Plate armor

Plate armor is a type of apparel (armor) that functions as low-tech full body armor. It can be crafted out of various materials and inflicts a move speed penalty when worn.

Acquisition[edit]

Plate armor can be crafted at a fueled smithy or electric smithy once the Plate armor research project has been completed. Each requires 170 Stuff (Metallic/Woody, 1700 for SVMs), 38,000 ticks (10.56 mins) of work modified by the general labor speed of the crafter and the work to make factor of the material, and a crafting skill of 7.

It can also be found on the following raider kinds:

Raider Kind	Chance	Average Quality	Health
Archer chief	100%	Normal	100%
Berserker chief	100%	Normal	100%
Champion	100%	Normal	70-100%

Summary[edit]

When equipped, a set of plate armor reduces the pawn's base move speed by −0.80 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 −1 c/s, while a pawn with only 50% Moving would only have their speed decreased by −0.4 c/s. See Move Speed for details.

Analysis[edit]

Plate armor is expensive in the early game, and has a high movement penalty - −0.8 c/s (~-17$ reduction), the second highest movement penalty in the game, first being vacsuit. This means it has stiff competition with flak armor. Flak vests in particular are cheaper, penalize movement less, offer more protection to the torso and neck, and can be researched quickly after Plate can.

For New Arrivals, it is often worth skipping plate for flak. For New Tribes, plate can be a protective, if expensive, armor option available before Electricity. Still, flak is not terribly far away, and flak armor can be obtained from raiders, so skipping plate or only equipping plate on specific pawns can be reasonable options.

Bioferrite plate armor is worth considering even past the early game. Bioferrite is not expensive to generate, bioferrite plate armor is about as protective as a flak vest with no flak jacket/duster, and the armor provides a significant boost to psychic sensitivity (×1.06 to ×1.20 per piece, depending on quality) to support psycasters.

Compared to flak[edit]

Flak vests don't cover limbs, but are cheaper ( 60 Steel, 30 Cloth, 1 Component) than plate armor, and the vest alone provides more Sharp protection to the areas it covers, barring plasteel plate armor. Sharp damage is the most common damage in the game. The flak vest covers the torso, which is most likely to get hit and contains multiple vital parts, as well as the vital neck. In addition, flak has a much smaller movement penalty.

Most importantly, flak vests can be worn with flak jackets or dusters and flak pants for even more torso and neck protection, as well as some limb protection. The combo is more expensive than plate armor, but provides effective overall protection. If cold temperature is a concern, then flak vests can be worn with jackets and parkas while plate armor can't.

The main benefits of plate armor are that it covers the limbs better, and has more overall Blunt armor, than flak vests with an overgarment. The limbs are important, especially mid-combat, albeit not vital and replaceable later on. Blunt armor helps for melee pawns, but the Blunt armor of cheap (steel and bioferrite) plate armor is not much better than flak. Plate also has better Heat armor than flak itself, but a flak vest can be worn with a devilstrand duster for even better Heat protection.

Overall, flak vests + overgarments are most likely better for ranged fighters, who should rarely face blunt weapons. For melee fighters, any fighter who values movement speed will also want flak, but for melee blockers the comparison is a bit more complex:

Steel plate armor offers significantly worse Sharp protection than a flak vest + overgarment combination, so the added limb coverage and slightly better Blunt protection of plate is not worth it.
Plasteel, uraniumn, and bioferrite are more balanced comparisons to flak, definitely within the same ballpark, but those materials could be used elsewhere. For instance, while plasteel plate armor has some merits over flak vests, a plasteel flak helmet is definitely better than a steel one.

Compared to power armor[edit]

A set of plasteel plate armor is a bit less expensive in value than marine armor; it protects the same body parts, is very slightly worse against Sharp damage, and very slightly better against Blunt and Heat. Its movement penalty is heavier at -0.8c/s, compared to -0.25c/s with marine armor.

Plasteel plate has 2 advantages: one is that it doesn't require advanced components. The second is that with 812 hp it lasts much longer than the recon and marine armors, which have 280 HP and 340 HP respectively. However, these are not usually worth it, unless you have a large surplus on plasteel and are unable to create power armor.

A legendary steel plate armor is slightly better than good cataphract armor at 1/3 of the market value, while legendary plasteel plate armor is middle of the way between masterwork and legendary cataphract while costing 40 less plasteel to produce. With a Production Specialist and a Genie (or anyone with the Great Crafting gene), masterwork and legendary quality armors can be created from the beginning of the game.

Stats table

Feature	Toggle
Quality

Plate armor		Sharp	Blunt	Heat	HP	Insulation - Cold	Insulation - Heat	Market Value
Quality	Material	Sharp	Blunt	Heat	HP	Insulation - Cold	Insulation - Heat	Market Value
Awful	Bioferrite	59.4%	27%	27%	580	-2 °C (-3.6 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	235
Awful	Gold	38.88%	19.44%	19.44%	174	-2.4 °C (-4.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	8,560
Awful	Obsidian	45.9%	21.6%	37.8%	145	-2.4 °C (-4.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	530
Awful	Plasteel	61.56%	29.7%	35.1%	812	-2.4 °C (-4.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	915
Awful	Silver	38.88%	19.44%	19.44%	203	-2.4 °C (-4.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	920
Awful	Steel	48.6%	24.3%	32.4%	290	-2.4 °C (-4.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	230
Awful	Uranium	58.32%	29.16%	35.1%	725	-2.4 °C (-4.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	640
Awful	Wood	29.16%	29.16%	21.6%	188.5	-6.4 °C (-11.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	150
Poor	Bioferrite	79.2%	36%	36%	580	-2.25 °C (-4.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	350
Poor	Gold	51.84%	25.92%	25.92%	174	-2.7 °C (-4.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	12,840
Poor	Obsidian	61.2%	28.8%	50.4%	145	-2.7 °C (-4.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	790
Poor	Plasteel	82.08%	39.6%	46.8%	812	-2.7 °C (-4.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,375
Poor	Silver	51.84%	25.92%	25.92%	203	-2.7 °C (-4.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,380
Poor	Steel	64.8%	32.4%	43.2%	290	-2.7 °C (-4.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	345
Poor	Uranium	77.76%	38.88%	46.8%	725	-2.7 °C (-4.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	960
Poor	Wood	38.88%	38.88%	28.8%	188.5	-7.2 °C (-13 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	225
Normal	Bioferrite	99%	45%	45%	580	-2.5 °C (-4.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	470
Normal	Gold	64.8%	32.4%	32.4%	174	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	17,125
Normal	Obsidian	76.5%	36%	63%	145	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,055
Normal	Plasteel	102.6%	49.5%	58.5%	812	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,830
Normal	Silver	64.8%	32.4%	32.4%	203	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,835
Normal	Steel	81%	40.5%	54%	290	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	460
Normal	Uranium	97.2%	48.6%	58.5%	725	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,280
Normal	Wood	48.6%	48.6%	36%	188.5	-8 °C (-14.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	300
Good	Bioferrite	113.85%	51.75%	51.75%	580	-2.75 °C (-5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	585
Good	Gold	74.52%	37.26%	37.26%	174	-3.3 °C (-5.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	17,625
Good	Obsidian	87.98%	41.4%	72.45%	145	-3.3 °C (-5.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,320
Good	Plasteel	117.99%	56.93%	67.28%	812	-3.3 °C (-5.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,290
Good	Silver	74.52%	37.26%	37.26%	203	-3.3 °C (-5.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,295
Good	Steel	93.15%	46.58%	62.1%	290	-3.3 °C (-5.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	575
Good	Uranium	111.78%	55.89%	67.28%	725	-3.3 °C (-5.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,600
Good	Wood	55.89%	55.89%	41.4%	188.5	-8.8 °C (-15.8 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	375
Excellent	Bioferrite	128.7%	58.5%	58.5%	580	-3 °C (-5.4 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	705
Excellent	Gold	84.24%	42.12%	42.12%	174	-3.6 °C (-6.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	18,125
Excellent	Obsidian	99.45%	46.8%	81.9%	145	-3.6 °C (-6.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,585
Excellent	Plasteel	133.38%	64.35%	76.05%	812	-3.6 °C (-6.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,745
Excellent	Silver	84.24%	42.12%	42.12%	203	-3.6 °C (-6.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,755
Excellent	Steel	105.3%	52.65%	70.2%	290	-3.6 °C (-6.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	690
Excellent	Uranium	126.36%	63.18%	76.05%	725	-3.6 °C (-6.5 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,920
Excellent	Wood	63.18%	63.18%	46.8%	188.5	-9.6 °C (-17.3 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	450
Masterwork	Bioferrite	143.55%	65.25%	65.25%	580	-3.75 °C (-6.8 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,175
Masterwork	Gold	93.96%	46.98%	46.98%	174	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	19,125
Masterwork	Obsidian	110.93%	52.2%	91.35%	145	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,640
Masterwork	Plasteel	148.77%	71.78%	84.83%	812	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	3,830
Masterwork	Silver	93.96%	46.98%	46.98%	203	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	3,835
Masterwork	Steel	117.45%	58.73%	78.3%	290	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,150
Masterwork	Uranium	140.94%	70.47%	84.83%	725	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	3,200
Masterwork	Wood	70.47%	70.47%	52.2%	188.5	-12 °C (-21.6 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	750
Legendary	Bioferrite	178.2%	81%	81%	580	-4.5 °C (-8.1 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,345
Legendary	Gold	116.64%	58.32%	58.32%	174	-5.4 °C (-9.7 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	20,125
Legendary	Obsidian	137.7%	64.8%	113.4%	145	-5.4 °C (-9.7 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	4,055
Legendary	Plasteel	184.68%	89.1%	105.3%	812	-5.4 °C (-9.7 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	4,830
Legendary	Silver	116.64%	58.32%	58.32%	203	-5.4 °C (-9.7 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	4,835
Legendary	Steel	145.8%	72.9%	97.2%	290	-5.4 °C (-9.7 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	2,300
Legendary	Uranium	174.96%	87.48%	105.3%	725	-5.4 °C (-9.7 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	4,280
Legendary	Wood	87.48%	87.48%	64.8%	188.5	-14.4 °C (-25.9 °F)	+0 °C (0 °F)	1,500