Armor in The Outer Worlds 2 isn’t just a damage sponge. Body pieces define how fast you move, how often you dodge incoming shots, and whether a status effect helps or hurts you. The game splits body armor into Light, Medium, Heavy, and Clothing, with Unique variants layering on powerful passives and extra mod slots. Bits buy a lot of it, but some of the best pieces hide behind quests, faction reputation, and high-security stashes.

Outer Worlds 2 armor types and what they actually do

  • Light: Prioritizes mobility with high Evasion Chance and big Combat Sprint Speed bonuses. Great for getting between cover or closing distance for melee, but you give up raw protection.
  • Medium: A balanced stat line that mixes some Evasion, some Sprint Speed, and some Damage Resistance. Flexible, dependable, and easy to fit into most builds.
  • Heavy: High Armor Rating and strong Damage Resistance. Ideal if you expect to soak sustained fire, but you won’t get Sprint Speed or Evasion bonuses from the armor itself.
  • Clothing: Often mirrors Light armor’s mobility bonuses but with very low Armor Rating. Certain Unique Clothing pieces add standout effects that can justify the trade-off.

How to get armor (and why some of it takes work)

  • Complete quests: Many armor pieces, including Uniques, show up as quest rewards. If you’re undergeared, advance side quests before grinding random encounters.
  • Buy from vendors with Bits: Shops routinely stock base gear and occasionally Unique variants. Refresh inventories and check specialty sellers in faction hubs.
  • Explore and loot: Chests, tucked-away rooms, and locked containers are reliable sources of armor. A High Security Lockbox can even hold a top-tier Unique if you have the right keys.

Some highlights require specific steps:

  • Native Species (Light): Found in a High Security Lockbox after trading in 5 Advanced Decryption Keys.
  • Acquiescence (Medium): Sold by Sub Rosa Agent Kobor in Matriarch’s Mercy for 6,500 Bits; access depends on a strong reputation with Sub Rosa.
  • Premium Moon Man Armor (Medium): Exclusive to players with the game’s Premium Edition.

Notable body armor at a glance

Armor Class Rating Key passives Mod slots Rarity Value (Bits)
Native Species Light 2 Reduces weapon sound radius; converts Burn damage to healing 3 (From Nowhere, Cauterizing Materials, Armoring) Unique 625
Acquiescence Medium 7 +15% Evasion, +5% Damage Resistance, +25% Sprint; changes bonuses based on damage taken 3 (Adaptive Engineering, Energy-Woven Materials, Armoring) Unique —
Bomb Suit Heavy 9 +10% Damage Resistance 3 (Extra Cushion, Grit-Enhancing Materials, Armoring) Unique 469
Sentience Light 3 +20% Evasion, +50% Sprint 3 (Regenerative, Cost-Cut Materials, Armoring) Unique 688
Patient Step Light 3 +20% Evasion, +50% Sprint 3 (Precog, Energy-Woven Materials, Armoring) Unique 594
Scoundrel’s Aegis Light 2 +20% Evasion, +50% Sprint 3 (Last Stand, Cost-Cut Materials, Armoring) Unique 500
Calorie Counter Heavy 13 +10% Damage Resistance 3 (Bio-Calorie Inverter, Cost-Cut Materials, Armoring) Unique —
Plasmacaster Armor Heavy 13 +10% Damage Resistance 2 (Energy-Woven Materials, Armoring) Common —
Dragoon Armor Medium 7 +15% Evasion, +5% Damage Resistance, +50% Sprint 2 (Energy-Woven Materials, Armoring) Common —
Escape Suit Light 2 +20% Evasion, +50% Sprint 3 (Escape Protocol, Cost-Cut Materials, Armoring) Unique 388
Tossball Uniform Light 3 +20% Evasion, +50% Sprint 3 (Slippery Slider, Cost-Cut Materials, Armoring) Unique —
Townie Clothing (Unique) Clothing 1 +20% Evasion, +50% Sprint; Charge Repulsor: ignore one hit every 15s 1 (Charge Repulsor) Unique 9
Premium Moon Man Armor Medium 4 Companion Abilities charge faster 2 (Enviable Looks, Cost-Cut Materials) Unique (Premium Edition) 313
Note: “—” indicates no value listed in the in-game entry provided here. Many Uniques carry three mod slots; base variants usually have fewer.

What the current tier lists favor

Unique armor rankings tilt toward mobility or one standout perk that reshapes encounters:

  • S-tier standouts include Native Species for its silencer-like sound reduction and burn-to-heal trick, Acquiescence for dynamic defense and evasion bonuses, the Bomb Suit for reliable mitigation, and Sentience for fast, evasive play.
  • A-tier highlights like Patient Step and Scoundrel’s Aegis serve agile builds that want consistent Evasion and Sprint bonuses, often with three mod slots for tuning.
  • B-tier choices such as Escape Suit, Calorie Counter, Tossball Uniform, and even the Unique Townie Clothing deliver strong niches, especially early.
  • Premium Moon Man Armor sits lower due to modest base stats and its DLC restriction, despite the companion ability charge bonus.

Pick by playstyle: quick recommendations

  • Stealth and suppressed gunplay: Native Species. Shrinks weapon sound radius and flips Burn from hazard to sustain, at the cost of low armor rating.
  • Frontline or heavy weapons: Bomb Suit or Calorie Counter. You get dependable Damage Resistance and high Armor Ratings; you’ll trade away speed and dodge.
  • Melee or high-mobility gunfighter: Sentience, Patient Step, or Scoundrel’s Aegis. Evasion Chance and Sprint Speed stack to keep you alive while closing gaps.
  • All-purpose build: Acquiescence. Solid base stats plus context-sensitive bonuses make it hard to go wrong once you can buy it.
  • Budget heavy: Plasmacaster Armor. Common, high rating, and a simple DR bonus without exotic requirements.
  • “One more chance” safety net: Townie Clothing (Unique). Charge Repulsor negates one hit every 15 seconds, though the Armor Rating is minimal.

Mods, slots, and what’s actually worth chasing

Many Uniques come with three mod slots, while base gear often tops out at one or two. Named materials like Energy-Woven Materials, Grit-Enhancing Materials, and Cost-Cut Materials show up frequently; certain Uniques add bespoke options such as Adaptive Engineering (Acquiescence), From Nowhere and Cauterizing Materials (Native Species), or Extra Cushion (Bomb Suit). One effect to call out explicitly: the Charge Repulsor on the Unique Townie Clothing ignores a single incoming hit every 15 seconds.

Tip: When you’re debating a lower-rated Unique versus a higher-rated common piece, count the passive bonuses and the mod flexibility. A Light Unique with three slots can outperform a higher-armor common suit in many real encounters if you lean into Evasion and speed.

The short version: start with the armor class that matches how you engage — Light to move and dodge, Heavy to stand and shoot, Medium if you want coverage everywhere — then upgrade into Uniques that amplify your approach. Keep Bits on hand for vendor surprises, run side quests for reward pools, and don’t skip locked containers; some of the game’s smartest armor effects are hiding behind a few keys.