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In Helldivers 2, armor isn't just about looking good; it's a crucial part of your survival strategy. The game categorizes armor into three types: light, medium, and heavy, each affecting your mobility and defensive capabilities. However, the real game-changer lies in the armor's passive abilities. These passives are essentially powerful perks that can significantly enhance your gameplay, making them a key factor in your mission success.
With a vast array of armor passives available, understanding which ones to prioritize is vital for both survival and effectiveness in combat. Before you deploy in your hellpod, take a moment to review our comprehensive tier list. It's designed to help you select the most advantageous armor passives for any mission scenario in Helldivers 2.
All Armor Passives & What They Do in Helldivers 2
At the time of writing, Helldivers 2 boasts 14 unique armor passives, each tailored to enhance different aspects of your gameplay. Whether you're looking for extra protection through padding or stealth improvements with enhanced scouting, selecting the right passive can dramatically influence your mission outcomes.
Remember, in Helldivers 2, armor passives are linked to your body armor. Helmets and capes are standard-issue with no additional perks.
Below is an exhaustive list of all armor passives in Helldivers 2, along with their benefits. Grasping these will ensure you're well-equipped to tackle the diverse challenges and mission objectives, whether your focus is on survival or maximizing your utility.
Armor Passive | Description |
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Acclimated | - 50 percent resistance to acid, electrical, fire, and gas damage. |
Advanced Filtration | - 80 percent resistance to gas damage. |
Democracy Protects | - 50 percent chance of surviving lethal attacks, such as headshots. - Prevents chest injuries, such as internal bleeding. |
Electrical Conduit | - 95 percent resistance to lightning arc damage. |
Engineering Kit | - +2 grenade capacity. - 30 percent recoil reduction when crouching or prone. |
Extra Padding | - +50 armor rating for improved defense. |
Fortified | - 50 percent resistance to explosive damage. - 30 percent recoil reduction when crouching or prone. |
Inflammable | - 75 percent resistance to fire damage. |
Med-Kit | - +2 stim capacity. - +2 seconds additional stim duration. |
Peak Physique | - 100 percent increased melee damage. - Improves weapon handling by reducing weapon movement drag. |
Scout | - 30 percent reduced range at which enemies can detect players. - Map markers generate radar scans to reveal nearby enemies. |
Servo-Assisted | - 30 percent increased throwing range. - 50 percent additional limb health. |
Siege-Ready | - 30 percent increased reload speed of primary weapons. - 30 percent increased ammo capacity of primary weapons. |
Unflinching | - 95 percent reduced recoil flinching. |
Armor Passive Tier List in Helldivers 2
Our armor passive tier list for Helldivers 2 is based on the game's 1.002.003 version. It evaluates each passive's overall value, utility, and effectiveness across various missions and against different enemy types.
Armor Passive | Why? |
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S Tier |
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Engineering Kit | Extra grenades are a game-changer, allowing you to close bug holes, destroy fabricators and warp ships, and tear through armor with Thermites. The possibilities are endless. |
Med-Kit | The ability to heal more often is a powerful advantage in *Helldivers 2*. When combined with the Experimental Infusion booster, stims can essentially cheat death, making the Med-Kit unparalleled for survival. |
Siege-Ready | Recently introduced, Siege-Ready is one of the best armor passives in *Helldivers 2*. The increased ammo count and faster reloads make handling large crowds easier, especially with ammo-hungry weapons. |
A Tier |
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Democracy Protects | It provides a solid defense boost, particularly in the early game, allowing you to survive lethal damage from all directions. |
Extra Padding | Higher armor rating offers flat damage resistance across the board, making it a reliable choice. |
Fortified | Highly useful in general, but becomes an S-tier passive when fighting Automatons. It helps you survive rockets from Devastators, Hulks, and Tanks while enhancing weapons like the Machine Gun to shred bots with precision. |
Servo-Assisted | Particularly effective against Terminids, the increased throwing range allows you to deploy stratagems from a distance without drawing aggro, or toss grenades to close bug holes. It also helps avoid injuries from claw attacks. |
B Tier |
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Peak Physique | While the reduced drag is useful against mobile enemies like the Illuminate Overseers, melee combat is generally not advisable, and there are better ways to deal with these threats. |
Inflammable | Ideal for fire-based builds, especially on planets with fire tornadoes. It's situational but valuable when using Flamethrowers and Incendiaries against Terminids and the Illuminate. |
Scout | The radar effect is useful for revealing enemy positions, allowing you to adjust your approach to different threats. It would rank higher if it also highlighted points of interest or side objectives. |
C Tier |
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Acclimated | The three factions in *Helldivers 2* specialize in specific elemental damage types, so you won't encounter all four types—acid, electrical, fire, and gas—in a single mission. |
Advanced Filtration | It offers zero value if you're not running a gas build, and even then, the benefits are minimal. |
Electrical Conduit | This passive is only worth considering against the Illuminate, and even then, there are better options—unless friendly fire is a concern. |
Unflinching | The reduced camera shakes and damage recoil barely improve combat effectiveness. |