So what do you think is the best armor upgrade. here are some top contenders:

Diamond Armor - +2 armor +10 vitality Crafted
Drarven Enhancement - +2 armor +10 vitality
Magic Wrap +2 armor +3 sign damage Crafted
Dhu Bleidd +1 armor +5 sign damage
Elaine Bleidd +1 armor +15 vitality
Steel Plate +2 armor +1% resistance to incineration, bleeding and poisoning
Some other one

And now for mutegens. We know the best one is probable the greater critical one but which one do you take as your second choice? After all it is pretty rare to get lucky to find 5 greater critical effects mutegens. So here are some choices:

Greater Enhancement +5% adrenaline on hits
Greater Power +1-3 damage
Greater Strength +2 armor +1 vitality regeneration
Greater Vitality +10 vitality
Concentration +1 sign damage
Range +5% Igni and Aard sign range
Some other one

So speak up and don't be shy and state what you use and why.

Elaine Bleidd for the armor upgrade. As far as mutagens go, I stick with the greater vitality mutagen.

I tend to stick with things that increase vitality, because Murphy's law states that when I screw up it will usually be in a snowball effect of pain and failure. More vitality = safety net.

I really like the Kayran Skin Armor enhancement.

+5% vigor regen > everything else ... if you're playing a control (adrenaline) based mage.
Consequently, I put two of those, plus the Dhu Bleidd, in my Vran armor.

For mutagens, I just use whatever I find .. but I prefer to use a lot of whatever I find the most of.
For instance, if I have 5x greater critical effects, I'll use those.
My favourite build has 5x greater enhancement and 2x greater strength, but I'd probably use madness over greater strength, and more greater enhancements over anything else.

That really depends on your other enhancements (the abilities you chose to develop) and your preferred fighting style. I, for instance, didn't even think that better critical would be something worthy. Mutagens I used: strength and concentration. Armour: diamond/dwarves, Dhu Bleidd. I was heartbroken when I found out that one armour upgrade I used I should have saved for making a new armour, based on the old one and that specific piece of equipment (can't remember the names, edit later). Found the diagram in a chest in the city sewers, chapter 3.

I just started Act 2, and so far my first choice has been vitality increases in both armour, armour enhancements and mutagens, second choice is resistance increases, followed by armour rating.

Depending on what I find and what armour / weapons become available, I might invest in some crit effects enhancements.

Well, for power and availability the Diamond Enhancement is probably best. As long as you buy the Diagram and stock up on diamond dust starting in Act1, you'll have enough to supply all the different armours that you change to for the rest of the game. Sure, some of the others may be a bit better in addons - but you only get them very occasionally from drops/loot.

For Mutagens, yup... it really depends on your build. If you're lucky enough to get a Madness or 2 - they're a great choice for any build.

Frankly, by the time you get into Act3 - you're pretty much a god anyway against all the "normal" opponents.

What are the stats for the Madness Mutegen? The site I'm using shows it as +1-2 damage which is less than the Greater Strength mutegen of 1-3.

OK did more research and it has +2 armor, +5 vitality +1-2 damage. yes this sounds like a good one.

+4 Armor
+15 Vitality

Kayran Carapace Reinforcement
Armor +1
Vigor regeneration during combat +5%
Resistance to Bleeding +5%
Resistance to Poisoning +5%

Regeneration alone is worth a lot, but comes in limited supply...

Diamond Armor Reinforcements
Armor +2
Vitality +10

Easy to make, so that's my choice for all those "temporary" armors. I have to disagree about Critical mutagen being the best, besides sometimes you don't really get the choice.

"In games plagued by random the choice gets you!"

I've heard a lot of oppinions on mutagen "sloting" and if I was going deep into it I'd probably go for armor or damage. Would be great to slot 10+ Madness, but that'd be madness in itself (these BARELY ever drop...).

However I never do mutagen focused builds, those are boring, and so I slot based on current needs (or availability if "the choice gets me").

Wait, I thought i could make only one Kayran Carapace Reinforcement with the Kayran Skin, so what i thought is that i would choose between the armor reinforcement or the armor itself which is a pretty dumb decision if you already have the Hunter's Armor. But anyway, can i actually drop it or take more kayran skins?

is there any way to 'farm' for dhu bleidd upgrades? i think one dropped off one of iorveth's squirrel in the forest in chapter 1, but i dunno if that was a fluke or not.

Is there really a reason NOT to go for Magic Wraps when you're playing as a mage? The Ys armor's +10 or whatever sign damage plus another 9 sign damage AND 6 armor? seems like the best mage armor there can be. But maybe I'm dismissing vigor regen too soon.....

Depends on what you're trying to do.
If you're rushing for a heliotrope, armor rating can be largely irrelevant as you spam up your adrenaline, then hit the "I win" button.

The time slow bubble allows you to do whatever you want .. I like to slash with sword, but that's 'cos they can't get me and it's more amusing to get some vigor back.

There are also builds that don't rely on igni or heliotrope (though those are OP as all heck) ... such as the aard build ... which uses crit % and the time taken during the executions to regenerate vigor.
Sign damage is probably pointless in that scenario.

No i think you're right. By the time you can get the magic wraps a good mage build usually has heaps of vigor regen. The kayran skin could be useful in the earlier acts though. Anyone else loot 2 kayran skins sometimes?

I do like elaine bleid/dhu bleid for role-play value though, and the bonuses are pretty good on those :)

I usually just use diamond/dwarf in act 1/2 because they're cheap and I like to change my character's look with new armour every so often :)

Mutagens without impregnation aren't really that big of a deal either way I think. I usually use madness/strength as a mage for armour and the other bonuses, or enhancement (as well as crit like you said) as a fighter for +adrenaline generation

I always loot 2 Kayran skins :/

I think the Kayran armor enhancement is definitely great in Ch2.