Community Question: Armor or Speed?

[Desolane900]

Speed: Harder to hit, easier to dodge things.

Armor: Get stun locked, take more damage.

Personally I'd prefer running naked with an SMG but others might prefer B18.

[Karmac]

armor.

[EXOTICISME]

Naked + Hyperzine + Gun that doesn't decrease your speed

[Katsukai]

Just wear armor and use gyro if you prefer speed.

[Staton]

speed
i took hyperzine and was sprinting halfway across the map chasing down xenos with buckshot
theres not a better feeling

armor isnt going to save you unless you can eliminate the threat, theres no running away and sometimes that isnt a viable option

[Feweh]

Armor

I dont care how fast you are, if I see someone unarmored even without a helmet... youre my first target.

I see someone with b18 armor? I probably wont bother you.

[Boltersam]

Armour. It's really for the protection against FF and more survivability, even with the stunlocks, it's not like you'll ever beat the Xenos in speed, so armour's a good bet in my experience.

[caleeb101]

I can't decide. On one hand, armor only protects you from so much damage and it only takes that single Rifle burst to break bones with it. A single shot with AP. And then xenos can tear you up easy enough already. So actually.. what's the point in armor. I changed my mind.

[spheretech]

In ss13 stuns are everything, and to avoid stuns you need speed. Therefor speed is everything. However, after the new armor slow I would rather take a b18 with the speed penalty than run around with no armor.

[ZDashe]

Mix of both. I would take any armor except B18. However, I won't take SMG or gyro just for running fast. I'll unwield my weapon if I gotta go fast, then ADS when I wanna shoot.

[Swagile]

Armor if I am with a competent squad.

Speed if my squad sucks or if I am usually alone / in 2 man teams.

Armor really means little if you get pounced and slashed up since it barely negates damage against the Mature + tiers. A Mature Runner can tackle and slash you enough to fuck you up even if you have armor on so really it doesn't matter in the long run; you either die quickly, or you die slowly to internal damage with armor on.

Also, barely any xenos aim for the chest where the armor actually matters, so you really won't feel much from dropping your chest armor besides losing a slot to put your gun in. Only helmet, boots, and gloves matter in terms of armor and I don't think they actually give slowdown.

As said bofore, though, if you want the best of both worlds go gyro shotgun as you can run up and dodge very well and cuckshotting xenos is very satisfying.

[Crab_Spider]

Speed. My playstyle is lightning bruiser, and because I'm always on weeds as a Marine and Xeno, I need to know when and where to move, and because riot shield RNG has a rather low deflect chance, I have to time the frames for neuro spits and stop myself from being tackled.

[MrJJJ]

Speed is definite, speed requires skill and is nearly vital to avoid some things, like a crusher charge, pounce, rav charge, queen screech, etc, its great once you get hyperzine + powerful weapon + synaptizine, the armor is too RNGey, as it can even fail to actually do its job and protect you because it rolled 100's on all its rolls and your b18 cool armor was ignored and a young hunter broke your skull with a tailstab

Oh yeah, its also fairly useless against bullets, like AP, 1 hit is broken chest

[coroneljones]

Yes...

[McRipfist]

Speed matters not when you're surrounded by crazed madmen armed with pulse rifles and shotguns. Oh, and bayonets.

[Casgair]

Personally I find my survivability is far higher running Frenzy than Guarding as a Drone -- and that's not so much to try and robust marines as get in/out quickly to re-weed or acid flares. Likewise, Frenzy helps slow movers like Boilers actually have a chance to get out of a kill zone.

Definitely Speed on the Xeno end.

[Renomaki]

At first, I was going to simply join in and state my opinion until I realized that this discussion is rather... Poorly informed.

So, while your opinion might not change, allow me to state the real differences between having armor and having no armor.

______

Armor

Ups:

1: You get decent protection against melee and ranged attacks. While it might not be all that great against xenos in the long run, it never hurts to have a little something to reduce the possible damage from friendly fire (provided they aren't using AP).

2: Every suit of armor comes with a standard issue shoulder-lamp, which allows you to bring a light source without having to use up an inventory slot for a flashlight. It isn't as strong as a rail-light, but it also means you'll be free to use other rail attachments for your gun if you wanted to (or none at all)

3: All standard issue armor not only comes with a weapon hook to hang your gun off of (allowing you to keep both hands free for handywork), they also have two built in pockets to store small items inside (such as ammo or flares).

Downs:

1: Armor reduces your mobility slightly, making it a bit easier for xenos to hit you and catch up with you.

2: Your armor is strongest at it's center, so areas far from it (hands and feet) are unprotected and easy pickings for cruel xenos. It also can easily be penetrated by AP, which is infamous for breaking bones with ease and ripping apart organs.

______

No armor

Ups:

1: you have more mobility without armor, allowing you more flexibility on the field and an easier time avoiding certain attacks.

Downs:

1: you trade off protection for speed, meaning you are a squishier target than the average marine, who is already pretty squishy WITH armor. Friendly fire is even worse without armor, where a mere pistol bullet can break your bones and induce horrible pain.

2: No armor means no weapon hook, meaning no place to hang your weapon when you need both hands. You could sling your weapon over your back or grab a holster for it, but then you have to give up either your ammo belt or your backback, meaning you have less inventory space to work with, meaning less ammo/supplies for you.

3: You are FORCED to get a rail-light for your gun in order to see, since you won't have a shoulder-light to work with. It's either that, or you are forced to give up a pocket slot to hold a portable light source (such as normal flashlight or flare) on you at all times. You could also just stick really close to your armored mates, but then your LoS is limited to only what your friends see, not what you can see, making you easier to ambush.

4: you look really stupid running around without your armor on, kinda like if the CO decided to trade out his fancy uniform for a pair of marine PJs.

______


Really, when you take all this into account, I'd rather stick with armor. I'd rather adapt to the slowdown than be forced to cripple myself for a little bit of extra speed.

[RedOktober12]

Looking back at the majority of my deaths, there's usually an element of FF involved, which armor actually helps with. So on the one hand, I can risk getting crited by that baldie burst, or get away with a quick trip to the medic. I just find it best to assume that i am not a robust god, and I will at some point be pounced/crushed/boiled by a xeno on top of the lungful of 10mm I inevitably receive. Armor is the difference between being salty in dead chat and living to try again.

[YungCuz]

I mean speed is important cause it means you can get away faster but armor also means protection so i'm torn between the two.

[4thsurviver]

Armor. Riot Armor especially when I get the choice. I got cornered in the brig by an elite Runner and a mature one with no escape. I got bounced around and took like 20 hits before they finally killed me. If I was robust at combat or that PMC didn't kill them self I could have lived.

[Imperator_Titan]

So we're talking about dark souls playstyles? I personally prefer speed.
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Yes, I am that guy who takes off all clothing and runs into battle naked with a greatsword in dark souls. Yes, I do the exact same in CM.





Don'tjudgeme.jpg

[EXOTICISME]

I got broken head after three hit from young runner.. does helmet that got broken from hugger lost it's resistance? I might start yelling for more helmets more when i play marines

[Jay Burns]

Armour.

As someone that plays Rav fairly often, If i see a marine with no armour your fucked kiddo, one charge and you are insta ded.

[DerpinMcDerpDerp]

Yes...

is it a bug or a feature

[Snypehunter007]

Armor, unless you want to be arrested by the MPs or targeted by xenos.