In a Persona game, grabbing the right set of gear for your team members is crucial. In Persona Q2, much like others in the series, your elemental vulnerabilities are baked in with your equipped persona, so your choice of armour will be limited in its influence to your defence rating. Not only this, but advanced versions often come with buffs to statistics or immunities, and so called ‘ultimate’ pieces may be found that can offer even more. Not all characters are created equally however, and there’s often a limited pool of equipment to choose from, so exactly which piece of armour is best for every member of the cast? You’ll find our answers below.
Head over to https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Persona_Q2:_New_Cinema_Labyrinth_Items to find out more about the equipment detailed here.
Joker
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Hero’s Knickers: Max HP +10% / +2 Strength.
- (Ultimate) Master Thief: Nullifies All Ailments.
As much as we love Persona 5, and indeed Royal, we can never bring ourselves to commit Joker to the front row of a Q2 team. There are so many better options for the task that we invariably end up choosing, the result of which is that he’s often relegated to the back row. It’s a testament to his statistics that he’ll still perform well, and this is why we tend to prefer using the Papal Robe. The boost to SP and Magic comes in very handy for Joker in particular, since he’ll also end up slightly behind the pure mages. We’ve included the Master Thief piece here because it is nice to essentially ignore Ailments, however it’s not something we’d take in place of the Papal Robe or even the Hero’s Knickers, because Q2 features plenty of ways to remove ailments from the entire team.
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Ryuji
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Gold Sneak Suit: Nullifies All Ailments.
Being one of the very best tanks going, thanks in no small part to his excellent statistics, Ryuji doesn’t exactly need a great deal of help from his equipment. He’ll perform his task admirably no matter the situation, but this does allow you to be a little more creative when choosing pieces. Papal Robe actually works quite well, especially if you’ve kept a few elec spells active on him and aiming for a long exploration session, but our favourite has to be the Kaiser Armor, because the only real weak spot for Ryuji in his role is speed, so having that additional Agility can make a noticable difference.
Morgana
- Sublime Collar: Max SP +10% / +2 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Archangel Scarf: Nullifies All Ailments.
If you’ve perused last week’s article, then you’ll likely know that Morgana gets a bit of a raw deal when it comes to weapons, and the same is true here with his equipment. Each piece is unique to him, which makes sense given that he’s essentially a cat, but this does mean that his choice is very limited. In all likelihood the Sublime Collar is best, since Morgana can make great use of both the SP and additional Magic. As per usual we’ll list the ultimate, but we really don’t rate them at all, especially when items like Amrita Soda exist.
Ann
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Rune Dress: Max SP +10% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Crimson Leotard: Nullifies All Binds.
You’re probably starting to notice a bit of a trend here. Yes, pretty much every heavy magic user is going to want a Papal Robe, it’s just that damned good. You could perhaps argue that some characters reach the Magic cap when they’re at their max level, but it’s unlikely that you’re going to reach that, and nobody ever comes close to capping their SP. All that being said, Ann will benefit greatly from both the Papal Robe and the Rune Dress. If for some reason you’re flat broke and cannot afford to bring cleansing items then we’d perhaps consider the Crimson Leotard, but it’s vastly inferior overall.
Haru
- Invincible Mini: Max HP +15% / +2 Endurance.
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- (Ultimate) Beauty Thief: Nullifies All Binds.
We’ve waxed lyrical about Haru for quite a long time now, through multiple Persona titles. Here in Q2 she manages to retain her power from the mainline games, mainly thanks to the exclusivity of Psy spells without a Sub persona, however her role has changed to more of a tank here. It’s a role that she performs to a high level, but she does have a slight weakness, which is her health total; it’s not tiny by any means, but grabbing yourself an Invincible Mini for that extra 15% will help her keep up with the power players in the tank category.
Yusuke
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Shajinbaori: Nullifies All Ailments.
Who knew that a front liner with both massive Strength and Agility would be so good? Yes, Yusuke is tremendously powerful here in Q2, just like in P5R, and it’s thanks to both of these statistics. Not only this, but his evasion and even personal skills help to offset his lower health and defence compared to some other front row players. He doesn’t really need a great deal of assistance from his equipment then, but the absence of a HP buffing piece with a high enough defence rating means that you’re stuck with some basic stat increases. Kaiser Armor is our favourite here, since it doubles down on his already strong stats, but you could sub in the Hallowed Plate if you’re looking for a little more of an all round approach.
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Akechi
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) White Regalia: Nullifies All Ailments.
Is he an ailment inflicting support, a linker or indeed a pure mage? Akechi has a bit of an identity crisis in Persona Q2, with skills that push him in all different kinds of directions. Invariably, because his statistics lean this way, we push him into the supporting mage position, and the result of this is that he benefits greatly from the Papal Robe. None of the others really come close to being as useful, though we’d potentially be able to see a slight argument for the Hallowed Plate, since this will also benefit his Endurance and Agility somewhat.
Makoto
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Rune Dress: Max SP +10% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Wasteland Robe: Nullifies All Binds.
Another identity crisis from the Persona 5 crew is Makoto, which is unfortunate, because she fell into a similar trap in the base game. She’ll still provide Nuke damage, and she’ll do it very well thanks to Nuke Amp and a selection of physical skills. You could even argue that Unlimiter is a fantastic personal skill, capable of dealing high amounts of damage. That said, as much as we’re not a huge fan of her performance, Makoto can be a very useful and supportive mage, so you’re going to get the most usage out of the Papal Robe, or alternatively the Rune Dress.
Female P3 Protagonist
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Eternity Dress: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Lord’s Dress: Nullifies All Binds.
We noted in the weapon list that the P3 protagonist can go pretty much any way you want, and this is just as relevant when choosing the rest of your equipment. Perhaps it’s indicative of our play style, however we tend to prefer that our back row units contribute magically, which would necessitate the Papal Robe, however she is an absolutely incredible Linker, so you could take her down this direction and get a great deal of usage from the Kaiser Armor. The Linker option is probably the most powerful of the two thanks to her skills, but there tends to be a greater degree of damage options available in Q2, so we find that building a linking party is less worthwhile than in an Etrian title.
Persona 4 Protagonist
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) King Collar: Nullifies All Ailments.
Thankfully the protagonist of Persona 4 is much more focused in his role, which is that of a physical attacker. He doesn’t quite reach the peak that is Yusuke, likely not helped by what is a tanking based personal skill that is rendered obsolete by others, but he’s still very powerful in his own right. That said, there is a bit of a gap in equipment when it comes to male physical damage dealers, like a high defence item that buffs health for example, but he’ll do just fine with either the Kaiser Armor or the Hallowed Plate items.
Chie
- Invincible Mini: Max HP +15% / +2 Endurance.
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- (Ultimate) Solar Robe: Nullifies All Binds.
For some reason, we just can’t picture Chie wearing a Robe. Anyway, we noted above on the P4 protagonist that there really isn’t an option for boosting the health of male physical damage dealers in the front row. This is not true for those of a female persuasion, because the Invincible Mini comes along and completely solves this. You may prefer to opt for the increased damage and speed of the Kaiser Armor, but we’ve found the Invincible Mini to be very helpful in keeping members like Chie alive in more difficult encounters.
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Yukiko
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Rune Dress: Max SP +10% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Ruby Kimono: Nullifies All Binds.
There really was only going to be one choice here, wasn’t there? Still, we will again lament the fact that there aren’t many options for buffing Yukiko’s abysmally low HP total. There are some further down the tree, but equipping those with a low defence rating is betting the entire house on Yukiko’s personal dodge skill, and whilst this is very powerful it is not foolproof. Providing you can keep her safe then, the best options are those that buff her SP total and her already high Magic stat, the best of which are the Papal Robe and the Rune Dress. The Kimono might sound nice, but you cannot see it and you’re one Amrita item away from making it completely obsolete.
Kanji
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Gold Tokkoufuku: Nullifies All Ailments.
Being the absolute gold standard for tanking in Person Q2, thanks in no small part to his excellent statistics, it’s no surprise that Kanji doesn’t really need any assistance from his equipment to accomplish his task. With this in mind, you can pretty much do whatever you want here and it’ll work out fine. Grab yourself the Kaiser Armor if you’re looking for more damage and a little speed, the Hallowed Plate for an all round boost, or even the Papal Robe if you’re finding that his SP pool is a little sparse. He probably has the best personal skill in the game, so you can afford to get a bit creative with Kanji.
Teddie
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Magnet Bearsuit: Nullifies All Ailments.
There is a fair amount of potential with Teddie’s kit, but unfortunately none of these options will make him into an absolute world beater. He does perform quite well as a supportive mage however, and this is the route that we would go when considering equipment. Grab him the Papal Robe and he’ll be able to contribute plenty of healing and Ice skills, albeit at a reduced level to those more specifically designed to do so.
Yosuke
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Fuuma Outfit: Nullifies All Ailments.
Despite having what feel like significant buffs between this game and the prequel, Yosuke is held back here by a rather poor selection of skills. An example of a prime Linker would be the female P3 protagonist, but Yosuke does have some potential at least, backed up by some good physical statistics. To give him that extra step up we like to throw the Kaiser Armor on him, but you could go for the all round option of Hallowed Plate. He has yet to set our world alight with performance, but fans of his base game might find it a little hard to let go.
Naoto
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Rune Dress: Max SP +10% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Black Dress: Nullifies All Binds.
Naoto is such a strange unit in Persona Q2. It’s clear that they could not allow her to be the powerhouse random battle deleter again, because this made the original a cakewalk, but whilst reducing her power you could argue that they took it a little too far. She’s a magic user of course, and certainly quite capable, but her statistics are nowhere near as good as other mage options and apart from her inexplicably massive HP pool, she doesn’t have a lot going for her. Inevitably the Papal Robe or Rune Dress makes the most sense, though we’d argue that even the increase in SP isn’t truly necessary thanks to her personal skill that reduces costs. She does sorely need those extra points in Magic, however.
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Persona 3 Protagonist
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Monarch Jacket: Nullifies All Ailments.
Given that the protagonist of Persona 3 is an absolute magic damage dealing monster here in Q2, it’s only natural that our choices reflect this. You could take his ultimate, which nullifies all possible ailments, however in our experience the game has so many ways of dealing with these that it’s really not an issue. Plus, by the time you reach this point, Amrita Shower items are easy to come by, so there really is no excuse. That being the case, the Papal Robe is absolutely fantastic for him; it buffs his damage through additional Magic, gives him a huge chunk of SP to play with and it features a high defence rate. Perfect.
Yukari
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Rune Dress: Max SP +10% / +3 Magic.
- Invincible Mini: Max HP +15% / +2 Endurance.
No doubt you’ve spotted something here, and it’s that we haven’t chosen to recommend Yukari’s ultimate at all. We’ve long since resigned the Sakura Robe to the trash, because our super powerful healer girl comes with a skill that allows her to ignore the only important one: Null M-Bind. What is the point in a piece of equipment like this, when you have the skill to accommodate? You could deliberately remove Null M-Bind to make room for a new skill of course, but why bother when alternatively you can pick up the fantastic Papal Robe or Rune Dress, both of which will keep her casting those wonderful heals for longer. If you’re struggling to keep her alive at all, we’ve included Invincible Mini as an alternative, to give her low HP a nice buff, just in case.
Junpei
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Brave Scale: Nullifies All Ailments.
Being an almost carbon copy of Chie, we are of course going to push Junpei in a similar direction. Things are slightly different here, thanks to the male and female sets that are available, but we’re looking for similar statistics wherever possible. Things work out quite well however, because Junpei requires additional health less, so it doesn’t matter if he misses out on the Invincible Mini, no matter how much we think it would be fun to see him in it. Kaiser Armor then, is your best bet, to keep him hitting hard and fast, with the usual nod to a Hallowed Plate if a balanced outlook is what you want.
Aigis
- Frilled Armor: Moderately raise Party Meter gains.
- Aigis Armor v3: Max HP +15%.
- Aigis Armor v0: +2 to all stats.
There are a few characters that are, for obvious reasons, restricted in their choices for equipment. Aigis, along with Morgana and Koromaru, have pieces that belong solely to themselves and them alone. This does make their selection rather poor generally speaking, because in the case of Aigis, you’re not too likely to need a few more statistics or health, thanks to her massive Strength and Endurance. No small amount of Agility, for example, is going to make her suddenly act first, because it’s so low in the first place. Equally, her Endurance and HP are high enough to warrant operating without assistance. This gives us the rather unique opportunity to recommend the Frilled Armor piece, which increases Party Meter gains. Yes, we understand that the defence is low on this piece, however if anyone can cope with that it’s Aigis, right?
Mitsuru
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- Rune Dress: Max SP +10% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) : Empress Fur: Nullifies All Binds.
Everyone’s favourite big sister Mitsuru is back in Q2, and she’s as powerful as ever. She’s also still sporting the same restriction to melee attacks, meaning basics cannot reach the opponent’s back row when she’s in yours. Still, to use her for such things would be a waste of her extreme spell casting power. She deals huge damage when striking an enemy weakness, so how about you load her up with more SP through the Papal Robe or the Rune Dress, and let her cast even more spells? She doesn’t actually have a super high Magic stat, which we assume was tuned down because of her insane personal skill, so the additional stats are useful here too.
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Koromaru
- Solar Dog Suit: Max HP +10% / +2 Strength.
- Cosmos Dog Suit: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Ebony Dog Suit: Nullifies All Ailments.
The final entry in our list of units that have exclusive equipment pieces is Koromaru, the ‘mascot’ of Persona 3. Choices are rather poor here as you can see, mainly because we would have loved to give our resident canine the Kaiser Armor to help him with his Linker skills, but we’ll settle for the Solar Dog Suit. He does need some help when it comes to HP, especially when operating in the front row, and the additional strength is always appreciated.
Akihiko
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Sirius Suit: Nullifies All Ailments.
Having retained a great deal of his power from the original, Akihiko takes up the mantle as a physical powerhouse again here in Persona Q2. There are no real frills with his kit; he wants to power up and hit as hard as possible, with the most powerful physical skills available. To assist him with this, we once again turn to the Kaiser Armor, which buffs both of the important statistics for his role. You may consider switching to the Hallowed Plate for high damage situations, but Aki’s stats are good enough to cope with almost any situation that you encounter.
Shinjiro
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- Papal Robe: Max SP +15% / +3 Magic.
- (Ultimate) Moon Haori: Nullifies All Ailments.
Shinjiro, the monster of a tank that he is, falls into a very similar category to Kanji; his skills and statistics lend himself to being an amazing tank, and he too needs little help from his equipment in order to achieve this. You have similar choices then, including throwing a Papal Robe on him to buff up the SP total for long jaunts into the wild. Kaiser Armor is, as ever, the best way to buff up his physical side, but regardless of your choice he’s going to perform admirably when soaking up damage in place of others.
Ken
- Kaiser Armor: +3 Strength / +3 Agility.
- Hallowed Plate: +2 to all stats.
- (Ultimate) Hero Hoodie: Nullifies All Ailments.
The more and more that we try to utilise Ken, the worse our opinion tends to become. He’s morphed from a ‘Naoto Lite’ in the original Q, into a hybrid Linker type role here in Q2, and even then he’s way behind other options for that role. It’s technically a good way to get a Psy link going of course, but his statistics just aren’t up to scratch, outside of a massive Luck stat. Of course, the best equipment here is the Kaiser Armor, but much like his role in the original Persona 3, the young lad is outshone by other members of the team.
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Categories: Persona Q2