Category:Armor

Armor is a type of equipment used to protect body parts. It is made out of a number of materials from soft to hard. It can be made of things like Aramid or Kevlar up to Polyethylene or Steel or experimental materials. It comes in all shapes, weights and sizes. A combination of armor is normally worn.

Armor Scoring
The way scoring works in Squad Mates is based on a hit registration system. Because the TRAC rounds will not penetrate even the softest of body armor classes, the under suit tracks impacts based on the bullet type used. So as each bullet is different, it carries a different hit score for the armor.

An example of this would be the Andra-4A UHPE armored rig. The chest plate is made of UHDP and can withstand 6 hits of 5.56x45mm GSS in actuality before critical armor failure starts to occur. It can withstand between 2 and 3 shots in the same place. For simplicity sake, it's rounded up to 3. That means that after 6 hits to the armored plate, the system will begin to register the hits as possible penetrations and if there is no underlying armor, then it will register as hits to the torso which could be fatal.

Durability is listed on the armor as: Number of hits(Number of hits in the same spot). So, using the example above, the Andra-4A has a durability of 6(3), which means 6 shots to the plate, 3 shots in the same spot.

Squad Mates does not take the actual durability of the armor into account. Technically armor can be shot as many times as it has solid surfaces to catch and stop bullets but Squad Mates does have a hard set limit on how many times a plate can be hit. Example, a plate with 10 rounds of 5.56x45mm GSS resistance will 'fail completely' after those 10 rounds regardless of where they were. The same spot modifier however is local to that area of impact.

Exceptions
Weapons that only take 2 or less shots to render a plate useless will not have a 'same spot' count as it's basically assumed that if the plate can only survive 2 shots of something then it's irrelevant if it has a weakness counter. Weapons that take 1 shot to wreck the plate would be redundant.

Armor Piercing Rounds
AP rounds have a modifier in the system for penetration. So if a plate can take 10 shots from a round type to penetrate but with a 6 shot to the same spot modifier, AP could take, say 6 shots to penetrate but may only take 2 shots to the same spot to go through. The penetration values of AP ammo do not follow a linear path directly however it's generally assumed that the amount of AP shots needed to penetrate armor if shot in the same spot is 66% less shots than non-AP standard variants.

Armor Restrictions
Squaddies individually cannot have more than 12 points of armor on at any given time. A point is determined to be one class level, so a class 4 armor and a class 3 helmet is 7 points. A class 7 armor and a class 4 helmet is 11 points. It is possible that you can be given permission to go above the armor limit but that's granted by the SMC and there are exceptions.

Exceptions

 * 1) You cannot wear hard body armor that totals over 11 points.  This includes thigh and shin armor, fore arm plates, etc
 * 2) With SMC special permission, you can have UP to 13 points total, that's 1 more point than 12
 * 3) The extra armor OVER 12 must be soft armor, such as the body suit that Queen wears

Armor Types
Armor comes in several different types and made with several types of materials.

Armored Rigs
An Armored Rig is a type of armor that combines a chest plate with a chest rig. This basically allows the squaddie to have armored protection while being able to carry magazines and items on them. They are generally lighter in combined weight as it's 1 item instead of two. The trade off is that they tend to be larger, and thus less maneuverable and they tend to cover less area with a majority of Armored Rigs only covering the chest. Some can protect the thorax as well. There are modified variants out there that protect the arms and neck however those are custom made and not on offer as a standard armor piece.

Plate Carrier
A Plate Carrier is a type of armor that is simply an armored plate in a plate carrier. These offerings do not have a chest rig integrated into them so they need to be equipped separately. Some plate carriers have loops and bands and attachment points so that the squaddie can attach their own pouches and pockets however most simply opt to wear a chest rig over the plate. Plate carriers allow for the squaddie to equip a full range of armored plates and they typically protect both the chest and the thorax, offering decent torso protection. While they can offer significantly more protection than an Armored Rig, the added weight with having to use a chest right with them is a bit of a trade off.

Assault Armor
Assault Armor is a special class of armor that is typically compared to an armored suit. They are generally semi-thick upper body suits that combine trauma padding with heavy armor. It isn't uncommon for assault armors to have heavy steel plating/Titanium inserts as well as other combined materials. Assault armors often also have additional plating in places to protect the upper arms and the neck. Assault armor is incredibly tough and very hard to break through which make them a favorite of assaults and rushers. Assault armor is basically an all in one solution to protect the entire upper body from damage. This protection comes at a price however as Assault Armor typically is substantially heavier than even the heaviest plate carrier/plate combo. This is exacerbated if the squaddie equips a tactical rig as well for extra space. Assault Armor is generally expensive and as such it's uncommon on the field.

Scaled Armor
Scaled armor is a special type of armor on the Field. Due to it's construction it isn't classified as an other type of armor. A scaled armor vest is basically interlinked pieces of some kind of armored material, usually ceramic, that sits on top of and over other scales in the mesh. This scaled, layered approach allows for small platelets of material to distribute the force of an impacting bullet over a substantially wider area than other armor systems. This greatly reduces the impact force of a bullet. It can even withstand a grenade explosion; though the person wearing it might not. Unlike other systems, which exhibit total armor structural compromise when it begins to take many hits, this armor doesn't have that issue. It is lighter, stronger and smaller than other armor types. In all respects it's superior stats wise than other offerings. Despite this, it is prohibitively expensive for most Squaddie players. Where a plate carrier and plate may cost 1000 credits on the higher end, one of these can easily run up ~65000 credits. Outside of that, repairing the armor is expensive as well and more difficult as individual armor platelets need to be replaced, attached and bonded to the vest itself. This typically can't be done in the field. Aside that, for those who can afford it, this armor can effectively stop almost any round used in Squad Mates.

Aramid
Aramid is a synthetic fiber with molecules highly oriented along the fiber axis. This allows for a stronger bond between molecules. Military armor tends to be classed as "Para-Aramids" however they're typically just referred to as Aramids. They are lightweight and relatively easy to maintenance, however the amount of protection they offer is limited.

Polyethylene
A plastic commonly used by everyone. It can be found in plastic bags, film, bottles, etc. In armor applications, it's typically High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) or Ultra-High Density Polyethylene (UHDPE or UHDP). Polyethylene offers decent protection on par with some metal armor offerings at the cost of it being substantially thicker and more costly. Despite that though, it's much lighter and most importantly, it's extremely hard and good at absorbing extreme impacts. Because it is plastic, it's easy to recast polyethylene plates making repair and maintenance easier.

Combined Materials
Combined materials simply refers to any armor that's made of a combination of things, such as a small steel plate up front to deflect or absorb round impact with a layer of kevlar behind it to catch any spalling or round particles that come through with a trauma pad behind that in order to absorb residual kinetic energy. Maintenance on this type of armor depends on the materials used. It's typically one of the more common types as even hodgepodge armor thrown together in a garage would classify as this type.

Titanium
High-Grade Titanium armor. Due to it's strength to density ratio, it makes a great armored plate that can absorb even .50 HMG-AP rounds. Titanium armor of this caliber is extremely expensive, difficult to acquire and difficult to repair. Characteristic wise, titanium acts more like ceramic than steel in that it's brittle and can crack as opposed to deform, bend and absorb like steel can. This doesn't diminish it's effectiveness for what it is however.

Aluminum
While typically used in military vehicles, some companies have looked at making aluminum body armor available. Aluminum in and of itself is substantially less massive than steel, at about 1/3 the density making it not as effective however it's light weight is what attracts Squaddies to it. It offers moderate protection from smaller caliber rounds and can absorb some rifle rounds but will not be able to withstand heavy punishment or rounds meant to defeat armor.

Armored Steel
Armored steel plates. They are the most common type of armor that comes to mind when anymore mentions an armored chest plate. Armored steel can be cast and combined with a number of other metals giving it varying degrees of protection against different things. These plates are hard - very hard - and can absorb tremendous punishment from pistol, rifle, shrapnel or other threats. While their armor class can actually vary depending on what's mixed into the steel, they are typically class 5 and will stop even armor piercing rounds. Steel plates are heavy but they are relatively cheap and easy to repair.

Dragon Steel
Dragon Steel is a composite metal alloy based heavily on steel. It's actual metallurgic composition is a classified state secret of the Divine Dragonian Empire. Originally used in starship armor and heavy vehicles like tanks, it has been adapted and scaled down for use as armored plates. Dragon Steel plates are slightly heavier than steel plates while offering substantially increased protection from ballistic small arms fire. They have been noted in military trials to absorb dozens of 5.56x45mm GSS rounds as well as sniper cartridges, explosive/artillery shrapnel and even numerous .50 HMG rounds. This armor is even capable of deflecting or outright absorbing armor piercing rounds. Given how this was meant for use in vehicles, spalling of rounds that hit the armor is actually a very big concern as the plates do not deform which could create a cavity to blow the spalling out. Dragon Steel plates tend to have thick spall liners installed on them in order to catch the bullet fragments that WILL come when it's hit. The spall liners are typically armored in their own right of at least class 2 so it's possible that a round may not even hit the plate itself before it's stopped.

It's practically impossible to get this armor plate unless the person using it has connections or stolen it. But given it's rarity and how the armor plates have unique serial numbers, they are checked individually when they are registered with the SMC so it's impossible to get stolen plates into the games. Dragon Steel cannot be repaired in the field due to the top secret composition of the metal. Only select factories can produce and repair it. Dragon Steel comes in no less than Class 6 plates.

Ceramic
Ceramic plates are one of the most common types of military grade armor plates. They combine high strength with lighter weight than steel making them a very popular choice for Squaddies that want to remain mobile while having some of the best protection around. Ceramic plates are typically inserted into soft body vests. Ceramic plates also come in larger than standard sizes, making them good for covering larger portions of the torso with less hassle. There are multiple types of Ceramic plates available such as SAPI plates (which are cheaper), ESAPI plates (which are enhanced for AP protection) and XSAPI plates (more protection especially against AP). Ceramic armor is expensive. It is also difficult to repair just by virtue of how it works. Ceramic plates deflect and absorb rounds by the local shattering of the ceramic plate itself. This means that a ceramic plate sustains more damage on shots than metal plates and can feasibly be "powdered", making it virtually useless. Ceramic plates typically use a back liner to help further dissipate kinetic energy and to prevent bullet fragments or ceramic pieces from pushing into the body.

The Scaled Armor class type almost exclusively uses Ceramic. Unlike typical Ceramic plates, Scaled Armor uses interlinked or stacked ceramic platelets which, while more difficult to produce and work with, allow for the armor to take substantially more punishment as the individual platelets will get destroyed as opposed to the force transferring to the whole plate and possibly cracking or destroying it.

High-Density Glass
Armor on a budget, High-Density Glass is a strange armor type that found it's way onto the Field. It isn't used by military forces for personnel protection. This type of armor mimics the same premise as ballistic bulletproof glass found on armored vehicles in both the civilian and military sector. Someone decided to take ballistic glass and shave it into plates to be put into a plate carrier. It isn't fully known if this is a novelty, due to a lack of resources or to try something new. What is known is that they have taken Level 7 and Level 8 ballistic glass and turned it into armor for personnel use. This armor can survive multiple shots from 5.56x45mm GSS and 7.62x39mm GSM rounds. This armor, although unusual does have several benefits. This armor is cheap, relatively speaking to the other offerings on the market, making it a popular choice for those on a budget. Spall danger is actually substantially reduced because as the bullet breaks through the first layers of the glass, it breaks apart inside of the armor, basically ramming the jacket and bullet fragments into the surrounding layers which, when coupled with a spall liner it virtually eliminates spalling.

There are several noticeable cons though. The armor is heavy, more so than steel. While a number of advancements have been made that brought down the weight of level 8 plates from 25lbs to 8lbs per square foot, it's still heavy, on par with steel for less protection. The armor is also glass, meaning it will shatter and break much more readily than Ceramic. The armor also cannot be repaired as it is glass. Once it's spent, it's spent. These drawbacks however don't stop it from showing up in the Field though. The most common appearance of armored glass is in visors on certain helmets.

Level 1
Level 1 class armor is the weakest armor available. It is typically not used as primary armor and is something that would normally be worn under an actual armored plate as backup protection. It can survive a couple of hits from small caliber hand guns but will not hold up to anything larger than a 9mm and even then, that's pushing it. If this is the only armor being worn, a trauma pad MUST be worn with it unless the user wants to sustain heavy or fatal internal injuries.

Level 2
Level 2 class armor is the next step up for level 1. This armor is capable of offering reasonable protection against pistol calibers and shotgun scatter shells. It will not protect against slugs and if it does, will not prevent internal damage. Trauma pads must be worn with this class of armor. Armor of this class is usually made out of Aramid or other like fibers though some metal armors of this class are out there.

Level 3
Level 3 class armors start incorporating metals as their primary construction material. You will also see polyethylene start to make an appearance here. These armors offer high protection for pistol calibers and shotguns as well as slugs. This armor also protects against pistol caliber carbines. This armor is also stab proof. It's more durable than level 2 armor.

Level 4
Level 4 class armor is the standard use armor by Squaddies. Ceramics and Polyethylene armors are more prevalent at this level. Level 4 armor is capable of absorbing a substantial amount of punishment. This is a common armor used by riflemen in Squad Mates.

Level 5
Level 5 class armor is the first heavy armor class. Level 5 plates are typically used by assault troops and rushers. There is no prevalent armor type at this level and you can find steel, polyethylene, ceramic, combined materials, etc. This armor level is capable of absorbing heavy punishment from all round types and can even defeat a limited number of AP rounds. This level also has a few offerings where the weight of the armor is starting to creep up, making fatigue a real issue. This level is when assault armors begin to make an appearance.

Level 6
Level 6 class armor is some of the heaviest armor you can find. To cut the weight down, common offerings are minimalist carriers with a level 6 plate in them. These armors are capable of absorbing a tremendous amount of punishment as well as being able to defeat AP rounds. There is also an assault armor variant in level 6 for Squaddies who want to be a bulwark for their teams.

Level 7
Level 7 class armor is an exceedingly rare armor class. It is so powerful that the biggest concern the wearer has is if they're doing to get knocked out due to spalling. This type of armor can absorb Normal and AP rounds, shotgun shells/slugs, sniper rounds, and even limited amounts of .50 HMG rounds. This is the level where Dragon Steel plates typically sit.