The Armor of the Undying is one of the strongest early-game sets. Its perks are built around countering enemies with the right weapon and rewarding precise timing in fights.

Perk Effect Condition
Health on stagger Staggering enemies restores health. When weapon-aligned
Perfect timing windows Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge windows are more forgiving. When weapon-aligned
Focus stagger boost Focus Attacks have a chance to increase stagger damage. When weapon-aligned

Weapon alignment means equipping the weapon type that directly counters your opponent. In practical terms: match blades with katana users, bring an odachi to brutes, use dual blades against polearms, a yari to answer dual-wielders, and a kusarigama to deal with shields. When you’re aligned, all three perks above switch on and the set peaks.

What you need before you go (Ishikari Plain access)

You’ll find this set in Ishikari Plain. First, complete the main quest “The Road to Ishikari Plain” to open the region. At the checkpoint, guards won’t let you through; a small coin “donation” to a nearby bystander grants a travel permit. Inside, earn the Matsumae clan’s trust through a few fights; once they stand down, you’re free to roam.

Start the tale: find Ugetsu the storyteller

Head north of Nakagoya Spring. Look for a campsite beside a bear mauling site; Ugetsu sits there rhythmically striking wooden blocks. Speak with him to begin the Mythic Tale “The Undying Samurai.” Your task is simple: collect four wind chimes using the guiding wind (swipe up on the touchpad) between each pickup.

All four wind chime locations (fastest order)

# Where to go What to do Notes
1 Right by Ugetsu’s camp (the bear site) Defeat the bear, loot the chime from the nearby tree. Ranged options (bow or fire bomb) make this quick.
2 South of the first, on a rock beside a large tree (west of a wolf den) Pick up the chime; no required combat. Visible from a distance; use the wind if you lose the line.
3 West, along a tall cliffside Approach the hanging corpse and press R2 to throw your grapple and cut it down, then climb down to grab the chime. Mount up for this trek; the chime drops to a lower ledge.
4 North of #3, along the edge of the Rumoi River Defeat the ronin looting a body, then loot the chime. He’s more aggressive than regular soldiers; wait out heavy attacks.

Tip: You can use the chime while mounted. Between locations, swipe up to confirm you’re still following the correct breeze; the ribbon on the chime will whip faster in the right direction.

Reach the Undying Samurai’s lair

With all four chimes, the wind points you to a cliffside west of the fourth pickup. Start at the ledge with armor stakes, then descend the marked route.

  • Climb down handholds and slide the slope into a cave opening.
  • Inside, favor higher ledges and jump gaps to avoid the water below.
  • Cross a narrow beam, use a grapple descent, then crawl under low rocks.

You’ll know you’re on track when you spot loot boxes along the way. If it’s too dark, temporarily raise in-game brightness to keep your footing.

Summon and defeat the Undying Samurai

The cave ends in a circular chamber with four wooden posts. Place each chime to summon the Undying Samurai and trigger a duel.

You can win without extra skills, but the Perfect Parry technique makes this fight far more manageable.

  • Parry standard swings and punish immediately after you stagger him.
  • Dodge through heavy overheads; don’t get greedy on counter chains.
  • Keep full health before the summon; it’s a clean one-on-one.

After the duel, loot the body to claim the Armor of the Undying. The tale wraps with a small coin reward. Defeating the Undying Samurai can also unlock a matching headgear piece set elsewhere in your inventory.

Upgrade paths and how to get more from the set

Take the armor to an armorer (for example, Ginji at the Old Inn in Yotei Grasslands) to upgrade it. Higher tiers improve the perk magnitudes and visually add coverage, eventually giving the set a fuller silhouette and cape. Because all three perks scale off alignment, the best way to exploit the armor is to unlock more weapon types early and swap mid-fight to match your current target. The added Perfect Parry and Dodge windows then feed into safer staggers, which in turn sustain you through health on stagger.

Grab the chimes, follow the wind, and duel cleanly—once it’s yours, the Armor of the Undying turns early encounters into a steady rhythm of perfect timings and reliable staggers. If you plan to push through tougher camps right away, this is the set to earn first.