Outriders guide: Best gear and armor list

Finding the best gear for your character.

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The focus of any looter shooter, like the newly releasedOutriders, is to constantly be on the lookout for the next best gear to power your character up. Outriders does things a little differently than other entries loot ‘em ups since there isn’t a definitive “best” at every level for gear. However, there are still better options for different playstyles, ways to customize your equipment to suit your needs, and things to look out for (especially at later levels).

Here’s everything you need to know about the best gear and armor in Outriders.

What is the best gear and armor in Outriders?

There’s atonof gear in Outriders. There are countless armor sets and weapons, and even weapon models can have numerous types and variants. Players will have to assess the majority of the gear on a per-case basis to find the best fit for theirclassor playstyle. Because mods and attributes can also be semi-random, this makes it even more vital that you consider the individual equipment instead of the type of gear it is.

That being said, there are still a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best gear and armor in Outriders, and what you can expect from the top tier, or Legendary rarity, in Outriders.

Armor

A full armor set consistes of a helmet, chest piece, trousers, gloves, and boots. Many armor sets include one of each of these pieces, but there’s nothing wrong with mixing and matching. Sets usually have some kind of gentle focus, such as close-range combat or healing with skills damage, so be sure to keep a close eye on mods and attributes.

All armor of blue (Rare) rarity or higher should also include one or more mods that affect your class abilities. Bear in mind that you can also changeonemod on armor, so if you find a higher-level armor with good attributes but a less-than-favorable mod, you can switch that out. We’ll go into more detail on making your gear better later.

Once you start earning Epic rarity armor consistently, it’s usually worth taking it over Rare armor for the extra mod slot, even if the Rare armor might have slightly higher armor stats. Weigh the pros and cons when it’s time to replace your existing armor.

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When it comes to Legendary armor, you’ll have to pay extra attention to your specific playstyle. Legendary armor will come with one Tier III mod, making them incredibly powerful. However, if that Tier III mod doesn’t fit your character or playstyle, it may be worth skipping until you find something else. You won’t have to think too hard about Legendary armor until Outriders’ endgame, however, where Legendary weapons seem to be far more common.

Weapons

Weapons in Outriders afford you much more choice than armor does, since the differences between two different kinds of weapons can be more pronounced and aren’t just limited to attributes and mods. Here’s a breakdown of the different weapon categories and what might work best for you:

When it comes to what weapons work best for you, it all comes down to personal preference. That being said, it’s worth keeping in mind that each weapon category serves a different need, and weapons can even have variants inside of those categories that dramatically change them.

For example, the sharpshooter variant of assault rifles acts more like a weaker but faster rifle and sacrifices a lot of speed, making it not as good of a choice for fast-paced combat. With pump-action shotguns, standard variants deal greater damage and hold more ammo than breach variants but fire slower and have less spread. Experiment with different weapons and bear in mind what specialty your class has when choosing your weapon.

We’ve broken downevery class in Outriders and their skills and abilities, so you can do your research before making a choice. We also have advice ongrinding to earn more gear in Outriders, and a wide selection ofbeginner tips and tricks to master Outriders. All of this information can help you better learn which weapons work for you.

Legendary

Of course, the best gear in Outriders is of the Legendary rarity. This gear, which comes in all the varieties mentioned above, possesses powerful Tier III mods that offer unique abilities and skills you can’t find anywhere else. This makes Legendary gear extremely effective when in the right hands, but also more specific to certain use cases. Unlike regular weapons and armor, which can be tweaked and modded to fit pretty much any use case, Legendary gear is comparatively set in stone.

We have a running list ofall the Legendary weapons we’ve found in Outriders, so you can get an idea of what’s out there. If you want our suggestions on the gear you should be looking for though, we also have a list of thebest Legendary weapons in Outriders.

How can I make my gear better in Outriders?

One thing that sets Outriders apart from other similar games is how most gear can becustomized. If your brand-new assault rifle isn’t the right variant or has one mod you can’t make much use of, you can spend resources to change it. You can even level up gear you want to keep using at higher difficulties and upgrade attributes to make your weapons even more effective.

To learn all the tricks for improving your gear in Outriders, be sure to refer to ourultimate guide to crafting in Outriders. For the quick rundown, there are many ways you can improve your gear in Outriders, including:

Mastering the crafting system in Outriders is essential to getting the most out of your gear, especially the ability to swap mods and change variants. With this extensive system, even basic gear can become dangerous to your opponents, and Legendary gear can become completely unstoppable.

Outriders is one of thebest Xbox Game Pass gamesand includes hours of fun for anybody who enjoys searching for that next powerful piece of loot.

Follow the signal

Become an Outrider and follow a mysterious signal across the alien planet of Enoch, full of hellish threats waiting around every corner. Outriders features drop-in, drop-out co-op for up to three players so you can have a couple of friends at your side.

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Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter@BoddyZachary.