Best Armor (Best Outfits) Guide

This is a guide on the best armor and outfit sets to get in Horizon Forbidden West during the early, middle, late, and post game. Read on to learn more about each outfit, why they are the best, how to get them, and their resistances.

Best Equipment and Abilities
Best Weapons	Best Armor
Best Skills	Best Valor Surges

Best Armor (Outfits) For Early Game

Best Early Game Armor (Outfits)
Nora Annointed	Nora Sentinel	Carja Shadow

Nora Huntress

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Nora Huntress	Infiltrator Uncommon	・Silent Strike Heal ・Low Profile
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Chainscrape

At the start of the game, Aloy lacks any significant health and damage output, so it best use stealth when dealing with enemies earlier on. The Nora Huntress helps you sneak up on targets with its useful skills. This also allows you to save on skill points by not needing to spend them on Infiltrator skills just yet.

Nora Sentinel

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Nora Sentinel	Hunter Rare	・Concentration+ ・Stamina Regen ・Stealth Ranged+
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Barren Light, near the base, and near LATOPOLIS

The Nora Sentinel is one of the best armor you can get early on in the game due to its relatively high resistances. It can be purchased from the Stitcher in Barren Light, but you may find it difficult to obtain some of the resources needed to trade for this item.

When you do eventually find these resources, it is definitely worth traveling back to Barren Light to pick up this armor.

Carja Shadow

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Carja Shadow	Survivor Rare	・Potent Medicine ・Low Health Defense ・Medicine Capacity
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Plainsong, The Maw of the Arena, and Scalding Spear

The Carja Shadow has incredibly high Melee resistance for armor this early in the game, which makes it incredibly valuable when dealing with many machines that can tackle or run down Aloy. Its defensive skills are also incredibly useful since they significantly increase Aloy's bulk, allowing her to take on tougher enemies.

You can also get this armor for free by completing the The Burning Blooms side quest.

Best Armor (Outfits) For Mid Game

Best Mid-Game Armor (Outfits)
Tenakth Vindicator	Oseram Striker	Tenakth Dragoon

Tenakth Vindicator

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Tenakth Vindicator	Mixed Gear Very Rare	・Weapon Stamina+ ・Valor Surge Master ・Critical Strike+ ・Resilient Trapper ・Silent Strike Gain
How to Get
Reward from Side Quest 6: The Deluge

The Tenakth Vindicator is one of the earliest Mixed Gear armor you can obtain in the game. These outfits are great because they have a variety of skills that are used by several different playstyles. The Tenakth Vindicator also offers some decent resistances to several types of damage.

Oseram Striker

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Oseram Striker	Warrior Very Rare	・Resonator Blast+ ・Energized Duration ・Critical Strike+ ・Resonator Buildup
How to Get
Abadund in Hidden Ember; Stitchers or Hunters in Fall's Edge and near the base during the late game

The Oseram Striker is another armor that offers plently of resistances, especially against some of the more common elements in the game. Though it does decrease Aloy's resistances against Purgewater and Plasma, these elements are significantly less common when battling against machines.

Though it is best used on melee focused builds, the Oseram Striker is also great for more generalist playstyles.

Tenakth Dragoon

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Tenakth Dragoon	Machine Master Very Rare	・Mounted Defense ・Machine Health ・Efficient Repair ・Mounted Archer
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Fall's Edge and Legacy's Landfall

The Tenakth Dragoon offers great resistances against several elements and is best used while in mounted combat due to its many machine-based skills. However, even when you are not in mounted combat often, the added benefits to the health and repair of your mounts is a great bonus for any build.

Best Armor (Outfits) For Late Game

Best Late-Game Armor (Outfits)
Nora Tracker	Utaru Ritesinger	Tenakth Tactician

Nora Tracker

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Nora Tracker	Infiltrator Very Rare	・Silent Strike+ ・Quiet Movement ・Low Profile ・Quiet Spear
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Thornmarsh and near the base during the late game

The Nora Tracker is one of the more durable Infiltrator armor. It grants Aloy several buffs to her stealth skills while also offering her some great resistances, especially against Shock and Impact attacks. Its negative resistances are also some of the more less common elements in the game.

Utaru Ritesinger

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Utaru Ritesinger	Survivor Very Rare	・Deep Concentration ・Food Duration ・Stealth Ranged+ ・Second Chance
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Thornmarsh and near the base during the late game

The Utaru Ritesinger is a Survivor-type armor, giving you an edge when it comes to passive healing. Though the outfit also makes Aloy vulnerable to Shock and Plasma attacks, this can be easily remedied by adding a few weaves and upgrading the armor to its maximum level.

Tenakth Tactician

Outift	Type and Rarity	Skills
Tenakth Tactician	Machine Master Legendary	・Quiet Movement ・Mounted Defense ・Lasting Override ・Machine Health ・Machine Elemental+ ・Mounted Archer
How to Get
Stitchers or Hunters in Thornmarsh

The Tenakth Tactician is one of the few legendary armor that can be purchased from merchants. Though it is an expensive purchase, requiring an Apex Slitherfang Heart, it is definitely worth the time and effort of obtaining this item due to the many resistances the armor offers.

Even though its skills are more tailored for mounted combat, they are also great for more generalist playstyles.

Horizon Forbidden West Related Guides

Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks Guides
Trophy List	Difficulty Modes	Best Settings
Language Settings	List of Controls	How to Fast Travel
Explorer Mode vs. Guided Mode	How to Override Machines	Photo Mode
Forbidden West Setting and Location	How to Set Up Jobs	Best Skills
Can You Skip Cutscenes?	How to Get Boar Hides	Flashpoint Choices
How to Save	How to Get Wild Meat	How to Get Greenshine
Best Weapons Guide	Beginner's Guide	How to Climb Up the Launch Tower
How to Get Flying Mounts	Best Outfits and Armor	List of All Mounts and How to Call Them
How to Change Face Paints	How to Use the Pullcaster	Valor Surge Tier List: What is the Best Valor Surge?
Easy Loot Setting: What Does Easy Loot Do?	Can You Lure Call?	Can You Respec Skill Points?
How to Change Weapon Techniques	List of Bugs and Glitches	Weapon Stamina and Weapon Technique Explanation
What Does Acid Damage Do?	What Does Purgewater Damage Do?	What Does Plasma Damage Do?
What Does Explosive Damage Do?	What Does Adhesive Damage Do?	What Does Fire Damage Do?
What Does Shock Damage Do?	What Does Frost Damage Do?	How to Level Up Fast
Fast Money Farming	How to Get the Diving Mask	How to Use the Shieldwing
How to Use The Tripcaster	How to Unlock the Chest in Hidden Embers	100% Completion Guide
Restoring GAIA: Which Subprogram Should you Get First?	What To Do in Scalding Spear	Best Builds Guide
List of All Machine Strike Player Locations	List of Machine Strike Pieces	All Shop and Merchant Locations
Missables and Unrepeatable Events	How to Clear Blocked Paths: Firegleam and Metal Flower Guide	How to Get Luminous Brainstem
All Datapoint Locations	-	-