Armor
How armor class, durability, and the 14.0 plate system actually work, in plain terms and in depth.
Easy Version
Just Tell Me What to Wear
Don't want to read the whole page? Find the line that matches you.
New or Not Sure What You Have?
Wear the best you own. Try not to go below Class 4 if you can help it, but anything beats nothing.
Money's No Object, Mobility Doesn't Matter?
Class 5–6, as heavy as you want.
Want to Flank or Stay Mobile?
High class, low weight — don't just grab the heaviest thing available.
Expecting Long-Range Fights?
Don't want to lose expensive gear: Trooper armor or a good Class 4.
Vest or Rig?
Vest = fixed protection, zero fiddling. Rig = more inventory space, but it only protects what you actually plate.
Comparing Two Pieces of the Same Class?
Ignore raw durability numbers — check the material (see the table below) before assuming the bigger number wins.
Want the why behind these, plus the plate system and the penetration math? Keep reading below.
Core Concepts
Armor Class
The most important stat. Ranges 1–6 — higher class means better protection against ballistic rounds.
Armor Durability
Displayed as a fraction (current / max repairable). The right-hand number is only accurate if the armor was bought new from a vendor (excluding Fence) — used or Fence armor won't show a true max.
Armor Integrity
Current durability ÷ true max durability. Example: armor reading 30/45 whose true max is actually 50 has real integrity of 30/50, or 60%.
Armor Destructibility
How quickly a material's durability degrades, tied to material type. See the material table below.
Repair Rate
How well a material responds to repair, also tied to material type. See the material table below.
Material Properties
| Material | Destructibility | Repair Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Aramid | 25% | Good |
| Polyethylene | 45% | Very Good |
| Combined Materials | 50% | Average |
| Titanium | 55% | Good |
| Aluminum | 60% | Good |
| Armored Steel | 70% | Very Good |
| Ceramic | 80% | Bad |
| Glass | 80% | Bad |
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The Most Important Section On This Page
How to Tell What's Actually Better
A stat sheet only tells you something once you know what to compare. These are the questions worth asking before you buy or loot a piece of gear, not a list of every option.
Vest or Chest Rig?
A vest ships with a fixed class and protection out of the box — simple, no decisions to make. A chest rig gives you inventory slots instead, but its protection is only as good as the plates you put in it: an unplated rig slot protects nothing. Pick a vest when you want guaranteed protection with zero fiddling; pick a rig when you want to size your protection to your budget and carry more gear.
Reading a Carrier's Protection Line
A rig or vest's own "Class" is only the base material's rating for areas without a plate. Its "Plates Protection" line (Front/Back/Sides) is the actual class you're fighting with in those zones, since it's the plate's rating, not the carrier's. Check the "Areas" column too — a carrier that doesn't cover Sides leaves that zone at whatever the carrier's own base class is, plate or no plate.
Storage vs. Protection Trade-off
Two rigs at the same class and plate setup can carry very different amounts of gear, and a bigger rig usually costs more in movement, turning, and ergonomics penalties. Weigh slot count against those penalties for your playstyle, not just against price — a rig you can't move comfortably in defeats the point of the extra space.
Reading a Helmet
Ricochet Chance matters as much as class — a High-ricochet helmet can deflect a round outright rather than just reducing its damage, so a lighter helmet with High ricochet can outperform a heavier one with only Medium. Sound Reduction is a real trade-off too: a helmet that muffles footstep and gunshot audio costs you information, not just ergonomics.
Worked Example: Same Class, Two Different Plates
The Monoclete level III PE plate (UHMWPE, Class 4) has 40 durability, 119 effective durability, weighs 1.35 kg, and carries small -1%/+0%/-1% penalties. The Global Armor's Steel plate (Armor Steel, also Class 4) has 45 durability — more on paper — but only 86 effective durability, weighs 3.4 kg, and carries steeper -1.5%/-0.5%/-1% penalties. Same class, and the steel plate looks tougher at a glance from raw durability alone. But its material degrades faster under fire, so its effective durability is actually lower, and it costs more than double the weight for worse penalties across the board. Within a class, compare effective durability and weight together, not raw durability.
Selection Guidance
New or Unsure What to Wear?
Check available armor stock and inspect pieces. General rule: don't go below Class 4 if you can help it, but if Class 4 isn't available, wear whatever you have. Low-class armor still protects against AI, just not much against PMCs.
Have Class 4+? What to Run
Expensive gun and mobility isn't a concern: Class 5–6. Want to flank, stay mobile, or take fights head-on: high class, low weight. Expecting long-range engagements and don't want to risk expensive armor: Trooper armor or upper-tier Class 4. Generally, Class 4 and above will suffice for most scenarios.
Why Is a 50/50 Class 3 Better Than a 70/70 Class 3?
Raw durability numbers alone don't tell the story. Material destructibility affects how damage is actually applied, so compare material and durability together, not durability alone.
Ballistic Plate System
The 14.0 update introduced a segmented plate system: 37 ballistic plates covering different body zones. Plate categories are Chest Plates, Rear Chest Plates, Universal Chest Plates (front and rear), and Side Plates. Adding plates to compatible armor brings debuffs to movement, turn speed, or ergonomics. Compatibility varies by armor and rig; some universal plates cross-fit multiple systems, and some plates are integrated and non-removable.
Modifying Plates In Raid
Drop the armor or rig on the ground, aim your weapon at it to bring up the context menu, and select the modification option to swap compatible plates.
Modifying Plates In Stash
Right-click the armor and select "Inspect" to open the same plate menu, editable in 3D via the modification option.
How It Works in Combat
Overall armor durability is now the sum of its individual plates' durability, each governed by that plate's own material properties (same destructibility table above). Damage to a specific plate (e.g. front chest) degrades protection for that zone only, not the whole armor uniformly — players need to track individual plate status and positioning, not just overall armor percentage. Repositioning or swapping a damaged plate mid-raid during lulls becomes a real tactical decision.
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Armor Math
A three-step calculation chain for figuring out penetration chance against a given armor. See Ballistics for the matching ammo-side mechanics.
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1
Effective Durability
Armor Durability (AP) ÷ Destructibility (De). Higher effective durability within a class means better armor.
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2
Armor Constant
Derived from Integrity (d) and Armor Class (c), which requires first calculating integrity: current durability ÷ purchased max durability.
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3
Penetration Chance
Armor Constant (a) minus the round's Penetration value (p), then solved further to produce the final penetration chance.