The Crawler Plate Armor is one of the strongest armor sets in Gothic 1 Remake, and you don’t need to join a faction to get it. I’ll show you where to start the quest, how to gather the materials, and whether the armor is worth it.
Starting in Chapter 4, you can secure an armor set in Gothic 1 Remake that blows just about everything you’ve worn so far out of the water. +80 blade resistance and +80 blunt resistance, plus +10 to all elemental resistances — and best of all, you don’t need a faction for it. The catch? You’ll have to head down into the Free Mine and deal with Minecrawlers. But let’s take it one step at a time.
Wolf in the New Camp gives you the quest
Your contact is Wolf, a bandit who normally lives in the inner ring of the New Camp. You’ll get the required quest for the Minecrawler armor in Chapter 4, when you set out to free Tarrok from the Free Mine (walkthrough).
Leave the large settlement cave in the New Camp and take the path uphill to the left of the tavern. Just before the mine, you’ll meet Wolf at a gate. Our Gothic 1 Remake map shows you the exact location of the Free Mine.
- Important: Since you have to enter the Free Mine for the armor plates anyway — and Tarrok is waiting there too — combine both quests. First gather the ingredients for the Ulu-Mulu (see the walkthrough linked above), then pick up Wolf’s armor quest and Gorn’s rescue quest on your way to the mine before heading inside. That way, you make every trip through the dark tunnels count. After Wolf’s waiting period, you’ll effectively have the armor at the start of Chapter 5 — and it will carry you reliably until you eventually get the Orc Armor or the Ore Armor from Gomez’s chambers.
Wolf tells you about an idea for an excellent armor set made from Minecrawler armor plates. To extract those plates from defeated beasts, you’ll need the “Harvest Armor Plates” skill.
Go through all dialogue options with Wolf, and he’ll teach it to you for free. Make absolutely sure you get it before setting even one foot inside the mine. Without this skill, you can loot defeated Minecrawlers as many times as you want — they still won’t drop any armor plates.
Into the Free Mine: collect 15 armor plates
Wolf wants 15 Minecrawler armor plates from you. You can only get them from Minecrawler Warriors in the Free Mine south of the New Camp. Each enemy drops one or two plates, so expect roughly eight fights against these armored beasts. At the mine entrance, Jackal and a few guards will block your way. After that, use a winch to open a gate.
Beyond it, you’ll head downward across shaky wooden walkways and through narrow passages. When you reach a water basin with a Minecrawler Warrior, follow the path on the right after the fight. It leads even deeper into the mine, and that’s exactly where more Minecrawlers are waiting for you. At the end of the tunnel system, you’ll also face a boss fight against an especially nasty Minecrawler.
Afterward, head back and look for Tarrok by climbing up the rock wall opposite the path at the water basin. You’ll find more Minecrawler Warriors there.
Have the Minecrawler armor crafted and pick it up
Once you have 15 plates in your inventory, return to Wolf. He’ll take the materials and tell you he needs time to craft the armor. So get some sleep or take care of other quests — after 24 in-game hours, the armor will be ready. To pick it up, you’ll need to visit Wolf in his hut in the New Camp.
In the large cave, keep right and cross the bridge on the left shortly before you reach the Water Mages’ area. Right after the bridge, head up to Wolf. He’ll hand over the Minecrawler Plate Armor for free. You’ll also receive 2,000 experience points for completing the quest.
How good is the Minecrawler armor?
In Chapter 4, there’s nothing better you can wear without belonging to a faction: +80 blade, +80 blunt, +15 pierce and +10 each to fire, wind, ice, and energy — that’s no small thing. Standard leather armor, like the kind you get as a bandit, sits at a measly +30/+30. Even the mercenary set from the Old Mine, with its +70/+70, comes up short. Only the Ancient Ore Armor from Gomez’s chambers in Chapter 5 tops it with +90/+90 physical protection.
Who is the armor worth it for?
The Minecrawler Plate belongs to the Heavy weight class and is clearly designed for melee fighters. If you fight up close with one-handed or two-handed weapons and have plenty of strength, this is the perfect protection package against Orc swords, troll clubs, and just about everything else that comes crashing down on you in the later chapters.
If you’re playing a mage, you’re better off leaving it alone. A robe with high magic resistance will do more for you. And as a ranged fighter, lighter gear is usually the better choice too — unless you’ve invested heavily in dexterity.
