Contrary to popular belief, lightning does strike twice in one place. And in Elden Ring, it strikes more than that, especially if the enemy is a cheating spammer like those late-game dragons. Against such enemies who are intent on turning the Tarnished into lightning rods, it helps to prepare some countermeasures. Armor stands out as the most accessible among these.
Not all armor in Elden Ring is protective, of course. In fact, one might even be surprised that armor sets with the most metal parts make for terrible lightning insulation. That kind of adherence to elementary-level science in Elden Ring doesn't bode well for players who want to protect themselves against one of the most troublesome damage types in the game. Thankfully, these armor sets are good exceptions.
Updated May 30, 2022 by Sid Natividad: Lightning damage has always been one of the most dangerous types in Elden Ring. That's why Elden Ring lightning armor can be a literal life-saver especially when it comes to late-game areas. Because it turns out, the game has more cruel surprises in store involving lightning.
For one, lightning resistance is reduced when the characters are wet. That's why equipping the highest defense armors in Elden Ring along with good lightning resistance stats can be a good countermeasure in some of the most difficult parts of the game. Thus, more lightning armor has been added to the list.
12 Godskin Apostle Set
- Location: At the bottom of the Divine Tower of Caelid in Caelid
- Lightning Defense Value: 27.2
- Physical Defense Value: 13.5
- Poise Value: 5
- Weight: 10.9
It's not the best set for withstanding physical damage nor is it the most stylish, but this psychopath garb made out of human skin is tough against non-physical attacks. It has stellar protection against magic, fire, and even holy attacks. The lightning resistance is also good.
This was made by a cult that directly blasphemes the Golden Order and is out to kill the Demigods. That's why they stack up resistances against some of the Demigods' most favorite attacks. It's also great for annoying other players and reminding them of their ordeals in solo mode.
11 Tree Sentinel Set
- Location: Auriza Hero's Grave after completing the chariot puzzle
- Lightning Defense Value: 41
- Physical Defense Value: 27.4
- Poise Value: 60
- Weight: 45
It's on par for Radahn's armor set when it comes to defense, but one cannot deny the stylish charms of the Tree Sentinel set. It's one of the prettiest armor sets in the game and players even get to see it early on from the second or third boss they encounter.
Turns out it has good stats against lightning. That makes a lot of sense since the knights of the Golden Order or the Erdtree once had dragons on their list of priority enemies. The Dragons' preferred weapon of choice apart from fire, their tails, and claws, would be lightning.
10 Queen Of The Full Moon Set
- Location: Enia in the Roundtable Hold after defeating Rennala in Raya Lucaria Academy
- Lightning Defense Value: 27.7
- Physical Defense Value: 12.3
- Poise Value: 4
- Weight: 11.1
The Queen of the Full Moon set has a ridiculous headpiece and questionable physical defense but all that is excused once players use it against mage enemies or dragons. The Queen of the Full Moon armor boasts one of the most consistently resistant stats in the game.
For that matter, it's no slouch when it comes to protecting its wearer against magic or elemental attacks. Just don't expect to poise through some of the toughest and heaviest lightning attacks in the game. On the plus side, the armor's low weight could allow for the fastest rolls.
9 Beast Champion Set
- Location: Knight Bernahl in Crumbling Farum Azula accessible from Beside the Great Bridge grace
- Lightning Defense Value: 27.9
- Physical Defense Value: 38.3
- Poise Value: 60
- Weight: 41.6
One of the NPCs the players meet who decides to go rogue has one of the best armor sets in the game. The lucky imposing Recusant would be Knight Bernahl. He'll later invade players just before the final area boss arena in Crumbling Farum Azula
This is a rather important invasion as he'll drop a trick item to help with the boss. Along with that, he'll also drop his lovely armor set and his weapon. It's also advisable to fight Bernahl before fighting the Draconic Tree Sentinel guarding Maliketh's boss room because the Beast Champion set he drops has good lightning resistance.
8 Banished Knight Set
- Location: Drops from Banished Knights (clusters of them can be found in Stormveil Castle, Castle Sol, or Crumbling Farum Azula)
- Lightning Defense Value: 28.2
- Physical Defense Value: 40.7
- Poise Value: 60
- Weight: 41.6
The Banished Knight set is a gift that keeps on giving in Elden Ring. Apart from having one of the most balanced and stylish designs in the game, it also boasts good lightning resistance, making it a well-rounded armor for all occasions. It's quite heavy but that's a fair trade-off.
Acquiring it is the only difficult or daunting part of this armor. The parts randomly drop from Banished Knights so it might take several tries to a few hours trying to acquire the complete set unless players just ask for it from others online.
7 Traveling Maiden Set
- Location: Shack of the Lofty on the frozen river in Mountaintops of the Giants
- Lightning Defense Value: 28.2
- Physical Defense Value: 11
- Poise Value: 5
- Weight: 11.6
The Traveling Maiden Set is barely armor. In fact, it's just a nun's robe in Elden Ring since "maidens" are envoys of the Two Fingers. But when one is looking for a reliable way to stave off some lightning attacks, then the Traveling Maiden Set more than delivers. That cloth is probably padded with rubber.
Too bad players can't obtain it until they're in the late game, specifically in the Mountaintop of the Giants. This armor set can be located in the Shack of the Lofty. It's near the western end of the frozen river which flows from the big frozen lake. The trek there is pretty easy though, and outside the shack is a good place to farm Runes.
6 Ronin's Set
- Location: Zamor Ruins grace in the Mountaintops of the Giants (players will have to kill Shabriri or wait for him to die)
- Lightning Defense Value: 28.3
- Physical Defense Value: 23
- Poise Value: 15
- Weight: 21.1
Don't want to dress like a nun? Then the good news is that one of the most stylish armor sets in the game has impeccable lightning resistance. The Ronin's Set, which is worn by Yura (and Shabriri later on), is the peak of Samurai aesthetics in Elden Ring. The flowy and battle-worn cloak as well as the Iron Kasa hat will surely turn heads in multiplayer.
Obtaining the Ronin's Set is sadly not possible early game. Players will have to finish Yura's questline or refrain from killing Yura themselves. Either of the two options will result in Shabriri possessing Yura and showing up later on in the Mountaintop of the Giants in the Zamor Ruins Site of Grace. Players can kill Shabriri here inconsequentially after talking to him and looting the armor from him.
5 Lusat's Set
- Location: Sellia Hideaway in Caelid after finishing Sellen's quest
- Lightning Defense Value: 28.4
- Physical Defense Value: 15.8
- Poise Value: 6
- Weight: 14.3
Master Lusat has one of the most protective armor sets out of all the magic-focused apparel in Elden Ring. This protection trickled down to lightning as it also has good lightning resistance on top of magic. It's mostly for Intelligence builds since Lusa'ts helmet will increase the damage for Stars of Ruin but anyone can wear it.
In order to obtain Lusat's Set, players will have to finish Sellen's questline. She's located in Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave. Sellen will instruct players to find Master Lusat, who's imprisoned in the Sellia Hideaway in Caelid. It's due north of Church of the Plague but can be accessed from Fort Faroth by dropping down south. Sellia Hideaway is hidden behind a fake cliff wall which players need to hit to dispel.
4 Astrologer Set
- Location: Nomadic Merchant in Liurnia of the Lakes
- Lightning Defense Value: 28.7
- Physical Defense Value: 13.6
- Poise Value: 10
- Weight: 13.3
Turns out players don't have to look far in order to obtain a lightning-resistance armor set. The Astrologer Set is a starting armor in the game if players pick the Astrologer class. It's light and convenient for magic or Intelligence builds due to its high magical and elemental protection. Physical protection leaves much to be desired, however.
For those who didn't start with the Astrologer class but still want the Astrologer Set, the armor can be bought from Nomadic Merchant in Liurnia of the Lakes. The merchant has set up camp near the Liurnia Lake Shore Site of Grace; players can see the smoke from his bonfire from a good distance.
3 Omen Set
- Location: Finishing Dung Eater's questline or killing him in his prison in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
- Lightning Defense Value: 29
- Physical Defense Value: 40.2
- Poise Value: 86
- Weight: 55
It's heavy, it's unsightly, and it's probably caked in feces and blood since it belongs to Dung Eater but one can't deny the effectiveness of his armor. It's one of the most protective sets in the game. The Omen Set boasts high physical protection and also good elemental defense.
Getting it is a little troublesome but players can have it during mid-game. There are two methods of obtaining it and both of them involve initiating Dung Eater's questline by giving him a Seedbed Curse. Players can find one of these Seedbed Curses in Leyndell, Royal Capital in an octagon tower after an elevator. Give the item to Dung Eater and he'll give the key to his prison.
The prison can then be located in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds under Leyndell, Royal Capital. Players can kill Dung Eater right away for his armor and sword but this will forfeit his quest. Finishing his quest by giving him five Seedbed Curses will still give the armor, but that can span up to late-game.
2 Malformed Dragon Set
- Location: Near Beside the Great Bridge grace, just outside of the boss arena
- Lightning Defense Value: 30
- Physical Defense Value: 36.7
- Poise Value: 56
- Weight: 38
The Malformed Dragon Set is an intimidating armor piece and as expected from its appearance, it offers great protection against lightning. It just so happens that a lot of dragons in Elden Ring's late-game deal too much lightning damage too frequently. So this armor comes in handy.
It's only obtainable in a late-game area, in Crumbling Farum Azula. Players will have to fight and kill the Draconic Tree Sentinel just outside Gurranq/Maliketh's boss arena near the Great Bridge Site of Grace. It's a tough fight but the reward is worth it and the enemy doesn't respawn as it's a mini-boss.
1 Bull-Goat Set
- Location: In the Magma Wyrm boss room in Ruin-Strewn Precipice (players will have to accept Patches' Volcano Manor quest first)
- Lightning Defense Value: 31
- Physical Defense Value: 45
- Poise Value: 100
- Weight: 63
Statistically, this is the best armor set in Elden Ring. It's also the heaviest, which is a fair tradeoff for something so defensively whole. This armor set has the highest Poise value in the game as well as the best physical damage mitigation. It also has the best lightning resistance out of all armor.
Surprisingly, players can obtain it mid-game or even earlier. All they have to do is follow through with Patches' questline. The important bit here is when he moves to Volcano Manor near the entrance hallway. Patches will give players an assassination letter where they'll have to kill Great Horned Tragoth.
That NPC can only be accessed if players have killed Magma Wyrm Makar, who is located in the Ruin-Strewn Precipice (the northernmost tip of the lake in Liurnia of the Lakes). Once players have killed Makar or have killed Makar prior, they can simply go back to the creature's boss arena and Great Horned Tragoth's invasion sign should be visible on the floor. He'll drop the Bull-Goat Set when killed.
Elden Ring is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows.