The Outer Worlds Armor Guide

The Outer Worlds has various factors that the player has to account for in order to stay alive, one of...

The Outer Worlds has various factors that the player has to account for in order to stay alive, one of these is having good armor as you explore the vast wastelands of different worlds. The Outer Worlds has different damage types which mean each armor type gives you resistance against something specific. Having different armors for different situations can provide some useful boosts.

Each armor piece can be classified into either the Light, Medium or Heavy category which is up to you depending on how you like your characters to roll. You can equip a headpiece and body armor, over time both of these items degrade and can be repaired on a workbench, or simply do it where you are if your Engineering skill is high enough, alternatively, a vendor can repair it for you too.

The Outer Worlds Armor

Armor provides you with Armor rating that helps you with resistance to incoming damage. Although armor rating is an important concept you will also get interesting bonuses to your stats, skills or attributes. If you find a piece of armor you’re particularly fond of you, you can add further modifications by Tinkering at a Workbench.

Armor Types

Heavy, light and medium armor types do not affect your playstyle in the way you think they do. The difference between each is the armor rating and the amount of items you can carry. Heavy Armor will have higher armor rating than Medium and Light armor but Light and Medium armor will have better bonuses to attributes and skills.

It’s better to understand that having a little extra armor rating is not going to help you that much. Your primary focus should always be the bonuses you get from said armor pieces. +5 to a Skill is better than +5 to Armor Rating. You can improve armor rating by Tinkering the item on a Workbench.

With suitable combinations of armor, you can gain significant skill bonuses for whatever situation you currently intend to deal with. With so many different skills, it is rewarding if you explore each build as you move through the game.

Armor Rating

Armor Rating works in a very simple way, with the amount of damage the enemy is dealing, let’s say it be 150, and your armor rating is 50, you’ll notice that due to your armor, you will receive exactly 100 damage. This number can change depending on the resistance bonuses provided to you from your armor type. Armor Rating is basically the amount subtracted from your total damage taken.

If you get hit on the head, your headpiece will deteriorate and similarly taking damage on your chest, your chest piece will lose armor rating.

Armor Pieces

The following list details every body armor in the game with their modifications, skill bonuses, armor types and damage reduction from each damage type should they have any.

Name Armor Type Skill Bonus Modifications Physical Plasma Corrosion Shock N-Ray
Hibernation Suit Light Tech +5 None 3 3 3 3 3
Rebuilt Mining Gear Light Stealth +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 4 4 4 4 4
Worker Outfit (1) Clothing Melee +6 None 3 3 3 3 3
Worker Outfit (2) Light Tech +5 None 2 2 2 2 2
Makeshift Low Pressure Medium Tech +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 9 9 9 9 9
Riot Control Armor Light Stealth +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 4 4 4 4 4
Mechanics Overalls, Junior Grade Light Tech +5 None 7 None None None None
Retrofitted Heavy Power Armor Heavy Stealth +5, Heavy Weapons +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 16 None None None None
Cobbled Exo Suit Light Tech +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 5 5 5 5 5
Laboratory Outfit, Splash-Resistant None Tech +5 None 3 None None None None
Riot Control Armor (2) Light Stealth +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 7 None None None None
Standard Troop Armor Medium Hack +7 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 14 None None None None
Protective Clothing With Safety Harness Light Dialog +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 6 None None None None
Work Gear, Farm-Friendly Clothing Melee +5 None 3 None None None None
Colony Ship Guard Armor Medium Melee +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 18 None None None None
Standard Troop Armor (L12) Medium Dodge +7 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 19 None None None None
Day Wear, Option 1 Clothing Stealth +5 None 4 None None None None
Work-Gear, Farm-Friendly (L8) Clothing Defense +5 None 3 None None None None
Mixed Use Outfit Clothing Ranged +5 None 3 None None None None
Laboratory Outfit, Splash-Resistant (L8) Clothing Leadership +5 None 3 None None None None
Elite Troop Armor Heavy Block +5 Stealth +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 53 None None None None
The Refined Byzantite None Ranged +5 None 5 None None None None
ClassicWear Express (L7) None Ranged +5 None 3 None None None None
ClassicWear Umbra (L20) None Tech +5 None 3 None None None None
ClassicWear Umbra (L2) None Dialog +5 None 2 None None None None
ClassicWear Express (L1) None Leadership +5 None 5 None None None None
ClassicWear Express (L13) None Leadership +5 None 5 None None None None
The Manager (L8) Clothing Hack +5 None 3 None None None None
The Manager (L10) Clothing Engineering +5 None 3 None None None None
The Oxonian (L14) Clothing Persuade +5 None 4 None None None None
The Oxonian (L18) Clothing Science +5 None 6 None None None None
Colony Shop Uniform, Captain (L18) Light Leadership +5 None 22 None None None None
Day Wear, Option 1 (L13) Clothing Ranged +5 None 5 None None None None
Leaded Armor (L15) Medium 2-Handed Melee +7 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 24 None None None None
Streetwear, Basic (L9) Light Melee +5 None 11 None None None None
Ordnance Control Armor Gold (L16) Medium Defense +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 26 None None None None
Elite Troop Armor Gold (L17) Heavy Dodge +5 Stealth +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 41 None None None None
Dur-A-Bull Guards Light Ranged +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 11 None None None None
Anti-Riot Gear (L13) Medium Long Guns +7 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 21 None None None None
Ordnance Control Armor (L14) Medium Ranged +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 22 None None None None
Cobbled Exo-Suit (L3) Light Tech +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 5 None None None None
Ordnance Control Armor Gold (L29) Medium Leadership +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 54 None None None None
Elite Troop Armor Gold (L30) Heavy Block +5 Stealth +5 Utility Gadget Skill Kit Armoring 84 None None None None
Braxington Formal Wear None Leadership +5 None 7 7 7 7 7
Freeman Business Suit None Tech +5 None 4 4 4 4 4
Town & Country None Leadership +5 None 3 3 3 3 3
Classic Semi-Formal None Defense +5 None 3 3 3 3 3
Fall Plaid Collection None Tech +5 None 2 2 2 2 2
SubLight VP Armor Light Intimidate +10 Laminated Silver Tongue Kit 26 26 26 26 31
Inmate Uniform, Style T Clothing Melee +5 None 8 None None None None
Colony Ship Uniform, Captain Light Leadership +5 None 22 None None None None

Head Armor

All the head armor pieces you can wear which surprisingly includes a very fashionable fedora for you to rock across the galaxy.

Name Armor Type Skill Bonus Physical Plasma Corrosion Shock N-Ray
Piecemeal Mining Light 1-Handed Melee +5 4 None None None None
Patched Low Pressure Medium Lockpick +5 9 None None None None
Beanie, Light-weight Light Block +5 2 None None None None
Riot Control Helmet Light Determination +5 4 4 4 4 4
Reconditioned Exo Helmet Light Sneak +5 None None None None None
Mining Helmet, Grade 1, With Light Clothing Heavy Weapons +5 5 None None None None
Overhauled Power Helmet Heavy None 16 16 16 16 16
Mining Helmet, Grade 1 Clothing Hack +5 6 None None None None
Ordnance Control Helmet None Persuade +5 18 None None None None
Riot Control Helmet (2) Light 1-Handed Melee +5 7 None None None None
Standard Troop Helmet Light Science +5 14 None None None None
MoonMan Helmet (Costume) Clothing Lie +5 3 None None None None
Advanced Defensive Heavy None 24 None None None None
Advanced Defensive (L11) Heavy None 26 None None None None
Padded Helm Clothing Lockpick +5 4 None None None None
Mark 7 Cranial Protector Clothing Handguns +5 3 None None None None
Mining Helmet, Grade 1 (L4) Clothing Heavy Weapons +5 5 None None None None
Precision Spectrum Magnification Mono-Lens Clothing Engineering +5 3 None None None None
Reinforced Head Wear, Class S Clothing Medical +5 3 None None None None
Lab Protective Monocle None Persuade +5 4 None None None None
Elite Troop Armor (Helmet) Heavy None 22 None None None None
Full Cranial Helmet Heavy None 16 None None None None
Advanced Defensive (L21) Heavy None 53 None None None None
Ordnance Control Helmet (L20) Medium Handguns +5 33 None None None None
Standard Troop Helmet (L18) Light Persuade +5 29 None None None None
Hat, Wide-Brimmed (L13) Clothing Dodge +5 5 None None None None
Hat, Wide-Brimmed (L25) Clothing 2-Handed Melee +5 11 None None None None
Heavy Grade Face (L14) Light Determination +5 11 None None None None
Mark 7 Cranial Protector (L6) Medium Handguns +5 3 None None None None
Space Aviator Glasses (L13) Medium Hack +5 5 None None None None
Vented Mark 3 Helmet (L13) Medium Inspiration +5 21 None None None None
Eye Covering, Standard (L21) Clothing Lie +5 9 None None None None
Riot Control Helmet Gold (L13) Light Handguns +5 10 None None None None
Leather Helm With Goggles Medium Medical +5 21 None None None None
Ordnance Control Helmet Gold (L18) Medium Persuade +5 29 None None None None
The Oxonian Clothing 2-Handed Melee +5 6 6 6 6 6
SugarOps Helmet Heavy +10% N-Ray Damage +5% Plasma Damage 36 None None None None
The Duchess Clothing Handguns +5 6 6 6 6 6
Bowler, Business Formal Clothing Inspiration +5 3 3 3 3 3
Fedora, Red-Banded Clothing Determination +5 6 6 6 6 6
Advanced Defensive Helmet Gold Heavy None 46 None None None None

Companion Armor

As you level up in the Outer Worlds, your companions don’t, which is why you need to upgrade everything that your companions uses in order to make them be able to withstand the high level battle with you. If you don’t upgrade their stuff then they will not be a very good companion is difficult fights.

It is very easy to shift their weapons and armor along with the perks that you can have with them. But in this section we will only discuss their armor and how we can change or upgrade it.

Upgrading Companion Armor

Go to inventory and by opening up the menu, for this you have to press Tab. Choose the companion from the list of companion names which is at the bottom of the screen. When you do the weapon in use of the companion will be visible. For armor, you will have to move to the next tab and there at the top, the currently equipped armor will be visible. The bottom will display the inventory items related to the armor that you have.

If you drag them to the equipped slot then your companion will have the new item equipped and the item that was equipped will be removed. It is recommended that you upgrade the item using Workbench before you equip it.

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Ali is a passionate RPG gamer. He believes that western RPGs still have a lot to learn from JRPGs. He is editor-in-chief at SegmentNext.com but that doesn't stop him from writing about his favorite video ...