Best Power Armor?

[Grendalcat]

Which power armor do you prefer? I currently have a complete set of T-51, Hellcat and Ultracite. I usually use the Hellcat for the -12% to ballistic damage. Recently discovered I could buy T-65 with bullion. Would it be an improvement on Hellcat, or for that matter, would any other type be an improvement?

[Razer]

I use excavator. The stats on them don't really matter because those have diminishing returns and they all come with 42% DR. Excavator has extra carry weight capacity. I would use Union, but that costs too many stamps to get the mods for it.

[SerialGamer]

It depends on whether the unique advantage of that PA type serves you well (or best) in what you do. Some even prefer Excavator PA because of the 100 carry weight increase. Some people take the amount of grinding into account, and believe T-65 isn't worth all that grind. But if your build depends on high resistance, then T-65 is for you. T-65 with its 500+ rad resistance lets me survive 30 seconds in the high-rads areas in Radiation Rumble, whereas other PA types only let me survive 20-25 seconds. But in situations where the resistance is not the most important thing, while other things are, then you need to consider other PA types. In other words, this is situational, like most things in this game. You may end up collecting all PA types (that you can get) like I have. I'm at level 400 and I've been using Union (poison resist and carry weight), Excavator (mining yield, carry weight), and T-65 (resistance) regularly, but rarely touched the other types.

If you worry about stash weight, at least try to learn the plans of different PA types so you can build them when you need to, you never know. Crafting PA items may require flux and lots of material. But if you have Fallout 1st, you can use Custom Worlds to get free crafting at workbenches, so you can build the PAs for free and test them to see if they are worth it. But you still have to learn the plans first.

[OutsidR]

I myself have used the t51b forever. The low rad aspect I take care of rad-x and very seldom. The t65 is the best you can get no doubt, my #1 uses it and is great but expensive. I have all the rest you name but still the t51 is my go to, but that is just me.

[Nex]

Hellcat - starter PA, easy to obtain. Then switch to T-65. I used to play overeater T-65.

[Vic Evicerator]

I have yet to use T-65 myself, but I've done well with T-60, Hellcat, and Union. I also still keep excavators around for the mining bonuses when I am low on ammo.

Semi-unrelated question - does anyone actually use Raider PA?

[BizarreMan]

I'm at T65, when I wear it, unless I need the carry capacity, then it's Union or Excavator

[doublejesus]

For all around Union if you were there for the scoreboard otherwise fk stamps use excavator. Then i'd work on getting T-65. Hellcats good too numbers wise but T-65 is for making an endgame statement that says, "I buy bullion with caps every week" get all weapon weight reduction and collect scrip weapons to your hearts delight knowing you're in the Cadillac of power armor.

[therussmeister]

I don't use PA too often, but when I do it's Excavator with calibrated shocks for the carrying capacity.

[Zenventius]

Originally posted by Razer:

The stats on them don't really matter because those have diminishing returns.

From what I've read, watched and checked into myself... This ^ This^ this^.

[Mooman]

The 'best' is the one with good legendary effects, even if it is a mixed set. Only Strangler Heart, Union and Excavator need to be complete for bonuses or if you use Funky Duds and/or Sizzling Style.

Even Raider with good effects will outclass T-65 with no or bad effects. Keep an eye out for legendary drops and compare. Skins mean mixed sets look the same.

But I always suggest T-60 or X-01 as the 'best' as they are the easiest to mod via vendor or spawn point hopping, no flux required.

[LegacyXI]

Been using the t-51b, but have used everything except hellcat and union. All content was easily doable. I'd imagine the hellcat is really good with the extra ballistic damage reduction in helping to counter armor pen and reflect damage mutations, but with grabbing a single star overeaters on each t-51b piece now I haven't felt the need to. I'd say any power armor will be good, but with overeaters it will be perfect for anything.

[Lerch2000]

Still think the T-65 is best, hands down, I have tried the hellcat although its Ballistic damage reducer is interesting it still doesn't compare to the T-65's overall damage resistance.

Originally posted by Vic Evicerator:

Semi-unrelated question - does anyone actually use Raider PA?

The only thing Raider PA is really good for is roleplaying, other than that the only perk it has is you can start to use it at level 15.

[Grey]

Originally posted by Grendalcat:

Which power armor do you prefer? I currently have a complete set of T-51, Hellcat and Ultracite. I usually use the Hellcat for the -12% to ballistic damage. Recently discovered I could buy T-65 with bullion. Would it be an improvement on Hellcat, or for that matter, would any other type be an improvement?

Excavator Armor for me is like the all rounder if you are questing, gathering resources, or just doing events because you can have a total of +200 weight bonus with the whole Power Armor set and with Calibrated shocks on both legs. My other choices are either the T-65 power armor or the Hellcat armor. T-65 has the best defense stats in the game while Hellcat bonus of damage reduction is super good for daily ops.

[Kriminaal]

Onion PA.

Once you reach a certain armor % and include the innate armor reduction of PA, it comes down to what the Onion offers, extra carry weight and poison resistance. Add in some decent legendary effects and throw on the 'Murican talkin PA skin and you're golden.

[Grey]

Originally posted by Kriminaal:

Onion PA.

Once you reach a certain armor % and include the innate armor reduction of PA, it comes down to what the Onion offers, extra carry weight and poison resistance. Add in some decent legendary effects and throw on the 'Murican talkin PA skin and you're golden.

You mean Union. We not talkin about the onion armor from dark souls are we? lol jk
It's a decent armor, but farming stamps is like impossible. You only get like 10 a day from expedition.