Armor Tiers
Netherite is not the end of the road. Bucketry adds two armor tiers above it, Barnacle Plate and Tidesteel, each a straight upgrade you make at a smithing table. They give more armor and toughness than netherite, last longer, and a full set adds max health.
Barnacle Plate pieces show a purple (epic) frame in their tooltip and Tidesteel a gold (legendary) one, see rarity frames.
How upgrading works
Section titled “How upgrading works”Upgrades happen in place, the same way netherite does:
- Put the upgrade template, the armor piece and the tier material into a smithing table.
- Take the upgraded piece out.
Everything on the piece carries over: vanilla enchants, custom enchants, trims, its custom name and its wear. Each template upgrades one piece, so a full set needs four templates.
Templates are bound to you. A template you earn shows “Bound to” with your name, and the smithing table will not take a template bound to someone else. 
Barnacle CrustBarnacle CrustShells that grew on Wreckroot'sroots for a hundred years. and Tidesteel Ingots are not bound, so you can trade or sell those freely. Templates that were already out before binding started still work for anyone.
| Tier | Upgrades | Template | Material | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnacle Plate | Netherite armor |  Barnacle UpgradeBarnacle UpgradeSmithing templateNetherite armor + Barnacle CrustDragged up from the Wreck Lagoon. | Barnacle Crust | Shipwright 15 |
| Tidesteel | Barnacle Plate armor |  Tidesteel UpgradeTidesteel UpgradeSmithing templateBarnacle armor + Tidesteel IngotForged where the tide runs coldest. |  Tidesteel IngotTidesteel IngotSteel the sea itself tempered,cold and blue to the core. | Shipwright 22 |
The Seamark requirement is checked when you upgrade. If you are short, the table tells you your current level. Level Shipwright by chopping logs and salvaging gear (see Seamarks).
Full-set numbers, compared with netherite:
| Netherite | Barnacle Plate | Tidesteel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | 20 | 22 | 24 |
| Toughness | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Knockback resistance (per piece) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.12 |
| Durability | Normal | +15% | +26.5% (another +10% on top of Barnacle) |
| Full-set bonus | None | +4 max health | +8 max health |
Per piece:
| Piece | Barnacle (armor / toughness) | Tidesteel (armor / toughness) |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | 3.5 / 4 | 4 / 5 |
| Chestplate | 8.5 / 4 | 9 / 5 |
| Leggings | 6.5 / 4 | 7 / 5 |
| Boots | 3.5 / 4 | 4 / 5 |
The set bonus only applies while you wear all four pieces of the same tier. You get a message when it turns on or off. Tidesteel’s +8 replaces Barnacle’s +4, it does not stack.
Where the materials come from
Section titled “Where the materials come from”Barnacle Plate
Section titled “Barnacle Plate”| Source | Drops |
|---|---|
| The Wreckroot, full hoard (once every 20 hours) | 2 Barnacle Crust, plus a 35% chance of a Barnacle Upgrade template |
| Captain’s Orders (Wavebreaker questline), final commission | 2 Barnacle Upgrade templates and 8 Barnacle Crust |
Tidesteel
Section titled “Tidesteel”Tidesteel only drops for you while you wear Barnacle Plate (or Tidesteel) on all four armor slots. Mixing in a single netherite piece counts as not ready. If a boss would have paid you Tidesteel and you are not in a full set, you get a “No Tidesteel this time” message instead.
| Source | Drops |
|---|---|
| Root Delve, High Tide clear | 1 Tidesteel Ingot, 20% chance of a template |
| Root Delve, Spring Tide clear | 2 Tidesteel Ingots, 40% chance of a template |
| Rimeback, full hoard | 1 Tidesteel Ingot |
| Starfall: Astral Leviathan or Cinder Colossus | 1 Tidesteel Ingot and a 10% chance of a template, for everyone fighting nearby |
| Fathom: summoned Vein Warden | 35% chance of 1 Tidesteel Ingot, for everyone fighting nearby |
Not in a full Barnacle set yet? The Root Delve helps you get there: a High Tide clear pays 1 Barnacle Crust and a Spring Tide clear pays 2 instead of Tidesteel.
Root Delve armor materials (Tidesteel or the Barnacle Crust above) pay once every 20 hours per player. Clear again inside that window and you still get the Delving XP, the tide bonus and the chests, just no armor materials. Low Tide clears never drop either.
See Health and Gear for how armor sets fit with trinkets on the max health ladder.