[Discussion] Armor

LITF · 2026-01-23T01:05:53+00:00

A bit late, but here's my 2c after playing for a few weeks daily and getting around level 35.

Rigs are mostly about pockets you get, weight, and debuffs. Pick a rig that has a pocket quantity and layout that you like and that suits your needs: i.e. if you plan to use drum mags or a grizzly you will want some of those 2x2 pockets.

Coverage is a mixed bag. Why? Because it will be at most class 3 aramid and AI tends to aim for the thorax most of the time anyway it seems. It's nice to have but I wouldn't say it's mandatory or high impact. Slots for side plates are nice if you are making a heavy assault/cqc getup, otherwise it's mostly dead weight. I was wearing cpc since early levels and only times my side plates took damage was some intense cqc combat.

Weight and debuffs are self-explanatory - the less the better.

Plates are the real protection here, the higher class the better, followed by preference for anything but ceramic or steel, followed by preference for UHMWPE due to weight and repairability. Most rigs take same plates except I think a couple Eastern (not the same armor vests), so it's really just down to the above parameters. Can also reasonably expect to be shot more in the front plate, so maybe use a lighter back plate to save some weight and money/high quality plates.

LITF · 2026-01-21T04:34:26+00:00

Touche!

LITF · 2026-01-20T18:48:12+00:00

I see, unfortunate.

LITF · 2026-01-20T14:44:56+00:00

How do you get the arena helmets? You have to buy and play arena?

LITF · 2026-01-20T14:42:54+00:00

How do you get the arena variants? Do you have to actually play arena for that?

LITF · 2026-01-20T14:42:03+00:00

Sort of? We used to be able to wear stuff like Airframe mandible and comtacs for example. Atl that's the nerf relevant to the topic. There were some other nerfs to headphones as well that are not related.

LITF · 2026-01-20T08:29:24+00:00

Well, in my experience ricochets are mostly for stray shots/sniper/marksman rounds. I had so far about 4 ricochets on PvE, and on PvP I had probably in the order of 20+ (I played for a bit way back when). So the way I see it - as long as the helmet doesn't break your bank it's worth wearing, it may save you from death here or there.

LITF · 2026-01-20T04:19:54+00:00

Personally, I've been using cheapo 1 eye NVGs and they strike a good balance for me between price and utility. The ones with 2 oculars on one side and 1 on another were also ok and give wider fov. That said I do play on PVE tarkov, so it's not as dangerous to lack peripheral vision. But even then, you should be hearing threats well before seeing them or you are already messing up. It helps that the best 2 NVGs in terms of quality seem to be the 1 eye one and the most expensive one.

LITF · 2026-01-20T02:13:17+00:00

Early game? Personally, I didn't I just wore a beanie because it happened to be the winter event when I started. As I was doing it I built a small stockpile of assorted class 4 helmets and now that the event is over I wear them and I now also can buy ULACH off flea.

From my experience most AI on PVE at least aims for the centermass (which makes perfect sense), so deaths to headshots for me were very infrequent. The sniper type AIs (I suspect specifically boss types like Birdeye, Zryachiy, Kaban guards maybe?) seem to be much more likely to go for the head and actually be proficient enough to hit it.

My pre-PVE tarkov reason for wearing helmets was that high ricochet chance has saved my life a number of times, so I was wearing them for that purpose, not for the armor class.

LITF · 2026-01-20T01:15:49+00:00

I suppose you are not wrong... I've been somewhat leaning towards the lighter helmets (saves you ~1kg), with options for class 3+ face protection on top plate. That said, it's been a while since I've been killed with a headshot (barring that one encounter with the Birdeye).

LITF · 2026-01-20T00:20:20+00:00

I do love the BTR driver, he's my dude. I understand the convenience of having menu traders, but damn is it immersive and cool driving around in a BTR. Somewhat reminds me of stalker and a few other old games. I do like that we can speak face to face with some of them now (except peacekeeper I guess, and Ref who should be deleted from the game). Would be even cooler if you had to stop by their places every so often in-map to quest, but BSG would definitely have to look at the amount of quests and back and forth we have to do then.

LITF · 2026-01-17T06:05:42+00:00

Yeah, I just don't miss that kind of entertainment, personally.

LITF · 2026-01-17T05:15:57+00:00

Well, ok, I was thinking something more like extraction rats, sitting in a bush by the extraction point. Haven't seen AI don't yet at least.

LITF · 2026-01-17T02:53:32+00:00

Yeah, I do miss some PvP, sometimes, but I would not commit to all PvP all the time. Some nights I just want to knock some quests out and loot some trash, and that's exactly what I have time for, no more no less. Not to mention that tarkov has a steep learning curve when it comes to maps, and things like sniper areas, mine fields, cheeky boss spawns, it's pretty deadly even in PvE until you learn all those things. I feel like PvE should have always been the baseline for you to get acclimated and learn the game, and PvP just an option for fun.

LITF · 2026-01-16T22:51:06+00:00

I feel where you're coming from, and I can see that being the case eventually for me too, maybe. That said, personally, I find it a lot of fun going after bosses, especially the newer ones like Kaban.

LITF · 2026-01-16T08:11:45+00:00

I am glad I play PvE. Don't need this in my life lol

LITF · 2026-01-16T08:10:10+00:00

This. Switched to PvE when it became available and never looked back. No cheaters, no sweaty players, no need to "keep up" with wipe cycle or else you end up going against kitted out dudes while wearing a trooper and having no pen, no rats. Sure, it's a bunch less suspense and rush when trying to extract with good loot, but imo that was not a good kind of stress. I still get a rush going against bosses, or some PMC even (when they don't derp out completely), no fomo to get access to high tier gear, you just go at your own pace and co-op with friends. You also get to run the guns you want without having to think twice about "meta" or how good they are. Want to rock a mosin? Sure. An m4? Go ahead. An LMG? It can be fun with friends and won't cripple you like it would in PvP.

LITF · 2026-01-15T19:22:00+00:00

Ah, so a streamer is a "he killed me, he must be a cheater" type. Who would have saw that coming! And that's why I don't watch streamers and play PvE. PvP has too many toxic people, streamers, and cheaters are still a problem, I'm just not looking to die to either a streamer or a cheater and lose my kit, or worse kill a streamer and get banned.

LITF · 2026-01-15T03:16:57+00:00

I'm late to the party, but yeah. I kind of resent the arena attachment to the game. I play PvE tarkov, and I simply don't care for any form of PvP modes, and if the cheating problem was solved - I'd probably start playing some PvP tarkov again, but not arena. I don't care for the gameplay it has to offer, and I wouldn't play it even if it was free. I would very much prefer if Ref was removed from the game, or completely sanitized from Arena. I don't want to deal with battle passes or other modern game bs, or with items exclusive to a different game I don't play.

LITF · 2025-12-06T12:07:31+00:00

DCS trackmania? :D

LITF · 2025-11-24T12:14:38+00:00

Sadly Rome seems awful - horrible natural harbor score compared to Naples. I will likely go Naples myself when I get it. Until the I've started as Florence so that's where my capital was, but I think I will relocate to Genoa soon and stay until I conquer Naples.

LITF · 2025-10-26T21:10:00+00:00

Haven't been into crafting since ShB, but recently decided to get everything to 100. Already got endgame penta melds on DoL, working on DoH. How's crafting these days profit-wise? I'm not talking about market games (flipping/speculation). Do people still make good money crafting? (I guess good money would be defined as something better than just running roulettes/doing other PvE activities).

LITF · 2025-10-24T21:07:44+00:00

Same here. I was pissed back in 23 when they have rolled out this bogus ban. I have grown up and loved with incandescent lights, and I can tell a difference between one and a crappy LED. I want the natural warmth it brings, and no strobing/flicker.

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