Keep Your Armor and Gear in Ghost of Tsushima‘s New Game Plus

Starting a New Game Plus (NG+) playthrough in Ghost of Tsushima allows you to keep all of your earned armor, weapons, gear and upgrades. This gives you a major advantage compared to starting the game fresh. But with so many armor sets and gear options available, what‘s the best way to take advantage of this on your next playthrough?

Armor Sets Provide Different Playstyle Strengths

Ghost of Tsushima has some incredibly well-designed armor sets that provide unique bonuses and strengths. Keeping these intact for NG+ means you can cater your gear loadout to your preferred playstyle.

For example, the Sakai Clan Armor improves health and healing – perfect for a tanky, defense-focused approach. The stealth-specialized Gosaku Armor enables you to terrify enemies after brutal kills. And the versatile Ronin Attire provides a bonus to melee damage across all stances.

I‘m a big fan of the Ghost Armor set myself. Its massive boost to stealth attacks pairs perfectly with the Ghost weapons and makes clearing Mongol camps undetected a breeze. Nothing beats terrifying your enemies as the legendary Ghost of Tsushima!

According to a poll on reddit, over 40% of players chose the Ghost Armor set as their favorite to use in New Game Plus. The versatility of the Ronin Attire and sheer power of the Gosaku Armor were also popular choices.

Ancient Armor Inspired by History

The armor designs in Ghost of Tsushima are heavily inspired by real ancient Japanese armor styles and materials. For example, the basic Traveler‘s Attire consists of okegawa dou (leather armor), classic for lightly armored soldiers. The Sakai Clan Armor includesbright red lacquered plates signifying elite status.

According to the Met Museum, armor materials included iron, leather, wood, and eventually silk. Lacquerware and leather provided sturdy protection from arrows and blades. Interestingly, samurai armor was designed to be worn comfortably for long periods – useful during long campaigns far from home.

During the Gempei War referenced in Ghost of Tsushima, armor style began transitioning from the boxy, upright yoroi to the sleeker, close-fitting tosei gusoku style. The in-game Clan Sakai and Gosaku armors reflect this evolution with designs providing greater mobility.

Understanding how these ancient armor styles provided protection and mobility gives deeper insight into the exceptional designs featured in the game. Their accuracy and details further immerse you in the experience of being an armor-clad samurai warrior.

Mix and Match for Fashion and Function

A great tip for your first NG+ playthrough is mixing and matching different armor sets to maximize both fashion and function.

For example, I love the look of the Ghost Armor‘s Mask and Sword Kit when paired with the Ronin Attire. This combines the stealth and terrifying appearance of the Ghost with the raw melee damage power of the Ronin gear.

The Headband of Death is another great versatile piece providing a major Stealth Attack damage buff. Combining this with Gosaku‘s Armor or Sakai‘s armor makes clearing camps quietly a complete breeze.

Don‘t be afraid to experiment and find combinations that suit your style! Here are some of my favorite mix-and-match armor combos:

• Ghost Mask + Ronin Attire + Charm of Silence
• Gosaku Helmet + Sakai Armor + Charm of Shadows
• Ronin Hat + Ghost Armor + Kunai
• Tadayori‘s Hat + Gosaku Armor + Charm of Versatility

The possibilities are nearly endless for customizing Jin‘s look and boosting his combat abilities!

Charm Combinations Can Greatly Enhance Builds

Speaking of charms, these are absolutely vital consumables to consider when planning your NG+ experience. With your entire charm collection at your disposal, you can stack bonuses to take your favorite builds and strategies to the next level.

For a pure terrifying samurai build, equip the Charm of Carnage, Charm of Bloodlust and Charm of Brutality. This makes each kill dramatically increase your melee damage and strikes fear into surrounding enemies.

For ultimate assassin abilities, I recommend the Charm of Silence, Charm of Shadows, and either the Charm of Amaterasu or Charm of Mizu-no-Kami depending on time of day. You‘ll be a ghostly blade in the night!

Here are some other powerful charm combinations suitable for New Game+:

• Charm of Resolve, Charm of Fortune, Charm of Inari – Ultimate heavenly blessings
• Charm of Vitality, Charm of Mending, Charm of Vigor – Tanky survivability
• Charm of Versatility, Charm of Efficiency, Charm of Tawara Toda – Jack of all trades
• Charm of Plunder, Charm of Otago, Charm of Abuse – Become a damaging tank

Don‘t forget to upgrade your equipped charms for even more power. With the right combinations, Jin becomes an unstoppable force.

Maximize Your Favorite Weapons and Armor

Thanks to keeping all your resources and upgrade materials, I highly recommend fully upgrading your most used weapons and armor sets before beginning New Game+. This will allow you to carve through enemies and survive deadly attacks better starting from the very beginning.

For weapons, max upgrading the Sakai Katana should be a top priority. Its well-rounded abilities make it the best single sword in the game in my opinion. The Gosaku Fangs are also extremely powerful when fully upgraded.

For bows, the Longbow and Half Bow complement each other perfectly. I prefer handling groups at range with the Longbow, then swapping to the rapid Half Bow for single target damage.

As for armor, the Ronin Attire should be upgraded first if you appreciate raw melee power. The Gosaku and Ghost armor are also smart choices depending on your preferred fighting style. Don‘t leave your go-to armor sets underpowered!

Completely upgrading your best weapons, bows and armor before starting NG+ will give you a dominating combat advantage from the very beginning. Your upgraded edge will also be handy when you eventually take on the extremely lethal duels against swordmasters like Kojiro.

Conclusion – Carry Your Progression to Steamroll Tsushima

Thanks to New Game Plus, you can carry over your earned equipment and upgrades to utterly dominate the Mongols once again. Make sure to upgrade your favorite weapons, bows, armor sets and charms before starting your next playthrough. Experiment with mixing and matching different armor combinations to maximize your capabilities and samurai style.

Fully equipped with endgame gear, Jin can once again fight like a vengeful ghost or rampaging demon. Use your advantages to easily liberate Tsushima however you see fit as the Ghost, samurai, or something in between. The path is yours to take – now grab your best weapons and armor and unleash vengeance upon the invaders threatening your home once again!