There are a number of unique Armor pieces to find in The Outer Worlds. Having the right Helmet Armor and Body Armor can go a long way to improving a character’s chances of survival, skills, and abilities.
The right armor for any given player entirely depends on their playstyle and character build. But these unique pieces offer some of the best chances to keep the character alive in any situation and many improve the damage dealt to the enemy.
Updated on May 10, 2023, by Aldous Foster: Outer Worlds offers players several ways to build their character while they travel across the stars. As they explore the hyper-corporate universe, one thing that players will find is that unique armor can be some of the best equipment in the game. Whether they are smooth-talking diplomats or loud melee fighters, players can find some unique gear that perfectly suits their approach. With the release of the Murder on Eridanos DLC came many new unique items, some of which are amongst the best armor pieces in the entire game. Players wanting to find these great pieces of equipment should read on to find out where they are and what they can offer.
15 Wilderness Ops Helmet
The Wilderness Ops Helmet is a great choice for stealthy characters. This is because it offers a +5 boost to all Stealth Skills. This means Sneak, Hack, and Lockpick all get a +5 boost. For lower-level characters this boost is significant.
In addition to the boost to Stealth Skills, the helmet also provides an 84 resistance to all forms of damage. That’s major, should the player ever get caught in a firefight and stealth goes out the window. This makes it strange that the piece is found on a locker in the Trash Dump near Gorgon Canyon.
14 Cat’s Eye Pressure Helm
The Cat’s Eye Pressure Helm is probably the single best Helmet for aggressive stealthy playthroughs. This is due to an incredible 25% bonus to Sneak Attack Damage. With the right build, this can often guarantee one-hit kills from the shadows. It can be bought from Lex at the main bar in the Sprat Shack.
The Helmet also comes with a +5 to Hack which can be very convenient. The 22 resistance to all forms of damage is another nice perk, but to be fair, when the enemy dies before they even know the player is there, it hardly matters.
13 SugarOps Helmet
The SugarOps Helmet is exactly the kind of armor players might expect a sugary drink company to hand out to its guards. However, the player shouldn’t let looks deceive them as it’s actually one of the better Helmets in the game. This is due to its +10% bonus to N-Ray damage and +5% boost to Plasma damage.
Admittedly these are niche weapons but some, especially in the Heavy Weapons category, can do some major damage before these bonuses are even applied. It also comes with a 36 resistance to all forms of damage and is found in the Cascadia Bottling Plant. Not bad for the purpleberry company.
12 Iconoclast Apostle Helmet
The rebellious Iconoclast’s have one of the best helmets in the game for those who side with the leader Zora during the Commuter quest. The Iconoclast Apostle Helmet comes with a cool +5% bonus to melee damage, the only Helmet in the game to do so.
It also has 29 resistance to all forms of damage which is handy for melee builds. To put it simply, if the player is running a melee build that doesn’t utilize stealth then this is the Helmet they should wear.
11 MSI Elite Helmet
The MSI Elite Helmet is a reward for completing the BOLT-52 quest Sanjar gives out. It provides a 29 resistance to all forms of damage which isn’t terribly significant, but its skill bonus is definitely interesting.
It causes a -10% decrease to ranged weapon spread. This means that weapons with a wide scatter will have their shots more accurately focused. This doesn’t sound like much but being able to concentrate the fire of a Shotgun or Heavy Machine Gun means more bullets strike the target leading to more damage dealt. Which makes it strange that it’s found in a garbage heap in the open world.
10 Ranger Mascot's Noggin'
For players looking for a bit of uniqueness in their appearance, the Ranger Mascot's Noggin' may be the way to go. This huge helmet covers the character's entire face in a round head with a mustache and a small hat. It can be found during the main quest of the Murder on Eridanos when the player visits the Phaeton Pilothouse.
Its effects are far from silly as it grants the Stranger +10 Block and +10 Inspiration. This makes it a great armor piece for Companion builds as it improves their effectiveness in combat and keeps the player safe. If the player pairs it with a weapon like Tanaka's Peacemaker, they can effectively become a walking tank as their companions do all the work.
9 Spatial Acuity Sensor Apparatus
This piece of head armor grants a respectable boost of 30 to all defensive stats and also grants the player several other bonuses. The 2.5-meter highlighting extension for interacting with objects in the world is nice, but the true gold is in its improvements to damage. It grants players +1 Perception and +15% damage to weak spots, making it one of the best ways to improve ranged damage.
To get their hands on it, players will need to advance the Murder on Eridanos Main Quest and access the Penthouse Suite. For Sniper and gunslinger builds, there really is no better piece of armor.
8 Burst Ambulation Cap
For players who love slow motion and who are willing to look ridiculous, this cap has a lot to offer. It grants the player a massive 110% boost to movement speed while using Tactical Time Dilation and increases its cooldown by 20%. When combined with perks such as Speed Demon, the player can become almost untouchable as they blast around enemies at supersonic speeds.
As it is a bellhop cap, the headpiece can only be found in the Grand Colonial Hotel on Eridanos. Inside, players will need to head down to the basement and loot the corpse in room A3. Whether its bonuses are worth the massive fashion cost is up to the player.
7 Chimera
This piece of light armor may seem unremarkable at first as it grants +10 to Dialogue Skills. This is useful for any build that plans to deceive, frighten, or charm its way through the galaxy but may not be as attractive to other builds. However, players may also notice that this armor piece also has ridiculously high defensive stats, granting 53 resistance to all types of damage.
This gives it the tankiness of heavy armor, but with all the benefits of light armor and means it can be invaluable for many different builds. It is given to the player by completing the 'Makes Space Suits, Won't Travel' Quest.
6 Rizzo's Rangers Hacker Uniform
If players are looking to get up close and personal, the Rizzo's Rangers Hacker Uniform is an excellent choice. This piece of medium armor grants some decent resistances of around 75-78 and also increases all melee damage dealt by the player by 10%.
Players can pick it up on the lower deck of the Pilothouse. By combining it with other melee boosts such as the Iconoclast Apostle Helmet and a high-damage melee weapon, the player can make quick work of even the toughest enemies.
5 SugarOps Body Armor
Considering Rizzo is the leader in sugary food and drinks it makes sense that their armor would look utterly ridiculous. That being said their SugarOps Body Armor is a great option for keeping its wearer alive as it boasts 41 resistance to all forms of damage and comes with a +5 to Defense to avoid taking damage in the first place.
Found on Herbert in the Cascadia Bridge Safehouse, it can be further enhanced with mods to increase ranged weapon skills and provide invulnerability. The player will feel silly wearing this but will also find fights are much easier to survive.
4 Wilderness Ops Armor
Wilderness Ops Armor is a solid choice for stealthy types that want survivability when things go wrong. Rewarded during The Electric Fling Side quest it provides a whopping 84 resistance to all forms of damage. It also comes with a +5 to Block to increase Armor Rating while wielding a melee weapon.
It can be modified to decrease the volume of footsteps and how wide of radius those sounds will be. For sheer defense it’s a good choice for anyone and for stealthy melee characters it’s one of the best.
3 Nightfall Squad Armor
Perhaps the best Body Armor for stealthy runs is the Nightfall Squad Armor. Obtained after getting 100% reputation with The Board it provides a number of benefits. There’s the +5 to Stealth Skills, which means Sneak, Hack, and Lockpick get a boost.
The Armor also provides a -50% to Equip Time allowing players to swap weapons faster than usual. Very handy when the player is caught sneaking around and needs a stronger weapon. The armor also has a whopping 54 resistance to all forms of damage.
2 Iconoclast Apostle Armor
The Iconoclast Apostle Armor compliments the helmet very well. Earned as a reward for completing Pay For The Printer it grants a +5 to Melee. This means players swinging a weapon stealthily or in broad daylight will receive a damage bonus.
The armor can also be modified to resist shock damage, improve Defense, increase Critical Hit chances with melee weapons, and increase carrying capacity by 20 kg. This is by far the best Body Armor for melee characters and comes with a nice 34 resistance to all forms of damage.
1 MSI Elite Armor
Perhaps the best piece of unique armor in this action RPG is the MSI Elite Armor. It can be found in the world or obtained as a reward for completing Errors Unseen. The reason this armor is so strong is that it provides a +5 to Ranged Weapon Skills. This means lowered Weapon Sway, increased critical hit chance with ranged weapons, and bonuses to Handguns, Long Guns, and Heavy Weapons.
On top of this incredible boost, it has a decent 34 resistance to all forms of damage. Modifications can nudge the physical armor rating to 39, increase the interactable highlight range by five meters, and increase the character’s movement speed while TTD is active. It’s a balanced piece of armor that increases DPS, and resiliency, and provides utility outside of combat.
The Outer Worlds is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.