Marine armor

Marine armor is a set of power armor that forms a full set along with the Marine helmet and can effectively block gunshots, cuts, blunt trauma, or burns at the cost of a penalty to move speed

Acquisition[edit]

Marine armor can be crafted at a fabrication bench once the marine armor research project has been completed. Each requires 100 Plasteel, 20 Uranium, 4 Advanced components, 60,000 ticks (16.67 mins) of work modified by the general labor speed of the crafter, and a crafting skill of 7.

Alternatively, the armor can be received as a quest reward, found in ancient shrines, purchased from outlander and Empire traders and faction bases, or obtained from the following raider kinds:

Raider Kind	Chance	Average Quality	Health
Elite mercenary	?	Normal	70-230%
Boss	?	Normal	70-230%
Grenadier	100%	Normal	70-230%

Summary[edit]

When equipped, a marine armor reduces the pawn's base move speed by −0.40 c/s. As offsets such as these apply before multiplicative effects such as from Moving capacity, the actual impact on move speed can be larger or smaller than this value. For example, a pawn with 125% Moving would have their speed decreased by −0.5 c/s, while a pawn with only 50% Moving would only have their speed decreased by −0.2 c/s. See Move Speed for details.

A marine armor has a slave suppression offset of −30%. When worn by a slave, this acts as an offset to the rate at which the slave loses suppression. Note that by default, slaves lose between −5% and −20% suppression per day depending on their current level of suppression. This loss rate stacks additively with all sources of slave suppression offset, with a minimum of 0% loss per day.

Analysis[edit]

Marine armor is in the middle of the 3 power armors - more protective than recon armor, but less protective than cataphract armor. As expected, it is also the middle tier in terms of expense. Marine armor is roughly equivalent to a Recon armor of one quality level above (e.g. a Normal Marine armor ~= Good Recon armor), or a Cataphract armor one quality level below.

In general, marine armor faces competition with the more economical flak vest. A vest with suitable overgarment (duster made of devilstrand / thrumbofur / hyperweave, or flak jacket) is noticeably cheaper for similar protection. Instead of using resources to create body armor, first create marine helmets or cataphract helmets (if available), while sticking to vests + overgarments. Once every relevant colonist is equipped with top-tier helmets, then you can start creating body armor. Marine armor is still more protective, but much more expensive for doing so.

Without the Royalty DLC, an end-game colony should equip marine armor on every colonist that doesn't mind the movement penalty, unless they could use a specialized armor like the mechlord suit.

Compared to flak vests[edit]

A flak vest and overgarment are able to provide similar levels of protection. Due to the game's Armor Rating calculations, a vest and devilstrand duster are roughly equivalent in Sharp protection. Sharp is the most common form of damage, comprising of nearly all ranged attacks. A vest with a thrumbofur or hyperweave duster are slightly superior. If none of the 3 aforementioned textiles are available, then flak jackets are not far behind.

Marine armor is better than any combination for Blunt protection. But due to the relatively low armor values for both armor sets and the AP of the blunt weapons likely to be faced, the qualitative and quantitative disparity between the armor sets is small. When made of devilstrand or hyperweave, a duster offers more Heat protection than power armor.

In terms of coverage, flak vests do not cover organic arms or any leg, but marine armor does. Dusters protect everything marine armor does, while flak jackets additionally do not cover the legs. Coverage is otherwise identical. However, the arms and legs are not vital to a pawn. If destroyed, it can be replaced for 15 Plasteel, 4 Advanced components - less than the cost of marine armor. Even though power armor provides superior coverage, flak vests and devilstrand are much cheaper while protecting all vital areas.

In addition, flak vests only slow the user by -0.12c/s, rather than -0.40 c/s from marine armor. Flak jackets, if used, slow the user by another -0.12c/s, for a total of -0.24 c/s.

Compared to grenadier armor[edit]

Grenadier armor is a sidegrade to marine armor, unlocked for the same research. Grenadier armor has −5% Sharp and −5% Blunt armor, before quality. This discrepancy increases at higher quality; at legendary quality, it is −9% less protective in both armor categories. Grenadier costs 75 steel and 4 components more than marine. Steel and components are likely easy to produce for a colony producing power armor, so the material cost is not terribly significant.

The advantage of grenadier armor is its integrated grenade launcher, allowing colonists to wield a weapon and fire what are effectively frag grenades, at 25 steel per grenade. Unlike proper grenades, grenadier armor deals more damage if it is of masterwork or legendary quality. However, the limited number of charges and natural inaccuracy and low range of grenades limits the effectiveness of grenadier. While grenades can be useful, this usefulness is only seen at close range.

Stats table

Marine armor	Sharp	Blunt	Heat	HP	Insulation - Cold	Insulation - Heat	Market Value
Quality	Sharp	Blunt	Heat	HP	Insulation - Cold	Insulation - Heat	Market Value
Awful	63.6%	27%	32.4%	340	-25.6 °C (-46.1 °F)	+7.2 °C (13 °F)	1015
Poor	84.8%	36%	43.2%	340	-28.8 °C (-51.8 °F)	+8.1 °C (14.6 °F)	1525
Normal	106%	45%	54%	340	-32 °C (-57.6 °F)	+9 °C (16.2 °F)	2035
Good	121.9%	51.75%	62.1%	340	-35.2 °C (-63.4 °F)	+9.9 °C (17.8 °F)	2535
Excellent	137.8%	58.5%	70.2%	340	-38.4 °C (-69.1 °F)	+10.8 °C (19.4 °F)	3035
Masterwork	153.7%	65.25%	78.3%	340	-48 °C (-86.4 °F)	+13.5 °C (24.3 °F)	4035
Legendary	190.8%	81%	97.2%	340	-57.6 °C (-103.7 °F)	+16.2 °C (29.2 °F)	5035

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality.}

Trivia[edit]

Every set of marine armor found on an Imperial Grenadier will be green.

Version history[edit]

In older versions,^[Which?] it only reduced move speed by 0.1c/s but also reduced Global Work Speed by 10%

Beta 19 - Renamed from Power armor to Marine armor. Received a buff to armor rating, the crafting time was greatly reduced, and the cost was changed. It also received a new description and name.
1.1 - it received a slight nerf to sharp protection (108% --> 106%).
1.1.2647 - No longer meets the clothing requirement of nobles, replaced in that role by Prestige marine armor
1.2.2753 - Icons of spacer armor now display as off-white instead of dark gray.
1.3.3066 - Now spawns on new Imperial grenadiers.
1.3.? - Description changed to fix the lore inconsistency as Imperial Janissaries don't wear the armor. "Armor like this is often used by imperial janissaries and rapid-incursion space marines." -> "Armor like this is often used by rapid-incursion space marines.".

Marine armor

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