In XCOM 2, every unit’s survivability is crucial to the success of your missions. With limited soldiers and increasingly difficult encounters, protecting your squad from enemy fire can mean the difference between victory and a mission failure. One of the very first defensive options available to the player is the Kevlar Armor. Though it is the starting armor, understanding its role, limitations, and how it fits into the larger armor upgrade path is important for building an effective strategy early in the game.
Understanding Kevlar Armor in XCOM 2
Basic Armor Provided at the Start
Kevlar Armor is the default protective gear that every soldier begins with when a new game of XCOM 2 starts. It represents the baseline for survivability and is essential during the opening hours of the campaign. While not particularly strong, it offers modest protection and allows players to begin customizing their troops immediately through weapon and item choices.
Key Features of Kevlar Armor
- HP Bonus: +4 hit points
- Mobility: No movement penalty
- Modifiability: Supports some utility upgrades and cosmetic changes
- Default Gear: Provided without needing research or construction
Even though Kevlar Armor lacks advanced bonuses like armor points or heavy weapon support, it still serves as the foundation for your early missions and gives players a starting point to assess risk and survivability.
The Role of Kevlar Armor in Early Gameplay
Managing Risk During Initial Missions
In the early missions of XCOM 2, players face basic ADVENT forces, including Troopers, Officers, and Drones. Kevlar Armor provides just enough HP to survive one or two attacks, assuming careful positioning and use of cover. Since armor points are not part of Kevlar’s protection, avoiding damage entirely becomes more important.
Proper use of cover, Overwatch traps, and flanking enemies are essential to keep soldiers alive while still wearing Kevlar Armor. This armor doesn’t forgive poor tactical decisions, making the early phase of the campaign especially punishing for new players.
Synergy With Utility Items
One of Kevlar Armor’s greatest strengths is its compatibility with various utility items. Players can equip items like:
- Frag Grenades to destroy cover and deal damage
- Medikits to heal wounded allies
- Flashbangs to disorient enemies
- Smoke Grenades to provide defensive buffs
Since the armor itself doesn’t offer much defense, using the utility slot wisely can greatly improve a soldier’s survivability or offensive potential. Choosing the right loadout helps compensate for Kevlar’s shortcomings.
Limitations of Kevlar Armor
No Armor Points
The most notable weakness of Kevlar Armor is the complete absence of armor points. Armor points are damage-reduction values found in upgraded suits that help mitigate incoming fire. Without this feature, soldiers wearing Kevlar Armor take full damage from all enemy attacks unless shielded by abilities or cover.
Outclassed Quickly
Kevlar Armor is quickly outmatched as players progress through the tech tree. Once enemies like Mutons, Vipers, and Mechs begin to appear, the basic HP boost from Kevlar is no longer sufficient. Soldiers can be one-shot by stronger enemies if not handled carefully. As a result, upgrading to better armor becomes a priority after early missions.
No Heavy Weapon Integration
Kevlar Armor doesn’t allow for heavy weapons like rocket launchers or wrist-mounted blasters. These tools become available with suits like EXO and WAR Suits. Until then, soldiers equipped with Kevlar are limited to standard rifles, grenades, and class-specific skills.
Transitioning from Kevlar Armor
Research and Engineering Upgrades
Upgrading from Kevlar to better armor requires a combination of research and resources. The first upgrade path is the Plated Armor, which unlocks Predator Armor and EXO Suits. Researching Plated Armor as early as possible provides your team with the first real durability boost of the campaign.
- Research: Plated Armor (requires Alien Alloys and corpses)
- Cost: Supplies, Alloys, and Elerium
- Facilities Needed: Proving Ground for EXO and WAR Suit creation
Investing in these upgrades significantly enhances your squad’s survivability and unlocks new tactical options. Prioritizing armor research over secondary weapon techs can be a strong playstyle choice depending on your difficulty level.
Predator Armor The Next Step
Predator Armor provides +4 additional HP over Kevlar and grants an extra utility slot, which significantly improves a soldier’s versatility. This extra slot allows for dual grenades, medikits, or a mix of offense and defense, opening up new strategies mid-mission. Once Predator Armor is available, players should fully outfit their squad and retire Kevlar Armor entirely.
Customizing Kevlar Armor
Visual and Cosmetic Customization
Even though Kevlar Armor is a base-level gear, XCOM 2 allows players to customize its appearance through colors, patterns, decals, and accessories. This doesn’t change performance, but it adds a layer of immersion and personalization, helping players form attachments to their units.
Integration With DLC and Mods
Several downloadable content packs and mods enhance or replace the visual look of Kevlar Armor. Some mods even add functionality or passive perks, allowing players to tweak the early-game difficulty or aesthetics. While not officially supported, many in the community use these tools to change the starting experience with Kevlar-equipped squads.
Tips for Using Kevlar Armor Effectively
- Use full coverwhenever possible to reduce incoming hit chance
- Utilize flashbangsto disable enemies before they can fire
- Upgrade weaponsearly to eliminate threats quickly before they strike
- Build the Guerrilla Tactics Schoolto enhance squad-level bonuses
- Rotate rookiesfrequently so you don’t lose leveled soldiers to one fatal shot
By keeping squads mobile and protected with tactical decisions, you can extend the usefulness of Kevlar Armor longer than intended. However, no amount of smart play completely makes up for its weaknesses in the mid to late game.
Kevlar Armor in XCOM 2 plays a crucial, if temporary, role in the early stages of your resistance campaign. While it lacks the heavy defenses and utility of later armor sets, it forms the foundation of your soldiers’ survival against ADVENT’s opening forces. Learning how to maximize its potential through smart tactics, effective use of utility items, and prompt tech upgrades is essential to weathering the initial difficulty curve of the game. Though it will eventually be replaced, understanding Kevlar Armor’s role ensures your squad lives long enough to wear something better. For commanders striving to build a strong and resilient force, even the weakest armor has its place in the fight for humanity’s future.