18 Best Fallout New Vegas Armors – Heavy, Medium, Light
A complete detailed guide on the best armors in Fallout New Vegas. This Guide enlists 6 best armors from each weight category.
In Fallout New Vegas, Other than DT, there are three more important factors about the armor that one should keep in mind before choosing an armor. The weight that classifies an armor as Light, Medium, or Heavy. Secondly, the HP of armor, then, you have bonuses or effects that might be an important factor in a specific situation. In this Fallout New Vegas best armor guide, we have listed six armors from each weight category and ranked them according to their DT.
- Armors in Fallout New Vegas are split into 3 categories: Heavy, Medium, and Light.
- Players should keep 3 things in their mind when choosing their armor which is:
- Weight: Makes it easier to categorize in Heavy, Medium, or Light Armor.
- Armor HP: How much damage can an Armor take on before it needs repairing.
- Bonus/Effects: The bonuses that armor can give in particular situations.
- Some of the Best Heavy Armor include the following:
- Remnants Power Armor.
- T-51B Power Armor.
- T-45D Power Armor.
- Some of the Best Medium Armor include the following:
- Gannon Family Tesla Armor.
- Elite Riot Gear.
- Desert Ranger Combat Armor.
- Some of the Best Light Armor include the following:
- Sierra Madre Armor.
- Vault 34 Security Armor.
- Gecko-Backed Leather Armor.
Here’s the summarized details of all the heavy armors in Fallout New Vegas:
Armor | Category | Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | HP | Weight | Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Remnants Power Armor | Heavy | 35.0 | 28.0 | 400.0 | 45.0 | 6495.0 |
T-51B Power Armor | Heavy | 30.0 | 25.0 | 2000.0 | 40.0 | 5196.0 |
T-45D Power Armor | Heavy | 25.0 | 22.0 | 1000.0 | 45.0 | 4500.0 |
Scorched Sierra Power Armor | Heavy | 20.0 | 24.0 | 1600.0 | 40.0 | 6500.0 |
NCR Salvaged Power Armor | Heavy | 20.0 | 20.0 | 1000.0 | 40.0 | 3000.0 |
Armor of the 87th Tribe | Heavy | 18.0 | 22.0 | 3000.0 | 35.0 | 6495.0 |
Gannon Family Tesla Armor | Medium | 25.0 | 26.0 | 400.0 | 35.0 | 8194.0 |
Elite Riot Gear | Medium | 14.0 | 22.0 | 750.0 | 23.0 | 12500.0 |
Desert Ranger Combat Armor | Medium | 13.0 | 22.0 | 600.0 | 30.0 | 8000.0 |
NCR Ranger Combat Armor | Medium | 12.0 | 20.0 | 600.0 | 30.0 | 7500.0 |
Legion Centurion Armor | Medium | 9.0 | 18.0 | 450.0 | 35.0 | 800.0 |
Stealth Suit MK-II | Medium | 9.0 | 14.0 | 500.0 | 25.0 | 7500.0 |
Sierra Madre Armor | Light | - | 16.0 | 300.0 | 15.0 | 400.0 |
Vault 34 Security Armor | Light | - | 16.0 | 100.0 | 15.0 | 70.0 |
Gecko-Backed Leather Armor | Light | - | 10.0 | 200.0 | 15.0 | 500.0 |
Joshua Graham's Armor | Light | - | 15.0 | 200.0 | 8.0 | 2000.0 |
Assassin Suit | Light | - | 14.0 | 500.0 | 20.0 | 7500.0 |
Ulysses' Duster | Light | - | 13.0 | 800.0 | 3.0 | 1700.0 |
NOTE: Our armor ranking is based on DT ranking, and other players of the game may have a reservation when it comes to our ranking order of each armor in this list. That’s why in each armor’s description, we have discussed every other important factor. So pick the one that best appeals to you. The DT rating for ranking also counts the armor’s given helmet as part of the complete armor set.
Remnants Power Armor (36)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
35 | 28 | 400 | 45 | 6495 |
|
Remnants Power Armor is the best power armor in terms of DT in Fallout New Vegas. However, the armor heavily lacks in HP, having only 400 of it, and that is the lowest amongst all the other Power Armors. This implies that this armor will require you to repair it often, and I don’t recommend it without the Jury Rigging perk.
Getting this armor is no easy task. But there are two ways you can get this armor at the Remnants bunker. First, you can get it from Orion Moreno by killing him. Second, during For Auld Lang Syne quest, you can take it from Cannibal Johnson’s and get your Power Armor Training there.
T-51B Power Armor (31)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
30 | 25 | 2000 | 40 | 5196 |
|
T-51B power armor is the runner-up for the best power armor in the entire Fallout New Vegas. It has a DT of 25 and weighs only 40, which is five less than the Remnants’ power armor. This armor also offers an excellent +25 Radiation Resistance and +1 Strength. The Radiation Resistance is also +10 more than the Remnant power armor. It also has a crazy hp of 2000, compared to its rival, which has only 400.
There are many ways to get this armor set, but the easiest method is to buy it. Once you have completed Eyesight to the Blind or Tend to Your Business quest, then you can buy it from Knight Torres in the Hidden Valley bunker.
T-45D Power Armor (27)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
25 | 22 | 1000 | 45 | 4500 |
|
It’s one of Fallout New Vega’s best heavy armor. T-45D Power Armor offers a DT of 22, compared to T-51b power armor; it has three lower DT ratings. But otherwise, it offers the same effect being +2 Strength, -2 Agility, and +10% Radiation Resistance. But it’s better than any other non-power armor in the entire game.
The armor is very easy to find at a lot of locations and sometimes sold by some sellers as well. However, the best way to get your hands on it is by completing the quest Eyesight To The Blind. At the same time, you can always look for or buy this armor.
Scorched Sierra Power Armor (24)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
20 | 24 | 1600 | 40 | 6500 |
|
This heavy armor provides a DT rate of 24 and weighs 40. It provides you +25 Fire Resistance and +1 Strength and has an amazing effect of +2 hp regeneration per second.
Combining this effect with the Monocyte Breeder perk will help you with your HP a lot. It’s worth noting that this armor is power armor, and you will need the power armor training to use it. This heavy armor can be repaired using any other heavy armor using Jury Rigging or with these armors: T-45d power armor variants, T-51b power armor variants, Marked trooper armor, and Marked patrol armor.
Getting this armor is only possible if you nuked NCR when you completed Lonesome Road. You find this armor worn by Colonel Royez at Long 15.
NCR Salvaged Power Armor (24)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
20 | 20 | 1000 | 40 | 3000 | Agility (-2)
Disguise: New California Republic |
Although this armor is called power armor, it does not require power armor training to use in Fallout New Vegas. However, at the same time, weapons that use power, like pulse guns, will not have any power effect that you get with other power armors. All in all a decent armor since it’s pretty easy to get. Repairing the armor requires T-51b variants or T-45d variants, and also any heavy armor if you have Jury Rigging.
You can get this armor from multiple locations, worn mainly by troopers. Here are some of the common places to look for this armor: Camp Forlorn Hope, Camp McCarran, or 188 Trading Post.
Armor Of The 87th Tribe (22)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
18 | 22 | 3000 | 35 | 6495 |
|
This armor is very similar to Legion centurion armor, but it’s heavy armor where that one is a medium. This armor can be repaired with any of these armor: Legion armor, Marked scout armor, Marked tribal armor, and any Heavy armor using Jury Rigging.
Getting this armor is a bit difficult and is only found in one place in the game. This armor is worn by a centurion named Gaius Magnus at Dry Wells.
Gannon Family Tesla Armor (32)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
25 | 26 | 400 | 35 | 8194 |
|
Arguably, the Gannon Family Tesla is the best in the entirety of Fallout New Vegas. The armor itself provides a DT of 26, which is the highest in Medium Armor, and the second-highest DT in Medium Armor is 22. The numbers really reflect the armor resistance quality of this armor. You can repair this armor with any medium armor with Jury Rigging; use the Remnants power armor.
Getting this armor is only possible after completing the For Auld Lang Syne quest. When you complete the given quest and leave the Remnants bunker, Arcade will confront you. He will be wearing this armor and share with you how this armor belonged to his father. If you choose the correct dialogues, he will hand you the armor.
Elite Riot Gear (28)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
14 | 22 | 750 | 23 | 12500 |
|
The best medium armor in Fallout New Vegas, and for some, it’s the best overall as well. It weighs 23 and has 750 hp, the highest amongst most the medium armor in the game. All in all, a great medium set to use for long runs. The armor can be repaired using Riot Armor or with any medium armor with Jury Rigging perk.
You can get this armor at the NCR riot control officer on the third floor of the Third Street Municipal Building. You can get to the third floor through the sewers from the second floor and find the armor beside the Sniper Rifle.
Desert Ranger Combat Armor (27)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
13 | 22 | 600 | 30 | 8000 | None |
Having a 22 DT rate, Desert Ranger combat armor is one of the best armor in Medium. It makes its way onto our list because it’s a non-power armor. All in all, a great armor to get your hands on. Repairs will require NCR Ranger combat armor or medium armor with the perk Jury Rigging.
There is only one place where this armor is located: the Stone Bone Cave. The exact location is at the very end of the cave, besides a footlocker.
NCR Ranger Combat Armor (24)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
12 | 20 | 600 | 30 | 7500 | Disguise: NCR |
This armor is one of the most significant medium armor in Fallout New Vegas. Plus, It can be considered a great armor amongst all types. The HP is where this armor shines. It doesn’t have the highest DT, but you won’t always be repairing it. Getting this armor repaired will be a pain because you will need NCR Ranger combat armor for that.
There are multiple ways to get this armor, like the NCR Ranger safe house. However, you will need the keys from Colonel James Hsu. So the best place to get this is from dead NCR troopers at Long 15, only if you have nuked NCR when you completed The Apocalypse.
Legion Centurion Armor (23)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
9 | 18 | 450 | 35 | 800 | Disguise: Caesar’s Legion |
This is the best armor in Caesar’s Legion and a great overall medium armor in Fallout New Vegas. You can also use this armor as a disguise in Caesar’s Legion. It weighs 35, which might be too much considering other armors on our list. The armor can only be repaired with Legion centurion armor, Legion armor, and any medium armor, given you have Jury Rigging.
This set can be found in a lot of places, such as Caesar’s Legion safehouse or Dry Wells. However, you can get it during the early game by pick-pocketing Aurelius of Phoenix, located in Cottonwood Cove.
Stealth Suit MK-II (14)
Damage Resistance | Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
9 | 14 | 500 | 25 | 7500 |
|
This armor is unique since it’s the only suit of armor that can be upgraded. It has a DT of 14,500 hp and a weight of 25; at first, all this sounds not too impressive, but this suit shines in its effects. All this makes up for the best stealth armor suit for Fallout New Vegas. The set can be repaired with Combat armor or Combat armor, reinforced, also, you can use any other medium armor with Jury Rigging perk.
You can get this armor set from the X-13 research facility during the X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator quest. The suit will be found in three pieces, each piece located in a different lab inside the first hallway right when you enter there.
Sierra Madre Armor, Reinforced (23)
Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value |
16 | 300 | 15 | 400 |
The Best Light Armor in the entire Fallout New Vegas, this piece of armor is on par with some of the best medium armor. You can get this armor repaired with any normal Sierra Madre armor or with any other light armor using the perk Jury Rigging. In the end, this is the best light armor in the game.
You can get this armor from many locations, and we have only mentioned a few of those. The most accessible place to get this armor is from the Sierra Madre vault. Or you can get it inside a locked door from a security closet northwest of the executive suites.
Vault 34 Security Armor (19)
Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value |
16 | 100 | 15 | 70 |
This is the second-best light armor in terms of a higher DT rating. This armor has a DT of 16, which is excellent and makes this armor set one of the best armors in Fallout New Vegas. However, just like other light armor on our list, this one is very light, having 15 weight only.
Basically, you will always have to repair this armor, and it requires the green combat suit to repair, and getting it is hard. However, if you have the Jury Rigging perk, you can still make good use of this armor.
You can only get this armor in one place, which is inside Vault 34, as the name of the armor suggests. You will find a total of seven armors and helmets there.
Gecko-Backed Leather Armor, Reinforced (15)
Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
10 | 200 | 15 | 500 |
|
This is the reinforced version of Gecko-backed leather armor and it’s much more powerful than the normal one as well. This armor set offers 325 hp, half more than the standard one. You can also repair this armor with Leather armor or Leather armor reinforced. You can also repair it with other light armor using perk Jury Rigging.
You will not find this armor anywhere in the world of Fallout New Vegas, and the only way to get it is to craft it. You will need a Campfire or Hot Plate along with 90 Survival to craft this armor. Moreover, you will require 1x leather armor, reinforced, 1x tanned fire gecko hide, 1x tanned golden gecko hide, and 1x tanned green gecko hide for crafting.
Joshua Graham’s Armor (15)
Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
15 | 200 | 8 | 2000 | Critical Chance (+3) |
Many players may have come across the Combat Armor, one of the go-to armor for beginners and veterans of the game. The armor has a hp of 200, which is not too bad but not the best in its class. Repairing this armor is a bit annoying without the Jury Rigging perk since you will need Powder Gang guard armor to fix it.
There are only two ways you can get this armor. The first way you can get this set is from Joshua Graham’s dead body. And the second way to get this is in the Honest Hearts DLC. Once you complete the Honest Hearts, a footlocker will appear in front of you, and inside, you will find this armor.
Assassin Suit (14)
Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
14 | 500 | 20 | 7500 | Sneak (+10) |
This armor is also known as Stealth suit Mk I, which is the previous version of Mk II on our list. However, this one is here because it’s classified as light armor while Mk II is Medium armor. However, it weighs 20 pounds, which is a lot for light armor. The armor can be repaired with any light set if you have Jury Rigging and can also be repaired with combat armor.
You can find the armor inside Sierra Madre’s medical clinic. To get this armor, when you reach the clinic, look for the room which has two green tables and two corpses. The armor is on one of the green tables.
Ulysses’ Duster (13)
Damage Threshold | Item HP | Weight | Value | Effects |
13 | 800 | 3 | 1700 | Critical Chance |
The best armor in weight to DT ratio in Fallout New Vegas. It has a weight of 3 and a DT of 13. The armor also looks very cool as well, and it has the United States commonwealth flag along with a mask. The armor can only be repaired with Powder Gang guard armor or with light armor using Jury Rigging perk.
You can get this armor from two places in the entire world of Fallout New Vegas. The first is at Ulysses’ Temple, where the armor is worn by Ulysses himself. The second place is the Canyon wreckage, where you can loot it from a Footlocker that is found near Divide’s Entrance, just where the Lonesome finishes.
These are all the best armors in Fallout New Vegas, which are part of the base game and the DLCs. Which armor has been your favorite in the game? Let us know more of your thoughts in the comments section below.
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I was looking for light armors and article was very informing but I didn\'t see if the armors are from DLC-s or are they in the base game.