The Ultimate Guide to Combat Armor in Fallout 4: Stats, Mods, and Locations

Understanding Combat Armor

The Commonwealth Wasteland, a perilous landscape teeming with mutated creatures, raiders, and other unsavory characters, demands resilience. Survival hinges on numerous factors, but few are as crucial as adequate protection. In Fallout 4, armor serves as a lifeline, mitigating damage and bolstering your defenses against the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic life. Among the myriad armor options available, Combat Armor stands out as a popular, versatile, and highly effective choice for players seeking a balanced defense. This guide will delve into the intricacies of Combat Armor, covering its statistics, modification options, locations, and overall value, equipping you with the knowledge to dominate the Commonwealth. This armor is arguably an iconic staple within the Fallout universe.

Combat Armor is a modular set of armor that covers the torso and limbs and offers substantial protection against physical, energy, and radiation damage. It can be found throughout the Commonwealth. Each piece, including the Chest, Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, and Right Leg, provides varying degrees of resistance, which can be further enhanced through modifications. This makes it an excellent choice for players who want something stronger than leather, but isn’t as cumbersome as the Power Armor.

The armor provides a strong base level of protection against the dangers of the wasteland. Keep in mind that each piece of armor has specific weight and cap value as well. Because armor in Fallout 4 is modular, and can be equipped differently on each limb, players can customize exactly how they want their protection to be arranged.

Combat Armor Tiers: Standard, Sturdy, and Heavy

Combat Armor comes in three distinct tiers, each offering progressively better protection: Standard, Sturdy, and Heavy. These tiers reflect the quality and robustness of the armor, with Heavy Combat Armor providing the highest damage resistance. As you progress through the game and level up, the likelihood of encountering Sturdy and Heavy variants increases significantly.

The differences between these tiers lie in their defensive stats, weight, and value. Sturdy Combat Armor offers a noticeable upgrade over the standard version, while Heavy Combat Armor represents the pinnacle of protection within this armor set. The boost that it provides can make the difference in those intense engagements.

The Standard, Sturdy, and Heavy varieties may have slightly different aesthetic appearances too. The Heavy armor, for example, may appear to have thicker padding or more substantial plating than the base version.

Customization Options: Modifications

The real strength of Combat Armor lies in its extensive modification options. At an armor workbench, you can customize each piece of Combat Armor with a wide range of modifications, allowing you to tailor it to your specific needs and playstyle. These modifications fall into several categories: Material, Weight, and Functionality.

Material Modifications

Material modifications alter the composition of the armor, affecting its defensive stats, weight, and stealth capabilities. Some popular material mods include:

• Leather: Provides increased ballistic resistance but slightly reduces energy resistance. Can improve stealth.
• Metal: Offers a balance of ballistic and energy resistance, but tends to be heavier than leather.
• Plastic: Enhances energy resistance but reduces ballistic resistance. A lightweight option.
• Shadowed: Improves stealth by reducing visibility in dark areas. This is ideal for stealth builds.

Weight Modifications

Weight modifications affect the weight of the armor and can also provide additional benefits. Some notable weight mods include:

• Ultra-Light Build: Significantly reduces the weight of the armor, improving mobility and agility.
• Brawling: Increases unarmed damage.

Functionality Modifications

Functionality modifications provide additional benefits beyond defensive stats. These mods can greatly enhance your survivability and combat effectiveness. Some examples include:

• Deep Pocketed: Increases carry weight, allowing you to carry more loot and equipment.
• Padded: Reduces damage from explosions.

The mod recipes can be crafted at armor workbenches and require specific materials and perks. Experimentation is key, so don’t hesitate to try different combinations to find the setup that suits you best. The best mods will ultimately depend on how a player prefers to play, but there are many general builds to take inspiration from. A stealth build, for example, can use shadowed material along with ultra light weight. A tank build can focus on increasing all general resistances.

Hunting for Combat Armor: Locations

Combat Armor can be found throughout the Commonwealth, often in areas frequented by raiders, gunners, and other hostile factions. Military checkpoints, police stations, and abandoned settlements are also good places to search. Here are some specific locations where you might find Combat Armor:

• Fort Strong: A heavily fortified location occupied by Super Mutants. Expect a tough fight, but the rewards can be substantial.
• National Guard Training Yard: A training facility overrun with feral ghouls. This location is a good source of military equipment and supplies, including Combat Armor.
• Cambridge Police Station: A police station occupied by the Brotherhood of Steel. While the Brotherhood themselves typically wear Power Armor, they may have spare Combat Armor available.
• Gunner Outposts: Various locations controlled by the Gunners, a well-equipped mercenary faction. Be prepared for a challenging encounter.

It’s also worth checking vendor inventories, as some merchants sell Combat Armor pieces. Arturo Rodriguez in Diamond City and Deb in Bunker Hill are known to carry armor, so be sure to visit them regularly.

As your character levels up, the chance of finding Sturdy and Heavy Combat Armor increases. So keep exploring and looting, and eventually, you’ll assemble a full set of high-quality armor. For those who wish to ‘farm’ armor, constantly clearing locations and frequently visiting vendors can increase the odds.

Combat Armor vs. The Competition

Fallout 4 offers a diverse range of armor options, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. How does Combat Armor stack up against the competition?

Compared to Metal Armor, Combat Armor generally offers better energy resistance and is often lighter. However, Metal Armor can provide slightly higher ballistic resistance.

Compared to Leather Armor, Combat Armor offers significantly better protection overall. Leather Armor is lighter and easier to find early in the game, but it lacks the defensive capabilities of Combat Armor.

Compared to Synth Armor, Combat Armor offers a more balanced approach to protection. Synth Armor is lighter and may have unique special effects, but Combat Armor is typically more durable.

Compared to Marine Armor, a DLC armor set, Marine Armor provides superior protection and is arguably the best non-Power Armor option in the game. However, Marine Armor is much harder to acquire and modify than Combat Armor.

Power Armor offers the ultimate protection in Fallout 4, but it requires Fusion Cores to operate and can be cumbersome to wear. Combat Armor provides a good balance of protection and mobility, making it a viable alternative to Power Armor in many situations.

Deciding if Combat Armor is Right for You

So, is Combat Armor the right choice for you? The answer depends on your playstyle and priorities.

Combat Armor is a great choice for players who want a good balance of protection and mobility. It’s versatile enough to be used in a variety of combat situations, and its extensive modification options allow you to tailor it to your specific needs. The wide mod support allows it to shift from tank to stealth builds.

If you value stealth, you can equip Combat Armor with Shadowed mods to reduce your visibility. If you prefer a more aggressive approach, you can focus on maximizing your ballistic and energy resistance.

If you’re looking for the absolute best protection, Power Armor is still the way to go. However, Combat Armor is a more practical option for everyday use, as it doesn’t require Fusion Cores and allows for greater mobility.

If you prefer a lightweight and stealthy approach, Leather Armor or Synth Armor might be better choices. However, keep in mind that these armor types offer significantly less protection than Combat Armor.

Ultimately, the best armor is the one that suits your playstyle and preferences. Experiment with different armor types and modifications to find the combination that works best for you.

Conclusion

Combat Armor is a versatile and effective armor set that can provide a significant boost to your survivability in Fallout 4. Its balanced stats, extensive modification options, and relatively common availability make it an excellent choice for players of all levels and playstyles. Whether you’re exploring the Commonwealth, battling raiders, or completing quests, Combat Armor can help you stay alive and thrive in the wasteland.

So, equip yourself with Combat Armor, experiment with different mods, and dominate the Commonwealth. Remember to explore, loot, and scavenge, and you’ll eventually assemble a full set of high-quality armor that will protect you from the dangers of the wasteland.

Now it’s your turn! Share your favorite Combat Armor builds, modification tips, or known locations in the comments below. What modifications do you like to use? What are some of the best locations to farm? Let’s help each other thrive in the Commonwealth!