The world of Fallout 76 is a dangerous one. Players will have to protect themselves from super mutants, raiders, and Milelurks to name just a few. You will have to use everything in your arsenal to fend off these creatures as well as other players. This is where the Power Armor comes into play. Today’s guide will focus on the Best Power Armor in Fallout 76.
Key Takeaways
- The main purpose of Power Armor is to enhance your damage resistance. They provide protection from super mutants, Raiders, ad Milelurks.
- Ultracite Power Armor is available after finishing the Brotherhood of steel questline. It has an aesthetic look and some of the highest stats out of all armors on this list.
- X-01 Power Armor is one of the player’s favorites. You get it after completing the Enclave quest. It comes in very handy in the later stages of the game.
- T-60 Power Armor is difficult to attain. Its parts are scattered around the world of Fallout 76. One of its qualities is that it is easily repairable.
- Excavator Power Armor requires rare materials. It is available in the Miner Miracles quest. It is preferred by most of the players because it enhance weight carrying capacity.
- T-51 Power Armor Set has the best physical and energy damage resistance in all of Fallout 76. It comes late in the game and is difficult to obtain because of parts locations.
- Raider Power Armor is one of the best options for beginners. It is available after Level 15. It has a rusty look and can be obtained from the respawning location near Hawk’s Refuge.
- Strangler Heart Power Armor in probably the uniquest one on this list. It gives the best radiation resistance out of all. One of its qualities is that it gives acide damage to enemies. It is difficult to get as you have to raid a lot of locations.
- T-45 Power Armor is for mid-level players, available at Level 25 with better versions at 35 and 45. You can purchase its plans from vendors in Watoga Shopping Plaza.
- Hellcat Power Armor is a endgame armor. It requires Level 50 and has the quality to reduce explosive damage by 12%. It is available after completing the Steel Reign story.
- T-65 Power Armor is a six-piece armor with extraordinary protection. It terms of stats, it tops in all areas of the game. You can get its plans from Regs in Vault 79, after completing the All That Glitters quest.
With a love for Fallout games, Waleed has dedicated more than 100 hours to Fallout 76</a>, so you can easily trust his information related to the game.
Comparison table for Power Armors;
| No. | Armors | Type | Level | Damage Resistance | Energy Resistance | Radiation Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ultracite Power Armor | Power Armor | 50 | 453 | 393 | 393 |
| 2 | X-01 Power Armor | Power Armor | 40/50 | 332 / 398 | 374 / 453 | 374 / 453 |
| 3 | T-60 Power Armor | Power Armor | 40/50 | 334 / 400 | 304 / 370 | 350 / 415 |
| 4 | Excavator Power Armor | Power Armor | 25/35/45 | 163 / 201 / 240 | 163 / 201 / 240 | 234 / 300 / 36 |
| 5 | T-51 Power Armor Set | Power Armor | 30/40/50 | 300/374/454 | 300/374/454 | 181/220/305 |
| 6 | Raider Power Armor | Power Armor | 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 | 160 / 220 / 281 / 341 | 160 / 220 / 281 / 341 | 160 / 220 / 281 / 341 |
| 7 | Strangler Heart Power Armor | Power Armor | 50 | 453 | 393 | 500 |
| 8 | T-45 Power Armor | Power Armor | 25 / 35 / 45 | 228 / 294 / 360 | 228 / 294 / 360 | 228 / 294 / 360 |
| 9 | Hellcat Power Armor | Power Armor | 50 | 436 | 320 | 320 |
| 10 | T-65 Power Armor | Power Armor | 50 | 565 | 565 | 470 |
Power Armor helps you enhance your damage resistances and increases your survival chance in the Appalachian Wasteland. There are a handful of options to choose from in the game but this guide will focus on the top 10 Power Armor in Fallout 76. As well as, discuss their pros, cons, and stats.
Fallout 76 Best Power Armor
Every player will have a different answer for their favorite Power Armor in Fallout 76, but after trying them out for dozens of hours, I’ve come to the conclusion that the following are the best. Along with naming the best armors, I will also include the locations and how you can obtain them as well. On top of that, their stats will also be displayed once you upgrade them to their maximum level.
Keep in mind that these Power Armors are not ranked in any order. All of the mentioned armors are extremely viable and excel in various situations. With that being said, let’s get right into the guide.
Ultracite Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Level | 50 |
| Damage Resistance | 453 |
| Energy Resistance | 393 |
| Radiation Resistance | 393 |
| Variant(s) | Strangler heart power armor |
Starting off with the Brotherhood of Steel Ultracite Power Armor that can be obtained for free. When you are rewarded with this armor, it will already be level 50. Considering that you get this in the late game after finishing the Brotherhood of Steel questline, this is one of the best options in Fallout 76. It offers superb stats that are sure to help you get through the end game and post-game content.
As mentioned earlier, you can get this after completing the Brotherhood of Steel questline. To begin, you must start the first of four different quests. Head over to Abbie’s Bunker and find her terminal. Accessing her terminal will present you with a few options. One of those options will be called “Fort Defiance”. Press it to trigger the quest and follow it all the way until you reach the end. For an in-depth guide on how to get this armor, check out our Ultracite Armor Location and Mods guide.
The best part about this armor is that you are guaranteed to receive it without farming or wasting too much time collecting its parts. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend going for this armor as it has some of the higher stats out of any other Power Armor. Plus, it looks good which makes it even better to equip and galavant through the wasteland.
X-01 Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | • 42% damage reduction • 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 40/50 |
| Damage Resistance | 332 / 398 |
| Energy Resistance | 374 / 453 |
| Radiation Resistance | 374 / 453 |
Moving on to the second Best Power Armor In Fallout 76, that is preferred by most players – the X-01 Power Armor. You will get this armor in the form of plans and you will have to craft it to use it. To obtain it, you will have to complete the Enclave quest. Keep in mind that this quest is relatively lengthy and will take a lot of time and resources. Plus, since this is late-game armor, you are guaranteed to get good stats.
After looking at the stats of this armor, it is easy to conclude that it is better against energy and radiation damage. This much resistance against those types of damage is crucial, especially in the latter stages of the game. Also, unlike the Ultracite, the mods are extremely convenient to find and apply for this armor.
Another thing to note is that once you get all the plans for this armor, you have the option to either craft the level 40 variant or the level 50 one. I suggest choosing the latter because it is obviously more effective. As with most armors, you can apply paint on the X-01 to customize the armor according to your taste.
To start the quest, you’ll have to go to the Abandoned Waste Dump and make your way through the cave. I wouldn’t recommend low-level players to go in this area as there are a few Deathclaws that are tough to deal with. About halfway through, you’ll come across a corpse that will have a “Blackwell Summary” on it. Looting it will automatically trigger the quest and all you have to do is follow the markers.
T-60 Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | • 42% damage reduction • 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 40/50 |
| Damage Resistance | 334 / 400 |
| Energy Resistance | 304 / 370 |
| Radiation Resistance | 350 / 415 |
This is one of the most iconic-looking Power Armors in the Fallout series. Although this is extremely good armor, obtaining it can be quite a cumbersome task. In my experience, it is heavily dependent on your luck and where you find the parts for this armor. You will have to travel to various Power Armor locations and hope that they include parts for this. One thing to note is that the T-60 parts you find will either be modded or not. As I said before, it is totally dependent on your luck.
Like the previous armor, the T-60 is available at level 40 but I would suggest going for the level 50 variants as they are better. One of the best parts about this armor is that it is cheap to repair. Unlike other armors – which require a ton of materials – you can repair this with only steel, plastic, and aluminum.
Now that we have glanced over the stats, let’s talk about where exactly can you find this armor. Below is a map attached with the locations of all the Power Armors in Fallout 76. Since it depends on your luck, I suggest going to various armors and looting them. Hopefully, you’ll find the T-60 set swiftly without wasting much time.
Excavator Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | x4 ore mining bonus +100 carry weight 42% damage reduction 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 25 / 35 / 45 |
| Damage Resistance | 163 / 201 / 240 |
| Energy Resistance | 163 / 201 / 240 |
| Radiation Resistance | 234 / 300 / 36 |
This is a unique Power Armor that assists you greatly in speeding up the material collecting process. If you are going to farm some materials, I highly suggest equipping this armor beforehand. However, getting this armor is quite tedious and will require rare materials. Firstly, let’s discuss how you can get this armor. To get it, you must be at least level 25 and start the Miner Miracles quest. During the quest, you’ll come across the plans for this armor which will allow you to craft it.
After getting the plans, go to any Power Armor Station and craft it once you have the materials. Unlike other armors, the Excavator armor has a max level of 45. Its stats are quite decent but nothing to write home about. However, the main reason players use this armor is because it increases your carrying weight a lot – by +100. On top of that, you get a bonus when your mining ores which speeds up the entire process.
T-51 Power Armor Set
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | 42% damage negation • (7% per piece) 90% radiation negation • (15% per piece) |
| Level | 30 / 40 / 50 |
| Damage Resistance | 300/374/454 |
| Energy Resistance | 300/374/454 |
| Radiation Resistance | 181/220/305 |
The last Best Power Armor in the list is the T-51 Power Armor set. As I mentioned earlier, this guide is not ranked in any order, instead, all of the armors are useful in certain situations. With that said, the T-51 is one of my favorite and most effective late-game Power Armor in Fallout 76. The fully maxed-out version is surprisingly extremely powerful.
According to the stats, this armor has the best physical and energy damage resistance in Fallout 76. However, it lacks severely in the radiation resistance department which makes it questionable in the nuke-zone areas. Everything else is quite good as it offers good resistance and looks good. One aspect where I can see it lacking is that the mods are difficult to find. But, that is certainly not a deal-breaker because this Power Armor is one of the best in Fallout 76.
Just like the T-60 armor, obtaining it is heavily dependant on your luck. I would suggest following the map provided in the T-60 section and loot as many Power Armors as you can. Eventually, you will find the parts for this, and if you are lucky, they will be already modded.
Raider Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | • 42% damage reduction • 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 15 / 25 / 35 / 45 |
| Damage Resistance | 160 / 220 / 281 / 341 |
| Energy Resistance | 160 / 220 / 281 / 341 |
| Radiation Resistance | 160 / 220 / 281 / 341 |
As many of you already know, Power Armors are not the individual item in the game. These are a set of unique pieces that you can craft yourself or find scattered around the wasteland. Since the sunshine state of West Virginia stretches many miles, it is hard to cover every location and obtain every item or content the game has to offer.
The same goes with the power armors that spawn in random locations. Raider power armor, in particular, is the most sought power armor with credibility for being the best power armor in Fallout 76 for beginner players. Although, the Raider power armors have a level requirement of 15. But still, it is known among the starter power armors in the game. If you are already on character level 15, you can obtain power armor quickly from some of the guaranteed locations in the game.
Before diving into the locations, let’s discuss the stats of the Raider power armor. This rustic and crude plating Raider power armor grants a minimum of 160 Damage, Energy, and Radiation Resistance. However, Raider power armor comes with four variants based on your character levels 15, 25, 35, and 45. The highest level variant can extend all kinds of damage protection stats to 341.
Since it is a Raider power armor, all the pieces look rusty and unappealing. But the number of damage resistance it offers to the players earlier in the game can be a great assistance. Obtaining the complete set of Raider power armor is relatively easy. You can purchase a plan from Resin, the Vendor Bot in Appalachia. Or you can visit one of the guaranteed spawning locations for the complete set of Raider power armor.
All you need to do is visit a location near Hawke’s Refuge. You will have to head into the forest to find the Raider power armor. Please beware of the sheepsquatch as it may also spawn and increase the risk of fighting with your character. Take good weapons with your character and avoid the confrontations to obtain the complete Raider Power armor set quickly.
After reaching the location, players can find Raider power armor to claim by themselves. If you have not seen it on the first try, some other player may have already acquired it. All you need to do is hop into another server and go to the exact location to get your set of Raider power armor.
Strangler Heart Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | • 42% damage reduction • It adds acid damage to all armed attacks and makes nearby enemies take acid damage. • 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 50 |
| Damage Resistance | 453 |
| Energy Resistance | 393 |
| Radiation Resistance | 500 |
Strangler Hearth’s power armor is both mighty and the most unique-looking set you can get in Fallout 76. It is the unique Ultracite power armor variant containing flora and strangler vines from Vault 94, which is the location we will discuss later. Strangler Heart power armor is immensely overpowered compared to other power armors in the set.
Since most players always consider Ultracite power armor as their go-to option, they never pay attention to the Strangler variant of the power armor. Moreover, the lack of information and definitive guides to obtain the Stranger Heart power armor is another reason it is not common in the game. On top of that, the rarity of this power armor wants players to grind the infamous Fallout 76 Vault 94 raid.
Strangler Heart power armor has some of the best stats among other power armors. This power armor grants a total of 453 Damage Resistance, 393 Energy Resistance, and a whopping 500 Energy Resistance. If you plan to nuke the wild Appalachia, this power armor might be the prime choice to keep a safe side from radiation damage. The cherry on top is the unique effects it grants to your character wearing the complete set of power armor.
While wearing the Stranger Heart Power Armor, your character will enjoy 42% damage reduction and 90% radiation reduction. Not just that, but this power armor also adds acid damage to each attacks your character does on the enemies. This will turn your character into heavy damage dealing juggernaut, completely unstoppable, despite their level.
Acquiring this power armor is pretty much a grind as it is the unique set in Fallout 76. You may not find it lying around the map for yourself like Raider power armor. You will have to craft the Strangler Heart Power armor all by yourself by obtaining the plans for each of its pieces. Getting these plans is not going to be an easy feat as it involves painful grinding for Fallout 76 raids.
There are a total of 6 plans to craft a complete set of Strangler Heart power armor. One and the most straightforward approach to get these is by purchasing six plans from Regs, a vendor in Vault 79. The only problem is that they are crazy expensive and can only be purchased for Gold Bullion.
Or, if you prefer the grinding approach, players will have to grind through the Vault 94 raids continuously until you collect all the six plans. These six plans include the helmet, the torso, two arms, and two legs. This grinding can quickly become tedious because of the difficulty and the end rewards. The main reason behind this is that no matter what difficulty you are playing the raid on, the plan rewards for Strangler Power armor are entirely random.
You will not be aware whether you will be getting the plans for your power armor set item or not, making the grinding even more difficult. Still, you can get your own complete set of unique Strangler Heart power armor one way or another.
T-45 Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | •42% damage reduction • 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 25 / 35 / 45 |
| Damage Resistance | 228 / 294 / 360 |
| Energy Resistance | 228 / 294 / 360 |
| Radiation Resistance | 228 / 294 / 360 |
| Variant(s) | Father Winter helmet |
Next up in the heavy armor is the T-45 Power Armor. T-45 has its roots from Fallout 4 and is known among the best-looking armors in the post-apocalyptic Fallout series. It once again makes a return in the latest Fallout 76 with a bang of special effects for your character and stats for mid-level players. Fortunately, this power armor is easily accessible and can be found around the map or crafted with the plans.
T-45 Power Armor is available for players at least level 25, with better variants available at levels 35 and 45. The base variant at level 25 yields a Damage, Energy, and Radiation Resistance of 228. Meanwhile, if your character is at a higher level of 45, you will be able to push T-45 Power armor stats up to 360.
On top of that, players will enjoy a total of 42% Damage Reduction and 90% Rad Reduction. These stats push the defensive quality of the T-45 power armor even further.
Once again, you will be farming a location to acquire the T-45 power armor. As said earlier, power armors are not individual items. You will be farming for different pieces that make up the T-45 power armor.
For that instance, all you need to do is visit or fast travel to Solomon’s Pond. Please beware of the lurking enemies, as they will always want a piece of your flesh in the nuclear-battered wasteland of Appalachia. You will mostly encounter Deadly Floater Gnashers that might be painful to put down. So make sure to bring your best arsenal to clean the place before getting heavy damage quickly.
Just across the location, you will be able to see a metal shack with a complete set of T-45 power armor. This location will not have T-45 power armor in some cases, which means another player already took it in the current server’s world. But do not worry, as refreshing the server will spawn another power armor at the exact location.
Or, if you want to save all the hassle and have some money to invest, you can purchase the T-45 power armor plans from vendors available in Watoga Shopping Plaza. You might want to talk to Vendor Bot Phoenix. This bot will always have plans. Otherwise, you can server hop again to purchase the plans for a perfect price.
Hellcat Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | 42% damage reduction 90% radiation damage reduction 12% ballistic damage reduction |
| Level | 50 |
| Damage Resistance | 436 |
| Energy Resistance | 320 |
| Radiation Resistance | 320 |
Hellcat Power Armor is another good-looking and powerful armor set that looks straight from futuristic hell. Once again, this power armor comes as a legendary drop with unique effects for players to enjoy. Unfortunately, Hellcat is an endgame power armor. This means players with level 50 will find and acquire this armor.
Players with earlier levels will not be able to spawn or purchase the secret crafting plans from the vendors available in Fallout 76. Another essential thing to note is that this armor is part of the Fallout 76 Steel Reign update. This is a free update for the base game that added new story content and the Hellcat Power Armor.
The stats of the Hellcat reveal massive Damage Resistance of 436, Energy Resistance value of 320, and Radiation Resistance stands at 320. Apart from these, this power armor specializes in offering ballistic damage protection to players with up to 12% explosive damage reduction.
Since it is part of the Steel Reign update, it is only rewarded after completing the Steel Reign story. So if you have not played the update’s questline, you might have to finish them to obtain your complete set of Hellcat power armor. After completing the final quest, you will be rewarded with the Hellcat Power armor. Players who missed the reward can claim the armor plans after completing the final quest known as “The Catalyst.”
T-65 Power Armor
| Type | Power Armor |
| Effects | • 42% damage reduction • 90% rad reduction |
| Level | 50 |
| Damage Resistance | 565 |
| Energy Resistance | 565 |
| Radiation Resistance | 470 |
Last but not least, the T-65 Power Armor was a particular part of the Secret Service in Vault 79. This power armor tops the list for the highest stats in Damage protection for your character. On the other side, it is also an endgame item in Fallout 76, making it a successor among other power armors sets.
T-65 is a highly durable power armor that stands out in the enemy encounter and offers a great deal of protection during Player vs. Player battles. Like every other power armor, the T-65 complete set contains a total of six pieces that will be contributing the complete Damage protection to your character.
Speaking of Damage Protection, T-65 power armor has the top stats in the game. It grants a total of 565 Damage Resistance along with 470 Energy and Radiation Resistances. Moreover, this power armor will also enable 42% Damage Reduction and 90% Radiation Resistance at the cost of character level 50. With that armor on your skin, you will no longer have to worry about radiation storms and charging Scrochbeasts.
There is only one way to get the T-65 power armor. You can purchase the T-65 power armor pieces plans for a hefty price from Regs in Vault 79. This is only possible after completing the endgame quest “All That Glitters.” After the quest, you will be notified to unlock the Gold Bullion used to purchase the T-65 armor plans.
Additionally, you will be investing a total of 6900 Gold Bullions in purchasing a total of six plans for all the pieces of the best power armor in Fallout 76. That is the fixed price to claim your own complete set of T-65 power armor. Higher Charisma character or Bartering perks are not going to assist either for lowering this price of Gold Bullions. In that case, you might want to grind some Gold Bullion before considering purchasing the plans from Regs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Excavator Power Armor is ideal for mining ores as it increases your chance of ore drop. Plus, it adds a +100 carrying limit which is super useful. In Fallout 76, players run out of carrying capacity quickly, this armor will surely help you a lot.
Mods are a crucial part of the game. They allow you to further buff your armor and enhance all of its stats. You can apply these modifications to every part of the armor – chest, arms, and legs. The mods usually increase your resistances, add more damage, or increase carrying capacity, etc.
Thankfully, other players cannot access your Power Armor in Fallout 76. You can store as many as you like without the fear of them getting stolen. You can either keep them in your stash or in the open, no one can access them. The same applies to you as well; you cannot steal another player’s Power Armor no matter what.
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