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For the strongest quantified protection in ordinary wearable armor, use the Assault Marine armor set from the Far Harbor add-on: its full-set stats are 159 ballistic resistance, 158 energy resistance, and 60 radiation resistance. It is heavy, requires the DLC, and its assault upgrade calls for Armorer 4 and Science! 4. If you want the strongest protection route overall, the Far Harbor loading-screen statement says only Power Armor surpasses Marine protection.
Which Fallout 4 armor should you choose?
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Power Armor | Players prioritizing protection above ordinary wearable armor | A Far Harbor loading-screen statement says Marine protection is surpassed only by Power Armor. The cited reference does not enumerate exact suit rankings or build comparisons. |
| Assault Marine armor | High ballistic, energy, and radiation protection without wearing Power Armor | Full-set stats are 159 ballistic, 158 energy, and 60 radiation resistance; weight is 95. Requires Far Harbor. |
| Combat armor | Base-game progression and balanced defense | Sturdy and heavy tiers improve protection. Combat armor has no inherent radiation resistance. |
| Ballistic weave with armor | Layered outfits and flexible builds | Weave can be applied to selected clothing and hats and worn with armor. No single best outfit combination is established; perks, legendary effects, weight, and availability affect the choice. |
Bethesda describes Marine Armor as stronger than combat armor and as Far Harbor’s new highest armor tier. That makes Assault Marine the clearest answer when comparing ordinary armor by listed resistance, but not an automatic best choice for every build: weight, access, and mobility can matter as much as the raw totals.
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Why Assault Marine armor leads the ordinary-armor comparison
The complete Assault Marine set is listed at 159 ballistic resistance, 158 energy resistance, and 60 radiation resistance, with a total weight of 95. Its combination of damage types and radiation protection distinguishes it from the base-game combat armor alternative, which has no inherent radiation resistance.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Marine armor has lighter and less-protective variants. The Zealot set is listed at 108 ballistic, 108 energy, and 0 radiation resistance, weighing 59. The Inquisitor set is listed at 139 ballistic, 140 energy, and 50 radiation resistance, weighing 81. Those lower weights may suit a build that values carrying capacity or mobility over maximum listed protection.
#1 Best Overall
- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
How to get and upgrade Marine armor
Find the scattered set
A complete Marine armor set appears in three steamer trunks off Far Harbor after unlocking DiMA’s fifth memory during Best Left Forgotten. The pieces are in assault configuration where applicable and may carry random leveled modifications. Vendors also sell Marine variants.
Upgrade to the Assault configuration
The listed upgrade requires Armorer 4 and Science! 4, plus adhesive, cloth, leather, and steel. If you do not meet the perk requirements, the full-set Assault figures should not be treated as immediately available stats for your character.
Rank #2
- Freedom and Liberty Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours
- Be whoever you want with the special character system. From a power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of perks and develop your own playstyle
- New next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of fallout. From the blasted forests of the common wealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage
Best base-game alternative: combat armor
Without Far Harbor, combat armor is a practical balanced choice as you progress. Its sturdy and heavy tiers increase protection over the standard variant, and the armor provides a balance of ballistic and energy resistance. It does not inherently protect against radiation; a special modification may improve radiation protection, but at the cost of ballistic and energy defense.
When ballistic weave changes the choice
Ballistic weave adds defense to eligible clothing and hats, which can be layered with armor. This makes it useful for players who want to build around particular clothing rather than simply equip the armor piece with the highest standalone resistance. The best combination depends on what clothing is eligible for weave, the armor available to you, your perks, legendary effects, weight limits, and whether you value radiation protection.
Rank #3
- ANNIVERSARY EDITION — Celebrate ten years of Fallout 4 with the complete post‑nuclear RPG experience, winner of over 200 Best Of awards including DICE and BAFTA Game of the Year.
- COMPLETE BASE GAME INCLUDED — Experience the full Fallout 4 main campaign as the Sole Survivor of Vault 111, shaping the fate of the Commonwealth through meaningful choices, factions, and exploration.
- ALL 6 OFFICIAL EXPANSIONS — Includes Automatron, Wasteland Workshop, Far Harbor, Contraptions Workshop, Vault‑Tec Workshop, and Nuka‑World for massive story, settlement, and gameplay additions.
- 150+ CREATION CLUB ITEMS — Expand your adventure with curated Creation Club content featuring unique weapons, power armor sets, building packs, paint jobs, player homes, and Dogmeat cosmetic variants.
- OPEN‑WORLD FREEDOM — Explore hundreds of locations, craft weapons and armor, build and manage settlements, and customize your playstyle using the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and perk progression.
How to decide for your character
- Choose Power Armor if maximum protection is your priority and you are willing to use a suit; the cited Far Harbor statement places it above Marine protection.
- Choose Assault Marine if you have Far Harbor and want the highest quantified ordinary-armor protection in the listed sets, including substantial radiation resistance.
- Choose combat armor for a balanced base-game option, especially if the Far Harbor quest and DLC requirements are not part of your playthrough.
- Build around ballistic weave if eligible clothing, layered defense, or a particular outfit matters more than a simple armor-only ranking.
- Weigh protection against weight before committing to Marine armor; its Assault set weight is 95, compared with 59 for Zealot and 81 for Inquisitor.
These comparisons use the listed armor values and do not rank every legendary effect, Creation, platform update, or mod. The figures are item stats, not a universal build verdict.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Next generation of open-world gaming
- Developed by Bethesda Game Studios under the direction of Todd Howard
- Fallout 4 is the follow up to the 2008 'Game of the Year' Fallout 3
- First title from the world-renowned studio since the release of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Rank #4
- GOTY edition includes original game on disc and all available DLC as download codes.
- Do whatever you want in a massive open world with hundreds of locations, characters, and quests. Join multiple factions vying for power or go it alone, the choices are all yours.
- Be whoever you want with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. character system. From a Power Armored soldier to the charismatic smooth talker, you can choose from hundreds of Perks and develop your own playstyle.
- An all-new next generation graphics and lighting engine brings to life the world of Fallout like never before. From the blasted forests of the Commonwealth to the ruins of Boston, every location is packed with dynamic detail.
- Intense first or third person combat can also be slowed down with the new dynamic Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) that lets you choose your attacks and enjoy cinematic carnage.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
