Power armor (Fallout 76)

Fallout 76 power armor
Power Armor
Type	Power armor
Technical
Variant(s)	Excavator power armor Hellcat power armor Raider power armor Strangler heart power armor T-45 power armor T-51b power armor T-60 power armor T-65 power armor Ultracite power armor X-01 power armor Atomic Shop skins

 

	For a cross-game overview, see power armor. For Legendary power armor, see Fallout 76 legendary effects/Power armor.

Power armor is a type of armor in Fallout 76.

Overview

Power armor is not equipped in the usual sense of the word. It is a separate world entity that is entered from the back: the armor unfolds, the operator steps in, and then the armor seals around them. To enter power armor, simply use an empty suit. To exit, hold down the use key (E by default on PC, A on Xbox, and X on PlayStation). Power armor replaces the standard HUD elements with its own heads-up display, including a compass and gauges for hit points, action points, radiation, the remaining number of fusion cores available, and an ammunition counter. It also offers a lightweight "Quick Boy," as the Pip-Boy and its animations are not accessible.

Attached onto a power armor chassis, the power armor suit is comprised of six individual components: the helmet, torso, two arms, and two legs. The damage the player takes is reduced by a flat 7% per piece on the frame, while the radiation damage is reduced by 15% per piece, so a full set reduces damage by 42% and incoming radiation by 90%. Damage, energy and radiation resistance provided by each piece is then applied to the remaining amount, making power armor a potent source of protection.

Each component can be swapped out and the suit can be as unified or as jigsaw as the player wants it to be. In combat, damage is tracked individually per piece and it is possible for them to be damaged to the point of shattering, requiring them to be repaired. Pieces can be Favorited for quick swapping, however the chassis cannot.

Power armor also requires a charged fusion core for its operation and consumes the charge at a steady rate whenever the player is moving. The rate at which the fusion core runs out of charge increases drastically if one sprints in it or otherwise uses up Action Points. If the charge runs out and there are no replacements, movement speed is greatly reduced and the player cannot perform power attacks, fast travel, or sprint. However, it will protect against fall damage regardless of charge. The helmet-mounted flashlight will also continue to work.

Summary

Advantages

• Provided by the chassis itself, regardless of equipped armor pieces:
  • Immunity to fall damage
  • Immunity to limb damage
  • Increased STR (up to 11 if below 11)
  • Equipped power armor parts are weightless
  • Equipped weapons no longer penalize movement speed
• +7% damage reduction per equipped piece (42% total) - reduces incoming damage by a flat percentage (no radiation damage)
• +15% Radiation damage reduction per equipped piece (90% total).
• Head-mounted directional flashlight (if wearing a power armor helmet).
• Increased waterbreathing by several minutes.
• Helmet prevents contracting airborne and waterborne hazards.

Disadvantages

• Power armor requires at least one fusion core to function properly. Without one, you are unable to sprint, power attack, or fast travel.
  • Movement and V.A.T.S. attacks will drain the equipped fusion core.
• Power armor disables the bonuses from all equipped armor and apparel, except headgear when no power armor helmet is equipped.
• Unarmed weapons cannot be equipped while in power armor.
• Crafting stations and furniture cannot be used while power armor is equipped.
• When underwater, the operator can only move at a walking pace.
• Wearing power armor without a power armor helmet prevents the use of the flashlight.
• Certain perks are restricted.

Perks

Redundant (perk is made superfluous by advantages of power armor):

• Adamantium Skeleton
• Aquaboy/Aquagirl
• Goat Legs
• Rad Resistant

Do not work in power armor (perk is inactive while wearing power armor):

• Barbarian
• Escape Artist
• Evasive
• Ironclad
• Junk Shield
• Lucky Break
• Marathoner
• Moving Target
• Serendipity
• Sneak
• White Knight

Only works in power armor:

• Electric Absorption
• Full Charge
• Pain Train
• Power Armor Reboot
• Power Patcher
• Power Sprinter
• Stabilized

Paint

Power armor parts can be painted with paint schemes, found either in game or bought from the Atomic Shop. Some are specific to certain armor models, while others are available for multiple. Paint schemes can be used indefinitely and are applied at a power armor station. Typical prices for Atomic Shop paints are 800 atoms for a single armor paint and 1,400 atoms for paints that can be applied to multiple armors.

The following paint schemes can be found in-game:

• T-51 Nuka-Cola paint - A bright red with white trim and the Nuka-Cola logo emblazoned across the chest and shoulders. Found in TNT Dome #3 of Black Mountain Ordnance Works.
• T-51 prototype steel mill paint - A standard T-51b helmet with thick steel plating attached all across the front. Can be found in a locked room in Grafton Steel Underground, and can only be obtained during the Fun and Games quest.
• T-60 Brotherhood of Steel paint - Multiple variants, slightly black paint with a rank emblem on the left forearm. Found as a random reward for turning in technical documents in the repeatable side quest Forbidden Knowledge.
• X-01 Nuka-Cola Quantum paint - An understated two-tone blue with a discrete Nuka-Cola Quantum emblem. Found in TNT Dome #7 of Black Mountain Ordnance Works after finding a series of keys and keycards. Added in patch 1.1.0.8.
• X-01 military paint - A simple matte green paint. Purchased from the MODUS production terminal.
• X-01 prototype paint - Black with pronounced yellow trim and highlights. Default paint when X-01 armor is crafted; standard dark gray paint available without plans.
• X-01 Scorched paint - Rare Daily Ops reward.

Locations

Four power armor types can be found at power armor locations:

See: Power armor locations

• Raider power armor - Available in level 15, 25, 35 and 45 versions.
• T-45 power armor - Available in level 25, 35 and 45 versions.
• T-51b power armor - Available in level 30, 40 and 50 versions.
• T-60 power armor - Available in level 40 and 50 versions.

Four power armors are quest related:

• Excavator power armor - Can be crafted in level 25, 35 and 45 versions. Plans are obtained during the side quest Miner Miracles at Garrahan Mining Headquarters.
• Ultracite power armor - Can only be worn at level 50 or above but can be obtained earlier. A full set is given for completing Belly of the Beast in the main questline. Plans to craft the armor can also be obtained from Taggerdy's terminal at Fort Defiance after the quest.
• X-01 power armor - Can be crafted in level 40 and 50 versions. Plans are given after completing Officer on Deck at the Whitespring bunker in the main questline.
• Hellcat power armor - Can only be crafted for level 50. A full set and plans are given for completing The Catalyst in the Steel Reign questline.

Notes

• Power armor pieces are heavy, weighing 68 to 88 pounds for a full set. However, if on a chassis, only the weight of the chassis is counted when placed in one's inventory or stash box. When worn, power armor has no inventory weight. When a piece's condition is depleted, it is removed from the chassis and placed in the inventory; the piece has no weight until repaired.
• If a player finds armor that is a higher level than they can equip, they can remove the armor from the chassis. The player may then enter the chassis, exit the chassis, and put the armor back on the chassis. They will be unable to place the chassis into their inventory, but it will be automatically recalled after two minutes. The chassis will still have the armor pieces stored on it and can be moved between the inventory and stash box.
• When entering deep water, power armor sinks. The player character can walk on the bottom but cannot run or swim. There is no breath limit in Fallout 76 while in power armor, despite there being one while not in power armor without the Aquaboy/Aquagirl perk.

Bugs

• PC Xbox One Playstation 4 Entering/exiting power armor may break reload effects from perks: Ground Pounder, Lock and Load and Scattershot, the Speed Demon mutation, and the reload speed legendary effect.^[verified]
  • Unequipping and reequipping the perk and/or weapon will correct the issue.

Variants

Power armor consists of multiple armor parts attached to an underlying chassis. Each part has a level requirement, meaning player characters cannot enter a power armor chassis equipped with parts higher than their own level. Empty power armor chassis, however, hold no level requirement. To exit a power armor chassis, one must press and hold the "inspect" button ("E" on PC, "X" on PS4, or "A" on Xbox One).

Power armor pieces may be mixed on any given chassis, however certain armors will grant bonuses when equipped as a set.

• Excavator power armor: a full set raises carry capacity by 100; both arms equipped doubles ore mining yield.
• Strangler heart power armor: a full set grants acid damage to all armed attacks and makes nearby enemies take acid damage.
• Hellcat power armor: each part of a set reduces the damage from ballistic attacks by 2%, up to a total of -12%.

Level availability

The table below lists the levels at which specific power armor models may be found or crafted.

Comparison

Each power armor plays a slightly different role and is intended less as a straightforward progression than an economic choice, balancing the cost of repairs against the protection. The bonuses and stats provided by the power armor chassis are active regardless of what armor is equipped over it.

Power armor chassis
Name	Resistances			Weight	Effects
	DR	ER	RR
Power armor chassis	60	60	60	10.0	If STR < 11, then increase to 11

By type

Power armor comparison
Name	Resistances (Max Level)			Effects
	DR	ER	RR
Excavator power armor	240	240	366	· +100 Carry Weight (full set)  · x2 ore yield
Hellcat power armor	436	320	320	· -2% ballistic damage per part (-12% total)
Raider power armor	341	341	341	—
Strangler heart power armor	453	393	500	· AOE Poison damage (full set)  · Attacks deal Poison damage (full set)
T-45 power armor	360	360	360	—
T-51b power armor	454	454	305	—
T-60 power armor	400	370	415	—
T-65 power armor	565	470	470	—
Ultracite power armor	453	393	393	—
X-01 power armor	398	453	453	—

By part

Helmet
Name	Level	Resistances			Weight	Value	Effects
		DR	ER	RR
Raider power helm	15 - 45	24 - 51	24 - 51	24 - 51	10	—	N/A
Excavator helm	25 - 45	24 - 36	24 - 36	35 - 55	10	60	N/A
T-45 helm	25 - 45	34 - 54	34 - 54	34 - 54	11	—	N/A
T-51b helm	30 - 50	45 - 68	45 - 68	27 - 48	11	—	N/A
T-60 helm	40 - 50	50 - 60	45 - 55	50 - 60	11	—	N/A
T-65 helm	50	85	70	70	11	1650
X-01 helm	40 - 50	50 - 60	56 - 68	56 - 68	12	—	N/A
Ultracite helm	50	68	59	59	12	—	N/A
Hellcat helm	50	73	60	60	11	—	-2% ballistic damage

Torso
Name	Level	Resistances			Weight	Value	Effects
		DR	ER	RR
Raider power chest piece	15 - 45	40 - 86	40 - 86	40 - 86	14	—	N/A
Excavator torso	25 - 45	42 - 60	42 - 60	59 - 91	15	140	N/A
T-45 chest piece	25 - 45	58 - 90	58 - 90	58 - 90	16	92	N/A
T-51b chest piece	30 - 50	75 - 114	75 - 114	46 - 65	17	91	N/A
T-60 chest piece	40 - 50	84 - 100	79 - 95	100 - 115	18	114	N/A
T-65 chest piece	50	140	120	120	15	1250	N/A
X-01 torso	40 - 50	82 - 98	94 - 113	94 - 113	19	227	N/A
Ultracite torso	50	113	98	98	20	171	N/A
Hellcat torso	50	120	100	100	17	—	-2% ballistic damage

Left arm
Name	Level	Resistances			Weight	Value	Effects
		DR	ER	RR
Raider power left arm	15 - 45	24 - 51	24 - 51	24 - 51	10	—	N/A
Excavator left arm	25 - 45	24 - 36	24 - 36	35 - 55	11	61	N/A
T-45 left arm	25 - 45	34 - 54	34 - 54	34 - 54	12	60	N/A
T-51b left arm	30 - 50	45 - 68	45 - 68	27 - 48	12	79	N/A
T-60 left arm	40 - 50	50 - 60	45 - 55	50 - 60	12	90	N/A
T-65 left arm	50	85	70	70	12	1000 gold bullion	N/A
X-01 left arm	40 - 50	50 - 60	56 - 68	56 - 68	13	162	N/A
Ultracite left arm	50	68	59	59	13	32	N/A
Hellcat left arm	50	73	60	60	12	—	-2% ballistic damage

Right arm
Name	Level	Resistances			Weight	Value	Effects
		DR	ER	RR
Raider power right arm	15 - 45	24 - 51	24 - 51	24 - 51	10	—	N/A
Excavator right arm	25 - 45	24 - 36	24 - 36	35 - 55	11	61	N/A
T-45 right arm	25 - 45	34 - 54	34 - 54	34 - 54	12	60	N/A
T-51b right arm	30 - 50	45 - 68	45 - 68	27 - 48	12	81	N/A
T-60 right arm	40 - 50	50 - 60	45 - 55	50 - 60	12	90	N/A
T-65 right arm	50	85	70	70	12	1000 gold bullion	N/A
X-01 right arm	40 - 50	50 - 60	56 - 68	56 - 68	13	162	N/A
Ultracite right arm	50	68	59	59	13	32	N/A
Hellcat right arm	50	73	60	60	12	—	-2% ballistic damage

Left leg
Name	Level	Resistances			Weight	Value	Effects
		DR	ER	RR
Raider power left leg	15 - 45	24 - 51	24 - 51	24 - 51	12	—	N/A
Excavator left leg	25 - 45	24 - 36	24 - 36	35 - 55	11	81	N/A
T-45 left leg	25 - 45	34 - 54	34 - 54	34 - 54	14	49	N/A
T-51b left leg	30 - 50	45 - 68	45 - 68	27 - 48	14	77	N/A
T-60 left leg	40 - 50	50 - 60	45 - 55	50 - 60	14	108	N/A
T-65 left leg	50	85	70	70	14	1000 gold bullion	N/A
X-01 left leg	40 - 50	50 - 60	56 - 68	56 - 68	15	162	N/A
Ultracite left leg	50	68	59	59	15.0	32	N/A
Hellcat left leg	50	73	60	60	14	—	-2% ballistic damage

Right leg
Name	Level	Resistances			Weight	Value	Effects
		DR	ER	RR
Raider power right leg	15 - 45	24 - 51	24 - 51	24 - 51	12	—	N/A
Excavator right leg	25 - 45	24 - 36	24 - 36	35 - 55	11	81	N/A
T-45 right leg	25-45	34-54	34-54	34-54	14	49	N/A
T-51b right leg	30-50	50-68	45-68	27-48	14	105	N/A
T-60 right leg	40-50	50-60	45-65	50-60	14	108	N/A
T-65 right leg	50	85	70	70	14	1000 gold bullion	N/A
X-01 right leg	40-50	60	68	68	15	162	N/A
Ultracite right leg	50	68	59	59	15.0	32	N/A
Hellcat right leg	50	73	60	60	14	—	-2% ballistic damage

Graph comparison

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Note: Hover over each bar for detailed information on the armor's level. Numbers inside the bars denote the level of damage resistance. For information on how the game calculates damage resistance, see this article.

Legend
Raider power armor	Excavator power armor	T-45 power armor	T-51b power armor	T-60 power armor	X-01 power armor	Ultracite power armor	Strangler heart power armor	T-65 power armor

Limbs
Ballistic	Energy	Radiation
24 24 30 33 34 36 42 44 45 50 50 51 54 56 60 60 68 68 68 85	24 24 30 33 34 36 42 44 45 45 51 54 55 56 56 59 59 68 68 70	24 24 27 30 33 33 34 36 42 44 49 50 51 54 56 59 60 68 70 75
Torsos
Ballistic	Energy	Radiation
40 42 51 55 58 60 71 74 75 82 84 86 90 94 98 100 113 113 114 140	40 42 51 55 58 60 71 74 75 79 86 90 94 94 95 98 98 113 114 120	40 42 46 51 55 55 58 60 65 71 74 86 90 94 98 100 113 115 120 125
Full suit
Ballistic	Energy	Radiation
160 162 201 220 228 240 281 294 300 332 334 341 360 374 398 400 453 453 454 565	160 162 201 220 228 240 281 294 300 304 341 360 370 374 374 393 393 453 454 470	160 181 220 220 228 234 281 294 300 310 341 350 360 366 374 393 415 453 470 500

Gallery

Raider power armor

T-45 power armor

T-51b power armor

T-60 power armor

Excavator power armor

X-01 power armor

Ultracite power armor

Strangler heart power armor

T-65 power armor

References

Fallout 76 Power armor Power armor chassis · T-45 power armor · T-51b power armor · T-60 power armor · T-65 power armor  · X-01 power armor · Excavator power armor · Hellcat power armor · Raider power armor · Strangler heart power armor · Ultracite power armor · Atomic Shop skins