From the moment you leave your cushy little setup in Vault 101, it becomes very clear that everything outside wants to kill you, and probably will if you give them a chance. So, to avoid being strung up by some Raiders or stuffed into a Gore Bag by some Super Mutants, you’ll want some armor to protect you.
Every Fallout: New Vegas Companion, Ranked
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Thankfully, if you know where to look, the Capital Wasteland is packed full of resistant and stylish garb that will help bullets bounce off you, rather than have them lodge in your cranium. So, let’s look at the bestFallout 3has to offer, shall we?
1Winterized T-51B Power Armor
Damage Resistance
25+ Radiation Resistance
Outcast Outpost
Let’s kick things off with my personal pick for the best armor in the game. The Winterized T-51B Armor boasts great Damage Resistance, looks sleek, and offers some Radiation Resistance that’ll make sure you don’t sprout an extra limb out of your belly button, but really, none of this is why I consider it the best.
The reason it’s the pick of the bunch is that, due to a glitch that was never patched, this armor practically has infinite item health, meaning no matter how long you wear this armor, it will never degrade to the point that you need to repair it. It’s one of the best armor pieces in the game based on stats alone, but this accidental durability makes this armor a marvel.
2Ranger Battle Armor
Action Points +5
Small Guns +10
Complete ‘Reilly’s Rangers’
I might as well let you know that this list is very Power Armor heavy, mostly because Fallout 3 is very Power Armor andBrotherhood of Steelfocused. But if you’re someone who prefers to go with an agility build, then you’ll want to seek out the Reilly’s Rangers unique combat armor, the Rangers Battle Armor.
This Combat Armor has the highest DR of any non-power-armor apparel in the game. Then, when you factor in the boost to Luck, Small Guns, and Action Points, you realize that this armor leans toward those who prefer sneaking around and banking on critical hits. So, if you skipped the Power Armor training seminar at the Citadel, this is a great alternative.
3Enclave Hellfire Armor
Strength +1
Fire Resistance +30
Radiation Resistance +15
Worn by Enclave Hellfire Troopers
If you are on the hunt for the Fallout 3 armor with the highest DR of all options available, I’ll save you some time. It’s the Enclave Hellfire Armor. This Power Armor is only available through the missions linked to Broken Steel, and as you deal with the last remnants of the Enclave after the events of Raven Rock, you’ll find Hellfire Troopers sporting this bulky little number.
This armor has a staggering 50DR, and on top of that, you also get Fire and Rad Resistance, making this a top-tier option for braving the elements, or getting rid of those bloody Fire Ants in Grayditch. So when you get rid of the Enclave for good, grab some Hellfire Armor as a memento.
4Samurai Armor
Melee Damage +10
Melee Weapons +10
Worn by Toshiro Kago
This one may be an inclusion that is heavily influenced by the sheer aesthetic brilliance of this armor, but I assure you, it’s not all style over substance here. The Samurai Armor is a unique armor that can be pinched off the body of Toshiro Kago from the Mothership Zeta DLC when he decides to croak. And if you’re anything like me, you probably thought about expediting that process as soon as you saw him.
This armor looks cool but also has the stats to back it up. It boasts a very respectable 30DR and also provides boosts to Melee Weapons and overall Melee damage. This means if you happen to be a blunt force specialist, this armor can help you club, claw, punch, and slice more efficiently. So if you wish to fight in honor of the emperor, adorn the Kago clan armor and do what you do best.
5Bombshell Armor
Big Guns +10
Explosives +10
Speaking of Fallout 3 Armor that leans into a particular skill or build, we have one right here that’s tailor-made for the more bombastic, explosive personalities that occupy the Capital Wasteland. The Bombshell Armor is aesthetically a lot like Raider Armor, but far exceeds any Raider Armor’s DR, providing 24DR.
The real USP of this armor, however, is the boost you’ll gain to Big Guns and Explosives, a duo of buffs that makes this armor perfect for anyone who enters every fight, all guns blazing. So, whether a Gatling Gun is your poison, or you just love hurling Frag Grenades, this Armor is sure to make the explosions just that little bit more deadly.
6Chinese Stealth Armor
+5 Stealth Field (when crouching)
Operation Anchorage Armory
From all guns blazing to silent but deadly, the Chinese Stealth Armor is one of the best things to come out of the Operation Anchorage DLC, not only because it looks amazing, and has excellent DR for a light armor suit. But mainly because it provides an invisibility field around the player when in stealth mode, making it much harder for enemies to spot you.
Cards on the table, the cloaking is just a visual effect, but the stats of the armor make it feel real, as this suit provides a boost to your overall sneak stat. Skulking around in this suit makes you feel like you permanently have a Stealth Boy equipped. So if you want to feel like the sneakiest Nightkin around, then the Chinese Stealth Armor is something you need to go and pick up.
7Ashur’s Power Armor
+1 Charisma
+1 Strength
-1 Agility
+10 Radiation Resistance
Complete ‘Free Labor’
More Power Armor, who would have guessed? This time, we have Ashur’s Power Armor, which can be obtained by completing the main questline within The Pitt DLC. This Power Armor offers 40DR, making it a ‘middle of the pack’ Power Armor set in that regard. However, where this suit shines is where buffs are concerned, as this suit gives the player a boost to Luck, Charisma, and Strength. So, if you were all that attentive when putting your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. skills together, this can help immensely.
You will take a hit to Agility, but that’s to be expected from practically all Power Armor sets. This one is best for those who like to rely on critical hits or, preferably, talk themselves out of most sticky situations. Just because you wear a big suit of armor doesn’t mean every conversation has to lead to a bloodbath.
8General Jingwei’s Uniform
Worn by General Jingwei
So this one is a little bit of a strange inclusion, because, for all intents and purposes, this armor shouldn’t really be available to the player. However, if you reverse pickpocket General Jingwei’s Uniform from him by swapping it with stronger armor, you’ll be able to acquire this unique armor variant.
It takes a little bit of finesse, but it’s worth the trouble, as this suit provides a respectable 25DR, which is made all the more impressive, considering this piece only has a weight value of 2. Then, due to the fact that this was never meant to be in the hands of the player, this armor also has exceptional item health much like the Winterized Armor, making it near impossible to degrade. So, if you want decent, lightweight armor that you’ll never need to repair, this is exactly what you need to add to your wardrobe.
9Lagbolt’s Combat Armor
Worn by Lagbolt (La Maison Beauregard)
If you feel like role-playing as the Talon Merc Company’s most cold, dead-eyed mercenary, then Lagbolt’s Combat Armor is a must-have. This combat armor can be found as part of an unmarked quest courtesy of the Broken Steel Add-on, and you’ll need to take out Lagbolt himself to make it yours. He’s about as tough as an Enclave Hellfire Trooper, just to give you a point of reference, so don’t expect him to be a pushover.
When you get your hands on this one, you’ll be able to make use of its 38DR, making it just slightly less resistant when compared to the Battle Ranger Armor, but with the important caveat that this suit offers a boost to Big Guns and overall AP Points. So, if you’re someone who prefers rocking a Minigun, this little number will suit you down to the ground.
10T51-B Power Armor
+25 Radiation Resistance
Fort Constantine
The winterized version may take all the plaudits where Fallout 3 Power Armor is concerned, but for all non-DLC players, let’s give you the next best thing. T51-B Power Armor, is the armor that is the reward for opening up Fort Constantine, which, in case you didn’t know, might as well be renamed Fort Knox. If you’re able to get all the necessary keys, however, you’ll have your hands on the joint-most resistant armor in the game, tied with the Enclave Hellfire Armor.
This armor offers 20DR, a boost to Radiation resistance, and a boost to Charisma if you pop the matching helmet on as well. I personally feel that the Hellfire armor does outperform this one due to the additional resistances, but even still, if you want Brotherhood Power Armor that outdoes anything that the Lyon’s Pride or anyone else from The Citadel is sporting, this is the best option.
