Despite ARK: Survival Ascended receiving a rough initial release back in October of 2023, the graphic update that came along with it was a welcome addition. To this day, a community of devoted players still sticks by it, even if much of the gameplay remains untouched from its previous entry.

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As with most other survival games, armor is an important part of a player's loadout. ARK: Survival Ascended requires the player to balance overall armor rating with cold and heat protection. And with one or two exceptions, there is no standard armor that can cover all bases. Some have a great armor rating but weak heat protection, for example. Note: this list is only going to cover all of the standard armor sets that all players can get. It won't include a limited edition of specially unlocked armor.

7 Fur Armor

Excellent Early Game Protection

Stats:

• Level: 23
• Rating: 200
• Cold: 249
• Heat: -105
• Weight: 34
• Durability: 125

Fur Armor has the worst heat protection but boasts the highest durability among the standard armor sets in ARK: Survival Ascended. Nevertheless, its use is highly situational and limited to biomes that do not demand heat protection. Conversely, in cold biomes, Fur Armor represents the pinnacle of protective gear.

Regrettably, replacing certain pieces with armor offering superior heat protection cannot adequately compensate for the lack of heat resistance. While Fur Armor ranks highest for durability, it falls short of being the most effective overall armor in the game and is the worst of all standard armor sets for heat protection.

6 Chitin Armor

Solid Armor Rating

Stats:

• Level: 37
• Rating: 250
• Cold: 43
• Heat: -35
• Weight: 22
• Durability: 50

Chitin Armour is categorized as mid-game gear in ARK: Survival Ascended. It provides a solid level of protection once the player reaches level 37 and serves as a versatile substitute for the Ghillie Suit. However, it offers minimal heat protection. However, this problem can be somewhat offset by combining chitin with other types of armor.

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Players often pair cloth armor pieces with Chitin Armor to address the heat protection issue, while maintaining a respectable overall armor rating. Until players unlock more advanced end-game armor, this combination likely offers the best overall armor protection with decent cold and heat protection available.

5 Hide Armor

Good For Mixing With Cloth Armor

Stats:

• Level: 15
• Rating: 100
• Cold: 85
• Heat: -25
• Weight: 10.5
• Durability: 45

Unlocked at level 15, Hide Armor provides a notable increase in armor rating compared to cloth armor. However, this improved rating is offset by its poor heat protection. However, it must be said that this low-level armor offers comparable heat protection to much higher-level armor.

Certain players opt to combine pieces of cloth and hide armor to achieve a balance between cold and heat protection while still benefiting from a higher armor rating than cloth armor alone offers. This strategy is considered one of the most effective approaches to achieving balanced armor stats until the later stages of the game.

4 Flak Armor

Excellent Mid-Game Armor

Stats:

• Level: 56
• Rating: 500
• Cold: 60
• Heat: -25
• Weight: 30
• Durability: 120

Obtainable at level 56, Flak Armor presents a reliable option for players entering the mid-game phase. Despite the common heat protection vulnerability seen in many armor sets, its substantial 500 armor protection at level 56 makes it highly appealing.

Like other armor sets, Flak Armor is frequently combined with cloth armor pieces to adjust heat and cold protection levels, creating a more balanced overall set. The usual combination is 2 cloth pieces, as this removes the negative heat protection stat.

3 Riot Armor

High-Level Armor With Great Rating

Stats:

• Level: 98
• Rating: 575
• Cold: 60
• Heat: -16.8
• Weight: 42
• Durability: 120

This armor set, featured in ARK: Survival Ascended, is designed for late-game use and offers exceptional protection when worn as a complete set. While it provides good overall defense, its heat protection is comparatively better than sets like chitin or hide. Although it still has a negative heat rating, it is far better than all other armor sets covered so far in this list.

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One notable advantage of Riot Armor is its ability to significantly reduce the amount of torpor inflicted on the wearer from external sources, such as melee weapons like a wooden club or ranged weapons like the slingshot. However, it does not protect against torpor caused by creature poison attacks. This armor has great PvP stats, though.

2 Cloth Armor

Basic Armor Protection

Stats:

• Level: 3
• Rating: 40
• Cold: 40
• Heat: 60
• Weight:3
• Durability: 25

Now we come to one of the only two armor sets that have positive heat protection. Cloth armor is the initial armor set accessible to new players in ARK: Survival Ascended. However, it remains a valuable asset even as players progress further in the game, just because of its excellent heat protection properties.

Due to its lightweight nature and excellent cold and heat protection, experienced players often keep a set of cloth armor in their inventory. This allows them to swiftly switch into it when encountering environments that require specific temperature protection, eliminating the need to return to base for equipment changes.

1 Ghillie Armor

Camouflage Armor

Stats:

• Level: 33
• Rating: 160
• Cold: 24
• Heat: 155
• Weight: 24
• Durability: 45

Featuring a respectable armor rating, good cold protection, and exceptional heat protection, the Ghillie suit is regarded by many ARK: Survival Ascended players as a versatile and practical choice for general use in most situations. Additionally, this armor provides camouflage, reducing the player's visibility range by half.

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However, the Ghillie suit is unlocked at level 34, which may require new players to wait sometime before gaining access to this armor set. For lower-level players, a combination of hide and cloth armor could serve as a suitable alternative. With its balanced protection, this armor has great PvE stats for most uses.

Ark: Survival Ascended

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

October 26, 2023

Developer(s)

Studio Wildcard

Genre(s)

Survival , Open-World