Armor is protective equipment worn on the body of characters. Armor functions similarly in Xenoblade Chronicles X as it did in Xenoblade Chronicles. It can be equipped to party members and used to raise various stats in battle.
Much like armor in Xenoblade Chronicles, it comes in different styles for different characters, although unlike in Xenoblade Chronicles most armor in Xenoblade Chronicles X retains its general appearance between characters of the same gender. Having a complete set of armor gives a bonus in combat. However, there are differences between the two games. For example in Xenoblade Chronicles X, lighter armor doesn't increase critical chances and damage.
Types of Armor
There are six different categories of armor in the game.
Casual Wear - Armor in this category offers little in the way of defense, but usually has more points in resistances and more abilities. While most offer no upgrades, they typically contain one or more augment slots and may have special augments built in. Casual Wear cannot be obtained from enemies. Casual wear has no level requirements.
BLADE Wear - Made only by Sakuraba Industries, this class of armor offers comparable defense to light armor but with lessened resistance.
Light Wear - Slightly more defense than casual armor, a little less resistances than casual armor, and usually contain some abilities.
Medium Wear - Higher defense than Light armor, with a penalty to Gravity Resistance and often fewer upgrades.
Heavy Wear - Much higher defenses than medium, but comes at a much greater penalty to Gravity Resistance and has limited upgrades.
Skell Wear - Gear made only by Sakuraba Industries and Grenada Galactic Group, designed to empower Skells while piloting one. Has more upgrades but has limited effectiveness in ground combat. Some pieces of Skell wear have built-in augments which affect Skells, although Skell augments can not be equipped in any empty augment slots.
Upgrading Armor
Built-in augments on armor can be upgraded with the AM Terminal's "Upgrade Battle Traits" function. Every armor piece has an "Upgrade x/x" stat. This indicates how many times the armor's abilities have been upgraded out of the maximum allowed.
Resistances
Resistances are an armor mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles X. These act as modifiers to incoming damage of the specified type. Positive resistance values decrease damage taken by that percentage, while negative resistance values increase damage taken.
The following resistances can be found on armor:
- Physical Resistance
- Beam Resistance
- Ether Resistance
- Thermal Resistance
- Electric Resistance
- Gravity Resistance
Tiers
In addition to type, armor is also divided into tiers. Armor that share a tier have the same level requirements in order to be equipped, and each tier is ten levels higher than the previous. Salvaged armor may be "Worn" (can be equipped three levels earlier) or "Advanced" (slightly stronger but requires three more levels). Armor from Six Stars have tiers that are named differently from armor tiers for other Arms Manufacturers. The armor tiers are in ascending power: Survival (5), Combat (15), Vivid/Warrior's (25), Valor/Vanquisher's (35), Forza/Overlord's (45), and Reginal/Mother God's (55). There are two higher tiers of armor, Ultra Regal/Deific (60) and Ultra Infinite/Boundless (60), which are not purchasable in stores and must instead be obtained from high-leveled enemies.
Worn armor is usually obtained from enemies in the 1-5 level range, while Advanced armor is usually obtained from enemies in the 6-0 range. It is possible for an enemy to, more rarely, drop armor from the tier above. For example, a level 32 enemy could rarely drop an Advanced Valor armor piece (normally Worn Valor), and a level 59 enemy could rarely drop an Ultra Regal armor piece (normally Advanced Reginal).
Armor Names
Each Arms Manufacturer that produces armor gives each armor piece a specific name.
BLADE Wear
AM | Head | Torso | Arms L/R | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Headset | Shirt | Sleeve | Pants |
Unknown | Comm | Plastron | Bangle | Cords |
Light Armor
AM | Head | Torso | Arms L/R | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Visor | Vest | Guard | Boots |
Grenada Galactic Group | Veyes | Norak | Tecta | Brogs |
Candid & Credible | Screen | Breaker | Ward | Trudgers |
Meredith & Co. | Vizard | Vestis | Armilla | Ocreis |
Orphean Technologies | Yii | Yimsel | Yiys | Yiym |
Six Stars | Mask | Light tier Plate | Bracer | Sabatons |
Medium
AM | Head | Torso | Arms L/R | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Goggles | Bodywear | Glove | Footwear |
Grenada Galactic Group | Spex | Torse | Quantlet | Soales |
Candid & Credible | Sights | Encaser | Grip | Distancers |
Meredith & Co. | Vitra | Corpus | Chiro | Plantars |
Orphean Technologies | Ayx | Mayx | Mayx | Nyx |
Six Stars | Crest | Plate | Gauntlet | Greaves |
Heavy
AM | Head | Torso | Arms L/R | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Headwear | Armor | Armwear | Legwear |
Grenada Galactic Group | Tuesta | Ryg | Brax | Traves |
Candid & Credible | Armet | Bulwark | Wrest | Stabilizers |
Meredith & Co. | Cassida | Arma | Manus | Crura |
Orphean Technologies | Zyi | Zyua | Zyua | Zyum |
Six Stars | Helm | Heavy tier Plate | Vambrace | Heavy tier Greaves |
Skell Wear
AM | Head | Torso | Arms L/R | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Helmet | Suit | Mitt | Leggings |
Grenada Galactic Group | Casca | Raim | Guante | Tythes |
Armor Drops by Enemy
Most enemy species have ground armor as part of their drop tables. Every member of a species that drops armor will always drop pieces of the same armor set, as detailed below. Of these species, some drop armor that is unlocked later in the game or at a high AM Level. These species drop different armor if they are at or below the minimum purchasable level for the non-default armor sets. They are marked with ※, and only for the low-leveled variants. Puges and Pugiliths drop ground armor, but only if they are level 10 or below.
BLADE Wear
AM | Enemy |
---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Caecus, Evello, Grex, Murra, Petramand※, Potamus, Turba※ |
Light Armor
Medium Armor
AM | Enemy |
---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Adsecula※, Auravis※, Cantor, Cinicula, Duoguill※, Germivore※, Lepyx, Papil※, Tectinsula, Vesper※ |
Grenada Galactic Group | Aprica, Dilus, Forfex, Mortifole※, Ovis※, Prone, Puge, Pugilith, Simius※, Suid※ |
Candid & Credible | Duoguill, Scintimure |
Meredith & Co. | Arenatect, Definian, Purgovent |
Orphean Technologies | Auravis, Levitath |
Six Stars | Papil, Tersqual |
Heavy Armor
Skell Wear
AM | Enemy |
---|---|
Sakuraba Industries | Falsaxum, Petramand, Turba |
Grenada Galactic Group | Aeviter, Suid (male), Virago |
No Armor
The following enemy species do not drop armor:
- Aetrygon
- Blatta
- Chimera
- Ganglion Command
- Marnuck
- All Mechanoids (except low-level Puge and Pugilith)
- Mephite
- Milsaadi
- Monoceros
- Progen
- Sabula
- Sphinx
- Telethia
- Terebra
- Thallus
- Unafulge
- Visigel
- Vivohast
- Wrothian
- Xiphias
- Yggralith
Fashion Gear
Fashion Gear allows a character to use the stats from one piece of armor while having the appearance of a different piece. Fashion Gear can be equipped from the Ground Gear menu by pressing X and selecting "Change Fashion Gear". Fashion Gear can be removed from within the Change Fashion Gear menu by pressing X and selecting "Remove Gear". Armor cannot be equipped as Fashion Gear if the character does not meet the minimum level to wear it.