Best 7 Days To Die Armor, Ranked

Light now plays a key role in stealth (more than ever), and Zombie light detection has been increased. Movement doesn’t affect stealth too much now, but the sound of players’ footsteps and scavenging activities ramp up with time, raising the stakes the more time they spend rummaging through POIs. Stealth has also received a new interface, and the hearing of certain Zombie animals has been buffed. Watch out for those Dire Wolves and Zom-bears. On the other hand, stealth damage has also received a small nerf, while other playstyles have received modifications as well. Damage mitigation from armor, in general, has been reduced slightly. This hasn’t affected the ranking of best armors but has changed significantly how players should build before setting on a raid for loot.

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One of the things that’s important for players to get to ensure that they at least make it through the first week is getting armor. Where other items like weapons, medical supplies, and food are also necessary, having body armor will help players survive the perils of Navezgane. With the launch of 1.0, 7 Days To Die has added a new armor system with sets specialized for each gameplay style. Here are the best sets to equip based on utility, bonuses, and protection levels.

Updated February 15, 2025, by Lucas Simons: 7 Days to Die meta continues to change, as devs have introduced several fixes, balance patches, and corrections to the game. The latest 1.3 Version has introduced some minor fixes to UI and optimization for Console Users (especially PS5), but previous patches have also tweaked gear balance, armor ratings, and utility in the game. Some of the changes introduced in 1.2 also modified the Zombie behavior patterns, making sleepers even more susceptible to being alerted by less stealth-based builds and making light effects alert them even more. This makes some of the stealth-based armor sets more important during the early stages of the game, and the combat-focused and utility sets shine more during the later stages of the game. Preacher and Nerd armor are becoming the meta picks for late stages, with Enforcer and Commando following up closely. Meanwhile, Rogue and Assassin sets have been relegated to early stages, as they are becoming less useful as the world tier spikes up and zombies become more and more powerful.

8

Athletic Set (Light Armor)

Has Become PvP Meta, But Less Useful For PvE

• Head Bonus: Food, drinks, and drugs cost less from traders and vending machines. (2% – 20%)
• Body Bonus: Increases max health. (2-20)
• Gloves Bonus: Increases max stamina. (5-50)
• Boots Bonus: Increases run speed. (2% – 20%)
• Full Set Bonus: The character requires less food and water – water/food levels descend at a slower rate. (10% – 60%)

One of the most critical things about PvP servers is the scarcity of resources, and with that in mind, having less and less food as the days pass can be quite harsh for players. That’s where the Athletic Set, with its bonuses to food and water consumption and better trading prices for food and drink items, comes into play. Most players like to go for less protective armor with more utility (Enforcer, Commando, Farmer) due to the higher need for resource management on servers shared with other players constantly doing power farming.

Even completing quests for traders can become a problem when roaming bands of players or campers threaten to steal all the loot. But ever since Armor 1.0 was implemented, this set has two bonuses that put it a notch above all others in terms of mobility, and that is the Stamina and Movement Speed combo boost from Gloves and Boots. Some players like to combine different pieces of armor to get a better build, and Athletic Gloves and Boots are top picks for them.

7

Rogue Set (Light Armor)

One Of The Best Early Game Armor Sets

• Head Bonus: Loot Stage Bonus (2% – 20%)
• Body Bonus: Noise Reduction + Crouch Speed (2% – 20%)
• Gloves Bonus: Lockpick Speed + Break Chance Reduction (2% – 20%)
• Boots Bonus: Safe Fall Distance Increase (1 m – 6 m)
• Full Set Bonus: Cash + Dukes Found In Loot Increase (5% – 30%)

The Rogue armor set is arguably the best early game set, with access to many great bonuses to avoid being detected and sneaking while looting, and also a focus on increasing loot gained and boosting chances to open strongboxes and locked containers. The Loot Stage bonus is one of the best in the game (alongside the Scavenger Set), and it directly influences the quality of the items players in containers.

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Finally, for those occasions where players need to run, the Safe Fall Distance Increase combines perfectly with the Acrobatics perk from the Agility stat sheet, ensuring they can avoid breaking their legs or getting a sprain when running away from high-tier danger zones. Now, the bonus to Noise Reduction has doubled scales depending on the Perks invested in the Agility Attribute instead of scaling on the base noise reduction. This improves stealth efficiency slightly, and movement doesn’t affect Zombie hearing as much as before. On the other hand, sleeper enemies have become more sensitive to light effects and noises, and this makes stealth really important during early games. The downside is that this armor doesn’t age well as the world tier climbs (past day 49) and Zombies become more powerful. At that point, Light Armor/Medium Armor players should switch to Enforcer, Preacher, or Commando sets.

6

Assassins Set (Medium Armor)

Lots Of Stealth Bonuses, Great At Early Game

• Head Bonus: Sneak Damage Increase (10 % – 60 %)
• Body Bonus: Sneak Effectiveness (2% – 20%)
• Gloves Bonus: Knife Attack Speed + Pistol Reload Speed (2% – 20%)
• Boots Bonus: Noise Reduction (100% In all tiers)
• Full Set Bonus: Enemy Search Time Reduction (15% – 99%)

The Assassin set is the best investment in the mid-stages, more so if players are using an Agility build that relies on Sneak Attacks and Sneak Effectiveness. Every bonus is directed to turn their characters into a lethal stealth killer and is especially useful for Infected Clearing missions where they need to eliminate several strong zombies. With the latest patches, sneak effectiveness has been tweaked considerably, more so now that Noise and Light affect stealth properly. Having this set in the earlier stages of the game makes stealth play meaningful since characters are still weak (do not have as many perks and ability boosts as in later stages), and looting becomes a tense situation where sleepers can wake and swarm careless players in no time.

This set is no longer as effective as before in making players constantly invisible, but the Search Time reduction is still effective. Only that the overall search time of enemies has been increased considerably. Still, once players are at a safe distance and crouch, a timer will activate, and the zombies will lose track of them at a faster rate than normally when equipped with this set. Tier 6 is still powerful enough to make them lose track faster than any other set. The Sneak Attack Cooldown will also be refreshed once players “disappear,” allowing them to effectively Sneak Attack several times in a row from a safe distance using this tactic. Since noise has been tweaked a lot, a Silencer for firearms is a must to prevent zombies from finding the player’s whereabouts.

5

Raider Set (Heavy Armor)

The Strongest Armor For Defense In The Game

• Head Bonus: Stun Resistance (10% – 100%)
• Body Bonus: Critical Wounds Heal Speed (5 % – 50 %)
• Gloves Bonus: Melee Damage Increase (10 % – 50 %)
• Boots Bonus: Safe Fall Distance Increase (1 m – 6 m)
• Full Set Bonus: Critical Damage Resistance (20 % – 45 %)

The tank set by excellence, with the Raider heavy armor, players won’t have to worry about being hurt, and they’ll be able to clear out hundreds of zombies at melee range using bats, batons, or even their fists. Combining its intrinsic damage reduction (the highest of all Heavy Armor sets) with its Stun Resistance and Critical Damage Resistance, this set can turn every player into a zombie-killing machine.

The ideal build to accompany this is a mixture of Fortitude perks like Healing Factor, Pain Tolerance, And Rule 1: Cardio, with the Heavy Armor from the Strength attribute sheet. With this, players don’t have to worry about the Blood Moon; they just need to hit hard and laugh in their zombified faces. With all things considered, this build is optimal for base defense situations, and players could take advantage of certain buff items like Fortibites or Beer to rampage at melee range using Knuckle weapons or Bats. It depends on their playstyle, but this armor offers a nice tradeoff of less stamina for more defense.

4

Commando Set (Medium Armor)

The Best Medium Armor Set For Combat

• Head Bonus: Stun Resistance (2% – 20%)
• Body Bonus: Critical Wounds Heal Time Reduction (2% – 20%)
• Gloves Bonus: Ranged Damage (5 % – 50 %)
• Boots Bonus: Maximum Run Speed (2% – 20%)
• Full Set Bonus: Healing Item Use Speed (5 % – 50 %)

The Commando Set is all about engaging, resisting, and running from crowded spaces. The ideal set to fend off waves during Blood Moons with ranged weapons. It combines greatly with the Fortitude attribute perk tree, especially with the Machine Gunner perk. Additionally, this set becomes some sort of support set thanks to its Healing Item Use speed bonus, since this also means players can heal their allies faster.

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Critical wounds cease to be a concern in the middle of a wave or even going against enemy players since combining the Commando Set with the Healing Factor (Fortitude) and Physician (Intelligence) perks, players can reach 80-90% healing time reduction. On that note, it is important to mention that these properties make this set a must-have in every balanced team trying to defend a base. Thanks to its synergies with the Urban Combat and The Great Heist Perk books, it has become a meta pick in PvP servers. Players able to take cover and heal faster are often more successful and able to survive encounters with enemy players than those who use other meta armor sets focused on damage or defense.

3

Enforcer Set (Light Armor)

A Reliable Option For Multi-Tasking

• Head Bonus: Improves buying and selling prices by 2-20 %
• Body Bonus: Increases resistance to critical injuries by 5-40 %
• Gloves Bonus: Vehicles use 2-20 % less fuel
• Boots Bonus: Increases sprint speed by 2-20 %
• Full Set Bonus: .44 Weapons (and Ammo) do 5-50 % more damage, and the .44 Magnum and Desert Vulture reload 5-50 % faster.

The Enforcer Set is a great choice for those who love to wield Magnums and Desert Vultures and shred zombie heads like a professional hitman. Its boost to movement speed makes players even more nimble and able to escape hordes easier, while the Injury resistances guarantees that even in the few cases where they’re caught off guard, they won’t be mauled and overwhelmed on the first hit from a stealthy enemy coming from behind.

The Head bonus, which increases barter prices, is also great for scaling up by buying and selling materials, and the fuel reduction for vehicles permits players to move from one trader to the other more often and with less vehicle maintenance cost. Finally, that full set bonus pairs nicely with any Agility Build focused on pistols, more so if players have unlocked the Pistol Pete complete set of Skill books. Magnums may be noisy, but with this set, players won’t be concerned about making noise. It’s the Zombies who should be running from the sound of a Magnum Enforcer approaching.

2

Preacher Set (Light Armor)

The Best Of The Light Armor

• Head Bonus: Buy Prices Discount (2% – 20%)
• Body Bonus: Zombie Damage Resist (2% – 20%)
• Gloves Bonus: Damage Caused to Zombies (10 % – 60 %)
• Boots Bonus: Wounds Treatment Time Reduction (2% – 20%)
• Full Set Bonus: Critical Wounds Resistance (5% – 40%)

The Preacher Set is one of the best armor sets in the game. It is not only useful for combat purposes since it increases the damage caused to zombies, but it also provides bonuses to bargaining, reduces damage from zombies, and decreases the time the character needs to heal from critical wounds when treated. It’s an overall great set for all purposes and stages of the game since the extra damage caused to Zombies and reduction of incoming damage will always come in handy, especially during the Blood Moons.

Since it’s light armor, it doesn’t offer too much protection against explosions or acid, so watch out for Vultures, Zombie Cops, and Demolishers. Since this set has a lot of mitigation, it is important to mention that base mitigation has been nerfed slightly, and Zombie damage and block damage have been improved a bit. This might affect how players who use the Preacher set play, so watch out for that extra damage.

1

Nerd Set (Heavy Armor)

The Best Utility, Increased Exp, And Fast Learning

• Head Bonus: Experience Gain (2 % – 20 %)
• Body Bonus: Chance Of Extra Point From Magazines (5 % – 50 %)
• Gloves Bonus: Stun Baton Damage (10 % – 50 %)
• Boots Bonus: Safe Fall Distance Increase (1 m – 6 m)
• Full Set Bonus: Weapon/Tool Degradation Decrease (20 % – 45 %)

The best Heavy Set for Intelligence attribute builds, with an emphasis on leveling up fast and acquiring recipes even faster. This high protection set is clunky and offers more damage reduction than others, but its true charm resides in the powerful 50 % (At Tier 6) damage boost to the Stun Baton, a weapon that became tremendously OP since the A21 version and is arguably the best melee weapon in the game.

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Combine a good Stun Baton with the correct mods, like Repulsor, and the effect from Nerd Tats (Candy Sold In Vending Machine) to get a powerful electric area blast that will blast away any zombie in the game. Plus, it is really fun to play.

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Released

December 13, 2013

Developer(s)

The Fun Pimps

OpenCritic Rating

Weak