With Guerrilla releasing another patch (news via Horizon Zero Dawn, players have continued to find ways to reach the full potential of their playthroughs in both games.
The best way of going about this is to buy or craft powerful tools that will help Aloy along the way, paying special attention to upgrading the outfits she is wearing, since each give her different buffs that can be helpful in various specific situations. From the Nora armor to the outfits made for the frigid Banuk territory, what are the best in all of Horizon Zero Dawn?
Nora Silent Hunter Heavy
Giving Aloy 30 stealth to top off her already amazing skills, the Nora Silent Hunter heavy is great for hunting trials, eliminating Watchers before their suspicions are triggered, and raiding bandit camps.
As the best stealth armor in the game, earning the 2,800 Metal Shards and a Bellowback Heart is worth every penny. The outfit can be bought from Teb prior to Aloy becoming a Seeker if the player has all the materials, but can also be found at just about every merchant in the game from that point on as well.
Oseram Arrowbreaker Heavy
Protecting Aloy from everything from arrows to guns, the Oseram Arrowbreaker Heavy is hands down the best projectile defense armor in the game. For 1,100 Metal Shards and a Crystal Braiding the player receives an additional 30 projectile defense, in case stealth just isn’t the player’s thing.
This outfit does well against threatening enemies like Thunderjaws Ravagers, and Stalkers keeping Aloy safe in all of her pursuits, especially when met by some of the best weapons in Horizon Zero Dawn that foes may wield on higher difficulties. Once Aloy has been to Daytower, the armor can be purchased from many vendors, the earliest of which is around the Way of Broken Stones.
Oseram Sparkworker Heavy
The more dangerous machines in Horizon Zero Dawn often greatly damage Aloy if she isn’t equipped with the right armor. Luckily, the Oseram Sparkworker is there to ease this burden better than any other.
Granting a whopping 50 shock defense, the outfit sharply increases Aloy’s resistance to shock. For 2,800 Metal Shards and 2 Luminous Braiding, the player is able to fortify themselves against mighty foes like Shellwakers and Stormbirds. The Oseram Sparkworker can also easily be obtained along the Way of Broken Stones.
Shadow Stalwart Heavy
The Shadow and Stalwart Heavy defends against powerful offenses that effect Aloy’s vision, like sonic and blinding attacks, while also making it possible for the player to slip through the Shadow Carja territory unseen.
For 3,680 Metal Shards and a Stalker Heart, Aloy can protect herself from enemies that usually impair her with their mind-quaking sounds at the start of battle, like Longlegs and Watchers. This infiltration specialist armor is attainable once the player has beaten the main quest, Terror of the Sun.
Nora Survivor Heavy
As the jack of all trades, the Nora Survivor Heavy outfit is perfect for protecting Aloy evenly from all the best weapon types, increasing her Shock, Fire, Corruption, and Freeze Defenses by 15 each. For 2,900 Metal Shards, 2 Watcher Hearts, and 40 Blaze, the player can have a significant advantage.
The armor really shines when the player must initiate combat against multiple various machines at once, specifically in the last quests of the game, but is valuable in every possible situation Aloy could find herself in. The Nora Survivor Heavy armor should be bought before Aloy’s fight with Helis and is yet another one that is obtainable from Teb prior to The Proving.
Carja Blazon Heavy
When Aloy needs resistance against fire, the Carja Blazon Heavy outfit is the way to go. As the best fire defense armor, it shields players from one of the deadliest damage types in the game, especially since the flames deal additional damage after impact.
The Carzon Blazon Heavy armor holds up nicely when Aloy is attacked by Fire Bellowbacks by utilizing its 50 fire defense and makes her almost immune to flames when combined with a fire-resistance potion. Costing 2,780 Metal Shards and a Charger Heart, the armor can be easily obtained after the Daybreak Tower if the player can afford it.
Banuk Ice Hunter Heavy
The best freeze defense outfit, the Banuk Ice Hunter Heavy stacks up Aloy’s freeze defense by 50 and protects her against foes like Freeze Bellowbacks, Snapmaws, Glinthawks, and the like. However, most of these enemies are rare until the player has sured the Daybreak tower.
Though there aren’t a large number of freeze-type enemies throughout the game, it's always recommended to be weary of these dangers by purchasing the outfit in the Embrace. To own the Banuk Ice Hunter Heavy armor, 2,800 Metal Shards, a Strider Heart, and 20 Metal Vessels are needed.
Carja Silks Heavy
A big factor that makes Horizon Forbidden West better than Horizon Zero Dawn is that it has stronger and more customizable armor. The good news is, despite having no built-in buffs or resistance, the Carja Silks Heavy outfit grants the player maximum customizability.
For 3,770 Metal Shards and a Longleg Heart, Aloy can choose how she wants the Carja Silks Heavy outfit to assist her in whatever situation she has wrapped herself up in with its bonus modification slot, the Master Variants of the armor awarding the player with the biggest base resistance possible. Though it's pretty expensive, getting the best multi-modification outfit from either Sunfall or Meridian vendors is definitely worth it.
Banuk Werak Chieftain
One of the most difficult of Horizon Zero Dawn’s hunting grounds, the Banuk territory is not for the faint of heart. The Banuk Werak Chieftain outfit cannot be attained without the Frozen Wilds DLC, which makes it that much more valuable.
It's no wonder the armor is one of the greatest in the game when taking into its ive health regeneration abilities, which puts it on another level when stacked against other outfits and used during the games biggest battles. Once the For the Werak quest is completed, Aloy can get the armor from merchants in Bluegleam. 2,200 Metal Shards, a Squirrel Skin, a Goat Skin, and a Badger Skin are required to obtain it.
Shield-Weaver
By far the most overpowered armor in the game is the Sheild-Weaver, which surrounds Aloy with a defensive force field that absorbs damage and turns it into health, substantially reducing overall health subtraction.
If the player is braving Horizon Zero Dawn’s New Game+ mode, which has enemies that are able to one-shot kill Aloy, this outfit is a must. The Shield-Weaver is attainable immediately before the final battle, which is seemingly unbeatable without the outfit. Collecting all the Power Cells is necessary for the equipment and are discoverable in main quest areas like the Grave-Hoard and GAIA Prime, which need to be beaten to gain access to the armor in the Ancient Armory.