The Final Fantasy franchise may not be considered a part of the "looter" genre, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of gear for players to find in each game to strengthen their characters. Final Fantasy XVI is no different in that it allows players to regularly craft and upgrade equipment for Clive, the game's protagonist. While he may already be powerful, as his incredible abilities show, he will need all the help he can get as he ventures into some of the greatest challenges he has ever faced.
The Drakeslayer's Belt and Drakeslayer's Bracelets make up the best mid-game armor set in Final Fantasy XVI, offering some significantly high defense and health stats, especially with how early they become available. Final Fantasy XVI's combat, unlike the franchise's previous installments, happens in real-time, making it the first true action RPG of the series, so it is highly recommended players obtain this gear as soon as possible to increase their chances in this new fast-paced approach to battles. Here's how to acquire the Drakeslayer's armor crafting recipe, as well as how to craft each piece.
How to Acquire the Drakeslayer's Armor Crafting Recipe
Before you can begin crafting the Drakeslayer's armor, you'll need to acquire the recipe by completing a side quest called "Blacksmith's Blues" for August in the New Hideaway. Upon approaching August, he'll tell Clive that something has been troubling Blackthorne, the Hideaway's blacksmith, and it has him worried. He then asks Clive to check in on Blackthorne and see how he's doing.
When you speak to Blackthorne, he then tells Clive that he is upset because of the craftsmanship of a certain cuirass he's seen, one that Charon recently sold. Blackthorne thinks that if he were able to study the cuirass, he'd be able to improve his skills as a smith. Clive then offers to track down the man that made the cuirass and go from there.
Follow the objective marker to find the man, and you'll have to defeat a monster once you reach him. After defeating the monster, you'll obtain a sample of the leather the cuirass was made from that you can then take back to Blackthorne in exchange for the Drakeslayer's armor recipe.
How to Craft the Drakeslayer's Belt
To craft the Drakeslayer's Belt, you'll need 1 Dragon Talon, 1 Electrum, 20 Briar Clam Shells, and 1 Scarletite. If you've completed most of the content available up to this point and done a great deal of exploring, there's a decent chance you'll already have a Dragon Talon, plenty of Briar Clam Shells, and a Scarletite. That being said, if you still need those items, they aren't too difficult to obtain. The Electrum, however, will require you to defeat the Notorious Mark Severian, which can be found in the northwestern corner of Greensheaves, north of Martha's Rest, during the second round of hunts that become available on the Hunt Board.
Dragon Talons can be found on almost any wild dragon you defeat, and you'll find plenty of them scattered across Sanbreque's Royal Meadows, north of the Northreach Obelisk. Briar Clam Shells can be obtained in Rosaria by completing side quests in the area, or by looting the items and chests in the swamps surrounding Martha's Rest. Finally, you can obtain 2 Scarletite by defeating the Notorious Mark Fastitocalon in the northeastern corner of The Velkroy Desert once you discover the area.
Once you've acquired the necessary items, head back to Blackthorne and craft the Drakeslayer's Belt. This belt comes with a whopping 74 Defense and 23 Health, making it irreplaceable for quite some time, so long as you craft it as soon as you're able to.
How to Craft the Drakeslayer's Bracelets
To craft the Drakeslayer's Bracelets, you'll need 1 Dragon Talon, 1 Gelatinous Mass, 20 Briar Clam Shells, and 1 Scarletite. The only ingredient unique to the Drakeslayer's Bracelets is the Gelatinous Mass, as the other ingredients also make up the majority of the Drakeslayer's Belt recipe. To obtain another Dragon Talon and more Briar Clam Shells, follow the same directions provided for the Drakeslayer's Belt. If you've defeated the Fastitocalon, you'll already have the other Scarletite you need to craft the bracelets.
The Gelatinous Mass can only be obtained by defeating the Notorious Mark "Muddy Murder," the Flan Prince, who spawns during the third round of hunts that become available on the Hunt Board. The Flan Prince is a Rank A Notorious Mark that spawns in a small, open area on the northern hook of Hawk's Cry Cliff in Southern Rosaria. Once you've defeated him and acquired the rest of the ingredients, head back to Blackthorne and craft the Drakeslayer's Bracelets, which have the exact same stats and value as their counterpart, the Drakeslayer's Belt.