Waking up on Reclamation day, you realize that you’ve overslept. Everyone else has already left the vault in an attempt to reclaim and repopulate their former home. So you make your way through the vault, collecting some essential supplies along the way and then you head outside into Appalachia.
It’s no more than a handful of steps before you encounter your first enemy, depending on the direction you choose you can be greeted by, protection robots, liberator robots, or a couple of giant radroaches and oversized ticks! You soon realize that the world is much different from how it used to be. You need to find a way to protect yourself from all the dangers spread across Appalachia.
You need to be prepared, this is where I come in. I’m going to help you navigate through Fallout 76’s armor options. This top ten list isn’t about legendary armor sets as that’s a whole other list in itself. This list is focusing on regular armor pieces that can be crafted easily for new players.
There are many different ways I could rank these items, so I decided to rank them in order of level. Starting with early game armors and making my way up to the late game pieces. So sit back, and relax as I take you through the top 10 best armor types in Fallout 76.
Also before I begin I just wanted to add a disclaimer, this list does not contain all possible armor types in the game, and some people might even disagree with this list but that’s ok, that’s what an opinion is for :)
Leather armor is the first armor you are likely to encounter when venturing through Appalachia. You can craft and wear leather armor from level 1, so it’s good for the newbies! There are three types of leather armor, light, sturdy and heavy. I’ll be talking about the sturdy version, but I'll put the stats for all three types in the stats section below.
Sturdy leather armor offers a fair amount of protection, doesn’t weigh too much and it isn’t too resource-intensive for the lower levels, it’s also pretty cheap to repair too. You can get leather armor pretty easily as it’s one of the most popular armor types among enemies in the forest region, so just kill and loot! The second way of obtaining this armor, like most armor types in this game, you can craft them. But to craft them, you need a specific plan for each armor piece. They can be bought from any Responder vendor in the forest.
Wood armor is the best light armor!! Wood armor guide 2021 (Fallout 76)
Wood armor is a strange one. Not particularly powerful, not craftable and it doesn’t exactly scream fear me! But it does make you look like a tree, so there’s that! You can find this armor by looking in responder caches, looting random enemies, or by buying pieces from the Free States vendor at Harpers Ferry. It’s good for low levels as it’s very cheap to repair, and it’s pretty good for stealth builds.
This armor is good if you are going for an aggressive raider build. A full set of this armor is pretty easy to acquire for low to mid-level players, it’s fairly cheap to build if you have the plans and it doesn’t cost too much to repair either. You can get a full set of raider armor during the Key To The Past quest (It’s a part of the main story). It can also be crafted at an armor workbench, provided you have the plans. You can get the plans from Raider vendor robots. In order to wear this armor you need to be a minimum of a level 5, but like all armor types, as you progress, you can craft higher-level armor pieces.
Robot armor is sort of an in-between armor when you are transitioning from a newbie to mid-level. It is bulky, but it gives you the added advantage of some rad resistance which the previous pieces didn’t have. To be able to equip this armor you need to be at least a level 10. If you are already past level 10 and are looking for the armor then look no further as you can buy robot armor from BOS vendors or craft your own at a workbench. (P.S, the helmet can only be crafted and not purchased)
Metal armor is both good and bad, it’s highly modifiable, it’s fairly cheap to craft and its repair resources are pretty easy to obtain. On the bad side, it’s not as durable as some other low-level armor types. This means that you will be repairing your armor pretty frequently.
If you want this armor for yourself then you are in luck (provided you are at least level 10), the plans for this are given to you early on by just following the main questline. You can also find the plans to craft metal armor randomly inserted into chests around the map. Alternatively, you can receive metal armor pieces as event rewards, so keep an eye out for events in your area!
How to Unlock Chinese Stealth Armor | Fallout 76 Wastelanders Guides
Now for something a little different, this is a special set, it can’t be bought using caps, you need to learn the plans by either completing Invisible Ties (introduced in the Wastelanders update) or by using gold bullion to get them. This armor set is pretty pricey to craft but it’s worth it. It’s for the mid-level players as you need to be a minimum of level 25 to wear a set.
The set looks awesome, but that's not why it’s on this list! On top of having good stats as you will soon see, it also has a special ability where you have incredible stealth abilities when crouching in this armor, so yeah it’s pretty good!
Combat armor is a good all-around armor set, it offers good protection, it’s very customizable and it’s easy to get your hands on a set. It’s pretty common to find some of this armor on an enemy body, in a chest, or even just laying around in buildings just waiting to be tried on by you!
Getting the plans for crafting your own set you really don’t need to do much as you will find plans for combat armor pieces fairly regularly, and since you can’t use combat armor until at least level 20, you will have most of the plans by then, just by regular playthrough. A Little warning about this armor type, although it’s good, it’s also expensive to craft, so be warned!
This beautiful set is very desirable among more experienced players. It looks badass and its stats are amazing, getting a full set of this armor isn’t the easiest thing to do as it’s all down to luck. Firstly you need to be at least level 40, secondly, you will need to find pieces of this armor. Completing the Dropped Connection event gives you a chance at getting a piece, other than that, check player vendors or cross your fingers and hope you come across some pieces yourself!
Coming in at second place, Secret service armor. This set was introduced in the Wastelanders update and it is absolutely brilliant! Incredible stats. You need to be a level 40 or above to be able to craft this armor and you’ll need the plans for the pieces, you can purchase the plans from Reginald Stone, located in Vault 79. So Start saving up gold bullion and get buying!
How to get T-45 POWER ARMOR, T-45 POWER ARMOR PLANS, and T-45 Power Armor MOD PLANS in FALLOUT 76
Power armor is the pinnacle of Fallout protection. Now, there are many different types of power armor, enough for them to have their own top 10 list! So for this list, I will go with the T-45 Power Armor since it’s likely the first power armor you will end up owning.
With great protection across all fronts and a never-ending array of modifications that can be made to it, power armor is favored by most. One of the best things about power armor in my opinion is that it completely eliminates fall damage. Pair the fall damage aspect up with a jetpack and you are practically a superhero!
Power armor frames and pieces are located literally all over the place! Instead of listing each individual location, I will put a couple of good ones for players around level 25 ish and then link the rest below:
Morgantown Trainyard - Located inside a railcar with a crane beside it
Point Pleasant - Located on a rooftop near the town bridge
The one major downside of being a power armor owner is that it is crazy expensive to craft, modify and maintain. The repair costs for this can be astronomical! Luckily you can exit your power armor if it gets damaged and store it in your backpack (don’t ask me how that’s possible!). The other negative for this armor is that it runs on fusion cores, making it expensive to operate, and since each fusion core weighs 3 pounds each, it can also get quite heavy to carry around.
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Whatever your build, Fallout 76 is bound to have the right armor for you. From wood to metal to X-01, there is a little something for everyone. Remember, it’s best to be over-prepared for battle than just running in your tighty whities all guns blazing!
From the streets of post nuclear Las Vegas, to the icy paths on the Throat of the world, I have explored every nook and cranny on every game I have ever played. I am always looking for new adventures
