Starfield armor will be your best bet to staying alive in combat and the harsh environments you’ll get to explore. It’s also how you’ll style your character, from bulky space armor to sleek spacesuits. So, given the importance of Starfield armor in Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG, you’re going to want to know how it all works, from the various armor stats to build around to the best armor you can use.
It’s worth remembering though that Starfield armor isn’t the only aspect that influences your character’s performance. 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 roleplay as your favorite Starfield factions 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. These four armor categories are your helmet, spacesuit, packs, and apparel.
Your helmet and spacesuit will be 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.
On the other hand, packs refer to the various jetpacks you can equip that can be used in both exploration and combat for great aerial movement. Bethesda has already confirmed that 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.
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. In gameplay, we have seen characters wearing outfits besides a spacesuit, which are likely apparel items. After all, you don’t really want to be walking around a city in a bulky spacesuit if you don’t have to.
There do not appear to be separate slots for pieces like legs and arms that you might be used to from the best RPG games, and even previous Bethesda games.
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.
As for Legendary armor in Starfield, these drops are likely random and significantly more rare than standard armor sets.
All Starfield armor sets
The Starfield armor sets confirmed so far are:
- Constellation
- Explorer
- Mercenary
- Navigator
- Deep Mining
These have been seen during various gameplay showcases for the game, including the Starfield Direct 2023, and it’s clear that you’ll be able to rock armor sets for at least some of the factions in the game, particularly Constellation. Besides that, there are also plenty of other armor sets you can use that best suit your style.
Starfield best armor
At the start of the game, we imagine the Constellation set is the best Starfield armor. However, the Mercenary set has the best all-round stat distribution we’ve seen so far, making it great for combat and exploration against a variety of damage types and environments.
Given that you’ll meet with Constellation early on to start the main questline, it’s likely that you’ll also acquire the Constellation armor at the same time you get the keys to the Frontier, the first of the Starfield ships you’ll be able to pilot.
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. It looks as though this feature will work 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 likely 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 companion armor
It’s highly likely that Starfield companions can also be equipped with armor, much like in Skyrim and Fallout 4. While this could be distinct companion armor, it’s more likely the same armor your character can wear, meaning you can pass on your best armor to your companions for an extra helping hand in combat.
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, Starfield really could be one of the best Xbox RPG games when the Starfield release date finally comes around.
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.
