There are a number of outfits Lara can acquire in Rise of the Tomb Raider and while some are purely for aesthetics, others provide helpful bonuses. Admittedly the bonuses aren’t necessary for beating the game, but they can be helpful and give you an edge.
Figuring out which ones are the best is down to a matter of preference, but according to the fans, these outfits are considered some of the more useful items to wear in the game. To acquire these you often need DLC or to complete a quest as they can’t be bought from merchants. These are the best of the bunch.
10 Immortal Guardian
The Immortal Guardian outfit is a suit of dark metal armor lined with bear fur. It was worn by the elite guardians of Kitezh. When worn, the outfit provides the player with a defense bonus against Greek fire.
To get it for yourself you need the Prophet’s Legacy DLC and two Bear Hide, 10 Chromite Ore, and 35 Salvage to craft. Afterward, you’ll have an outfit that can make specific fights towards the end game much more manageable and less annoying.
9 Apex Predator
It isn’t just humans Lara needs to watch out for, but also large predators who are either defending their territory or seeking their next meal. Whether you accidentally stumble across one or you’re hunting it for materials, having the Apex Predator outfit is handy as it decreases the damage received from these predators.
You’ll need the Apex Predator DLC and it comes with the handy Python or Venom Hand Cannon. Wearing this outfit made of bear hide and claws, you’ll definitely be the apex predator in the wild.
8 Siberian Ranger
For the type of adventure Lara is on in Rise of the Tomb Raider, this is perhaps one of the more practical outfits in terms of appearance. It’s a long-sleeved green shirt with a tactical vest and it also gives Lara a bonus to the amount of special ammo she can carry.
This outfit is in the Siberian Ranger DLC and comes with the Accipiter Nox semi-automatic pistol skin. To craft it, you’ll need five Boar Fat, 15 Technical Parts, and 35 Cloth.
7 Pioneer
The Pioneer outfit isn’t built for stealth given it’s a yellowish-brown jacket with an orange scarf. But it does come with a very useful bonus to melee damage that makes up for it. This is great for encounters you know you can’t sneak around and when you would like that boost to damage.
This outfit is part of the Endurance Mode DLC. It may not be the most intimidating outfit on the list and the helmet might seem silly to some, but when she cracks that pickaxe over an enemy’s skull people will think twice.
6 Ushanka
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something that provides good defense against melee attacks then you’ll want to consider the Ushanka outfit. This traditional Russian camouflage coat has a red scarf, combat boots, and the familiar Ushanka hat.
It’s obtained in the Cold Darkness Awakened DLC after you save 15 prisoners. The DLC also comes with the handy Voidhammer Shotgun to blast your enemies, but it must be obtained separately from the outfit.
5 Spirit Weaver
The Spirit Weaver outfit was inspired by the clothing worn in the Byzantine empire. It’s a suit of chain mail held together by deer leather, straps, and animal furs. While wearing the Spirit Weaver, Lara has a chance that whenever she manually heals herself she might not use up her resources to do so, which is a handy perk when you expect to receive a lot of damage and need to heal multiple times.
It’s included in the Remnant Resistance DLC and is coupled with the Moon Shadow heavy pistol skin.
4 Shadowrunner
The Shadowrunner is essentially special operations gear that can benefit the player tremendously if they like to use guns. While wearing this black tactical gear, there is a chance that when firing a weapon that consumes bullets or shells you’ll get a free shot that won’t cost ammo.
This powerful outfit is included in the Tactical Survivor DLC and it also comes with the Death’s Breath compound bow skin, which pairs very nicely with this outfit even if it doesn’t lend itself towards bow use.
3 Hope’s Bastion
If you want an outfit that’s a better fit for fighting with bows then you’ll want Hope’s Bastion. While wearing this woven chain mail with a knitted shirt and fur accents you’ll have an effect similar to Shadowrunner, but with bows. Meaning each time you fire a bow there’s a chance you won’t consume an arrow to do so.
This outfit is found in the Hope’s Bastion DLC and also includes the Wreckoner battle axe skin. It’s the kind of outfit you’d expect a Viking or barbarian from the cold north to wear.
2 Nightshade
With a name like Nightshade, you may think that this outfit provides bonus damage to poison, but this isn’t actually the case. Instead, you have a chance to acquire exotic animal resources whenever you loot common animals which is a huge help for all the hunting and crafting you’re going to be doing in this game.
To get this outfit of exotic skins and hides, you’ll need the Wilderness Survivor DLC. The outfit will come with the Deathsong Hatchet climbing axe skin which looks really great.
1 Sacra Umbra
Finally, the best outfit in the game according is the Sacra Umbra armor. This black plate armor combined with chain mail comes with the incredible perk to speed up how long it takes for Lara to start regenerating health after getting damaged. Admittedly, there are a number of outfits with this ability, like the Huntress, Ancient Vanguard, Commando, and Infiltrator outfits, but it’s the best looking and most unique out of them.
This outfit is obtained in the basic game as a reward for completing the Ancient Secrets quest in the Geothermal Valley. Thanks to the great appearance and a simple, but effective passive skill that benefits the player in any kind of fight, it’s a popular and practical outfit for Lara to wear.