How to get the best armor sets in the early game of Ghost of Yotei?

Listen up, the early game in Ghost of Yotei is all about survival and flexibility, so you shouldn't be hunting for one "best" set right away. Instead, focus on two key sets that cover your core playstyles: Stealth and Direct Combat. 1. The Seeker's Garb: This is your early-game Ghost armor, and you'll get it super early by completing one of Atsu's very first major quests in the starting region, Ezo. It massively boosts your stealth capabilities, making it easier to chain assassinations and stay hidden. It's an absolute must for clearing smaller camps and outposts quietly. Upgrade it quickly at the Armorer—the first few material tiers are easy to find and the perks, like reduced detection speed, are invaluable. 2. The Ronin's Attire: I found this one surprisingly useful even as a combat player. It focuses on your resolve generation and gives a nice bump to your melee damage. You snag this by following a Mythic Tale that the Guiding Wind points you toward after you hit Act 1 properly. While you might replace it later, the Resolve boost is critical for healing and using powerful abilities, which is essential when you're still mastering the new parry timings! Don't sleep on upgrading its look either; the early-game customization is half the fun!

As someone who loves a stealthy approach, I found the Kitsune's Guise to be absolutely essential early on. You can get the first piece by completing the "Whispering Fox" mythic tale in the Akumi region. It makes you significantly harder to detect when crouched and moving, which is a lifesaver for clearing camps without raising alarms. Pair it with a blowgun, and you're a ghost long before you unlock the fancier late-game stuff. It completely changed my early-game experience.

Early game armor hunting is one of my favorite parts of Ghost of Yotei! Here's what I'd recommend based on my playthrough: The Traveler's Attire is actually fantastic for beginners. You can get it by completing the first few main story missions. It boosts your resolve gain and makes exploration smoother. Don't sleep on the Ronin Kit sold by the Armorer in Kawa Village. It's a bit pricey early on, but it significantly increases your melee damage. Farm some supplies by liberating a few Mongol outposts to afford it. The Samurai Clan Armor* is another solid choice. You get it by helping the samurai you rescue in the "Brotherhood of War" tale. It's a great balanced set for straight-up combat.Basically, focus on story missions and helping key NPCs—the good gear comes from engaging with the world, not just random drops. The official Ghost of Yotei blog has a great early-game progression guide that goes into more detail.

Honestly, the best piece of armor you can get early on in Ghost of Yotei isn't a full set, it's one of the powerful Charms you can find scattered around! Remember how in the first game some charms made a huge difference? The early game is no different. I stumbled upon a major shrine near a waterfall early on that rewarded me with the Charm of Dual Resolve. It basically increases the amount of Resolve you get from parries and dodges. Slap that on any armor you have, and your survivability skyrockets. Forget grinding for materials for a full armor set. Just follow the Guiding Wind toward smoke plumes or unique landmarks (like the Shinto Shrines of the past, now called something new in Ezo) and focus on getting a couple of those powerful Major Charms. That, coupled with the second tier of the default Traveler's set (which is fantastic for tracking things, by the way), is all you need to power through the first third of the map!

I have to disagree slightly with focusing on stealth or resolve. If you're struggling with the new enemy types and the musket-wielding foes, you absolutely need the early-game set that focuses on Defense and Stagger Damage. Look for the set I'm calling the 'Northern Plate' (I forget the exact in-game name, but it's heavy). You can get it by completing the first major standoff challenge in the central Ezo region. It reduces all incoming damage and, more importantly, it makes your hits build the enemy's Stagger bar much faster. This is vital because the faster you stagger the heavily-armored enemies, the less time they have to fire their guns at you. It fundamentally changes how you approach groups of enemies—you become a tank and a stagger machine. It's the most time-efficient early-game power spike, hands down. Check out this guide if you need the exact location and quest name: Ghost of Yotei Armor Guide