Shoniqua Hobson

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.

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!

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.