Armorsmith Archive

I'm currently working on a new section for the Guide involving different styles of composite. It will discuss the different types of composite that master armocrafters often make and suggest experimental paths that a crafter would take to make them. While I recognize that this is often what an armorsmith considers part of his or her "trade secrets", I'd like to present the information in an attempt to provide a broader base of knowledge for everyone. So, feel free to suggest any other armor designs that you like to make, using the same format that I've used (or suggest a better one).

Armor types:

1. Unlayered composite

2. Standard triple-layered composite

3. Kinetic composite

4. Stun composite

5. Heavy composite

1. Unlayered composite: This is the first type of armor many new smiths will make and is a good mainstay even for experienced armorsmiths. It is fairly light, for composite, and can be made with an encumbrance that is wearable by most species even unsliced. Resists aren't spectacular, but with good resources they can easily hit 55% or higher.

Resource selection: Focus on resources with high OQ/SR for both segments and the final combine.

Experimental design: Place all experimentation points in Effectiveness for both segments and the final combine. Place any leftover points in Durability.

2. Standard triple-layered composite: This is the standard medium weight armor and is the most practical way to get above 60% base resists. By using electricity layers a smith can avoid shifting any of the base resists into the special resist category, thus allowing a good slice to raise nearly all the resists.

Resource selection: Focus on resources with high OQ/Mall for layers and high SR/OQ for segments and the final combine.

Experimental design: Place all experimentation points in Durability for layers, with any leftover points being placed in Effectiveness. For the segments and the final combine, first place experimentation points in Effectiveness, then in durability.

3. Kinetic composite: This is the first type of truly advanced armor. It is made by combining kinetic layers with advanced segments. The goal is to hit 80% kinetic resists while retaining as high an effectiveness, and as low an encumbrance, as possible.

Resource selection: Choose resources that are balanced across OQ/SR and Mall, emphasizing the OQ. For high level smiths (11 or 12 experimentation points), focus first on resources with high Mall.

Experimental design: For layers, you will need the Effectiveness + Kinetic resist to be around 10%. With high quality segment and final combine resources this can sometimes be as low as 7 or 8%. Careful experimentation with the smith's personal store of resources is necessary to determine the exact values. Place any leftover experimentation points in HAM. Advanced smiths may find it helpful to first experiment HAM as low as possible, then split their remaining points between special resists and effectiveness for the layers. Continue to experiment effectiveness first on both the segments and the final combine, placing any leftover points in durability.

4. Stun composite: There are two forms of this armor, high stun composite and minimal stun composite. Minimal stun composite is useful because it remove stun as a vulnerability, allowing the armor to function as AP1 against stun weapons. This effectively reduces stun damage against AP0 weapons by 50%. High stun composite can have a stun resistance as high as 37% or so, although base resists will suffer somewhat, as will encumbrance costs.

Resource selection: When making minimal stun composite, focus on OQ/Mallfor the layers. For high stun composite, emphasize SR/OQ. Continue to seek high OQ/SR resources for the layers and final combine. Don't forget you're going to need Crism Silcastic Ore and Vertex Crystalline Gemstone for the layers.

Experimental design: For minimal stun composite, use only one stun layer and make the rest electric layers, all experimented primarily for encumbrance with any leftover points going into effectiveness. For high stun composite, first experiment the stun resistance on the layers, then place any leftover points in effectiveness. Segments and the final combine should be experimented as normal, with all points going first into effectiveness and then into durability.

5. Heavy Composite: This type of armor can have base resists as high as 71% if you use good resources. While it is extremely heavy (upwards of 900 HAM is not uncommen), it can be sliced as high as 90% with a good effectiveness slice. It remains weak to stun damage, though. Generally it is made by using three blast layers, as these permit the use of ferrous metals, which have high SR's.

Resource selection: Seek out resources with as high a SR/OQ as possible. Ideally both should be above 950 for the layers, although 900 is acceptable.

Experimental design: Place all points into Effectiveness at all levels. Any remaining points should be placed into HAM.

Waals Industries

-Armor for the new Imperium-

www.hrafnwarband.org

Great post man! I'm looking forward to playing with these techniques in the next couple of days!

"Yes, but, I'd gladly trade it all for a little more." -M. Burns

Hawk

Hawk

Man thats a great post thanks.

I've just been making 80/66 heavy and have made about 2 mil in a couple weeks. it will be nice to offer a wider selection of comp types

Heres an idea for low ham stun comp. Exp all into effectivness say up too 10% (final result 30% stun) with rest into durability, and then experementing on durabilityon the segment with the rest into special effectiveness. Should result in the 50, 30% stun range. (rough estimate) While keeping the HAM at a resonable lvl.

I have not tested it yet but i think it would resemble a medium suit that was mentioned in the above post. (dur on layers and spec eff on segments)