The best armor sets in Starfield feature unique stats, sentimental value, and environmental resistance, which is viable for all kinds of gameplay.

3 different Armor Sets with a constellation in the background from Starfield
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The one thing you'll always need in Starfield is a trusty set of armor to keep yourself safe from the many dangers of the Settled Systems. Spacesuits in Starfield are more than just stylish outerwear; they're essential to keeping you safe in the most extreme of environments. Tracking down the game's best armor sets isn't always easy, but having a sturdy spacesuit with a good mix of stats gives you a crucial advantage in combat and exploration.

Armor sets in Starfield generally come in three pieces: a Helmet, Spacesuit and one of several different types of Boost Pack. These pieces all have different defensive stats: Physical, Energy and EM Damage Resistance, and Thermal, Corrosive, Radiation and Airborne Environmental Resistance. Essentially, these stats tell you how well your spacesuit resists damage from weapons and the environment. When it comes to deep space exploration, the best armor sets have a good mix of both.

10 Monster Costume

Starfield's Best Armor Set For Undeniable Comic Value

Starfield Player In Monster Costume Waving On Desert Planet

Stats

PHYS Damage Resistance

50

ENGY Damage Resistance

50

EM Damage Resistance

50

Thermal Environmental Resistance

0

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

0

Airborne Environmental Resistance

0

Radiation Environmental Resistance

0

How To Obtain: Complete Tourists Go Home at New Homestead's Living History Colony on Titan (Sol System)

The Monster Costume isn't exactly stellar, but it's easily the silliest and quite possibly one of the most stylish armor sets in Starfield. You receive this costume by helping out Dr. Giuliana Lakota of the Living History Colony on Titan with a small but hilarious side quest. The good doctor is rather tired of tourists, and enlists your help in scaring them off while disguised as a gigantic tardigrade. Scare off enough tourists, and you'll get the Monster Costume as a quest reward.

One quick look at the stats will tell you that it's nothing special. The costume's damage resistance is minimal, and it has absolutely no environmental resistance to speak of. As such, it's best thought of as a futuristic update of the inflatable T-Rex costume: poor in battle, but extraordinarily high-quality comic relief.

9 UC Vanguard Spacesuit

A Well-Rounded Armor Set For Early-Game Grunt Work

Starfield Player In UC Vanguard Armor Set Waving On Desert Planet

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

64

34

32

ENGY Damage Resistance

68

36

34

EM Damage Resistance

72

38

36

Thermal Environmental Resistance

15

5

5

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

0

0

0

Airborne Environmental Resistance

30

20

20

Radiation Environmental Resistance

15

5

5

How To Obtain: Complete Grunt Work (Faction mission for the United Colonies Vanguard)

The UC Vanguard Spacesuit armor set is a few steps above the basic Deep Mining Spacesuit you receive in Starfield's opening chapter. To get it, you have to sign up to the United Colonies Vanguard: the UC's fleet of volunteers and captains-for-hire. The rewards for your first mission include the UC Vanguard Spacesuit, the UC Vanguard Space Helmet and the UC Vanguard Pilot Pack.

It's a solid, well-rounded armor set for the early game, with a good balance of defensive stats. The set's physical, energy and EM damage resistance will keep you alive as you work to protect and save the United Colonies. However, it's highly recommended that you avoid any corrosive gas vents while out exploring new worlds, as the set totally lacks any resistance to corrosive damage.

8 Gran-Gran's Spacesuit

A Nice Armor Set From Your Parents

Starfield Player In Gran-Gran's Spacesuit Armor Set Waving On Desert Planet

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

76

26

-

ENGY Damage Resistance

60

42

-

EM Damage Resistance

68

34

-

Thermal Environmental Resistance

35

20

-

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

20

15

-

Airborne Environmental Resistance

10

5

-

Radiation Environmental Resistance

15

10

-

How To Obtain: Pick the Kid Stuff Trait during character creation, and visit your parents in New Atlantis three times.

The Kid Stuff Trait is one of the best Traits in Starfield. If chosen during character creation, your parents will still be alive and well, and you can even pay them a visit. They'll often send you big gifts, including your high-school backpack (for additional carrying capacity), Sir Livingstone's Pistol and even the unique Wanderwell ship, available nowhere else in the game.

In return, you'll send them 2% of your credits every week automatically, although this is capped.

One of the best gifts your parents have to offer is Gran-Gran's Spacesuit, which also comes with Gran-Gran's Helmet as part of a two-piece armor set. It turns out that your grandmother served in the UC Marines, and now it's up to you to make the most of her unique armor. Overall, the set has excellent defensive stats for Starfield's early and mid-game portions, and with the right skills, you can upgrade it even further.

You will have to clip on a Boost Pack from another armor set.

Finally, as a nice bonus, Gran-Gran's Spacesuit also comes with the Pocketed mod, which increases your carrying capacity.

7 Ranger Spacesuit

The Perfect Armor Set For A Freestar Ranger

Starfield Player In Ranger Spacesuit Armor Set Waving On Desert Planet

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

96

44

48

ENGY Damage Resistance

64

36

32

EM Damage Resistance

80

40

40

Thermal Environmental Resistance

30

5

5

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

20

20

20

Airborne Environmental Resistance

10

5

0

Radiation Environmental Resistance

0

0

5

How To Obtain: Join the Freestar Rangers and complete The Hammer Falls (final mission for the Freestar Collective faction)

The Freestar Rangers are wandering lawmen and women tasked with maintaining safety and security in Freestar Collective space. They're a ragtag bunch, and you can join their faction to uncover a sinister conspiracy with far-reaching implications for the Collective. Once you've completed your investigation, the Rangers will more than hold up their end of the bargain, gifting you Starfield's Star Eagle spaceship and the Ranger Spacesuit set.

The Ranger Spacesuit is plain and rugged, with none of the fancy add-ons that other armor sets have. It's no-nonsense, with excellent defensive stats across the board. In short, it's perfect for anyone looking to enforce the law in the farthest reaches of Freestar Collective space. The high damage resistance ensures that you'll be able to shrug off most weapons fire, and you've also got decent resistance to environmental damage.

6 UC Antixeno Spacesuit

A Sturdy Armor Set For Hunting Aliens

Starfield Player In UC Antixeno Spacesuit Armor Set Waving On Desert Planet

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

76

44

44

ENGY Damage Resistance

92

42

42

EM Damage Resistance

84

46

46

Thermal Environmental Resistance

0

10

10

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

10

0

0

Airborne Environmental Resistance

30

0

0

Radiation Environmental Resistance

20

20

20

How To Obtain: Complete Hostile Intelligence (eighth Faction mission for the United Colonies)

The UC Antixeno Spacesuit set is essentially a mid-game upgrade to the UC Vanguard Spacesuit set. Unlike some of Starfield's armor sets, the UC Antixeno Spacesuit also excels against one specific enemy type: alien wildlife. Both the Spacesuit and the Helmet can come with the Beast Hunter Perk, which reduces the damage you take from aliens by 15%. It also comes with the Analyzer (10% extra damage against scanned targets) and Incendiary (10% chance to ignite attackers) perks.

Coupled with a combat-focused Starfield character background, you'll be the bane of any hostile alien lifeforms. By scanning hostile animals when you encounter them, you can guarantee that you'll receive the 10% damage bonus, and any enemy that gets within melee range might spontaneously catch fire when attacking you. It's a tough set of armor, perfect for exploring and setting up new outposts on dangerous new planets.

5 Bounty Hunter Spacesuit

A Well-Rounded Armor Set For Explorers

Starfield Player In Bounty Hunter Spacesuit Armor Set Waving On Desert Planet

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

128

72

-

ENGY Damage Resistance

132

56

-

EM Damage Resistance

136

64

-

Thermal Environmental Resistance

15

20

-

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

15

0

-

Airborne Environmental Resistance

15

0

-

Radiation Environmental Resistance

15

10

-

How To Obtain: Loot from dead Spacers in the Mantis' Lair, or purchase from Zuri's Essentials at the Key (available if you join or infiltrate the Crimson Fleet for UC SysDef)

The Bounty Hunter Spacesuit set is one of the best armor sets for the mid to late-game, thanks to its all-round solid stats. By equipping this set, you'll have broad resistance to all types of damage, and a well-balanced set of environmental resistances. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with any special perks, but it's flexible and easily upgraded if you have the right skills. There are other, more unusual armor sets out there, but the Bounty Hunter set is durable and reliable in a pitched firefight.

There are also several different Bounty Hunter Boost Packs you can equip, but their stats will all differ slightly, so make sure to compare to find the best variant for your build.

4 Mercury Spacesuit

The Best Armor Set For Fans Of Old-School Sci-Fi

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

108

50

42

ENGY Damage Resistance

92

52

58

EM Damage Resistance

100

54

50

Thermal Environmental Resistance

25

15

20

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

25

15

20

Airborne Environmental Resistance

25

15

20

Radiation Environmental Resistance

25

15

20

How To Obtain: Pick up during the Unearthed main mission.

The Mercury Spacesuit set is a nice throwback to the early days of space exploration, and is essentially a faithful recreation of space suits once used by NASA. In-game, the armor set has stats to match the Bounty Hunter Spacesuit set, but also boasts additional environmental resistance. It's the perfect choice for explorers and outpost builders who benefit most from resistance to a wide variety of environmental hazards.

However, although the set comes with the Mercury Pack, you'll have to swap in a different pack to get Boost Pack functionality. The Mercury Pack has some potent stats, but isn't actually a boost pack, so you'll need to decide whether you'd like some additional armor or extra mobility.

Unlike other armor sets, the Mercury Spacesuit set can be missed, as the area it's found in becomes inaccessible after your mission is complete. Make sure to grab it from the display cases before progressing.

3 Mantis Armor

The Perfect Armor Set For Settled Systems Vigilantes

Starfield Player In Mantis Set Waving Near American Flag At Apollo Landing Site

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

116

54

47

ENGY Damage Resistance

84

46

55

EM Damage Resistance

100

50

51

Thermal Environmental Resistance

15

20

5

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

0

10

0

Airborne Environmental Resistance

30

0

5

Radiation Environmental Resistance

15

0

20

How To Obtain: Complete Starfield's The Mantis side quest

While exploring, you might come across a mysterious data slate named Secret Outpost! which starts a new side quest. By following the quest log, you'll end up at a hidden base on Denebola 1-B. As you explore, you'll discover that the base was once the lair of the Mantis: a notorious vigilante whose presence struck fear into the hearts of pirates and raiders across the Settled Systems.

By completing the quest, you can claim the mantle of the Mantis for yourself. The rewards include the Razorleaf, one of Starfield's best ships, and the Mantis Armor set. Aside from its stats, the Mantis Armor set also comes with extra perks, selected at random from a large list of possible perks. You can re-roll which perks you get by reloading saves, giving this armor set an extra layer of customisability that other armor sets don't have.

2 Mark 1 Constellation Spacesuit

The Best Armor Set For Dedicated Explorers

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

132

72

66

ENGY Damage Resistance

136

64

64

EM Damage Resistance

128

68

68

Thermal Environmental Resistance

20

20

20

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

30

5

5

Airborne Environmental Resistance

0

5

5

Radiation Environmental Resistance

10

0

0

How To Obtain: Grab from the display case in the basement of the Lodge.

The Mark 1 Constellation Spacesuit boasts impressive late-game stats, but you can actually obtain this special armor set early thanks to an exploit. You'll reach Constellation's Lodge within the first hour of the game, and can access the basement from any point afterward. The Mark 1 Constellation set is stored away inside a display case with a Master-level lock.

However, with a bit of careful movement, you can grab the suit and obtain one of the game's best late-game armor sets very early on. Its stats make it ideal for prolonged firefights and also outclasses many other armor sets when it comes to environmental resistance. The Mark 1 Constellation set should last you a long time, but you can always upgrade it as you reach Starfield's highest levels.

1 Starborn Spacesuit

The Best Armor Set In Starfield

Stats

Spacesuit

Helmet

Pack

PHYS Damage Resistance

Depends on which variant you obtain

ENGY Damage Resistance

EM Damage Resistance

Thermal Environmental Resistance

Corrosive Environmental Resistance

Airborne Environmental Resistance

Radiation Environmental Resistance

How To Obtain: Reach Starfield's New Game Plus

Once you reach New Game Plus, you'll receive the Starborn Spacesuit. This is easily the best armor set in the game, and you can upgrade its stats even further by reaching New Game Plus more than once. The best version is the Starborn Spacesuit Venator set, obtained by reaching your tenth New Game Plus playthrough.

This is quite the journey, even for dedicated Starfield players. In the meantime, make sure to track down some of the armor sets listed above. The Settled Systems can be dangerous for the unprepared, and having the right armor might just save your life.

  • Starfield Game Poster
    Starfield
    Released:
    2023-09-06
    Developer(s):
    Bethesda Game Studios
    Genre(s):
    Open-World, RPG, Sci-Fi
    Platform(s):
    PC, Xbox Series X/S
    Publisher(s):
    Bethesda Softworks
    Summary:
    Bethesda Game Studios presents Starfield - the first original IP from the studio in twenty-five-plus years. Set in the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective are observing a shaky truce after a war set 20 years prior. The player will customize their character as a member of a space exploration team called Constellation while navigating The Settled Systems and the conflicts between the warring factions. According to Bethesda, players can explore over 100 systems and 1000 planets to find resources and build their ships, living out their own sci-fi journeys.