Armor Guide - Armor Locations and Upgrades - Ghost of Tsushima Guide - IGN (2024)

While there are many types of cosmetic Vanity Gear in Ghost of Tsushima, Jin can collect and equip several types of Armor that provide significant and upgrade-able bonuses. The armor you equip can heavily influence your playstyle, and while some armor is gained over the course of the story, others can only be found by undertaking certain Mythic Tale side quests and objectives.

Below you'll find a list of all types of Armor that you can find in the game, where to find them, and the properties that can be upgraded - as well as different applicable armor dyes you can get for them.

There are two unique merchants hiding in the island of Tsushima who have entirely unique armor and bow dyes from any other merchant you will encounter - and can be hard to track down.

The White Dye Merchant is located in upper Kashine prefecture of the Izuhara region, found along a mountain called Wanderer's Pass on the map, north of Kashine Forest. Take the roads west along the peak to find his home nestled in the back.

The Black Dye Merchant is located in the northeast section of the Kushi Prefecture of the Toyotama region, in a cave up in the hills just east of Kawamata Village along a dirt road.

Broken Armor

• Location: Default Armor

The Broken Armor is the default armor that you start the game with after and during the events of the Prologue. Unlike all other armor you can obtain, this armor provides no bonuses, cannot be upgraded, nor can it be dyed any other color.

It's highly recommended you swap out of this armor as early as possible, either by taking on main quests or by getting the Traveler's Attire.

Traveler's Attire

• Location: Given by any Merchant upon first encounter

The Traveler's Attire is a special exploration-focused armor that you can find soon after completing the Prologue. Unlike other armor you find, the Traveler's Attire is given as a gift by speaking to any Merchant in the game for the first time. This includes any Merchant found at any of the Survivor Camps, liberated mongol forts, or Hiyoshi Springs.

While it does not provide any combat bonuses, it does allow you to track certain collectibles you encounter, and can also track points of interest if you invest in Exploration Techniques. It's base abilities include:

• Track Artifacts with the Guiding Wind
• Traveling clears 10% more fog of war on the map
• Controller will vibrate when within 10m of an Artifact

Samurai Clan Armor

• Location: Speak to the Golden Temple Armorer during The Tale of Lady Masako quest.

The Samurai Clan Armor is a melee combat-focused armor that you can obtain during Act 1's story. This armor cannot be missed as it is part of a main story quest, The Tale of Lady Masako. After exploring the Adachi estate and meeting with Lady Masako, she will send you into Golden Temple to talk to the armorer, where you will get the armor for free.

Once belonging to one of Lady Masako's sons, the Samurai Clan Armor is a tried and true set of gear that is well suited to any combat situation, as it both increases health and decreases damage taken. It's base abilities include:

• Reduces all damage by a moderate amount.
• Moderate increase to health
• Taking damage grants 15% Resolve

Ronin Attire

• Location: Given by Ryuzo upon the completion main quest Blood on the Grass.

The Ronin Attire is hybrid melee and stealth-focused armor that you can obtain during Act 1's story. This armor, like the Samurai Clan Armor, cannot be missed as it is given during one of the main story quests, Blood on the Grass. After meeting and fighting Mongols with Ryuzo, leader of the Straw Hat Ronin, follow him back to his base and open a chest to gain the armor.

Worn by those without masters, the Ronin Attire excels at offense and stealth, as it enhances your ability to sneak up on foes - especially in the white tall pampas grass, and dispatch those you are unable to assassinate with increased damage. It's base abilities include:

• Reduces enemy detection speed by 10%
• Increases melee damage by 15%
• Enemies will detect you much slower after leaving pampas grass while crouched.

Tadayori's Armor

• Location: Accept the Mythic Tale quest - The Legend of Tadayori, at a small camp below Rustling Bend in the Azamo prefecture, and locate Tadayori's Rest to find his armor.

The Tadayori's Armor is a ranged-focused armor that you can find via an optional Mythic Tale in the Izuhara region starting in Act 1. After hearing about a musician at a unmarked camp near Rustling Bend, follow the clues in The Legend of Tadayori quest to reach the "Violet Crown" in the Azamo prefecture, and find the armor stashed on the cliffs above the Azamo Bay village.

The armor of a legendary archer, Tadayori's Armor is perfect for ranged fighting, as it will bolster your ability to shoot more arrows at enemy at a much more rapid pace, and will enhance your Concentration technique. It's base abilities include:

• Increases nocking and reloading speed by 15%
• Increases total Concentration time by 1 second
• Headshots restore 25% of the Concentration meter

Sakai Clan Armor

• Location: Complete the main quest Ghosts from the Past in the Kubara prefecture in the northwest area of the Toyotama Region.

The Sakai Clan Armor is the ancestral armor of Jin's lineage, last worn by his late father, and has now passed down to him. It is as intimidating as it is powerful, and can be found early on in Act 2, as long as you decide to take on the furthest of the main quests early.

The armor is very melee-focused, with the added bonus of allowing you to challenge more enemies to a face-off, and increasing your streak bonus even further when upgraded. It's base abilities include:

• Moderate increase to melee damage
• Moderate increase to health
• Increase Standoff streak by 1, and winning has a 10% chance to terrify nearby enemies.

Gosaku's Armor

• Location Found: Complete the Mythic Tale, The Unbreakable Gosaku that begins in Akashima Village, and collect 6 keys to unlock the path to this armor in the Akashima Prefecture of Toyotama

The Gosaku's Armor is a legendary samurai armor with impressive defense, but can only be unlocked after liberating six different farmsteads across both the Izuhara and Toyotama regions of Tsushima - which you will be alerted to after starting Act 2. After getting 6 keys from the villagers, you can return to a large peak to the east of the Old Togo Rice Fields to find the path up the cliff to get the armor.

Gosaku's Armor is a very melee-focused armor, with a focus on destroying the defenses of enemies and staggering them to break their guards. It's base abilities include:

• Grants a moderate increase to health
• Grants a moderate increase to Stagger damage
• Restores 10% health on killing a staggered enemy

Kensei Armor

• Location Found: Obtained by completing the Mythic Tale, The Six Blades of Kojiro, starting in Umugi Cove, and completing all five duels across Toyotama to fight Kojiro for the armor.

The Kensei armor is a stealth and melee-focused armor that you can find in Act 2 in the Toyotama region, by completing a Mythic Tale that starts in the Umugi Prefecture. The quest will lead you on a chase across the region to face off against 5 assassins, culminating in a duel in a cave behind a monastery in the Kubara region to gain the armor.

The armor is very skill based, and increases your prowess with Ghost weaponry and resolve gain to make the most of your techniques. It's base abilities include:

• Increase Resolve gains by 15%.
• Ghost Weapon damage increased by 15%.
• Striking enemies with Ghost Weapons cause them to deal 25% less damage, and take 25% more damage.

Mongol Commander's Armor

• Location Found: Obtained by completing the Side Mission, Fit for the Khan, found in Act 3 after completing the Wolves at the Gate mission. It's located in Jogaku Temple.

The Mongol Commander's armor is perfect to become a human shield, increasing Jin's health and reducing damage by a large amount. You can find the armor in Act 3 in the Jogaku region by completing Fit for the Khan. The quest will lead you on a chase across the region to liberate four mongol camps, retrieving one piece of the armor in each. Once you're done, the armor (who was supposed to be delivered to the Khan himself) will be yours.

Along with increasing your health and defense, it will also serve as disguise when you are out of combat, reducing Mongol detection speed by a large margin.

• Major increase to health.
• Reduces all damage by a Major amount.
• Disguises you while out of combat, massively reducing Mongol detection speed.

As a caveat, the Mongol Commander's armor cannot be upgraded.

Ghost Armor

• Location Found: Obtained by completing the main mission From The Darkness, which takes place at the end of Act 2.

The Ghost armor is a stealth and ghost skills focused armor that you can find in the end of Act 2 with the From The Darkness mission. Yes, this is the armor you've seen in Ghost of Tsushima's official art, and it's perfect for those who want to fight dishonorably, using the Ghost Stance as much as possible, staying in the shadows, and terrifying enemies.

This armor set is perfect for those who prefer to play quietly, causing fear on enemies and remaining undetected for longer.

• Reduces enemy detection speed by 25%.
• Reduces the number of kills needed to enter the Ghost Stance by 1.
• Kills have a 15% chance to Terrify a nearby enemy.