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When you're wandering the irradiated wilds of Appalachia, not all armor is created equal. Some sets will turn you into a walking tank, but slow you to a crawl. Others let you move like a ninja, but leave you vulnerable to a well-placed bullet. Whether you're a solo stealth player, a team support specialist, or someone who dives headfirst into every Scorched battle, choosing the right armor is a balance between protection and movement.

Here’s a ranked breakdown of 28 notable armor sets in Fallout 76, sorted by how well they balance mobility and defense. These rankings consider not only Damage and Energy Resistance, but also how they impact your movement speed, AP consumption, and stealth effectiveness.

28. Raider Armor

Defense: Low
Mobility: High
Raider armor is light and easy to repair, but its defensive stats are the lowest of any conventional armor.

27. Leather Armor

Defense: Low-Mid
Mobility: High
Better than nothing and excellent for stealth, especially if you're not looking to take direct hits.

26. Forest Scout Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Mid
Good resistance and relatively light weight, making it a favorite for PvP and stealth builds.

25. Metal Armor

Defense: Mid
Mobility: Low
This set gives decent ballistic protection but weighs you down unless modded properly.

24. Brotherhood Recon Armor

Defense: Mid
Mobility: High
Rare and expensive, but offers an excellent balance—perfect for VATS and AP builds.

23. Trapper Armor

Defense: Mid
Mobility: Mid
Often overlooked, but great against creatures due to its balanced resists.

22. Urban Scout Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Mid-High
Lighter than heavy combat armor and great for sneak builds.

21. Marine Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Low
Very tanky, but extremely heavy unless you’ve specced into Strength or carry weight perks.

20. Combat Armor

Defense: Mid-High
Mobility: Mid
One of the most accessible mid-tier armor types, good for most builds.

19. Arctic Marine Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Low
A rare variant with cold-resistance benefits—great for Nuked zones but hard to find.

18. Shadowed Leather Armor

Defense: Low-Mid
Mobility: High
A dream for stealth players, especially when fully modded with Shadowed and Light Build.

17. BoS Recon Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: High
Extremely rare and expensive, but excels in every category. If you're looking to Buy fallout 76 items xbox one, this is one of the endgame armors worth chasing.

16. Deep Pocketed Secret Service Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Mid-High
More carry weight helps keep you mobile, even when decked out in heavy protection.

15. Enclave Prototype X-01 Power Armor

Defense: Very High
Mobility: Mid
While it's technically Power Armor, it’s one of the lighter variants with good mobility tradeoffs.

14. T-60 Power Armor

Defense: Very High
Mobility: Low
Fantastic for defense, but cumbersome for daily exploration or farming runs.

13. Excavator Power Armor

Defense: Mid
Mobility: Low
Bonus carry weight is huge, but it feels sluggish and isn’t great for combat.

12. Overeater’s Heavy Combat Armor

Defense: Very High (with effect)
Mobility: Mid
Overeater’s is a game-changer for defense-focused builds, especially if you’re trying to stay alive in Daily Ops.

11. Ultracite Power Armor

Defense: Very High
Mobility: Low
Top-tier Power Armor for tanky builds but too heavy for agile players.

10. Secret Service Armor

Defense: Extremely High
Mobility: Mid
Ideal for endgame tank builds. Players often farm events and Buy Fallout 76 Caps online to fund this high-tier set.

9. Chameleon Wood Armor

Defense: Low-Mid
Mobility: High
The Chameleon effect grants stealth when stationary, making this underrated for PvP scouts.

8. Thorn Armor

Defense: Mid
Mobility: High
Excellent for melee builds and bloodied setups due to its health-boosting passives.

7. Strangler Heart Power Armor

Defense: Very High
Mobility: Low
Incredible corrosive AOE effect, but you pay for it in sluggishness.

6. Hellcat Power Armor

Defense: Very High
Mobility: Mid
Flat ballistic damage reduction makes this surprisingly good in PvP despite being heavy.

5. Unyielding Leather Armor

Defense: Low-Mid
Mobility: High
Boosts stats when your health is low—a favorite in bloodied builds for high DPS and movement.

4. Vanguard’s Marine Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Mid
Defense scales with your health, making it excellent in team survival builds.

3. Covert Scout Armor

Defense: High
Mobility: Very High
Best-in-class for stealth snipers. Very expensive but worth it for glass cannon players.

2. Bolstering Secret Service Armor

Defense: Extremely High (with effect)
Mobility: Mid
Possibly the best armor in the game for balancing protection with active combat mobility.

1. Chinese Stealth Armor

Defense: Mid
Mobility: Very High
The clear winner for mobility builds—grants near invisibility while sneaking and has no AP drain penalty. Great for Daily Ops, PvP, and endgame farming.

The "best" armor set always depends on how you like to play. Some players will trade speed for safety, while others would rather vanish into thin air than take a hit. No matter your build, you’ll eventually want to experiment with different sets. And if you're looking to jump ahead in your loadout progression, many players choose to Buy fallout 76 items xbox one or Buy Fallout 76 Caps online to fund their gear choices more quickly.

Remember: staying alive in Appalachia isn’t just about the biggest guns—it’s about how well you move in the fight.