The 15 Best Armor For Fighters in D&D 5e [Ranked]

The world of D&D lets adventurers pick and choose between various armors, shields, and defensive trinkets.

However, some armors stand out above the rest, fitting an adventurer’s background, build, flavor and simply giving more useful stats to that character.

In the case of Fighters, their backstories and playstyles have them don any armor fitting their playstyle, as well as use shields if they want some extra AC or if they want to combine it with certain Feats.

Fighters are as strong as they are popular, demanding little to no knowledge about what is “optimal” and allowing players to choose what fits their build. A perfect class for beginners and veterans!

Fighter Armor Proficiency

• Light armor
• Medium armor
• Heavy armor
• Shields

Best Armor for the Fighter in 5e

15. Leather

Armor Class (AC): 11 + Dexterity modifier

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 10 lbs

Cost: 10 GP

Explanation

When you start your journey, and your DM hasn’t given you any magical items, you’ll most likely take Leather armor if you plan on being a Dexterity-based or Rogue-like Fighter.

You’ll get quite a lot out of light armor if you rolled for stats and got high Dexterity. You also don’t have to worry about having disadvantage in stealth.

14. Studded Leather

Armor Class (AC): 12 + Dexterity Modifier

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 13 lbs

Cost: 45 GP

Explanation

Studded Leather is upgraded Leather armor, working best for Dexterity-based Fighter builds.

However, I recommend sticking with Half Plate or Breastplate (if you don’t want disadvantage in stealth) until you reach 20 Dexterity.

13. Chain Mail

Armor Class (AC): 13 + Dexterity modifier (max 2)

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 20 lbs

Cost: 50 GP

Explanation

Fighters who want to don heavy armor should pick up Chain Mail as their starting set.

It’s a suitable substitute until you can afford the insane 1,500 GP cost of Plate armor.

12. Half Plate

Armor Class (AC): 15 + Dexterity modifier (max 2)

Strength: –

Stealth: –

Weight: 6 lbs

Cost: 10 GP

Explanation

As I’ve said earlier, Half Plate works better than Studded Leather until your Dexterity reaches 20.

The only problem Half Plate might pose to a Dexterity-based Fighter would be the disadvantage in stealth, so if you NEED to be stealthy, then just take Studded Leather, even if there’s an AC gap.

11. Cloak of Protection

Rarity – Uncommon (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Gain +1 bonus to AC and saving throws while wearing the cloak.

Explanation

A Cloak of Protection is an easy-to-find AC bonus for Fighters looking to become more tanky.

It works for almost any playstyle, and since it isn’t that rare, DMs often reward their players with it in the early game.

Note: I recommend combining it with the Ring of Protection for a nice +2 bonus to AC and saves, which will keep you alive for quite some time. Just watch out; both pieces require attunement!

10. Plate

Armor Class (AC): 18

Strength: 15

Stealth: Disadvantage

Weight: 65 lbs

Cost: 1500 GP

Explanation

Any Fighter who wants to don heavy armor should end on Plate armor. Its AC is incredible, and when combined with a shield, you’re untouchable by regular enemies.

The Strength requirement means nothing for you as a Fighter since you’ll be building Strength as a heavy armor user anyway.

9. Spellguard Shield

Rarity – Very Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (shield)

Description

Holding this shield gives you advantage on saving throws against spells as well as other magical effects. Spells have disadvantage against you.

Explanation

Spells aren’t widespread in the early game, but come mid-late to late game, you’ll wish you had a Spellguard Shield.

In most cases, your DM won’t gift you the Spellguard Shield for nothing, so you should expect to fight something that has a lot of spell attacks up its sleeve!

8. Shield of the Hidden Lord

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (shield)

Description

The Shield of the Hidden Lord is of celestial origin, serving as a prison for Gargauth, a pit fiend whose mortal followers revere it as a god. 

Gargauth’s evil has warped the shield’s appearance over time, twisting its celestial motif and designs and deforming it into a fiendish face that moves in disturbing ways.

Holding the shield gives you a +2 bonus to AC and resistance to Fire damage.

The shield has various properties like Sentience, Gargauth’s Personality, and Freeing Gargauth.

Explanation

The Shield of the Hidden Lord might not be as useful as other shields on this list, but if you plan on playing an evil Fighter, you should try finding this bad boy.

I would also consider picking up this shield if you intend to travel to an area with a lot of fire and demonic entities. They’ll recognize the inhabitant of the shield and could start some interesting quests/dialogue.

7. Mizzium Armor

Rarity – Rare

Item Type – Armor (heavy or medium, but not hide)

Description

This armor is magically reinforced with the enhanced metal alloy mizzium, made in Izzet foundries. Wearing the armor means any critical hit against you will become a normal hit.

When subjected to magical effects allowing you to make a Strength or Constitution save to only take half damage, you will instead take no damage on a successful save.

Explanation

Mizzium Armor is a lot like Adamantine Armor, only better.

It’ll give you some much-needed defense against those pesky saves and crits enemies usually throw when you’re low HP.

6. Living Armor

Rarity – Very Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (any)

Description

To attune to this armor, you must wear it for the entire attunement period, feeling as the tendrils on the inside burrow into you.

Wearing the armor gives you a +1 bonus to AC and bestows you with resistance to Necrotic, Poison, and Psychic damage types.

Symbiotic Nature – While attuned to you, the armor cannot be removed, and your attunement cannot be voluntarily ended. It can only be ended by a spell that ends the curse, detaching the armor from you.

The armor will require you to feed it fresh blood, and immediately after finishing any long rest, you must take 1 level of exhaustion or feed half of your remaining Hit Dice to the armor (rounded up).

Explanation

Living Armor might not seem that good, but when you realize it gives you resistance to three damage types, especially Poison and Necrotic damage, it can become extremely powerful when used in the right campaign.

Not to mention, getting yourself Living Armor is basically like becoming Venom in D&D, which is awesome!

5. Cloak of Displacement

Rarity – Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing this cloak projects an illusion that makes it look like you’re standing in a place close to your actual location, giving creatures disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Taking damage will stop this function until the start of your next turn. This property is also suppressed while you are restrained, incapacitated, or unable to move.

Explanation

Even as a Dexterity-based Fighter, you’ll probably be fighting in close combat more often than not.

That’s why the disadvantage on attack rolls the Cloak of Displacement gives enemies is invaluable. 

Not only that, but if you have a high AC, you’ll be untouchable by regular enemies.

4. Battering Shield

Rarity – Rare (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (shield)

Description

Holding this iron tower shield grants you a +1 bonus to AC in addition to the shield’s usual AC bonus.

The shield also has 3 charges, regaining 1d3 charges each day at dawn. 

While holding the shield, you may push a creature within your reach at least 5 feet away, expending 1 charge to knock the creature prone, push it an additional 10 feet, or both.

Explanation

The Battering Shield is the perfect shield for a Fighter who wants to make up for AC by using a shield or for a Fighter looking to increase his AC even more.

Its ability to knock enemies prone is an excellent way for the Fighter to keep enemies from getting to the backline or just push them away from their frontline.

3. Efreeti Chain

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armo (chain mail)

Description

Wearing this armor lets you gain a +3 bonus to AC, gives you immunity to Fire damage, and means you understand and speak Primordial. 

You can also stand as well as walk across molten rock like it were solid ground.

Explanation

Efreeti Chain might be the go-to armor for Fighters who want an excessive amount of AC, and when combined with the Battering Shield, things get out of hand.

The immunity to Fire damage is excellent, especially if you plan on venturing through some particularly demonic areas. Still, the ability to speak Primordial might not be too good unless you play a Face Fighter.

2. Belt of Giant Strength

Rarity – Rare, Very Rare, or Legendary (all requiring attunement)

Item Type – Wondrous item

Description

Wearing the belt changes your Strength score with that granted by the belt. Having Strength equal to or greater than that of the belt mitigates any effects of the belt.

Six varieties of the belt exist, corresponding with and having rarity according to the six kinds of true giants.

Explanation

Most Fighters, except for those going Dexterity, will need Strength, and a lot of it.

With the Belt of Giant Strength, you have a chance to get 21 Strength at an early stage in your campaign, meaning you’ll have more points to put into Constitution, Dexterity, or Feats.

Your early game might not go as smoothly, so you’ll still need to have relatively high Strength at the start of the game, but if your DM were to give you the belt, that wouldn’t even be necessary.

1. Armor of Invulnerability

Rarity – Legendary (requiring attunement)

Item Type – Armor (plate)

Description

Gain resistance to nonmagical damage while wearing this armor. You can also use an action to make yourself immune to damage for 10 minutes or until you’re no longer wearing the armor.

Once this special action has been used, it cannot be used again until the break of the next dawn.

Explanation

Physical damage, especially in campaigns with limited magic, will be the most prevalent damage type in your campaign.

The only issue with the Armor of Invulnerability is that it’s a Legendary item, so you’ll only be able to obtain it in the late game, where there’ll be more magic.

However, to counteract this, you can always pick up the Spellguard Shield or a Mantle of Spell Resistance.

Final Thoughts

For the most part, each class in D&D has its most used or beloved armor that is both iconic and functional.

Though some of these armors might not be the best D&D armor overall, they remain the best option for that character at the moment.

A good example would be the choice between a useful cloak or a high AC piece of armor, as both have their uses, but cloaks are better for Fighters that have a lot of abilities, while high AC is better when constantly fighting in melee range.

In the end, whether you decide to take a conventional or unconventional armor, as long as you like it and it fits your playstyle, you should roll with it!