Power armor is one of the biggest icons of the Fallout series, often being placed on game covers, posters, and all other kinds of Fallout marketing. The suits of armor have been around since the first game and have gotten many models since. In the story of the games, power armor was made before the Great War in an attempt to beat China in the Sino-American War.

After the Great War, power armor is still used. It is a favorite of certain factions such as the Brotherhood of Steel, Enclave, and even certain raiders. Some power armor models are pre-war while others were developed after the bombs fell. The armor is known to make humans be able to stand toe-to-toe with weapons as powerful as tanks.

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What Power Armor Does

Power armor in Sanctuary,.

Power armor was invented by West-Tek, a defense contractor that did a lot of work for the Department of Defense before the bombs fell. All power armor is based on the pre-war frame design West-Tek designed. The contractor made power armor to give as much protection as possible, increasing the strength of the wearer while also protecting them from radiation and trauma.

The armor is not controlled directly and is driven a little like a vehicle while worn with manipulators steering the hands and feet. The armor was built for jumping off of helicopters while taking no damage, which was done by giving the power armor a hydraulic shock absorption system. Early models could jump one hundred feet with no damage, and that later tripled in later versions. Soldiers wearing power armor can also carry far heavier weaponry with ease.

The First Power Armor Models

Five sets of power armor.

For the Sino-American war against China, the United States developed armor meant for confrontation on the front lines. The project to make armor that allowed heavy weaponry with mobility started in 2065. Fusion cores were developed in 2066 and the first power armor series to be invented was the T-45. It was deployed in 2067 to the American infantry in China. The T-45s were not successful on their first run, with records saying they were a net drain to the Sino-American war effort. Two years later, West-Tek created a new prototype, the T-51s, which gave soldiers the ability to carry weapons typically too heavy for average infantrymen.

The second attempt was successful, and the power armor was exhibited at the Museum of Technology in 2078. The T-51s were then used in Alaska to fight off Chinese tanks in the Battle of Anchorage. It was thanks to the power armor that the battle was won. However, infighting in the United States rose due to food riots and soldiers also began to defect. This caused some power armored soldiers to fight Americans on their home soil. The Chinese responded to power armor both by attempting to create their own while also relying far more upon stealth and subterfuge to avoid confrontation. After the success in Alaska, T-60 armor was made just months before the Great War. In comparison to the T-45 and 51s, the T-60s had heavier armor and its helmet had a built-in air filtration system.

Some new models were in development when the bombs fell, such as the X-01s, which were going to be the next generation of power armor. Very few of these were procured, but the Enclave managed to save schematics for the X-01s before the Great War occurred. The X-01 models were then produced by the Enclave and became their iconic power armor.

After The Great War

Power armor in room.

Once the bombs fell, power armor was a treasured item to all in the wasteland. It was mostly hoarded and kept by the Enclave and Brotherhood of Steel. In the earlier games, there was evidence that power armor could not be used by just anyone. Wearing it required Power Armor Training, which made these outfits end-game items. However, this system changed in later games, and players could wear power armor without training. Power armor in later games grew to rely on fusion cores to stay powered.

While T-45s and 51s could be found in any Fallout game, the T-60s did not appear until Fallout 4, as Elder Maxson uncovered a ton of T-60s and made them the service uniform of his Brotherhood soldiers. Other power armor models were built and discovered after the Great War, such as the T-65 models that were made from pre-war schematics found in Vault 79. In 2198, the Enclave began projects to make advanced power armor for their missions.

Raiders would make their own power armor out of the scrap of any broken models they could find. Their armor often has both T-45 and T-51 parts along with jury-rigged scrap metal to cover up holes. Sets of power armor made specifically for miners were discovered in Vault 76, called the EX-17 Excavator power armor, and it was adopted by the Responders organization in Appalachia.

Fallout 4 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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