How To Equip Armor Mass Effect 2

While the Mass Effect Trilogy might take heavy elements of a shooter, all three games are really RPGs at heart - and what is an RPG without a load of loot and character customization to worry nearly? That's where Armor sets and Armor pieces come in.

Just as with our guide listing the best weapons in Mass Event 1, 2 & three, this folio is going to be a picayune complicated - in large part because how armor is treated changes a piddling betwixt each game in the trilogy. This page is upward to date with the Legendary Edition, by the way, where several DLC armor sets were folded into the main game.

In this guide, we'll offer up our suggestions for the best armor sets and armor pieces across Mass Effect, Mass Result 2, and Mass Effect 3 - just go along in mind that y'all'll need to use our suggestions aslope some of your own judgement depending on your play style.

Best Armor in Mass Effect 1
- Can you become N7 Armor in ME1?
Best Armor in Mass Effect 2
- The best of the full armor sets
Best Armor in Mass Effect iii

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All-time Armor in Mass Effect 1 & how to get it

As with weapons, the all-time armor in the original Mass Effect is a little more of a complicated question than in its sequels. In the get-go Mass Issue, loot is effectively always randomized, which ways you lot'll be at the mercy of die rolls for the likelihood of you finding the all-time gear. Further, you're not but worrying about Shepard - yous have to equip the armor of every i of your squad mates. It gets complicated.

Two cardinal things govern your ability to obtain armor in ME1: arsenal licenses and your character level. Level determines the power of the armor that spawns for you - be that equally loot or in stores. All items in ME1 come up in numbered versions ranging from 1/I to 10/10 - the higher the better.

Armory Licenses decide what brands of armor testify up in the Requisitions Store found nearly Garrus and the Mako on the Normandy - and this shop, which constantly refreshes, is one of your best shots at finding the best gear afterwards on.

With all that noted, here's our picks for the absolute best armor in ME1:

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Colossus Armor - for ME1's best damage protection

If you want the absolute best armor in ME1 hands-downward, there are probably two core answers - and one is certainly the Colossus armor - with the all-time class of it of course being the top level Colossus X armor. The claiming, however, is getting your hands on information technology.

The Colossus Armor has the best damage protection in the game, beating out its similarly-vivid Predator Armor. It's available in all three weight classes - the Light Colossus Armor can be equipped past Humans, Turians and Quarians, while the Medium Colossus Armor fits Humans, Turians and Krogans, and the Heavy Colossus Armor Variant tin be worn by Humans and Krogans. All Human armor also fits Asari, remember.

To go the Colossus Armor, you've got a few basic options:

Y'all tin can purchase the Kassa Fabrication armory license from C-Sec Requisitions on the Citadel, or from Petozi, the Elcor store owner on Noveria. In one case you have the licensed and are loftier enough level for level 7-10 armors, high level Colossus Armor has a chance to announced in the Normandy Requisitions store - simply it is a random chance simply.
2nd, you can go a Colossus Armor as a guaranteed reward for completing X57: Bring Down the Sky. At the end of the DLC, an NPC will offer y'all something, and you'll get to choose a style and weight grade of armor. Whatsoever you lot cull, you'll get the relevant Colossus Armor at a level appropriate for your current graphic symbol level. If you desire a nice loftier-level end-game set up, y'all might want to save Asteroid X57 for tardily in the game - which does become against our ME1 recommended mission order.
Colossus Armor as well has a very small, random chance to drop in containers in full general correct across the game - just but one time you lot hit the sort of level where gear that's VII-X is appearing.
Finally, y'all can purchase powerful weapons and armor from Shepard's apartment that's earned as part of the Pinnacle Station DLC. Unfortunately, Pinnacle Station is not in the Legendary Edition of this game, so this is strictly for the original version only.

Predator Armor - ME1'due south best armor for shields and resistance

The Colossus Armor offers the best raw damage protection, merely its closest relation that offers meliorate all-around protection is the Predator Armor. The two are so shut that it's impossible to really draw a line between them - so let's merely say that if you accept one of the two, you've got the best armor in the game.

The Predator Armor is great considering it has the highest shields value in the game, giving you lot a lot of protection in that form - making upwardly for lower impairment protection. Its Tech & Biotic Protection is besides very loftier - not the highest in the game, but when balanced out against the other stats, that makes this ane of ME1'due south best armors.

You've got a few options to get Predator Armor, which tin can come up in Calorie-free, Medium, or Heavy forms and exist worn by Humans, Asari, Turians, or Krogans - at that place's sadly no Quarian option.

Predator Armor is manufactured by Armax Armory, and then as ever you'll want to option up that armory license in order to have a shot at this armor spawning in the Normandy requisitions store. Yous can choice up the license from Expat, a Volus Merchant found in the Citadel Wards Market surface area. It'll spawn in that store once you striking level 36.
2d, y'all can have a random chance of the Predator Armor appearing in containers equally generic loot, or even in merchant stores out in the world, one time you're in the level 50-60 range (or the high twenties, if you're on Legendary Edition level scaling).

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Scorpion Armor - ME1's early to mid-game best armor

While the in a higher place two entries focus on the best armor overall in Mass Effect 1, making them highly powerful terminate-game items, we did want to feature something in this page near an armor you tin can use from earlier on. For our money, that armor is the Scorpion Armor, a relatively mutual drop that yous can get from very early on - potentially even as early as your first mission.

It comes in Light & Medium variants for most races, while Krogans also get a heavy armor version. It's a solid all-rounder in terms of stats from early on, with decent harm protection, shields, and tech/biotic protection. The catch is that you won't want to use it all game - information technology'll need to be replaced - and if your called Shepard character grade requires heavy armor, it isn't an option.

Onyx Armor - the ME1 N7 Armor

We know what a lot of yous are wondering - can you become N7 Armor in Mass Effect 1? The iconic N7 look becomes the new default in this game's successors, merely in ME1 you offset out wearing it and by all likelihood discard information technology pretty early on in the game.

Well, hither's the expert news: the Onyx Armor, manufactured past Aldrin Labs, is the official N7 Armor in Mass Consequence. This is the default Armor Shepard and Kaiden get-go with - simply information technology'll merely have the N7 decals when worn by Shepard.

The Onyx Armor isn't a great armor fifty-fifty at higher levels, but if you desire to return to the iconic N7 look, this is the armor you'll demand to equip.

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Best Armor & Armor Pieces in Mass Effect 2

Outset with Mass Effect 2, the armor organisation ends upwardly significantly streamlined. For a start, in ME2 you'll only equip Shepard in armor, as each squad mate comes with their own 'iconic' hero look that never changes. Some of your buddies tin can have their health or shields buffed past upgrades, but only Shepard has to bargain with actual armor.

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Second, Shepard's armor is mostly a mix-and-match deal. There are five different sections of their body - Head, Chest, Shoulders, Artillery, and Legs - which can all be equipped with different armor pieces. This means you tin can combine different pieces from different armor sets to create a unique await and combine the bonuses by both.

Aside from this there's besides a scattering of 'full body' all-in-one armor sets, too. All of this makes it a petty more hard to pick the absolute best armor in ME2 - but we do have some suggestions that might help you decide Shepard's ME2 getup...

Ultimately, recall that your choice of armor is personal, and is going to depend on your play-style. The second two Mass Effect games are much better counterbalanced than the kickoff, and that ways there isn't really one unmarried armor that is the best - since it'll depend on how you play. The all-time armor for a biotic will differ profoundly to a soldier, for example. Besides remember that several upgrades bachelor via the ship's science lab can improve all armor across the lath. With that noted, let's get into it...

The Base of operations N7 Armor is your all-rounder. If you continue the unabridged N7 set equipped, you'll have relatively equal bonuses, as each armor piece boosts a different stat, raising health, power damage, weapon impairment, and shields all roughly equally. It's ultimately weaker because of this, as you tin can't make the armor lean into your own strengths or weaknesses - just it does the job, and many people love the iconic look.
The Kestrel Armor is very powerful, if you lot similar the look at it. Originally DLC, equipping all five pieces of the Kestrel Armor will give you +30% Melee Impairment, +five% Headshot Damage, +xi% Weapon Harm, +25% Shield Forcefulness, and +5% Heavy Weapon Ammo Capacity. information technology'due south a full beast. You tin of grade mix and lucifer these sets with other set up parts, too - simply by and large, these are some of the best pieces in the game. In the Legendary Edition, you can buy the armor from a shop on Illium.
For the highest Health Bonuses, you lot'll want to mix and lucifer. The mix of a N7 Helmet, Custodianship Vest, Asymmetic Defense Layer shoulder pads, N6 Gauntlets, and Life Support webbing will boost your health past almost 30% - simply offer no other bonuses.
If you lot need help with Paragon/Renegade Dialogue choices, attempt the Death Mask helmet. It offers a Negotiation Bonus of 10%, significant yous can unlock Blue & Cherry charm/intimidate dialogue more hands. Y'all can get it from Ratch'southward Wares on Tuchanka.
For hitting-and-run play & Sentinels, grab the Capacitor Chestplate and/or Helmet. If yous're the sort of character class that ducks and dives between enemies, dishing out big damage so drawing back before you tin can become hit in render, the Capacitor Chestplate & Helmet is bang-up. They allow your shields to begin recharging more speedily - which also makes them powerful armor pieces for Sentinels, whose core ability is based effectually their shields.
Solider Shepard players should prioritize weapon-boosting armor. For instance, the Ordnance Packs boost your heavy weapon ammo, and several pieces raise your weapon impairment. These are mortiferous in the hands of soldiers.
Mostly, lean into your Strengths. If you lot're playing a Tech or Biotic, armor pieces like the Archon Visor or Amplifier Plates tin can boost your power damage and recharge speed. Your Shepard will be adept at specific things depending on the choices you've made - so lean into those.

Full Armor Sets

In addition to the mix-and-lucifer armor sets equally described above, several 'all-in-one' armor sets were released for ME2 every bit DLC. These sets can't be mixed or customized, making them 1 cohesive expect more than like ME1 armor - but they are hugely powerful. At that place's pros and cons, and generally we prefer the ability to mix and lucifer both for appearance and in-game effect - simply if you're okay wearing an all-in-1, a few of the options are impressive:

First off, the Blood Dragon Armor just looks absolutely ridiculous. Does information technology technically fit the Mass Effect universe? Probably non. But information technology's a rad reference to another BioWare RPG, and it gives you a solid increase to both Power Damage and Shield Forcefulness. In Legendary Edition, you can catch it from the Omega Market.
The Inferno Armor was DLC, only in Legendary Edition you lot can research it. This is a very in-your-face armor visually, but it does requite you a 10% Paragon/Renegade bonus, if you're focused on the more talky aspects of Mass Upshot.
Bated from the powerful Kestrel Armor (which is also mix-and-match compatible), theTerminus Armor is probably the best single full set - merely it's mostly suited for the Soldier form, with boosts to shields, reserve ammo, and running speed.

All-time Armor in Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 takes the armor system from the previous game and really runs with it, delivering a huge number of armor sets and compatible pieces by comparison. Which, naturally, further complicates the question of which is the best armor in ME3.

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Much of the armor in Mass Effect 3 makes a return from the previous game - wait to see stuff like the Blood Dragon and Inferno Armor return, for example.

There'due south a mix of customizable sets and all-in-one armors again, and the same rules apply: lean into the strengths of your class, powers and play style, don't forget the upgrades, and don't sweat it likewise much. With that said, here's some notes on some of the best armor and armor pieces in Mass Effect 3'due south single player:

This time around, the N7 Armor is more articulate-cut. Rather than a jack of all trades, it'south designed to go on you alive, with the complete set giving y'all a +50% heave to your wellness. That's corking, particularly since it'll help to keep yous in the fight - but there are far more options in this game to unseat it, even if you beloved the expect of it.
TheArmax Arsenal Armor is swell for gun-focused players, offering boosts to ammo capacity, headshot damage, and weapon damage. Information technology can too be split with other armor sets to enjoy simply some of these bonuses.
Claret Dragon Armor has been given a rethink since ME2 - and peradventure appropriate, the Dragon Age tie-in armor has been restructured around beingness bully for people who play with a lot of powers, like a spell-slinging mage in Dragon Age. It can boost power cooldown speed, damage, and your shields.
If you lot're a Biotic or Tech powerhouse and aren't worried about health or shields, consider using some or all of theSerrice Council Armor. This can exist purchased or picked up during certain missions, and in a consummate ready boosts your power damage past twoscore%.
The inverse of the Serrice Council Armor is theHahne-Kedar Armor. Get this on Tuchanka and Palaven or get information technology from shops. As a complete set, information technology offers no defensive or ability bonuses, but raises Weapon Damage by a huge xl%. Y'all can mix and friction match to go some of that bonus alongside others, besides.
Every bit the name suggests, theN7 Defender Armor is a good all-rounder, similar an evolved version of the basic N7 Armor designed to be tanky and survivable. It doesn't take as much of a health bonus, merely instead boosts Shields, Weapon Damage, and Ammo Capacity instead.
The three Cerberus Armors - Nightmare, Shade, and Spirit - are all great. These three are all available equally a advantage from the Combat Loonshit unlocked by the Citadel DLC, but you can only choose ane of the three.
- Cerberus Nightmare Armor is corking for those focused on guns and is great all-around.
- Cerberus Shade Armor is more defensive, and is peachy for upwards-close and personal encounters.
- Cerberus Spirit Armor is for the power users, with the focus entirely around obliterating your cooldowns and making your skills more devastating.
Those who are struggling to stay live should consider the Collector Armor, which boosts shields and wellness significantly.
Howver, actually powerful for Shielding is theTerminus Set on Armor, which raises shields by xxx%, the highest amoutn in ME3. It even increases Melee Impairment and Ammo Capacity in for the bargain - almost as if it'south encouraging y'all to get up-shut and perosnal...