Guild Wars 1 Obsidian Armor: Materials and Crafting

GW1 Obsidian armor is crafted by the Eternal Forgemaster in the Fissure of Woe. Players also call it FoW, Fissure or Obby armor. This guide covers Guild Wars 1 armor, not the Guild Wars 2 legendary armor with the same name.

Materials · Unlock the crafter · Before you order · All guides

Materials for four body pieces

For chest, hands, legs and feet together, set aside:

  • 105 Globs of Ectoplasm
  • 105 Obsidian Shards
  • 60 Platinum in crafting fees
  • The profession-specific common crafting materials

Those rare-material totals and fees cover the four body pieces. They do not include buying the materials, access costs or optional headgear.

Buying only one piece?

  • Chest: 45 ectos and 45 shards.
  • Hands: 15 ectos and 15 shards.
  • Legs: 30 ectos and 30 shards.
  • Feet: 15 ectos and 15 shards.

Each body piece also has a 15 Platinum crafting fee and its own common-material requirements. Check the piece and profession before preparing a partial set.

Does every profession need Obsidian headgear?

No. Not every profession has an Obsidian headpiece. Where available, the usual headpiece adds 15 ectos and 15 shards, but Paragon headgear uses common materials instead of rare materials. Do not apply a universal five-piece total to every profession; check its individual armor page.

Unlock the Eternal Forgemaster

Bringing the materials is not enough by itself. The armor crafter requires a quest chain inside the Fissure of Woe:

  1. The Eternal Forgemaster — the quest from the Eternal Weaponsmith.
  2. Defend the Temple of War.
  3. Restore the Temple of War.

The first quest's reward dialogue can sound as though crafting is already available. Complete the following two quests as well. Plan your party and the route to the Temple before taking the defense quest.

Entry requires the appropriate character progression: Ascension, Weh no Su, or the Nightfall alternative of completing Hunted!. Check that every player in the party qualifies. Choose your access method and prepare the armor materials before entering.

A short purchasing checklist

  1. Pick the profession and exact pieces. A four-piece body set and a set with headgear can need different totals.
  2. Check storage first. Subtract the ectos, shards and common materials you already own.
  3. Keep the crafting fee separate. The armor NPC still needs Platinum even when you bring all materials.
  4. Check package quantities. Match item units to the amount missing from your checklist.
  5. Prepare Forge access. Materials and a completed quest chain are separate requirements.

For example, a four-piece set needs 105 ectos. If you already own 70, you need 35 more. If you own 35 shards, you need 70 more shards. Calculate each material separately rather than buying identical quantities automatically.

Browse GW1 Globs of Ectoplasm, GW1 Obsidian Shards and Gold and Platinum. Our currency guide explains the units and trading terms.

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Game references and review date

Reviewed 17 October 2026. Guild Wars Wiki references: Obsidian armor and materials, the Eternal Forgemaster quest and Fissure of Woe access. Verify the individual profession's armor recipe when selecting headgear and common materials.