Armor types

Prophecies
In the Prophecies campaign, each armor set is distinctive in both appearance and functionality. For example, the monk Ascetic's Armor offers energy bonuses, while the Wanderer's Armor has higher armor against elemental damage. Both have a distinct appearance and the inherent bonus is tied to that appearance.

Factions
In the Factions campaign however, functionality and appearance are decoupled. Players can craft armor with a bonus of their choice in any art style. For example, all monk armor crafted by Tateos in Cavalon will look exactly the same (in the style of Luxon Armor) regardless of its bonus.

Nightfall
In the Nightfall campaign, armor appearance has been further distanced from functionality. Armor of a particular appearance is crafted without any bonus (other than the statistics that each profession gains from basic armor by default). Specific bonuses can be added to Nightfall armor with Insignias, which grant bonuses similar to those chosen when crafting in other campaigns. For example, monk Vabbian Armor comes with an empty slot for adding insignias.

Additional notes

 * Basic armor statistics, specific for each profession, are available on all sets of armor regardless of the appearance or functionality.
 * Insignias are not available for use on Factions or Prophecies armor sets at this time.
 * You can mix pieces of armor from any source as you see fit. For example, you can equip chest armor from Tyria, leggings from a collector in Cantha and gloves from an armor crafter in Elona.
 * Festival hats gained during special events are designed only for their appearance. Their functionality is limited since they come with no armor or bonus.

Standard armor
Armor sets available in the beginning areas of each campaign are Standard armor, which is available in armor ratings ranging between 5 and 80 depending on profession and armor crafter. The first armor available to new players for purchase is Standard armor.

Ascended armor
Many armor sets have a corresponding ascended version, which have the same functionality as their standard counterparts, but have a different appearance. There are also some Ascended armor sets which do not correspond to any Standard armor sets. All Ascended armor have the maximum armor rating available for each profession. Ascended armor is available only to PvE characters, and only from towns that are deep into the campaign plot. The price of Ascended armor is much higher than Standard armor in terms of both gold and materials. Ascended armor is sometimes called "15k armor" because most Ascended armor sets cost 15 platinum per piece.

Obsidian armor
Each profession also has a single Obsidian art style. Obsidian armor is profoundly expensive, requiring Ectoplasm and Obsidian Shards, in addition to other rare and common crafting materials. Obsidian armor is only available from the Eternal Forgemaster in the Fissure of Woe, and requires a lengthy set of prerequisite quests before the forge can be opened. All Obsidian armor have the maximum armor rating available for each profession.

Discontinued armor
These armor sets can be found at some fansites, but they have been discontinued. They are listed here for historical purposes, and to eliminate confusion when comparing this list to those on other sites. Most were either only around during the beta, or are the orginal names of some of the current armors. The names might be reused in future campaign releases. The following Paragon armor was available during the Nightfall Preview Event: The following Dervish armor was available during the Nightfall Preview Event:
 * Adept's Armor (Elementalist)
 * Hunter's Armor (Ranger)
 * Regal Armor (Mesmer)
 * Silk Armor (Monk)
 * Blasphemer's Armor (Necromancer)
 * Pagan Armor (Necromancer)
 * Empyrean Armor (art renamed to Sunspear Armor, function removed)
 * Overseer's Armor (art renamed to Istani Armor, function replaced with Survivor Insignia)
 * Radiant Armor (art renamed to Elonian Armor, function removed)
 * Templar's Armor (art renamed to Istani Armor, function replaced with Radiant Insignia)
 * Dunewalker's Armor (art renamed to Vabbian Armor, function removed, name retained for Earth Prayers headgear)
 * Nomad's Armor (art renamed to Elonian Armor, function replaced with Survivor Insignia)
 * Soothsayer's Armor (art renamed to Istani Armor, function replaced with Radiant Insignia)
 * Windwalker's Armor (art renamed to Ancient Armor, function removed, name retained for Wind Prayers headgear)