Armor is crucial for surviving attacks from enemies in The Outer Worlds, so you should know everything you can about the different types of armor and upgrades. Armor is found everywhere in The Outer Worlds, from merchants to quest rewards, and armor mods are also common throughout your travels around the Halcyon System.
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Even if you don't prioritize armor, it's still important to add modifications to your equipment every few levels to make sure that your character is as strong as possible. Here is everything that you need to know about armor modifications and where to get them.
Which Type Of Armor Should You Use?
Before installing any mods onto your armor, you'll first want to decide on which armor to use; otherwise, you may accidentally waste an armor modification on the wrong type of armor. The carry weight of each armor piece varies based on its armor type, which is important to keep in mind if you don't have a lot of extra inventory space.
There are three types of armor in The Outer Worlds; light, medium, and heavy. All three of these armor types have advantages and disadvantages, so here's everything you need to know about each armor type to make an informed decision for your character build.
Light Armor
Light armor often has the best bonuses for your character while also having weak damage protection. Although damage protection is important, you may decide that it would be better to have an extra effect instead of high damage protection, in which case the Light Armor is the best choice for you.
Medium Armor
Medium armor offers a mix between light and heavy armor. The unique effects on medium armor aren't as powerful as light armor, but they're usually much stronger than the heavy armor counterpart. Furthermore, medium armor has an average amount of damage protection, so it's the best option if you want a combination of abilities.
Heavy Armor
Heavy armor is the best armor type for melee builds since you'll be near enemies a lot, and therefore you'll have to absorb a lot of damage. The special effects granted by heavy armor aren't very good, but the damage protection completely makes up for the lack of unique bonuses.
Where To Find Armor Mods
You can find armor modifications all over Halcyon; however, some of the most common locations are at shops, inside vending machines, and as random container loot.
How To Install Armor Mods
Workbenches are the tool that you use to upgrade your equipment and install modifications in The Outer Worlds. There are many workbenches throughout the cities of Halcyon; however, the easiest one to find is inside the Unreliable spaceship. After entering the Unreliable, make a left turn, and you'll enter a large open room — the workbench is located on the left side of the room.
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Upgrading armor is as simple as selecting a piece of armor and choosing a modification to install; however, you'll need to have the modification in your inventory to install it. You can also upgrade your armor at this workbench with Bits, which is an option worth considering if you've out-leveled your armor's damage protection. You can only upgrade your armor as high as your current level at the time of interacting with a workbench.
Can You Change Your Armor's Modifications Later?
You can't change your armor's modifications without destroying the previous mod. This means that, unfortunately, you can't obtain the modification after you place it on your armor. There isn't any workaround for this mechanic other than reloading a previous save, so make sure to save the game before upgrading your equipment. However, you can change your armor's modifications at any time by traveling to a workbench, and the amount of previous modifications you've installed has no effect on future modification of that piece of armor.
Every Type Of Armor Modification
Armor is very diverse in The Outer Worlds, which is why there are so many different types of modifications to fit each build's parameters. You can obtain armor mods that increase damage protection, add skill bonuses, and grant you completely new abilities. However, armor mods aren't unlocked like perks, so you'll need to travel to a specific location or purchase these mods from a merchant before you can install them onto your armor.
Here is every type of armor modification that you can obtain in The Outer Worlds, their abilities, and how to obtain them.
| Backpack | +20 Carry Weight | Spacer's Choice Vending Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Toughened | +3 Armor | Inside of Ludwig Miller's house |
| Reactive Kinematic | Shield Projector | T&L Exotic Assets Vending Machine |
| Thug Kit | +5 Melee Weapon Skill, +5 Defense | Spacer's Choice Vending Machine |
| Hunter Kit | +5 Ranged Weapons Skill | Spacer's Choice Vending Machine |
| Silver Tongue Kit | +10 Leadership Skill, +5 Dialogue Skill | Random item drop |
| Tech Kit | +5 Tech Skills | Spacer's Choice Vending Machine |
| Geographic Scanner | Interactable Highlight Ability | Random item drop |
| Grounded | +10 Shock Protection | Random item drop |
| Nightingale Step | Footstep sounds and radius reduced by 25 percent | Random item drop |
| Electro Charged Surface | Deals Shock Damage to enemies who attack you with a melee weapon | Reward for completion of "The Frightened Engineer" quest |
| Insulated | +5 Plasma Damage Protection | Random item drop |
| Laminated | +5 N-Ray Damage Protection | Random item drop |
| Chrono Field Aggregator | Partially restores the TTD meter after performing a Critical Hit | Random item drop |
| Anodized | +5 Corrosion Protection | Random item drop |
| Leaper Injectors | +30 Percent Dodge Distance | Random item drop |
| Automated ATP Injectors | Temporary bonus towards Sprint Speed when you reach low health | Purchased from the Spacer's Choice merchant with the Peril Of Gorgon DLC installed |
| Skeletar Muscular Adreno Stimulator | Bonus towards Movement Speed while TTD is active | Random item drop |
| Self Patching | Reduces how quickly your armor deteriorates | Found in a bin at the Gorgon Canyon's Outskirts location |
| Augmented Insulation | Grants protection against high yemperatures | Found in a bin at the Gorgon Canyon's Outskirts location |
| Kinetic Pulse Redistributor | Knocks back all nearby enemies when you reach low health | Purchased from the "Probably Carl's Legitimate Storefront" location |