In tactical strategy games likeXCOM 2, weapons are there to achieve victory over the enemy. Armor, on the other hand, is there to prevent the enemy from achieving victory. The makers ofXCOM 2were smart enough to make armor more than a layer of protection; many suits of armor in this game give the wearer a special ability they can’t get anywhere else.
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When theMutons and Chryssalidsbegin appearing during missions, players will want the best armor for their soldiers. This article will rank the ten best suits of armor inXCOM 2. Armor from DLC and the expansion will be included in the rankings. Vests and Prototype Armor are technically utility items, so they will not be included.
Updated on August 14th, 2022, by Jeff Drake:There are three things that players need to focus on if they wish to keep their squad members alive during missions in XCOM 2. The first is improving the squad’s weaponry; the starting conventional weapons start-out obsolete. The second is tactics. This is something players will pick up on as they play the game; never sending a soldier off alone is one of the first things players should learn. The third is armor; having a squad of glass cannons - great weapons and no armor - usually ends with names being added to the Fallen Soldier list. This update has included the few pieces of armor left out of the original list, making this a complete, ranked, list of all the armor available in XCOM 2.
12Kevlar Armor
The Kevlar Armor is the base armor inXCOM 2. Every soldier has Kevlar armor; however calling this armor is being generous. The Kevlar armor provides no armor, health, mobility, or dodge bonuses. The only thing this armor provides for the wearer is a single utility slot.
Players will want toupgrade the armor their squad wears from Kevlar as soon as possible. If the player is still wearing this armor when tougher aliens start appearing, they are going to have a hard time keeping all of their soldier alive. There is a special variant of the Kevlar Armor called the Resistance Warrior Kevlar Armor, but this was a promotional offer for players who got the Resistance Warrior Pack pre-order version ofXCOM 2.
11Predator Armor
Despite its cool name, the Predator Armor is the weakest in the medium armor category. It’s still better than the Kevlar armor though; which isn’t really saying much. This armorprovides a small boost to health, as well as two slots for utility items. That’s about it; the Predator Armor doesn’t actually provide an armor points for the wearer.
There is one benefit to the Predator Armor, it is relatively cheap to make. The cost of outfitting an entire squad (of 6) with Predator armor cost half the price of the next best medium armor, Warden Armor.
10Spider Suit
The Kevlar Suits soldiers start with are as useless as armor made of thin layers of tissue paper. It provides no health, armor, or dodge bonuses. The first suit of armor players will probably have access to that actually provides some semblance of protection is the Spider Suit.
As the name suggests, the Spider Suitgives the wearer the ability to scale wallsand get to higher platforms via the attached grappling hook device. This device can be used without taking an action; allowing the wearer totake the high groundand still get a shot off at the enemy.
9Serpent Suit
The Serpent Suit can be researched after obtaining a Viper King Corpse and provides slightly more protection than the Spider Suit - plus one useful ability unique to the Serpent Suit armor. This armor has the Spider Suit’s grapple ability; it also has an ability called Frostbite.
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The Frostbite abilitylets the wearer use the grapple device on an enemy soldier. If it hits, the target is frozen in place. This ability can also be used to pull Advent soldiers away from whatever cover they are hiding behind. This armor can also cause Vipers to panic upon seeing the wearer.
8Serpent Armor
The Serpent Armor is the best of the available light armor suits inXCOM 2. It provides as much health as the best suit of medium armor but provides no armor points. The+40% dodge chanceseems to almost ensure the wearer will take glancing blows rather than being hit full-on.
This suit of armor provides all the abilities of the lesser Serpent Suit. Only one suit of Serpent Armor is allowed per game, so make sure to make the most of it, and don’t put it on a soldier that sees a lot of frontline action. If it gets destroyed the player can’t make another. Put the Serpent Armor on a veteranSharpshooterand have them get to high ground as soon as possible.
7Warden Armor
The Warden Armor is the second-best suit of medium armor inXCOM 2. Although this armor does not grant extra mobility like the previous armors on this list, it does providean extra utility item slot. The helpfulness of having an extra utility slot in battle far outweighs the lack of a mobility boost.
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Players don’t have to choose between giving their soldiers a grenade, Medkit, or Battle Scanner. Now they can give their soldier a grenade in addition to a support item. This will make missions easier, and help ensure the player’s squad all make it back to the Avenger.
6E.X.O. Suit
The E.X.O. Suit is the first suit of heavy armor most players will obtain. This gives the wearer access to something that will make missions much easier.Heavy weapons can only be attached to heavy armor. These weapons are so good it’s worth sacrificing mobility.
Having only one utility slot is mitigated by the inclusion of a heavy weapon slot. All the heavy weapons are better than a Frag Grenade, or even a Plasma Grenade. It doesn’t have any of the fancy abilities of many of the other armors on this list; however, the E.X.O. Suit is a reliable suit of armor that will keep the player’s soldiers alive.
5R.A.G.E. Suit
The R.A.G.E. Suit is available after researching the Berserker Queen’s Corpse, and like the Serpent Armor, is unique. This is heavy armor, and as such can be equipped with a heavy weapon. Heavy weapons, like the Blaster Launcher, arethe best weapons in the game; seriously, the heavy weapons inXCOM 2are game-changers.
This armor also provides something the other heavy armors don’t - mobility. The wearer of the R.A.G.E. Suit has access to an ability called Rage Strike. This ability allows for a powerful melee attack thathas a chance of stunning the target. This only has one utility item slot, but none of the heavy armors have more than one.
4W.A.R. Suit
The W.A.R. Suit is basically the Power Armor fromotherXCOMgames. This is the best suit of non-unique heavy armor. The extra health, and armor points, provided by the W.A.R. Suit arealmost a guarantee that the wearer will survive a mission; unless the player uses them recklessly. This armor has the Shieldwall ability; which allows the wearer to provide cover for other squad members.
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The lack of a mobility bonus and having only one utility item slot will be missed when switching from a suit of medium armor. The inclusion of a heavy weapon slot more than makes up for this though. Towards the end of the game any soldier not wearing a unique suit of armor, or a suit ranked higher than the W.A.R. Suit, should be wearing this armor.
3R.A.G.E. Armor
This suit of armor is the upgraded version of the R.A.G.E. Suit. Only two other suits of armor provide a +7 to health; the Serpent Armor and the armor ranked #1. The only other suit of armor that provides +2 to armor is the W.A.R. Suit, and that suit of armor doesn’t come with the abilities granted by the R.A.G.E. Armor.
The R.A.G.E. Armor retains the Rage Strike ability. This armor alsohas a chance of making Muton and Berserkers panicwhen seeing the wearer. This armor definitely deserves its spot in the top three.
