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Helldivers 2 categorizes armor into light, medium, and heavy types, each impacting mobility and defense. However, the real power lies in the armor passives—powerful perks significantly altering gameplay.
Choosing the right passive is crucial for survival and combat effectiveness. Our updated tier list analyzes Helldivers 2's armor passives, guiding you to optimal selections for any mission.
All Armor Passives & What They Do in Helldivers 2
Currently, Helldivers 2 boasts 14 armor passives. Each defines your playstyle and combat effectiveness, from damage absorption to enhanced scouting. The right passive is key to adapting to diverse mission challenges. Note that in Helldivers 2, passives are tied to body armor only; helmets and capes offer no additional bonuses.
Here's a complete list of Helldivers 2 armor passives and their effects:
Armor Passive | Description |
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Acclimated | 50% resistance to acid, electrical, fire, and gas damage. |
Advanced Filtration | 80% resistance to gas damage. |
Democracy Protects | 50% chance to survive lethal attacks (like headshots); prevents chest injuries (e.g., internal bleeding). |
Electrical Conduit | 95% resistance to lightning arc damage. |
Engineering Kit | +2 grenade capacity; 30% recoil reduction while crouching or prone. |
Extra Padding | +50 armor rating. |
Fortified | 50% resistance to explosive damage; 30% recoil reduction while crouching or prone. |
Inflammable | 75% resistance to fire damage. |
Med-Kit | +2 stim capacity; +2 seconds stim duration. |
Peak Physique | 100% increased melee damage; improved weapon handling (reduced weapon movement drag). |
Scout | 30% reduced enemy detection range; map markers generate radar scans revealing nearby enemies. |
Servo-Assisted | 30% increased throwing range; 50% additional limb health. |
Siege-Ready | 30% increased primary weapon reload speed; 30% increased primary weapon ammo capacity. |
Unflinching | 95% reduced recoil flinching. |
Armor Passive Tier List in Helldivers 2
This tier list reflects Helldivers 2 version 1.002.003, ranking passives based on overall value, utility, and effectiveness across missions and enemy types.
Tier | Armor Passive | Why? |
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S Tier | Engineering Kit | Extra grenades are invaluable for closing bug holes, destroying fabricators, and more. |
Med-Kit | Increased healing frequency significantly improves survival, especially with Experimental Infusion. |
Siege-Ready | Improved ammo and reload speed are game-changing, particularly against large enemy groups. |
A Tier | Democracy Protects | Solid early-game defense, increasing survival against lethal damage. |
Extra Padding | Increased armor rating provides broad damage resistance. |
Fortified | Excellent against Automatons, mitigating explosive damage and enhancing weapon effectiveness. |
Servo-Assisted | Highly effective against Terminids, allowing for safer stratagem deployment and reducing injury risk. |
B Tier | Peak Physique | Useful for reduced weapon drag but generally outweighed by other options. |
Inflammable | Situational, but strong for fire-based builds, especially against fire-vulnerable enemies. |
Scout | Useful for revealing enemy positions, but lacks additional benefits. |
C Tier | Acclimated | Limited effectiveness due to rarely encountering all four damage types simultaneously. |
Advanced Filtration | Only beneficial for gas-focused builds. |
Electrical Conduit | Mainly useful against the Illuminate, but other options often prove superior. |
Unflinching | Minimal impact on combat effectiveness. |