The Forest is an intense survival horror experience in which players crash land on a deserted island, have their son kidnapped, and realize they really should have paid attention to all those Bear Grylls survival shows. The game can have a steep learning curve, so it’s essential to get the basics figured out to stand a chance of survival.
From wild animals to cannibals and mutants, there are many dangerous threats in the Forest that players need to look out for. The best way to be prepared for these enemies is by having some form of armor equipped. There are currently six types of armor available, each giving a variety of perks to the player. Armor acts as an additional pool of health. Players can wear multiple types of armor simultaneously, but all have differing amounts of durability before they are destroyed. So, which armor is best to wear?
Lizard Skin Armor
Although one of the first priorities in the game should be setting up a good supply of food and water, securing a set of armor should also be done very quickly. Players never know when a swarm of deadly cannibals might ambush them. Luckily, one of the easiest armors to get ahold of is the Lizard Skin Armor. Players will receive 20 points of defense per piece of Lizard Armor they have on.
The armor requires, unsurprisingly, the skin of a lizard. Lizards can be found all over the forest, except the coasts and snowier regions. They will drop one single piece of lizard skin. The skin does not need to be crafted or changed in any way. Players simply need to put it on and immediately gain the health bonus.
A quicker way to get ahold of lizard skin is to battle a crocodile. Crocodiles will drop four pieces of lizard skin but are also incredibly more dangerous to face than a little lizard. Crocodiles can be found north of the island’s river if players fancy their chances.
Stealth Armor
Some players might be tempted to focus on building a lovely log cabin in their new wilderness home. But eventually, everyone needs to leave their base and run the risk of getting spotted by their dangerous neighbors. One way to make leaving the cabin a little less daunting is to put on some Stealth Armor.
Stealth Armor provides the same amount of protection as Lizard Skin Armor: 20. Alongside this, it provides a ten percent bonus to the player’s stealth. The more stealth armor they have on, the easier it is to sneak around and avoid their enemies. Unfortunately, if a player is in hard survival mode, they can only reach a maximum of 50 percent stealth no matter how much stealth armor they have.
To craft stealth armor, players need to combine one lizard skin and 15 leaves. Players can find leaves from gathering saplings and bushes (which, in a forest, are pretty easy to stumble upon).
Rabbit Fur Boots
Although these boots will not provide any defense for the player, they will give a 20 percent increase in stealth as they will muffle the player’s footsteps. The shoes will also offer a little extra protection against the harsh cold (a 20 percent bonus), helping players survive without frost damage for a few seconds longer. Rabbit Fur Boots will also not get destroyed during combat, unlike other armor types.
To craft these boots, players will need to combine three pieces of rabbit fur and two pieces of rope. Rabbits can be found all over the island but are pretty fast and can be tricky to catch. It is important to note that rabbits killed by fire will not have any rabbit fur to collect. So it is best to stick to bows while hunting them down.
As for the rope, the best places to find them are in the caves and cannibal villages. Surely they won’t mind their rope being borrowed… right?
Bone Armor
Bone Armor is a far better alternative to Lizard Skin Armor when it comes to protection. A single piece of Bone Armor will provide 40 points of defense, double that of the Lizard Skin Armor. Full Bone Armor can give the player a total of 400 defense. The downside is that this armor is much louder, with all those bones rattling away with each step. The noise can alert enemies to the player’s location.
To craft a piece of Bone Armor, players will need to get six bones and three pieces of cloth. Cloth is most commonly found in suitcases that drift up onto the shores of the island. Cannibal villages and crates in caves are also good places to look, although more dangerous.
Bones require a more grisly approach to be collected. Players will need to burn body parts from the cannibals they chop up or the many unsettling effigies they stumble upon during their adventures. After the flesh has melted away, players can scoop up the bones and start crafting. Bones can also be found sometimes in caves and abandoned camps.
Creepy Armor
The Forest is a pretty scary survival game with some terrifying enemies that players can encounter. So, what better way to overcome that fear than by becoming the real monster of the game? Players can chop up enemies and turn them into a set of Creepy Armor. This armor is currently the most robust set of armor available. It will provide 80 points of defense, double the amount achieved from a single piece of Bone Armor. No crafting is required with Creepy Armor. It can be equipped immediately.
Players can grab this armor by skinning the bodies of the creepy mutants, specifically the Virginia, Armsy, and Cowman mutants. They are far more dangerous than the usual cannibals of the island. In fact, they do not even appear on the surface until seven days have passed. If brave players do want to take on the mutants and get that armor early, they will have to venture into the cave systems to find them.
The Warm Suit
Cold Armor, also known as Warm Suit, works differently from the other armor types. The Warm Suit acts as a complete set of armor rather than a stackable resource. This means that when equipped, it will remove all of the player’s other collections of armor, which will return to their inventory. This suit will offer no defense from attacks and is used only for complete protection from the cold. While wearing the suit, players can even go swimming in cold water without the risk of cold damage.
To craft this suit, players need to gather one raccoon skin, four boar skins, six deer skins, one piece of rabbit’s fur, two bits of cloth, and two pieces of rope. It is quite an expensive shopping list. The deer are skittish creatures, so it is essential to sneak up on them when hunting for them in the wooded areas of the map. The raccoons are very elusive. The player’s best bet for finding raccoons is to look by the open grassland lake near the fertile lands. As for the boar, these hostile creatures will often spawn in groups, so it can be easy to be outnumbered if playing solo. The boars are most frequently located in the mountain area, near the river.
Like the Rabbit Fur Boots, the Warm Suit will not have limited durability. Players can switch back between the Cold Armor and all the other armor types whenever they please. With a variety of options, players are ready to face any situation.
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