Horizon Forbidden West: Every Legendary Armor, Ranked
If players are going to survive the dangers and enemies of Horizon Forbidden West, it pays to know which legendary armor works best. Among the plethora of armors in the game, the six legendary armor sets are the pinnacle of combat and protection. Each armor set comes with skills that heavily depend on the player's style and build. Moreover, the armor sets add some immersion to the game, being both visually unique and attached to the lore of Forbidden West in some capacity.
One of the most significant changes in Horizon Forbidden West from Horizon Zero Dawn is the approach to armor and how it can apply to gameplay. While Zero Dawn had various armor sets ranging from light and heavy to adept and master, the priority was always stats with the highest numbers like the Shield-Weaver armor, which reappeared in Horizon Forbidden West, albeit in a powered-down state. While this approach streamlined the armor dynamic in Zero Dawn, it took away the opportunities to experiment with playstyles and the varying skills in each armor set.
Forbidden West would eventually convert Zero Dawn's armor system from stat dependent to a more playstyle-oriented gameplay loop. The Oseram Artificer armor is under the warrior category of playstyle and leans on the melee-centric players. On the other hand, the Tenakth Vanquisher set is categorized as a survivor armor set with skills that effectively put Aloy in what equates to a berserker rage. Each Legendary armor adds depth to the game and is a defining factor in the battle against the new machines in Horizon Forbidden West. Here is every legendary armor in the Forbidden West to save players time and resources.
An armor that underlines the Carja's love of fashion as much as protection, the Carja Stalker Elite armor is for players that lean towards a trapping playstyle in Horizon Forbidden West. Not only does the armor increase the trap limit and how quickly they are placed, but it can be used in a stealth capacity with skills like low profile and quiet movement. However, since trapping is usually reserved for before engaging with the enemy, most skills become unusable during the fight. The Carja Stalker Elite can be found at The Maw of the Arena and is priced at 54 arena medals.
The Utaru Winterweave is the deadliest legendary armor that takes advantage of Horizon Forbidden West's weapons and traps through stealth. Moreover, the outfit's skills revolve around assassinating enemies quickly and efficiently. The armor is also the go-to for stealthy players with skills from quiet movement and quiet spear to low profile and increased smoke bomb capacity. The armor is for players who have mastered Horizon Forbidden West's stealth gameplay.
Moreover, when fully upgraded, the armor has more stealth damage with silent strike+ and some life steal with the silent strike heal skill. While the armor is excellent for clearing out rebel bases and wiping out the smaller machines, it's not made for prolonged battles, especially against the larger machines like a Thunderjaw or a Shellsnaper. The Utaru Winterweave armor is found at the outfit vendor in Thornmarsh and costs 2,000 metal shards, one Tremortusk Circulator, and one Apex Dreadwing heart.
The Tenakth Tactician armor is for players who utilize machines less than mounts in Horizon Forbidden West and more like recruitable allies to help in battle. The armor set's skills revolve around increasing an overridden machine's health, damage, and elemental capabilities, making even the lowly Burrower a tremendous combat asset. However, the armor's greatest strength is also its biggest downside in battle.
On the one hand, the armor considerably buffs machines and how long they stay overridden. On the other hand, this focus on machines doesn't leave much room for players to build on their damage. While this can be mitigated with outfit weaves or weapon mods, the damage potential will always be lower than it could be. Regardless, players should seek out this armor in the Thornmarsh settlement after paying 2,000 metal shards, one Thunderjaw circulator, and one Apex Slitherfang heart and try it against Horizon Forbidden West's evolving machines.
The Tenakth Vanquisher armor focuses on a high-risk and high-reward playstyle in Horizon Forbidden West. The player must be in a constant state of low health to use most of the armor's skills like increased valor, melee, defense, and ranged capabilities. Fortunately, the armor has some survival viability with the second chance mod that boosts players' chances of surviving a killing blow. While the armor has high damage potential, it's a niche pick that depends on the player's build and playstyle. The armor is unlocked at The Maw of the Arena for 54 arena medals.
The Oseram Artificer is the de facto melee armor that takes advantage of Aloy's revamped spear in Horizon Forbidden West. The armor has the highest melee stats in the game when fully upgraded and skills that boost melee and power attacks while buffing resonator buildup and how long enemies stay energized. Moreover, when the armor is combined with the overshield valor surge, the player is nearly invincible with a refilling shield shrugging off most attacks and quickly getting into melee range.
However, if there is one takeaway from the armor, it leans towards a more aggressive playstyle that might not fit every player. Also, the armor is relatively vulnerable without the overshield valor surge, especially on more significant difficulties or against the larger combat machines, shrinking the player's combat options. The Oseram Artificer armor is given to the player after completing all 17 salvage contracts across the Forbidden West, making it the longest to obtain while beating Horizon Forbidden West.
The Nora Thunder Warrior is the must-have set for players venturing into Horizon Forbidden West. The armor is ranged focused with the highest impact damage among the legendary armors while massively buffing concentration. It is also highly flexible in battle with skills toward stamina regen increasing how many times the player can dodge and heavy weapon+ buffing two-handed weapons further.
The damage potential increases further when this armor is combined with weapons like The Death-Seeker's Shadow or the Forgefall. Also, considering ranged combat is the primary gameplay loop Forbidden West makes, this armor more appealing. The Nora Thunder Warrior is earned through fighting at The Maw of the Arena and costs 54 arena medals.
Legendary armors not only change the game in fundamental ways but complement other improvements to Horizon Forbidden West's combat. Moreover, while their skills seemingly nudge players to particular playstyles and approaches in battle, each armor set can be built in more unique ways depending on what the player prefers. Whatever process players take with armor in Horizon Forbidden West, it pays to be protected, and these legendary armor sets will do just that.