How Armor, Health, and Damage Reduction Work in Conan Exiles

In Conan Exiles, armor value directly translates to damage reduction (DR) through a non-linear curve. Each point of Agility adds 4 armor points, and armor comes in light, medium, and heavy varieties affecting mobility and protection. Weapon armor penetration directly subtracts from your armor's DR percentage. Armor durability decreases as you take damage, and when it reaches zero, all bonuses from that piece disappear. The ideal setup balances armor value, temperature resistance, attribute bonuses, and weight based on your playstyle and environment. ⚔️🛡️

The Basics of Armor in Conan Exiles

Understanding how armor works in Funcom's Conan Exiles can mean the difference between survival and death in the brutal Exiled Lands. Whether facing NPCs or other players, you'll always take less damage than what was actually dealt to you - but where does that difference go?

Worn Armor

Armor pieces you equip provide a combined armor value shown in your inventory screen (left side). When you click on the Stats tab, you'll see this converted into Total Damage Reduction = X% (right side).

The relationship is straightforward:

• Higher armor value = higher damage reduction
• Better damage reduction = longer survival in combat

Each individual armor piece displays its armor value on its tooltip and in the crafting menu. These values add up to your total armor value shown in your inventory screen.

Hidden Armor Mechanics

Internal Armor from Attributes

Did you know you have armor even when naked? Each point in the Agility attribute grants 4 armor points. This means:

• Maxed Agility (50 points) = 200 base armor value
• This internal armor is added to any armor from equipment
• This armor never degrades like worn armor's durability

Additional sources of internal armor:

• The third perk in Grit, called Iron-hard Muscles, adds a significant armor value
• Bronzed Physique (5th perk in Survival) reduces incoming direct damage by 10% (not shown as armor)

Armor Weight Classes

Armor in Conan Exiles comes in three weight classes, each with distinct advantages:

Upgrading and Modifying Armor

Various kits can enhance certain armor attributes at the cost of others:

• Thick Armor Plating: Increases armor value but reduces durability
• Advanced Armor Flexibility Kit: Reduces stamina cost for actions like climbing at the cost of durability
• Armor Reduction Kit: Makes armor lighter at the cost of durability

These modification kits unlock at different levels or their recipes can be found in dungeons. Consider creating specialized armor sets for different activities:

• Combat-focused set with maximum protection
• Exploration set with climbing bonuses
• Lightweight set for resource gathering

Durability Damage Mechanics

When you take damage, part of it is absorbed by your armor, reducing your health loss. This absorption isn't free - it's distributed across your equipped armor pieces, reducing their durability.

What happens when durability reaches zero?

• The armor piece no longer provides protection
• All stats, temperature resistance, and attribute bonuses from that piece disappear
• The weight remains (you're still carrying a broken piece)
• It needs to be repaired (if possible)

Important: Durability loss is binary - you either have full benefits (any durability above 0) or no benefits (durability at 0). There's no gradual degradation of armor effectiveness.

Armor Attributes and Bonuses

Most armor pieces provide additional bonuses beyond protection:

Attribute Bonuses

• Light armor typically increases Encumbrance
• Some armors add damage bonuses to strength and agility weapons
• Others might boost survival, vitality, or other attributes

Temperature Resistance

• Some armor warms you up
• Other armor cools you down
• This works like climate control, not insulation
• Two bars of cold protection shield you from two bars of cold environmental effects

Appearance

Looks matter in Conan Exiles! Your aesthetic preferences are valid considerations when choosing armor.

Damage Reduction Mathematics

The relationship between armor value and damage reduction follows a non-linear curve with diminishing returns:

• Adding 1 point of armor at low values increases damage reduction more than adding 1 point at high values
• The curve has "bumps" because displayed values are rounded (internally, more decimal places are calculated)

This means the value of adding 100 points of armor depends on where you are on the curve. Generally:

• 0-200 armor: Each point adds significant damage reduction
• 200-500 armor: Good returns, but diminishing
• 500-800 armor: Smaller but still worthwhile gains
• 800+ armor: Very small incremental improvements

Weapon Armor Penetration

Weapon armor penetration directly counters your damage reduction from armor. Recent tests (May 2020) confirmed that armor penetration is directly subtracted from the damage reduction percentage.

This mechanic is particularly important in PvP scenarios where players might have 1000+ armor (80%+ damage reduction). A weapon with high armor penetration and a Master Weapon Fitting can counter even the heaviest armor.

General rule: In endgame, armor penetration > raw damage when choosing weapons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does armor protect against all damage types?
A: Yes, the damage reduction applies to all physical damage. However, some environmental damage (like poison or falling) bypasses armor.

Q: Is there a cap to damage reduction?
A: Theoretically, the cap is around 97-98%, but practically, it's very difficult to reach above 85-90% even with the best gear.

Q: Does armor protect thralls the same way it protects players?
A: Yes, the same mechanics apply to thralls, though they have different base stats.

Q: How often should I repair my armor?
A: It's good practice to repair after any significant combat. Remember, once durability hits zero, you lose ALL benefits from that piece.

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