Fallout 76 armor guide: best armor, how outfits work

All the armor stats

Guide by Dave Irwin Former Guides Writer

Published on April 29, 2020

Armor in Fallout 76 can be made and repaired using scrap. With irradiated creatures and other players trying to kill you around every corner, you'll want some protection from damage. Luckily there are also plenty of unattended items lying around that are yours for the taking. It's worth grabbing a ton of scrap to repair armour.

Fallout 76 armor guide

Equipment works slightly differently in Fallout 76 compared to other Fallout games, as the mostly cosmetic outfits are equipped over the top of armour, which increases your defences and resistances. This Fallout 76 armor guide will go over the best armour you can find in the game, details about which outfits have some useful perks, and which armour pieces you should be crafting.

Those looking for a beginner's guide to get started with Fallout 76 should have a look at our Fallout 76 guide. There is quite a bit to cover in this armour guide, so we'll go over exactly how each of the different apparel works.

How outfits work in Fallout 76
Crafting the best armour in Fallout 76
Fallout 76 guide series

How outfits work in Fallout 76

Your character can wear three layers of clothing. The base layer is basic clothing like the Fallout 76 jumpsuit. It also includes hats, glasses or goggles, and anything that covers the mouth. The second layer is where your armour goes, while the third layer consists of special clothes that you wear over the top. You can of course forego the first or third layers should you so wish, but armour should always be worn when going out on an adventure.

Outfits are mostly cosmetic pieces that have very little bearing on your overall stats, but there are some that grant extra protection or effects. Others are very important for obtaining Atoms (more on that in our Fallout 76 challenges guide). Below are the outfits that have stat modifiers that we've discovered so far in the game:

Ritual Bindings: Adds 1 damage resistance
Spacesuit helmet: -2 Perception, prevents damage and disease from airborne hazards.
Gas masks: Adds 1 damage resistance, -2 Perception.
Black-rim glasses: +1 Charisma.
Garb of Mysteries: +1 Perception.
Hazmat Suits: Protection from radiation.
Tattered Dress: +1 Perception.

Crafting the best armour in Fallout 76

There are multiple types of armour that you can create at Armor workbenches. Each one has an associated level with it, so the better the level, the better the stats. Here are all of the armour stats, listed by types:

Fallout 76 armour stats
Legendary armour perks
Unique garments locations
Power Armor stats

Fallout 76 armour stats

Below are the armour pieces discovered so far in Fallout 76, along with their base stats. To use the search tool, I highly recommend searching for the type of armour (ie: Leather, Metal, Combat Armour, etc).

Piece name	Type of armour	Base resistances	Weight	Other effects/Notes
Cage Armour	Cage	Damage: 25 Energy: 27	10	N/A
Combat Armour arm	Combat Armour	Damage: 6 Energy: 6	2.8	N/A
Combat Armour chest piece	Combat Armour	Damage: 17 Energy: 16	7	N/A
Combat Armour leg	Combat Armour	Damage: 6 Energy: 6	2.8	N/A
Damaged Hazmat Suit	Damaged Hazmat Suit	Damage: 1 Rads: 500	4	N/A
Forest Scout Armour chest piece	Forest Scout Armour	Damage: 56 Energy: 36	7	N/A
Forest Scout Armour arm	Forest Scout Armour	Damage: 23 Energy: 18	2.8	N/A
Forest Scout Armour leg	Forest Scout Armour	Damage: 23 Energy: 18	3	N/A
Hazmat Suit	Hazmat Suit	Rads: 1000	5	N/A
Heavy Combat Armour chest piece	Heavy Combat Armour	Damage: 27 Energy: 26	12.6	N/A
Heavy Combat Armour arm	Heavy Combat Armour	Damage: 10 Energy: 9	4.95	N/A
Heavy Combat Armour leg	Heavy Combat Armour	Damage: 10 Energy: 9	5.4	N/A
Heavy Leather chest piece	Heavy Leather	Damage: 7 Energy: 10	7.2	N/A
Heavy Leather arm	Heavy Leather	Damage: 3 Energy: 3	3.6	N/A
Heavy Leather leg	Heavy Leather	Damage: 3 Energy: 3	4.05	N/A
Heavy Metal chest piece	Heavy Metal	Damage: 25 Energy: 5	9.9	N/A
Heavy Metal arm	Heavy Metal	Damage: 13 Energy: 3	4.5	N/A
Heavy Metal leg	Heavy Metal	Damage: 13 Energy: 3	4.5	N/A
Heavy Raider chest piece	Heavy Raider	Damage: 17 Energy: 5	8.1	N/A
Heavy Raider arm	Heavy Raider	Damage: 8 Energy: 3	4.05	N/A
Heavy Raider leg	Heavy Raider	Damage: 8 Energy: 3	4.5	N/A
Heavy Robot chest piece	Heavy Robot	Damage: 13 Energy: 12 Rads: 7	10.8	N/A
Heavy Robot arm	Heavy Robot	Damage: 5 Energy: 4 Rads: 5	4.5	N/A
Heavy Robot leg	Heavy Robot	Damage: 5 Energy: 4 Rads: 5	4.95	N/A
Helmeted Cage Armour	Helmeted Cage Armour	Damage: 29 Energy: 35	11	-2 Perception. Prevents damage from any airborne hazards that hit you.
Helmeted Spike Armour	Helmeted Spike Armour	Damage: 13 Energy: 15	17	Prevent any airborne hazard damage.
Hunter's Pelt Outfit	Hunter's Pelt Outfit	Damage: 16 Energy: 15	15	N/A
Leather arm	Leather	Damage: 1 Energy: 2	2	N/A
Leather chest piece	Leather	Damage: 4 Energy: 10	4	N/A
Leather leg	Leather	Damage: 1 Energy: 2	2	N/A
Marine Armour arm	Marine	Damage: 19 Energy: 17	3.5	N/A
Marine Armour chest piece	Marine	Damage: 46 Energy: 18 Rads: 18	8	N/A
Marine Armour leg	Marine	Damage: 18 Energy: 18	4	N/A
Metal arm	Metal	Damage: 8 Energy: 1	2.5	N/A
Metal chest piece	Metal	Damage: 15 Energy: 3	5.5	N/A
Metal helmet	Metal	Damage: 20 Energy: 3	5.5	N/A
Metal leg	Metal	Damage: 8 Energy: 1	2.5	N/A
Brotherhood Knight Suit	Outfit	Damage: 4 Energy: 2 Rads: 1	1.4	N/A
Brotherhood Officer Suit	Outfit	Damage: 4 Energy: 2 Rads: 1	1.4	N/A
Brotherhood Soldier Suit	Outfit	Damage: 4 Energy: 2 Rads: 1	1.4	N/A
Fireman Uniform	Outfit	Damage: 1 Energy: 1 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Charisma
Fireman Uniform	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 4 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Perception
Flannel Shirt and Jeans	Outfit	Damage: 1 Energy: 1 Rads: 1	1.4	N/A
Forest Operative Underarmour	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 4 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Perception
Harness	Outfit	Damage: 1	1.1	N/A
Long Johns	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 1	1.4	+1 Agility
Marine Wetsuit	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 2 Rads: 2	2.8	+1 Endurance
Raider Leathers	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 1	1.4	+1 Agility
Road Leathers	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 1	1.4	+1 Agility
Undershirt and Jeans	Outfit	Damage: 1 Energy: 1 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Charisma
Urban Operative Underarmour	Outfit	Damage: 2 Energy: 4 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Perception
Vault 76 Jumpsuit	Outfit	Damage: 1 Energy: 1 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Luck
Vault-Tec University Jumpsuit	Outfit	Damage: 1 Energy: 1 Rads: 1	1.4	+1 Luck
Prototype Hazmat Suit	Prototype Hazmat Suit	Damage: 1 Rads: 1000	5	N/A
Raider arm	Raider	Damage: 5 Energy: 2	2.25	N/A
Raider chest piece	Raider	Damage: 10 Energy: 4	4.5	N/A
Raider leg	Raider	Damage: 5 Energy: 2	2.5	N/A
Robot Armour arm	Robot	Damage: 3 Energy: 2 Rads: 1	2.5	N/A
Robot Armour chest	Robot	Damage: 8 Energy: 7 Rads: 4	6	N/A
Robot Armour leg	Robot	Damage: 3 Energy: 2 Rads: 1	2.8	N/A
Spike Armour	Spike	Damage: 10 Energy: 12	7	N/A
Stand Fast	Stand Fast	Damage: 2 Energy: 6 Rads: 1	2.8	Modded combat armour. It is obtained after completing the side-quest "Early Warnings"
Sturdy Combat arm	Sturdy Combat	Damage: 9 Energy: 8	3.85	N/A
Sturdy Combat chest piece	Sturdy Combat	Damage: 24 Energy: 24	9.8	N/A
Sturdy Combat leg	Sturdy Combat	Damage: 9 Energy: 8	4.2	N/A
Sturdy Leather arm	Sturdy Leather	Damage: 2 Energy: 3	2.8	N/A
Sturdy Leather chest piece	Sturdy Leather	Damage: 7 Energy: 8	5.6	N/A
Sturdy Leather leg	Sturdy Leather	Damage: 2 Energy: 3	3.15	N/A
Sturdy Metal arm	Sturdy Metal	Damage: 11 Energy: 2	3.5	N/A
Sturdy Metal chest piece	Sturdy Metal	Damage: 21 Energy: 5	7.7	N/A
Sturdy Metal leg	Sturdy Metal	Damage: 11 Energy: 2	3.5	N/A
Sturdy Raider arm	Sturdy Raider	Damage: 7 Energy: 2	3.15	N/A
Sturdy Raider chest piece	Sturdy Raider	Damage: 14 Energy: 4	6.3	N/A
Sturdy Raider leg	Sturdy Raider	Damage: 7 Energy: 2	3.5	N/A
Sturdy Robot arm	Sturdy Robot	Damage: 4 Energy: 3 Rads: 4	3.5	N/A
Sturdy Robot chest piece	Sturdy Robot	Damage: 11 Energy: 10 Rads: 6	8.4	N/A
Sturdy Robot legs	Sturdy Robot	Damage: 4 Energy: 3 Rads: 4	3.85	N/A
Trapper arms	Trapper	Damage: 6 Energy: 4 Rads: 5	3	N/A
Trapper chest piece	Trapper	Damage: 4 Energy: 6 Rads: 13	5	N/A
Trapper legs	Trapper	Damage: 6 Energy: 4 Rads: 5	3.5	N/A
Urban Scout Armour chest piece	Urban Scout Armour	Damage: 51 Energy: 33	7	N/A
Urban Scout Armour arm	Urban Scout Armour	Damage: 12 Energy: 18	2.75	N/A
Urban Scout Armour leg	Urban Scout Armour	Damage: 23 Energy: 18	2.5	N/A
Wood arm	Wood	Damage: 2 Energy: 1	1.8	N/A
Wood chest piece	Wood	Damage: 8 Energy: 3	3.5	N/A
Wood leg	Wood	Damage: 2 Energy: 1	1.8	N/A

Legendary armour perks

In a similar fashion to the weapons, which you can find out about in our Fallout 76 weapons guide, there are certain enemies that are considered "Legendary". They are the enemies with stars next to their name and can sometimes heal themselves fully when at low health.

When they are killed, they drop one piece of legendary equipment that is essentially a buffed up version of the standard armour. Below are all the Legendary effects that appear on armour.

Effect Name	Effect Description
Acrobat's	-50% Falling damage.
Assassin's	-15% damage from human enemies.
Bolstering	Increased Energy/Damage Resistance based on how low your health is.
Cavalier's	-15% damage sustained while sprinting or blocking.
Chameleon's	Harder to be detected while sneaking and not moving.
Duelist's	Grants user a 10% chance to disarm a melee weapon from an enemy.
Exterminator's	-15% damage from Mirelurks and Bugs.
Ghoul Slayer's	-15% damage from Ghouls.
Hunter's	-15% damage from animals.
Junkie's	Take less damage based on the number of Chem withdrawal effects you are suffering from.
Mutant Slayer's	-15% damage from Super Mutants.
Sprinter's	+10% movement speed.
Troubleshooter's	-15% damage from Robots.

Unique garments locations

Like the unique weapons, there are unique items of clothing for all three layers that increase certain stats. These unique items are normally rewards for completing quests and these quests have the potential to reward you with some of the best items in the game. The Eye of Ra is a good example of this, as it increases the stats of certain associated weapons. I've listed all the ones I've discovered in the game below.

Item Name	Item Type	Buffs	Location
Eye of Ra	Accessory	Enhances certain weapons/armour (Mistress of Mystery). Must be worn with "Garb of Mysteries" light armour for effect.	Obtained during quest "The Mistress of Mystery".
Garb of Mysteries	Light armour	Increased damage and energy resistance. Improves Perception and Sneak. Effects buffed when worn with "Eye of Ra".	Complete the quest "Initiate of Mysteries" and obtain from the NPC - The Fabricator.
Last Bastion	Urban Enclave Torso	+5 accuracy with ballistic weapons	Compete quest "Officer on Deck".
Prototype Hazmat Suit	Hazmat Suit	Some radiation protection.	Complete side quest "Tracking Unknowns".
Stand Fast	Combat armour	Become harder to detect while sneaking.	Complete quest "Early Warnings".
Silver Lining	Leather armour	+1 Endurance	Complete quest "Tentative Plans".
Trail Warden	Metal torso	+1 Perception	Complete quest "Bureau of Tourism".
Veil of Secrets	Headwear	Prevent all damage and diseases from any airborne hazards/attacks.	Complete the quest "Initiate of Mysteries" and obtain from the NPC - The Fabricator.
Worn Veil	Headwear	It's the damaged worn veil.	Obtained during quest "Into the Mystery".

Power Armor stats

Finally, I've listed the Power Armor parts in the table below. You can equip individual Power Armor pieces from the helmet, torso, arms, and legs.

For the sake of clarity, the stats below for arms and legs are for one piece each, so keep in mind that in real terms the weight and protection will be double for each of those parts if you have a full Power Armor set. If you'd like to know where to find the various Power Armors in the game, there is a Fallout 76 Power Armor locations guide with some of the key locations.

Power Armor Piece name	Type of Power Armor and equip level	Resistances	Weight	Other effects
Raider Power helm	Raider Power (Level 15)	Damage: 24 Energy: 23 Rads: 23	10	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
Raider Power chest piece	Raider Power (Level 15)	Damage: 41 Energy: 40 Rad: 40	14
Raider Power arm	Raider Power (Level 15)	Damage: 24 Energy: 23 Rad: 23	10
Raider Power leg	Raider Power (Level 15)	Damage: 24 Energy: 23 Rad: 23	12
Excavator helmet	Excavator (Level 25)	Damage: 25 Energy: 24 Rad: 35	10	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
Excavator torso	Excavator (Level 25)	Damage: 42 Energy: 41 Rad: 35	12
Excavator arm	Excavator (Level 25)	Damage: 25 Energy: 24 Rad: 35	11	Increased yield when mining. Applies separately to each arm.
Excavator leg	Excavator (Level 25)	Damage: 25 Energy: 24 Rad: 35	12
T-45 helmet	T-45 (Level 25)	Damage: 35 Energy: 34 Rad: 34	11	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
T-45 torso	T-45 (Level 25)	Damage: 58 Energy: 57 Rads: 57	16
T-45 arm	T-45 (Level 25)	Damage: 35 Energy: 34 Rads: 34	12
T-45 leg	T-45 (Level 25)	Damage: 35 Energy: 34 Rads: 34	14
T-51B helmet	T-51B (Level 30)	Damage: 45 Energy: 44 Rads: 27	11	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
T-51B torso	T-51B (Level 30)	Damage: 76 Energy: 75 Rads: 27	17
T-51B arm	T-51B (Level 30)	Damage: 45 Energy: 44 Rads: 27	12
T-51B leg	T-51B (Level 30)	Damage: 45 Energy: 44 Rads: 27	14
T-60 helmet	T-60 (Level 40)	Damage: 51 Energy: 49 Rad: 56	11	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
T-60 torso	T-60 (Level 40)	Damage: 84 Energy: 81 Rad: 94	18
T-60 arm	T-60 (Level 40)	Damage: 51 Energy: 49 Rad: 56	12
T-60 leg	T-60 (Level 40)	Damage: 51 Energy: 49 Rad: 56	14
X-01 helmet	X-01 (Level 45)	Damage: 55 Energy: 62 Rads: 62	12	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
X-01 torso	X-01 (Level 45)	Damage: 90 Energy: 103 Rads: 104	19
X-01 arm	X-01 (Level 45)	Damage: 55 Energy: 62 Rads: 62	13
X-01 leg	X-01 (Level 45)	Damage: 55 Energy: 62 Rads: 62	15
Ultracite helmet	Ultracite (Level 50)	Damage: 69 Energy: 59 Rads: 59	12	Prevent damage and disease from airborne and waterborne attacks.
Ultracite torso	Ultracite (Level 50)	Damage: 114 Energy: 98 Rads: 98	20
Ultracite arm	Ultracite (Level 50)	Damage: 68 Energy: 45 Rads: 45	13
Ultracite leg	Ultracite (Level 50)	Damage: 68 Energy: 45 Rads: 45	15

Fallout 76 guide series

This completes our Fallout 76 armor guide. There are many guides listed below for the game, detailing things like what each perk card does and what you need to craft certain weapons. There are also some guides dedicated to the new stuff that appeared in the Wastelanders expansion:

Fallout 76 guide - Tips and tricks for getting started with Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 server status - For all the updates regarding when Fallout 76 is online or offline, head here.
Fallout 76 Bobbleheads - They're no longer permanent. Find out more about them here.
Fallout 76 Magazines - These are also no longer permanent. Locate them here.
Fallout 76 challenges - Want to customise your character? Get more atoms by completing challenges.
Fallout 76 diseases - New to Fallout 76 are diseases. Find out how to prevent or cure them.
Fallout 76 mutations - Also new are Mutations. Some are great, others are not, so discover more about them.
Fallout 76 perk cards - Perks are completely different here. Get the lowdown on how they work.
Fallout 76 event quests - A primer for all the event quests in Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 daily quests - How to unlock the daily quests in Fallout 76.
Fallout 76 enemies - A full list of enemies in Fallout 76 and details on variants.
Fallout 76 nukes - Deliver the nuclear payload to your enemies and scavenge for rare materials.
Fallout 76 lockpicking - Access safes and locked doors with ease.
Fallout 76 terminal hacking - Obtain secrets and disable traps by hacking terminals.
Fallout 76 character creation - Make your character as unique as possible.
Fallout 76 CAMP - Build a CAMP that others will marvel at.
Fallout 76 weapons - Make weapons and discover why you should pay attention to condition.
Fallout 76 Power Armor locations - Want to look like a Brotherhood of Steel member? Grab a Power Armour frame.
Fallout 76 treasure maps - Unearth valuable treasure left behind after the bombs fell.
Fallout 76 multiplayer - Join up with others to complete quests.