Final Fantasy 3 - Armor

Final Fantasy 3 sells 44 armor pieces across its shops, from Ur's Leather Cap to Crystal Mail in Eureka. The Bonus column shows stat boosts beyond raw defensive numbers. And don't overlook Magic Defense when gearing your casters; a high MDef often matters more than raw Def for jobs that sit in the back row. Armor found only in chests or as monster drops is covered in the walkthrough chapters.

Shields

Off-hand protection for heavy armor jobs. The Heroic Shield from Amur stands out with its all-stat bonus (every stat gets +1), and it's only 3,500 gil. Crystal Shield in Eureka offers the best numbers at 20 Def and 15 MDef, but the 50,000-gil price tag makes it a late-game luxury.

Helms

Head slot equipment ranges from Ur's 15-gil Leather Cap to the 50,000-gil Crystal Helm in Eureka. Physical fighters should prioritize raw Def; casters benefit more from the Feathered Hat (MDef 16, Agi +2) or Scholar Hat (Int +1). The Black Cowl is a strong mid-game pick for Thieves and Ninjas at 15 Def with Agi +2.

Body armor

The largest source of defense in any equipment set. Physical jobs need Def; casters need MDef. The Black Robe and White Robe (both 27,000 gil from Ancient Ruins) offer 45 MDef each, with Int +5 and Spi +5 respectively. They're essential for any caster heading into the Crystal Tower. Crystal Mail at 55 Def from Eureka is the best physical option.

Gloves

Hand slot armor for physical jobs. Only four are sold in shops, and the jump from Mythril Gloves (3 Def) to Thief Gloves (11 Def, Str +3) is steep enough to justify the trip to Amur. Crystal Gloves from Eureka top out at 30 Def with Str +4.

Bracers

The caster alternative to gloves, offering MDef and Int/Spi bonuses instead of raw defense. Rune Bracers from Duster and SW Saronia give +2 to both Int and Spi; Diamond Bracers from Ancient Ruins upgrade those bonuses to +3 each. Most mage-type jobs can't equip gloves, so bracers are their only hand slot option.