STALKER 2: Best Armor, Ranked

You know that feeling when your friends are all waiting for you but you are still choosing what to wear? That is just about the only aspect where a Manhattan socialite and a stalker can relate to each other.

Picking the best armor in STALKER 2 requires knowing the specifics of the mission, as each suit has different pros and cons that can make them brilliant or barely above garbage depending on where you take them.

This list covers the best suits to rock in the Zone, including their weight, pros, cons, and where to find these fine fits in the desolate wildlands in and around Pripyat.

In the spirit of fairness, this list does not include armor that is locked behind the premium editions of the game.

Also missing is the X7 suit you get past the point of no return, as there is no way to use it outside the game’s final missions.

8 SEVA-V

For Free Spirits

Although their lower-tier suits are nothing to write home about, the Freedom version of the SEVA is the best one in the game.

The SEVA is an all-purpose suit that matches a bulletproof vest with a closed-cycle airflow system.

The Freedom version has excellent radiation protection and workable stats for all other threats besides thermal anomalies, making it ideal for exploration missions where you do not know what to expect.

7 SSP-100 Discovery

On The Front Line Of Science

Anyone who has gone for an expedition in the Zone wearing the bright orange SSP-99 knows how naked you feel wearing that thing.

The SSP-100 Discovery is the scientist’s answer to that, conjuring an exploration suit that is good against radiation and anomalies but does not fall apart if you get shot at.

At 8kg, the Discovery suit weighs twice as much as its predecessor, but it offers better protection in all fields.

Like the SSP-99, the SSP-100 does not have psi protection, though this is available through aftermarket mods.

If you are not up for digging around the WSD Base, certain traders have it in stock.

6 Corundum Suit

A Muscle-Powered Walking Tank

If you have fought a Monolithian, you know how tough those bastards are.

Although the C-Consciousness has made them a lot tougher than your lousy bandit, the Corundum Suit plays a big role in making Monolith troopers walking tanks.

This 10kg monster with no augmentations is perfect to storm or defend a garrison. Unlike exosuits, you can sprint in this, so you are not dragging yourself from cover to cover.

Due to its heavy weight and poor anomalous protection, this is not the kind of drip you roll down with to go artifact hunting, but if you need to kill something, this is it.

5 PSZ-5D Universal Protection

Radioactive Monster Hunters

Every Zone veteran knows what when it comes to suits, Duty has it better than everyone.

These Army LARPers combine their access to government stockpiles with stalker expertise, producing the best series of regular stalker suits on the market.

The PSZ-5D represents the zenith of light armor, offering strong physical and radiation protection on par with the Corundum at a much lower weight.

On the flip side, this suit borders on worthless against anomalies, so keep it for firefights and chill scavenging runs rather than artifact hunting (unless you are the type to dive into flames in a leather jacket early on).

4 PSZ-9I Falcon

Guerrilla Psi Warfare

Ever since the days when Strelok made his first trip to the north, the PSZ-9 suit had cemented its reputation as the heavy suit of choice for most factions.

When Spark transitioned from escorting ecologists to guerrilla warfare against the Ward, it adopted the PSZ-9I Falcon.

This full complex has a suit, helmet, and gas mask. Although its protective capabilities are in line with other PSZ-9 models in the Zone, the Falcon is the undisputed leader in psi protection.

If you can get your hands on this bad boy, otherwise deadly things like Controllers and psi-emitters become a cakewalk. The anomalous protection on the PSZ-9I is its weak spot, but it is still workable for daily use.

3 Diamond Exoskeleton

The Wish Granter

The Diamond Exoskeleton is the armor of choice for Monolith stormtroopers.

Despite the faction being on the entire Zone’s hit list, its technological affinity shows.

This exoskeleton offers strong protection against radiation and impacts, but it stands out from its peers by offering a decent defense against anomalies and psi effects.

For hopeless loot goblins, the Diamond weighs only 9.5kg, making it the lightest of its class.

2 PSZ-21W Shturm

Indestructible Mall Cop

Since its arrival, the Ward has found a way to piss off just about every faction in the Zone. With a lot of enemies comes a lot of fighting, and that is what the PSZ-21W Shturm exoskeleton excels at.

The PSZ-21W has the joint highest physical protection stats in the game, with strong radioactive protection, decent psi resistance, and workable numbers against anomalies.

What makes this suit most impressive is that it delivers all of this at only 13kg. This all-rounder is what you want to rock up when pushing through Pripyat, as that is a land of few friends.

1 Liberty Exoskeleton

Freedom Through Violence

If the PSZ-21W is good, the Liberty is great. The Freedom elite trooper suit gets all of the good attributes of the Ward version and improves on them.

The Liberty Exoskeleton has the highest protection and radiation protection stats in the game, making you virtually impervious to bullets and rays.

On top of that, you get top-class psi protection and workable anomaly resistance. This suit weighs 10.5kg and is only accessible in Pripyat, but once you find it, this is an excellent fit for the last stretch of the story.