When venturing out into the inhospitable post-apocalyptic wasteland of the commonwealth, you might want to wear some protection. Or else, the only thing that you might be protecting is starving the worms in the ground. Luckily, Fallout 4 is home to a wide array of different armor and clothing. All of them have unique uses, and some are for better or worse. What are some of the best armors in Fallout 4?
1. Vault Jumpsuit (best for early game)
During the prologue, after you escape from nuclear annihilation in Vault 111, you will receive the first piece of armor you get in Fallout 4. That is a Vault-Tec patented Vault 111 jumpsuit. Although the Vault Jumpsuit doesn’t offer much in the way of ballistic resistance it makes up for it with energy and radiation resistance. Making it a valuable piece of equipment during Fallout 4 early hours, especially when Radaway, Radx, and other radiation resistors are rare. In addition, the vault suit is under armor meaning that additional pieces of armor can be worn over the vault. Increasing the base stats and allowing for greater protection. Lastly, there are many variants of the vault suit in Fallout 4, and all of them offer the same stats. They might not be useful in the mid-to-late game. The other variants of the vault suit will keep you fashionable in the wasteland.
The Vault Jumpsuit provides No damage resistance, 5 energy resistance, and 10 radiation resistance.
Pros
- Offers a fair amount of energy and radiation resistance
- Unmissable
- Iconic
Cons
- No damage resistance
2. Leather armor (best for early game)
One of the most robust armor sets in Fallout 4 is the leather armor, although it’s the weakest set of wearable overlaying armor. The reliability and ease of access to leather armor make it a necessity for early games. Leather armor is everywhere in the commonwealth and provides for adequate energy resistance. Leather armor is most commonly found on raiders. In addition, leather armor provides for a Bethea of different upgrades, making it viable even into mid-game if you choose the right perks for your sole survivor.
Pros
- Large selection of upgrades
- Super common
- Provides a lot of energy resistance.
Cons
- Quickly surpassed by metal and combat armor.
- Does not provide radiation protection
3. T-45 Power Armor (best for early game)
The T-45 power armor is the first set of power armor you receive in Fallout 4. After you leave Vault 111, talk to Codsworth in Sanctuary. You will be instructed to head to Concord. After you fight some raiders, a Minuteman named Preston Garvey will tell you to head inside the Concord Museum, where you fight more raiders to save the last Minuteman. Preston tells you to pick up a fusion core in the museum basement. After you pick up the fusion core, head to the rooftop, and there, you will find the full set of T-45 power armor. And don’t forget to grab the minigun. You’re going to need it.
The T-45 provides for a base damage, energy, and radiation resistance of 100, 60, and 150.
Pros:
- Substantial ballistic, energy, and radiation protection for early-game
- You get a full set in Concord
- Free minigun
Cons
- Fusion cores are rare in the early game
- Requires material you may not have in the early game
4. Grognak Costume (Best for mid-game)
Do you like to roleplay as a caveman superhero? Hubris comics in the downtown ruins of Boston near Swan’s Pond have you covered. Although, be wary of the ghouls that infest that place. Grognak’s Costume can be found on the top floor of Hubris Comics. The suit is made from a loincloth and fur boots and is the perfect costume for sole survivors who want to become a caveman superhero.
The Costume provides 10 damage resistance and 15 energy and radiation resistance. In addition, the armor also increases your damage by 25% and gives you +2 strength. Making it a must for melee builds.
However, the damage increase doesn’t increase your unarmed melee or weapons like the power fist.
Pro’s
- Strength increase
- Increases your damage
- provides a fair amount of resistance to damage, energy, and radiation
Cons
- The damage increase does not apply to unarmed melee
5. Commando Helmet (Best for mid-game)
The Commando Helmet is a unique combat helmet that can be found aboard the Prydwen. The helmet is a part of the collection sold by Proctor Teagan on the Prydwen: Commando Helmet and The Commando Chest Piece. The Helmet has the “V.A.T.S'' enhanced legendary effect that reduces AP costs by 10% when using"V.A.T.S ".
Remember, the more weight a gun has, the more AP it uses in "V.A.T.S." The commando helmet can be a lifesaver and a much-needed piece of equipment- especially if you are running a "V.A.T.S" build. The armor also provides 16 damage and energy resistance.
Pros
- Powerful legendary effect
- Not level gated
- When combined with its sister, it provides one of the best pairings for a VATS build.
Cons
- Only obtainable through Proctor Teagan
- Does not provide any radiation resistance
6. The Commando Chest Piece (Best for mid-game)
The second piece of the commando set is sold by Proctor Teagan aboard the Prydwen. The Commando Chest Piece offers the “Powered” legendary effect. The powered legendary effects increase the refresh spread of the player’s action points. Using the armor with its counterpart, The Commando Helmet- makes the collection one of the most versatile and deadly pairings in the commonwealth.
In addition, the Chest Piece also provides 14 damage and energy resistance along with 15 radiation resistance.
Pros
- Powerful legendary effect
- Not level gated
- When combined with its sister, it provides one of the best pairings for a VATS build.
Cons
- Only obtainable through Proctor Teagan
7. Model T-60 Power Armor (Best for mid-game)
Model T-60 Power Armor is the power of choice for the tough-as-nails and sturdy Brotherhood of Steel. The Power Armor can be found throughout the commonwealth at different unmarked locations. Additionally, you can find four suits of T-60 on The Prydwen after you join the Brotherhood of Steel. However, they will be marked in red, meaning if you want a full set of T-60 power armor- you will need to be willing to sacrifice your alliance to the Brotherhood and steal them.
In addition, you can also buy a full suit of T-60 power armor from Brotherhood scribe, proctor Teagan, or Rowdy at the Atom Cats Garage. Or you can loot the armor from the corpses of fallen brotherhood members.
The T-60 power armor provides a base resistance of 180 damage, 120 energy, and 150 radiation.
Pros
- Easily obtained obtainable
- A wide array of upgrades
- You should have plenty of fusion cores by now
Cons
- Not the best Power Armor
8. Silver Shroud Armor (Best for late game)
Evildoers beware, the Silver Shroud is here to act his vigilante justice in the commonwealth. The Silver Shroud is one of Fallout’s pre-war superheroes by Hubris Comics. The outfit comes in a slick black suit with a silver coat collar and tie. Not only will this armor inspire fear in your enemies. It will also provide 87 damage resistance and 87 energy resistance, along with giving you +1 to agility & perception. It also comes with the assassin’s legendary effect, which reduces damage from humans by 15%.
When you first obtain the outfit from Hubris Comics- it will not provide any protection. It’s just a set-prop at hubris comics. It’s not until you meet with Kent Connell at the memory den in Goodneighbor that you give the quest, The Silver Shroud Returns. After giving Kent the outfit, he will upgrade it to Silver Shroud armor.
Pros
- High Damage and energy resistance
- Special Bonus to Agility and perception
- You get it through one of the best quests in the game
- A powerful legendary effect
Cons
- Provides no radiation protection.
9. Freefall Legs ( Best for late game)
Before the great war, the Mass Fusion company developed a pair of combat boots designed to keep wearers safe when falling a great distance. When worn, the combat boots almost completely negate any fall damage the player might take when falling.
The freefall legs can come in three different flavors: standard, study, or heavy. Depending on which one spawns- the stats will change. The freefall legs can weigh 2.5 pounds, 5 pounds, and up to 7.5 pounds. In addition, the freefall legs also provide 10, 14, or 18 damage resistance and 8, 12, or 16 energy resistance. They do not provide any radiation resistance.
Pros
- decent damage resistance
- Negates fall damage
Cons
- They can be difficult to obtain
10.X-01 Power Armor (best for late game)
Left by the remnants of America’s shadow government, “The Enclave,” the X-01 power spawns at level 28. There are several locations where you can obtain the armor:
You can find a complete set of X-01 power armor at Fort Hagen Hangar behind a locked door, you can find another complete set at the unmarked location “lucky 28” rooftop, and another can spawn behind a master lock at the National Guard Training Yard.
The quality and protection that the X-01 provides are also level-dependent. Depending on your level- one of the six Mk will spawn. On average, the X-01 Power Armor will provide 220 Damage Resistance, 140 energy resistance, and 150 radiation resistance.
Pros
- Looks cool
- Vast array of upgrades
- best Power Armor in the game
Cons
- Rare, even at high levels.
