Spiked Armor

A Spiked Armor is an Armor-class piece of armor found in  and Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.

In
In Golden Sun, it is acquired as a rare drop from Chimera Mage enemies found in Venus Lighthouse. As an Armor-class item, it is equippable by the warrior-style Adepts Isaac and Garet. If the Spiked Armor is transferred to The Lost Age, Felix and Piers can also equip it.

While its Defense rating is low in comparison to the endgame pieces of body armor for Golden Sun, which ultimately make it not the best armor to wear for the final boss, its separate enhancements to the equipped Adept's ability to physically attack are noteworthy. It is the only body armor in the first game to have a modifier for Unleash rate, and thus when the equipped Adept is also equipped with the Warrior's Helm and Hyper Boots, his Unleash chance becomes its highest possible value of 63%, which is 6% more than what it usually can be.

Of course, what the Spiked Armor tries to do in Golden Sun, other armors in The Lost Age do far better, like the Valkyrie Mail in having a much higher Unleash rate bonus and the Xylion Armor in having a much higher Attack rating bonus, and both of these aforementioned armors having much higher Defense ratings. Even though the Valkyrie Mail is one-of-a-kind, the existence of Mythril Clothes ensures body-slot gear with high Unleash rate modifiers will always be available.

In
In Dark Dawn, the Spiked Armor is now a singular Artifact found in a treasure chest in the Aquarius Room of the Craggy Peak Ruins, which is comparatively early in the game's overall play time. It can be equipped by Matthew, Tyrell, and Eoleo. This will mean it will remain equipped throughout the entire Morgal arc of the game, since stronger Armor-class bodywear will be unavailable until after gaining the Sailing ship. It is also the only bodywear that also raises the Unleash rate that is available until the player can either forge the Mythril Clothes or get the Valkyrie Mail. Because of this, the Spiked Armor's various benefits are useful for a longer period of time. Ultimately, the choice of Adept depends largely on player preference, as both Matthew and Tyrell will benefit from the boosts the Spiked Armor gives.