Ghost of Tsushima Iki Island armor: How to get the Sarugami armor
Get Jin the latest, monkey-themed Iki Island armor with this guide
There's a brand new Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island armor set, the Sarugami Armor, for the new expansion, and it's channeling something rather brilliant - the power of monkeys. Yes, you read that right, the legendary armor is allegedly cursed by Black Hand Riku, the pirate captain that originally wore it, and the vicious monkey that was always by his side. The armor is hidden away on Iki Island in Ghost of Tsushima, but you'll have a battle on your hand if you want to grab it.
However, it's extremely worth it as Black Hand Riku's armor, aka the Sarugami Armor, gives you some brilliant perks, even without any upgrades applied. It boosts your Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge abilities, allowing the Parry to let you chain attacks with it, and the Dodge to hurt other enemies around you. However, it does disable your regular Parry, so timing is everything.
How to get the new Ghost of Tsushima Iki Island armor
The Legend of Black Hand Riku
This Mythic Tale is the one that you'll need to look out for if you want to get your hands on the new Iki Island Sarugami armor. It won't unlock until you've completed the main mission called A Raider's Return, and unlocked the area known as Fuge's Refuge.
This mission begins with a man talking about the mythical - and cursed - armor around a campfire. You'll need to talk to him, listen to the tale of Black Hand Riku and what happened to him and his crew, and then begin your journey to track down the armor.
This first man - Kashira - tells you to track down another of Riku's crew called Minato, who spends her time hiking Mount Takenotsuji. Track her down and you'll need to save her from some of The Eagle's Mongols, but in return she'll tell you of the glowing water she saw the night Riku's boat went down.
Rest at Minato's camp, but then head eastwards to the coast. If you follow the guiding wind, you'll be taken to the edge of the Thunderhead Cliffs, and if you peek down below you'll be able to see the glowing waters down there. So head down and swim inland towards the cave.
Keep following the river, and eventually you'll reach a secluded cave. You'll need to work through the cave lighting braziers. Thankfully there are plenty of flaming arrows to collect as you go, as there are quite a few braziers to hit if you want to see anything you're doing.
Once you reach the end though, you'll reach an area with a large pool of that glowing water from before. It's here that you'll have to fight Black Hand Riku - or at least what he called the "reborn" version - in order to snag his armor.
As part of the set, you'll get the Sarugami Armor and Sarugami Helmet, which can be upgraded three times, as with other armors.
Here are the benefits of each level:
Level 1
- Regular Parry is disabled, Perfect Parry becomes a chain of two attacks, and Perfect Dodge also damages nearby enemies
- All Resolve gains are increased by a small amount
- Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge Windows are increased by a small amount
Level 2
- Regular Parry is disabled, Perfect Parry becomes a chain of three attacks, and Perfect Dodge also damages nearby enemies
- All Resolve gains are increased by a moderate amount
- Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge Windows are increased by a moderate amount
Level 3
- Regular Parry is disabled, Perfect Parry becomes a chain of three attacks, and Perfect Dodge also damages nearby enemies
- All Resolve gains are increased by a major amount
- Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge Windows are increased by a major amount
Level 4
- Regular Parry is disabled, Perfect Parry becomes a chain of three attacks, and Perfect Dodge also becomes an attack that binds enemies
- All Resolve gains are increased by a massive amount
- Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge Windows are increased by a massive amount
The more you upgrade the armor, the more the monkey-infused elements are brought to the fore too - including the helmet gaining monkey ears and a huge monkey sat on the top!
However, do beware that the moment you step out of the cave wearing the armor, Riku's old crew will try to take it from you. A great opportunity to try out the new associated skills.
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Sam Loveridge is the Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar, and joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.