set Bonus – Stunning Charger: Increases the stun of charged attacks by 25.
• Piece Effect – Overbearing: Charge attacks have a 33% chance of lowering enemy attack damage by 20% for 15 seconds.

Finding balance is a key part of determining which sets of armor are generally the best for players, regardless of their preferred play style. The Black Ox armor is of the medium variety, meaning it’s a solid blend of damage reduction and stamina use. The former comes in at 20%, while the latter sits at a cool 15%.

As its name would suggest, players will need to gather a good amount of Black Ox beetle parts from around the yard. Outside of its usefulness in combat, it happens to look the part as it feels reminiscent of the type of armor ancient warriors wore into battle, though they weren’t trying to take down a full-grown ladybug or spider.