Having an encyclopedic knowledge of Starfield armor will serve you well as you’re out exploring the vast expanse of space in Bethesda’s massive RPG game. It’s also how you’ll style your character, dripping them out in everything from bulky space armor to sleek spacesuits. Needless to say, you’re going to want to know how Starfield armor works, from the various armor stats to build around to the best Starfield armor you can use.
While picking the right armor is vitally important, one thing we’ve discovered from our Starfield review playthrough is that survival isn’t as simple as just picking the rarest or most valuable piece of gear you can find. Perhaps most importantly, the Starfield backgrounds picked during Starfield character creation also make a big difference and complement your armor picks well. And while the best armor is great for defense, you’ll also need the best Starfield weapons if you want to make it out of skirmishes in one piece. So, whether you want to wear the colors of your favorite faction or simply have the best of the best, here’s everything you need to know about armor in Starfield.
Starfield armor explained
Starfield armor is important gear that protects you and offers damage reduction bonuses in combat and while exploring the harsh environmental conditions of Starfield planets. There are four armor categories: helmet, spacesuit, packs, and apparel.
Your helmet and spacesuit are the main armor types in Starfield, each boasting their own stats and bonuses. As you’ll be exploring space, a spacesuit and helmet is necessary to survive in the wilderness so it’s important to keep on top of the best armor in Starfield. A small detail that will be appreciated by roleplayers, no doubt, is that you can hide your helmet in breathable areas through the inventory screen, and spacesuits can also be removed in certain settlements.
Packs refer to the various jetpacks you can equip that can be used in both exploration and combat for great aerial movement. Once you touch down on a planet, there will be no land or air vehicles to help you explore, so unless you want sore feet, your pack will be crucial in helping you get around. Note that you will have to unlock one of the best Starfield skills to be able to use the boost that packs offer.
Apparel could be the most exciting part for many players as apparel items function like outfits for when you’re in habitable areas like cities, including Starfield’s New Atlantis city. After all, you don’t really want to be walking around a city in a bulky spacesuit if you don’t have to.
You might be used to separate slots for pieces like legs and arms from other best RPG games, and even previous Bethesda games. However, you won’t find them in Starfield as the spacesuit acts as an all-in-one piece.
How to get Starfield armor
Starfield armor can be acquired through completing quests, looting containers and enemies, purchased from merchants, and created through crafting. As such, you should never be short on armor for your character, even if it’s not always the best armor.
Legendary armor in Starfield can be attained through similar methods – particularly through questing, exploring high-level planets, and looting high-level enemies.
All Starfield armor sets
The confirmed Starfield armor sets are:
- Bounty Hunter
- Constellation
- Deep Mining
- Deep Recon
- Deepcore
- Deepseeker
- Deimos
- Ecliptic
- Explorer
- Experimental Nishina
- Gran-Gran
- Ground Crew
- Mantis
- Mark 1
- Mercenary
- Mercury
- Navigator
- Old Earth
- Peacemaker
- Pirate Assault
- Pirate Charger
- Pirate Corsair
- Pirate Sniper
- Ranger
- Shocktroop
- Space Trucker
- Star Roamer
- Starborn
- Sysdef
- SY-920 Pilot
- Trackers Alliance
- UC
- UC Ace
- UC Antixeno
- UC Marine
- UC Security
- UC Urbanwar
- UC Vanguard
- Utility
- Va’ruun
Best Starfield armor
The best Starfield armor is the Starborn set, which can gradually be acquired through consecutive Starfield New Game Plus runs. Starborn armor boasts the highest defensive stats in the game, as well as top-tier perks due to it being a Legendary set.
Up to ten Starborn variants can be collected, with each New Game Plus giving you an upgraded version of the previous variant. As such, you’ll want to keep re-clearing the game to attain the very best armor Starfield has to offer. You can check out the stats and perks for each iteration in this video from ‘LunarGaming’.
In the early game, either the Mantis set attained from the Starfield Mantis puzzle, or the Shocktroop set are your best bets. We’d definitely recommend opting for the former if you can, as this Legendary set provides some rather delectable boons that will carry you through into the mid-late game.
Beyond the Mantis set, be sure to pick up the Mark I spacesuit – arguably the best mid-game set – from the basement of The Lodge in New Atlantis. Normally, this requires rank three Security in order to digipick the lock on the glass case holding the set, but a bug currently allows you to access it without having to open the case at all.
As a general rule of thumb, the higher the stats, the better the armor is. And if fashion is your true goal, then pick whichever armor looks the best to you.
Starfield armor stats
Starfield armor comes with seven stat values, these are:
- PHYS – damage resistance for ballistic weapons
- ENGY – damage resistance for energy weapons
- EM – damage resistance for electro-magnetic weapons
- Thermal – resistance to heat
- Corrosive – resistance to corrosion
- Radiation – resistance to radiation
- Airborne – resistance to contaminants
Armor in Starfied is not just about looks, as it comes in very handy during combat and exploration. The primary damage resistance stats of PHYS, ENGY, and EM are perhaps the most important, letting you withstand more damage from the various enemies and weapon types you’ll come up against. Remember, it can’t always be about style if you want to stay alive; having the best armor will let you take down bigger threats that are sure to show up as you progress through the game, such as deadly bosses.
Likewise, the secondary stats – Thermal, Corrosive, Radiation, and Airborne – are largely related to elemental attacks from enemies and certain environmental conditions. For example, some areas or planets might require a very high Thermal stat to traverse safely if they’re very hot. Fans of Fallout will no doubt be used to this, as some areas in Fallout would be heavily irradiated, forcing you to get better protection against radiation before you can explore those areas – while you could achieve this with meds, better armor was usually the safest way to do this. This feature works similarly in Starfield, only with four conditions to think about, rather than just radiation.
It’s worth noting that armor also has two other stats, mass and value, which shouldn’t be ignored. Like Bethesda’s other games, you’ll have a max inventory weight limit, with each piece of armor and other items having a mass value. Being over encumbered will make you unable to fast travel while also limiting your movement.
On the other hand, value refers to how much the piece of armor is worth when sold to a vendor. If you happen to find a Starfield armor set with bad stats or style on your travels, then it could still be worth picking it up to sell it on, providing you’ve got the carrying capacity for it. Be sure to visit the Starfield cities from time to time to sell armor and other gear to clear out your inventory.
Starfield armor mod slots
By accessing a Spacesuit Workbench, you can apply various, craftable mods to your armor. Below you’ll find the available mods for each slot, depending on the piece of armor you’re looking to bolster.
Helmet
- Slot 1: Ballistic Shielding, EM Shielding, Energy Shielding
- Slot 2: Explosive Shielding, Sensor Array
- Slot 3: Heavy Shielding
- Slot 4: Gravitic Composites
Spacesuit
- Slot 1: Ballistic Shielding, EM Shielding, Energy Shielding
- Slot 2: Explosive Shielding, Optimized Servos
- Slot 3: Exo Servos, Heavy Shielding
- Slot 4: Gravitic Composites, Pocketed
Pack
- Slot 1: Extra Capacity, Hazard Protection, Oxygen Reserve
- Slot 2: Emergency Aid, Medic, Regeneration
- Boost Pack: Balanced Boostpack, Basic Boostpack, Power Boostpack, Skip Capacity Boostpack
Starfield companion armor
The Starfield companions can also be equipped with armor, much like in Skyrim and Fallout 4. To do this, simply open up their inventory screen by asking them to trade. From the inventory UI, you can now kit them out in whatever gear is on their persons with the ‘Equip’ button.
If it doesn’t look like they’re wearing the Starfield armor you’ve so graciously given them, don’t worry – companions will typically wear apparel when you’re not out exploring.
And that’s everything you need to know about Starfield armor, including the best armor you can start with, all the armor types and stats that impact how you play, and even the possibility of companion armor. With all these systems, it’s no wonder Starfield is being hailed as one of the best Xbox RPG games around.
If you’re looking to add more of a challenge to your Starfield playthrough, then taking one of the more unique Starfield weapons with you, rather than the best of the best will set you on the right track. Additionally, you could always stick with the default armor and refuse to put points into the Combat tree in the Starfield skills to maximize your handicap.
Still looking for more? While a good Starfield wiki can be a handy source of information, our new Starfield Database goes further, offering you daily news, searchable databanks, and even interactive tools.