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In Minecraft survival, the best way to prepare for anything is to have a good defense. That includes a safe base, enough high-quality food, a trusty weapon, and some strong armor. Armor in Minecraft is marked above the health bar in the form of white armor symbols, which will fill up the more armor and the better armor you equip. Ideally, you want this meter to be full.
There are seven different types of armors in Minecraft, with six of them being sets and six of them available through crafting. Most of them can also be found when exploring the various structures and dungeons in the game. Here's how to craft them and, alternatively, how to find them.
General Armor Set Crafting Tip
Basic armor sets in Minecraft are completed with four pieces: helmet, chest plate, leggings, and boots. Each piece is crafted the same way in the crafting grid. Above is an illustration of the shape for each armor piece, represented with diamonds. Follow these shapes whenever crafting each armor piece.
There are some exceptions to this rule, such as one incomplete armor set, an armor set that cannot be crafted, and the Netherite armor set which is acquired differently.
Leather Armor Set
Crafting A Leather Armor Set
Leather armor has the lowest armor rating out of all the armor types in the game, but it's the cheapest to make. Early on, leather armor is great to have for some minor protection. If you spawn next to cows, you can kill them for a few pieces of leather. The advantage of leather armor is also the fact that it can be dyed with any color in Minecraft. Just place one piece of leather armor in the crafting grid with your dye of choice.
Finding A Leather Armor Set
Leather armor is also a common loot in Minecraft. If you want to save your leather for crafting an enchantment setup, it's completely viable to scavenge shipwrecks and ocean ruins for leather armor. These two locations are typically the best places to find some.
Chainmail Armor Set
Finding A Chainmail Armor Set
Chainmail armor is unique because it can't be crafted in Minecraft. In terms of armor rating, it falls between gold and iron armor in terms of effectiveness. Chainmail is a relatively rare drop from hostile mobs. If you spot a mob carrying the armor, you can throw iron armor on the ground which will make them unequip the chainmail armor.
Iron Armor Set
Crafting An Iron Armor Set
Iron armor is a great, basic armor set in Minecraft. It is generally the most common set to have mid-game just before finding diamonds. It gives decent protection and isn't too expensive to craft as each piece needs to be made with iron ingots. The iron itself is found pretty frequently in caves. In the 1.17 update, it's best found between levels 63 and 1. Note that with the 1.18 update, ore generation will differ slightly.
Finding An Iron Armor Set
Iron armor can also be found in loot. One of the best spots to find some is inside a village's blacksmith house, where a special chest has a chance of spawning a few pieces of iron armor and iron tools. Strongholds and End Cities can also occasionally have pieces of iron armor.
Gold Armor Set
Crafting A Gold Armor Set
While gold armor is worse than iron armor, it has other utilities in the game that make it worth crafting or finding. Gold armor has poor durability, meaning it wears out quickly compared to other armor types. Moreover, it tanks less damage than iron armor. To craft it, each piece requires gold ingots to complete. The upside is that by wearing at least one piece of gold armor in the Nether, Piglins won't attack you on sight.
Finding A Gold Armor Set
Gold armor sets are a common type of loot in Ruined Portal structure chests, Nether fortresses, shipwrecks, and ocean ruins, as well as Bastion Remnants in the Nether. It's very easy to find some in loot, which is why it's better to find it than craft it.
Turtle Shell Helmet
Crafting A Turtle Shell Helmet
Unfortunately, there isn't a full turtle armor set. However, there is a single turtle shell helmet in Minecraft that has special properties. When worn, you'll gain 10 seconds of extra underwater breathing. The helmet can also be used to make a rare potion called the Potion of the Turtle Master. To craft the turtle shell helmet, you need to breed two turtles, wait for a baby to hatch and for that baby to drop a scute. Five scutes are required for the turtle shell helmet.
Diamond Armor Set
Crafting A Diamond Armor Set
For the longest time, diamond armor was the king of armor sets. Diamonds are among the rarest and most durable resources found in the overworld of Minecraft. To craft the best armor set in the game prior to entering the Nether, each piece needs to be made with diamonds. Diamonds are - in the 1.17 version of Minecraft - easy to find below level Y=16. Though bear in mind that the 1.18 update will alter ore positions.
Finding A Diamond Armor Set
Although extremely rare, it is possible to find diamond armor pieces in loot. Bastion Remnants, End Cities, and Woodland Mansions are the top locations where pieces of a diamond armor set can be found in loot chests, End Cities having the highest chance. End Cities will also tend to have enchanted diamond armor pieces.
Netherite Armor Set
Crafting A Netherite Armor Set
Diamond no longer reigns supreme. Since 1.16, Netherite armor is the best armor type in Minecraft. In order to craft it, you need to already have a diamond armor piece you'd like to upgrade. Each diamond armor piece needs one Netherite ingot in order to be turned into a Netherite armor piece. This can be done on the Smithing Table by placing down a Netherite Ingot in the first square and the diamond armor piece you want to upgrade in the second.
The catch is that to fix your Netherite armor, you'll need more Netherite ingots, which are very expensive to craft. You'll need to find ancient debris, which can be best mined in the Nether at Y=15. Smelt the debris into Netherite Scraps, and combine them with gold ingots to make a Netherite Ingot. Netherite Scraps can sometimes also be found in Bastion Remnants.