[Top 10] Horizon Forbidden West Best Armors From Early Till Late Game (And How To Get Them)

Aloy shown with the Nora Anointed armor set


10. Nora Anointed (Best for Early game)

Nora Anointed armor is the armor you start with! Believe it or not, this is one of the best early-game armor. During the early game enemies are mostly melee and the only kind of attack you need to watch out for are the Bristleback’s acid attacks and Scrounger’s shock attacks. This armor set has 25 resistance for both acid and shock so it covers both elements perfectly!

Nora Anointed Excels at:

  • Early game Acid and Electric resistance
  • Concentration and Potent Medicine skill – helpful early game

How to get Nora Anointed: You start with it!

9. Nora Sentinel (Best for Early Game)

The Nora Sentinel armor offers a well-rounded defense to melee, impact damage, and resistance against fire and shock. It has negative resistance to acid so you’ll have to watch out for acid attacks. The armor offers concentration, stamina regen, and stealth ranged damage – combo the armor set with a sneak attack using a weapon skill and you’ll get quite an advantage on unsuspecting enemies!

Nora Sentinel armor excels at:

  • Long range, sneak attack sniping
  • Well-rounded defense
  • Good upgrade to Nora Anoited

How to obtain it: You need to find a Skydrifter circulator and then purchase it at Barren Light for 399 Metal Shards.

8. Carja Shadow (Best for mid-game)

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The Carja Shadow armor set offers high melee defense and some impact defense. It also provides resistance to fire and purgewater, while losing resistance to cold so you need to watch out for cold damage. The armor set offers low potent medicine, low health defense, and medicine capacity so it’s a more defense-oriented set. Once you unlock the 2nd weave slot, you get concentration +2 which is a valuable weave because you can use it on other armor sets in the future as well!

Carja Shadow armor excels at:

  • Survivability
  • Well-rounded defenses suitable for the region
  • Good for exploring the Plainsong region

How to obtain it: You need a Longleg Circulator and 399 Metal shards and then you can purchase it at Plainsong.

7. Utaru Thresher (Best for mid-game)

The Utaru Thresher is a armor set specialized for carrying big heavy weapons as you start encountering more of the larger machines – this armor set comes in handy. This set lets you move around faster while carrying the big weapons and also offers defense in both melee and impact damage, as well as providing resistance in almost all elements except purgewater.

Utaru Thresher armor excels at:

  • Heavy weapons
  • Overall increased survivability
  • Useful Potent Medicine weave at max upgrade

How to obtain it: You will need a Sunwing circulator and a large machine core. Once you have both components you can purchase the armor at Scalding Spear for 945 shards.

6. Tenakth Tactician (Best for End-game)

The Tenakth Tactician armor set is a legendary set of armor for a master of the machines. It’s a set targeted towards overriding and machine mount – featuring a set of skills that boosts everything override-related. The armor offers strong defense on all elements except purgewater and acid.

Tenakth Tactician armor excels at:

  • Machine override focus
  • Stealth & Machine damage weaves
  • Well-rounded defense stats except for purgewater and acid

How to obtain it: You will need to get an Apex Slitherfang heart and a Thunderjaw Circulator. Once you have those, you will need to head to Thornmarsh and purchase the armor set for 2000 shards.

5. Utaru Winterweave (Best for End-game)

The Utaru Winterwave armor is one of the best stealth armor sets in the game. It is a legendary armor set built for stealth so you can sneak around and make sure you always have the element of surprise. For those that like a sneaky playstyle and striking from the shadows – this armor is the one for you!

Utaru Winterweave armor excels at:

  • Sneaky infiltrator
  • Silent ranged & Silent strike gain weaves
  • Well-rounded defense stats for all elements except Fire and Acid

How to obtain it: You will need to get an Apex Dreadwing Heart, a Tremortusk circulator. Once you have those you can head to Thornmarsh and purchase the armor set for 2000 shards.

4. Carja Stalker Elite (Best for End-game)

The Carja Stalker Elite is a tactical legendary armor set. The armor set specializes in traps, and quick crafts allowing you set traps quickly and hold more traps. For those that enjoy tactical gameplay over a straight forward head-on combat – this armor set is for you! 

Carja Stalker Elite armor excels at:

Trapping gameplay

Skilled Salvager and Resilient Trapper Weaves

Well-rounded defenses for all elements except fire and acid

How to obtain it: You will need to get 54 arena medals by completing the hunting grounds and the arena challenges. Once you have 54 you can purchase it at the merchant outside the Arena.

3. Tenakth Vanquisher (Best for End-game)

The Tenakth Vanquisher is a legendary armor for those who prefer a bit more survivability and getting up close and personal. The armor set is designed for high risk, high reward where most of the armor skills activate when at 25% hp. Combo it with melee damage boost valor surge for some destructive melee strikes or overshield valor surge to dish out some damage while staying safe!

Tenakth Vanquisher armor excels at:

  • High risk, High reward gameplay – bonuses activate at 25% hp
  • Really fast Valor gain
  • Second change and power attack weave

How to obtain it: You will need to get 54 arena medals through completing the hunting grounds and the arena challenges. Once you have 54 you can purchase it at the merchant outside the Arena.

2. Nora Thunder Warrior (Best for End-game)

The Nora Thunder Warrior armor set is a hunter legendary armor set. It’s a more traditional armor set with a focus on ranged combat. The armor set has well-rounded defense to all elements except Frost and Plasma, it also has higher Impact defense so great for keeping you safe while keeping your distance during combat.

Nora Thunder armor excels at:

  • Hunter gameplay – for players that enjoy sniper/longshot gameplay
  • Weapon stamina and Valor surge master weaves!
  • Has higher Impact damage resistance than other legendaries, so great for ranged combat

How to obtain it: You will need to get 54 arena medals by completing the hunting grounds and the arena challenges. Once you have 54 you can purchase it at the merchant outside the Arena.

1. Oseram Artificer (Best for End-game)

The Oseram Artificer is the hardest legendary armor to get and also the best. The armor set offers resonator blast, and a faster charge on spear attacks. It is a melee-focused armor set which the highest melee damage resistance in the game. Not only does it have a melee damage resistance, it also has the highest overall defense stats in the game making this armor set the best in the game!

Oseram Artificer armor excels at:

  • Melee focused weapon set, with boosts to spear energizing speed
  • Melee damage and Critical strike weaves!
  • Overall best defense in the entire game

How to obtain it: You will need to complete all of the Oseram contracts in the game, which is a very time-consuming feat but completing the quest chain will award you with the best armor in the game.

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