The Oseram Artificer – Horizon Forbidden West‘s Best Armor Set
Ask any machine hunter what the ultimate armor set is in Horizon Forbidden West, and the consensus answer is almost always the Oseram Artificer. This legendary armor lives up to its billing by providing Aloy with a lethal mix of offensive buffs and defensive versatility that no other armor can match.
I‘ve played over 400 hours analyzing gear, testing builds, and dominating the wilds in Forbidden West. So trust me when I say the Oseram Artificer should be your #1 armor set investment. Equipping it makes Aloy an absolute monster on the battlefield.
But it doesn‘t come easy. Here‘s what to expect from this top-tier armor and how it compares to other offerings:
What Makes It So Powerful
The Oseram Artificer isn‘t awarded for an easy fetch quest. You‘ll need to complete an armor set‘s worth of grinding to unlock its secrets.
To obtain it, you must finish all of Keruf‘s Salvage Contracts located in Scalding Spear. This lengthy series of missions has you gathering obscure machine components and valuable resources across the Forbidden West.
I estimate it took me around 15 hours to finish the dozen contracts on offer. It was tedious at times, especially with the game‘s limited inventory space for quest items. But collecting all the requested machine bits allowed me to fully upgrade the Oseram Artificer as soon as I obtained it.
So what does this Gear of the Year armor actually do? Equipping it provides:
- 50% Increased Melee Damage and Impact on Power Attacks – Your spear and heavy melee weapon strikes hit ridiculously hard. You‘ll one-shot most human enemies.
- 50% More Damage on All Resonator Blast Skills – The PP of your Resonator Blast goes brrrr.
- 50% Longer Valor Surge Duration – Make the most of Aloy‘s OP skill buffs.
- Balanced Resistance to All Damage Types – Decent elemental and physical defense across the board.
- Refunds Valor After Kills Based on Damage Dealt – Valor Surges for days.
Simply put, this thing turns Aloy into a Valor-fueled murder machine. The added melee impact means more Ragdoll Physics fun on your foes too!
Best Weapons and Build Synergy
To fully abuse the Oseram Artificer perks requires the right build:
Melee – Stack additional Melee Follow Up and Impact Damage coils. Combine with the Tinker‘s Pride legendary spear for even bigger smash damage.
Skills – Take all Resonator Blast abilities. I prefer Burst Shot for AoE clearing. Use Valor Surges like Radiant Shield and Brittle Shield for added elemental mayhem and defense.
Overall – Get up close and personal! The Oseram Artificer shines best in close quarters where Aloy can quickly dispatch multiple enemies with her amped up spear and skills. Then watch as your fast Valor refunds lead to more Ability Spam carnage.
What else makes this armor rise above other tricked out Legendary sets?
Comparing the Top Armor Contenders
Plenty of awesome looking armor sets populate the world of Horizon Forbidden West. But when it comes to pure combat effectiveness, only a few come close to the Oseram Artificer‘s level.
Nora Thunder Warrior – This Legendary Arena armor sports high electric resistance and powerful Warrior Bow skills. Yet its lack of melee bonuses leave your spear damage lacking.
Utaru Winterweave – A solid choice for ranged playstyle thanks to triple elemental arrows and increased Concentration. Still, the Oseram‘s Valor uptime gives it more build flexibility.
Carja Sun Falcon – One of the best looking armors in my opinion. And 50% extra Impact Damage is nice. However, the Surge refunds from Oseram allow for more frequent use of Brittle Shield buffs.
Nora Legacy – This one can be missed if you‘re not careful on certain story choices. It makes most Elemental effects last 50% longer while also increasing all resistances. But splitting offense and defense has less synergy than the Oseram‘s full attack focus.
Want some actual metrics? Check out how the Oseram‘s bonuses stack up:
| Armor Set | Melee Increase | Resonator Boost | Valor Extend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oseram Artificer | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Nora Thunder Warrior | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Utaru Winterweave | 0% | 0% | 0% |
The Verdict is Clear
Any loyal gamer knows grinding top tier gear requires patience and perseverance. The path to the Oseram Artificer involved blasting a small army‘s worth of machines for parts. Ant agonizing waits as quest collection timers ticked down.
Yet donning this ornate armor for the first time made it clear – the effort was well worth it. The Oseram Artificer pushes Aloy‘s combat prowess to 11 across all options. Spear strikes that shatter armor asunder. High-powered blasts that shred opponents in an instant. And the energy for specialty buffs galore thanks to Valor refunding finishers.
In short, no other armor comes close in efficiently turning Aloy into the machine dominating super soldier she deserves to be. If you only grind for one armor set in Horizon Forbidden West, make it the Oseram Artificer. You‘d be crazy not to!
What armor combo are you running? Let me know in the comments if you found anything better as the game expands through future DLC!
