Tarkov's New Armor System is Both Complex and Interesting

So today we are going to be talking about the new armor system in Escape From Tarkov. But I want to mention early on that this will not be about the science of the new system and whether it’s working as intended. More so just talking about how the armor system has impacted the game from all angles. Building armor and kits associated with it, fighting, and how the new plates system allows for some interesting sneaky plays. It was something that we’ve known about for a long time, and while it isn’t the fully customizable chest rigs that were teased many moons ago, this is the next best thing for sure. After playing for about a week, looking at a lot of the armors and different available soft armors and plates that are in the game, the system itself is much more complex than what it was previously. Whether or not that will be a benefit or determent to the game we will have to keep playing and give a better verdict later in the wipe. But for now, what I have seen firsthand is that the whole system allows for much more flexibility in regard to how you construct your armors. There wasn’t any real wiggle room with making one type of armor have a different material. But now, that possibility is in the game. Which might create some sneaky situations where you are running previously known low-tier armor but now have powerful plates in it. There are so many layers to this system that we can talk about, so let’s get into it. And if you are new here or have been enjoying these conversations about all the new mechanics, be sure to subscribe for more videos in the future.

Let’s go over what actually changed with armor. Armor has now been adjusted so that the hitboxes are only where there is protection. So, for example, a level 6 slick armor won’t cover your entire torso front and back. Instead, it will only cover where there are actual armor plates. Which would be right in the center of your torso, and the middle of your back. There is no longer this full level 6 coverage across most of your body. The hitboxes are much more accurate to what they would be in real life with plates protecting you. And it’s a very interesting change. You’ll find yourself dying a lot more from unusual angles and body parts. The number of times I’ve died and seen armpit as the spot where I got hit is funny. But it adds many more layers to the game’s combat that weren’t there previously. Before, when it came to choosing armor, weight and space were the two main concerns for most players. But now, whether an armor has plates or just built in soft armor, what level the plates are, can those plates be swapped out for stronger plates. There are a lot more nuanced decisions to be made.

Armor plates being one of the newest mechanics to the game, they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and tiers. With 6 still being the highest in the game in terms of protection. Here are just a couple examples I’ve come across in the game. I know there are many more plates in the game, but these are just the ones I’ve seen personally. One thing about the plates I tested because I was curious was, I took the trooper we start with at the beginning of a wipe and tried to swap those plates with the ones in the AVS rig. And to my surprise, it actually worked. So now, my AVS instead of having plates made of combined materials, now has plates made of ultra poly, which is one of the best materials in the game. Honestly, this is such an amazing mechanic because now armors that I enjoy running can be even better than they previously were. Not to say combined materials is bad, but ultra poly is so much better. And now, the level of customization we have is unparalleled. Granted, it sadly isn’t the same as what BSG was initially trying to do which was fully modular rigs, but this is the next best thing.

The armor hitboxes becoming more accurate creates some quirks though. There isn’t any armor in the game that provides full coverage for protection. This isn’t so much a problem, but something you need to keep in mind while playing the game during this wipe. There will be moments where it feels like the armor is insanely powerful. Especially with how the ammo economy has been flipped on its head this go around. You will shoot people and they just won’t die. I recall recently having a fight where I landed 20 hits and did almost 400 damage and he just didn’t fall over. Is that soley because of armor? No, the ammo played a role in me losing that exchange. That exchange can obviously go both ways, too. Having strong armor and then just tanking an entire magazine before you get the other person, it will happen, and you will be thankful for the armor. Sometimes, however, it really feels like armor doesn’t do anything. You got something solid going on, you found the plates, threw them in, and then a shotgun scav shoots you once and you die. It was like that before this wipe, but now it feels the most apparent it has in years. But being able to sneak a level 5 or even level 6 armor that we all originally knew as something lower might become a reoccurring theme with this wipe. Depends on how common those stronger plates are found. Because level 5 and 6 plates will not be sellable on the flea market. Luckily, BSG made most armors that were removed from the flea available again. So, if you have plates laying around, you might be able to get decent armor relatively cheap, and then just throw some plates into it. You’ll be good to go, and people won’t know why you are tanking so much damage. I haven’t been able to really experiment with that idea to see how effective it might be, but in the future with some leveled up traders, and some more access to different plates, who knows?

Having plates in the game is cool, but it’s also confusing, at least initially. It’s harder to tell what plates go to which style of armor, and what their respective class of protection is. Whether or not you want both front and back plates. Being able to take them out while in raid, but you need to either remove the armor and put it in a backpack or on the ground so you can access the new weapon modding screen and take out the plates manually. It’s a lot to think about now both in and out of the raids. But Tarkov has always been a complex game, so giving people who are more experienced with the game more to think about when they want to build a kit, again, allows more creativity and can breathe new life into the game when it begins to get a little old. But honestly, with how massive this patch is, it won’t be feeling old anytime soon.

There is an argument to be made that all the armor changes might be more impactful than the new recoil. But regardless, this is a massive overhaul to how we know Tarkov, and quite the shakeup to the meta of the game. And it’s a very welcome one. It's a little confusing, but with some time and science, people will get the skinny about how these new plates work, and whether they are working as intended. For the time being, don’t be afraid to mess around and experiment with different plates in your armors, and see what feels the most comfortable for you. There is plenty of room to figure out some combos that you like that weren’t possible before this patch. Variety is always the spice of life, so if you figure out any cool or interesting combinations be sure to let everyone know down in the comments below. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Again, comment below your thoughts on the new armor system and hitboxes, as well as any combinations that are interesting and subscribe for more videos about the rest of the mechanics added to Tarkov in patch .14. I hope to see you in future ones.

*To Watch the video adjacent to this script, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgJHSUZpY-Q *