Best early/mid armors?

[Omaeka]

I know that Samurai is objectively the best late game when you have enough strength/dex/attack/defence to spare, but what do you guys like to rock in the early and mid games?

I've found Samurai clothpants, black plate jacket, drifters boots, leather turtleneck and rattan hats to be amazing early game. Masterwork/specialist grades of those armors have considerable protection and perfect coverage. Plus the outfit looks amazing with polearms.

Also quick question, how does coverage actually work? I've always wondered. If you have a platejacket with 100% chest and a leather shirt with 100% chest, do you get both of the items protection % combined or just the greater number? Also, is 100% actually 100%? I've seen my guys take full damage to the chest in fights with no reduction despite two layers of 100% coverage.

[Pyrrhus]

I always rock with dustcoat, samurai clothpants, leather turtleneck, armored hood, and wooden sandals from early to late game cuz I often travel thru deadlands and venge, these gears completely protect my characters from acid rain and burning. Also to be able to move around quicker and has enough protection against enemy patrols. Dark leather shirt is good for early game to boost stealth but after reaching 90 stealth skills, it's no longer necessary but I still make them to sell for profits.

For medium to heavy armors, they just delay toughness longer. I want my characters to raise toughness sooner, that's why I still stick with light armors. However, medium to heavy armors are more useful when a group of player's characters are prepared to raid a city or fort for better protection against enemy turrets or crossbows, not for dwelling back at home. When raids come to my base, I just use turrets to stop them. Sometimes I use one character with high skills to deal with a raid alone like Beserker raid after defeating Bugmaster, just for fun.

[Omaeka]

Originally posted by Pyrrhus:

I always rock with dustcoat, samurai clothpants, leather turtleneck, armored hood, and wooden sandals from early to late game cuz I often travel thru deadlands and venge, these gears completely protect my characters from acid rain and burning. Also to be able to move around quicker and has enough protection against enemy patrols. Dark leather shirt is good for early game to boost stealth but after reaching 90 stealth skills, it's no longer necessary but I still make them to sell for profits.

For medium to heavy armors, they just delay toughness longer. I want my characters to raise toughness sooner, that's why I still stick with light armors. However, medium to heavy armors are more useful when a group of player's characters are prepared to raid a city or fort for better protection against enemy turrets or crossbows, not for dwelling back at home. When raids come to my base, I just use turrets to stop them. Sometimes I use one character with high skills to deal with a raid alone like Beserker raid after defeating Bugmaster, just for fun.

Dustcoat is really good yeah, the coverage is crazy, same with clothpants covering the stomach.

[Morkonan]

Armor choices are really choices about the role the character is going to play. There isn't a "Best" in those sorts of terms unless you specify the role they're going to play in combat.

White Plate Jacket is the best medium armor.

A Dustcoat or Drifter's Leather Jacket (For dedicated Crossbow users) is the "Best" Light Armor choice. Until then Assassins Rags are nice.

Samurai Cloth Pants are the best light pants and will likely be a permanent fixture for all light/medium armor users through to endgame. (There is "some" argument for Sneaky Chain pants, here. But, that depends on role. They might be good for a melee-DPS role with adequate stats.)

Depending upon one's location, helmet choices can vary. From the Shinobi in The Hub one can easily gain a supplier for Fog Masks which are better than just about anything easily available to a new/mid player. (And, they're half-price!) Later, Iron Hats for Crossbow users and Masked Helmets for heavier armored users are very good. (Both likely usable to endgame, but one has to also consider Piercing protection if one is going against powerful Turret defenses.) Fog Masks will likely stay ready in backpacks through to endgame for many characters.

Drifter's Boots and Plated Boots are both staple items throughout the game and there really isn't an "endgame" replacement. Samurai Boots are definitely endgame "Taunt Tank" only sorts of footwear.

Leather Turtleneck > All for mid game and through to endgame for most characters. Chainmail for endgame tanks only.

Leather Hiver shirt for Hivers. Good all the way for dedicated Hiver Crossbow users.

Coverage is the most-encountered midgame consideration, but isn't as complicated as much in endgame because it should never be negotiated in endgame, IMO - It's always critical.

The biggest decision points will be made when weighing the protections offered, the debuffs endured, the minor bonuses gained between different qualities of armor in the early and midgame. A higher quality armor of a lesser tier may be better than a higher tier armor. In late/endgame, everything is either Specialist or Masterwork, preferably the latter, so it's easier to judge what's the best individual choice.

Don't forget your Lantern! :) It really keeps those fogmen at bay! Seriously... for true. Would I lie? It's a very good price, human...

[Omaeka]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

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What makes you rate the white plate over the black plate? I think their stats are identical except the white plate has the lowest stealth of all the plates with the same protection and dodge/dex/crossbow debuffs.

[s44.yuritch]

White plate jacket has lowest dex debuff (at the cost of worse stealth hit). So, if you're not going to sneak around in metal armor, white plate is better.