Weapon & Armor Upgrades — The Outer Worlds Guide

Weapon & Armor Upgrades — The Outer Worlds Guide

Enhance your combat effectiveness in The Outer Worlds by upgrading your weapons and armor. Discover how to utilize workbenches to improve damage, defense, and unlock powerful mod slots. Mastering upgrades is crucial for surviving the dangers of Halcyon.

Upgrading your gear in The Outer Worlds is a vital step to overcoming the increasingly difficult challenges you'll face across Halcyon. Workbenches are your primary tool for this, found in various locations, including your ship, the Unreliable, and in most settlements. Each upgrade costs Bits and requires specific components, which you'll gather by looting enemies, containers, and even by dismantling unwanted items.

Weapon Upgrades:

• Damage: The most straightforward upgrade, increasing your weapon's base damage output. This is essential for taking down tougher enemies faster.
• Magazine Size: Increases the number of rounds before needing to reload, allowing for sustained fire.
• Reload Speed: Reduces the time it takes to reload, keeping you in the fight more consistently.
• Accuracy/Stability: Improves your aim and reduces weapon sway, making it easier to land critical hits.
• Weapon Mods: These are special slots that allow you to equip unique enhancements. Mods can change damage types (e.g., adding Plasma or Shock damage), grant special effects (like increased critical hit chance or a chance to stun), or alter firing modes. You can find mods throughout the world or purchase them from vendors.

Armor Upgrades:

• Armor Rating: Increases your overall damage resistance, reducing the amount of damage you take from all sources.
• Armor Mods: Similar to weapon mods, armor mods offer unique benefits. These can include increased carrying capacity, improved stealth, faster health regeneration, or resistance to specific damage types.

Dismantling for Components:

Don't hoard every piece of junk you find. Dismantling unwanted weapons and armor at a workbench is an excellent way to acquire the necessary components for upgrades. Higher rarity items generally yield more valuable components. Prioritize dismantling items that share component types with the upgrades you're aiming for.

Upgrade Tiers:

Weapons and armor have different tiers, indicated by their rarity (e.g., Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique). Higher-tier gear has more mod slots and a higher potential for upgrades. It's often more beneficial to upgrade a good Rare or Unique weapon than to invest heavily in a Common one.

Strategic Upgrading:

Consider your playstyle and the enemies you're facing. If you're a stealthy sniper, focus on accuracy and critical hit mods. If you're a frontline brawler, prioritize damage resistance and melee-focused armor mods. Always check the available mods and their effects before committing to an upgrade.