Armor changes both the loss per life and the number of repeat deployments.
01 Hold the rest of the kit constant
Community records list light armor at $400, medium at $1,000 and heavy at $2,000. Keep weapon, medical gear and helmet constant while swapping armor to see the kit difference.
02 Calculate the upgrade
Moving from light to medium adds $600 base cost; medium to heavy adds $1,000. Over three planned deployments, those differences accumulate. Verify protection effects in the current game build.
03 Count the helmet too
An armor upgrade may be paired with a helmet upgrade. Budget both before deciding the full kit is affordable.
04 Choose by role and cash
Objective entry may put more weight on protection; recon or transport may reserve cash for mobility. Without controlled survival data, there is no universal best armor here.
Put it into practice
Check equipment in the database, then calculate the full kit in the planner. Revisit official announcements when the build changes.
Specific questions to solve
Sources and scope
Gameplay is grounded in the official Steam page; prices use public community records as leads. This is an independently written player guide, not an official manual.
Steam Official announcements