Assembling the perfect armor set in The Ascent can save you from a lot of impending stress. When facing off against waves of foes, there’s a good chance you’ll respawn after tough combat. That’s why it’s important to have all the right layers of protection. So, instead of focusing on all the levels for this guide, we’re going to work with the torso armor for your character. There are a few things to keep in mind when picking out which torso armor to go with. Here’s all you need to know about selecting the best torso armor piece.

What is the Best Torso Armor in The Ascent?

When looking over the stats and attributes for armor, pay attention to the levels of Defense. These rank from Physical, Energy, Digital, and Heat (or Fire). While all can be considered critical, they tend to fluctuate based on build and protection levels. For these levels, they’ll go from Basic, Medium, and Advanced. What you’ll want to do is match a high Physical Defense stat with an Advanced armor torso. Evidently, some of the other Defense levels will be high as well, but the Physical one is the more vital stat to rely on.

The reasoning behind the high reliance on Physical as opposed to the other levels is simply because it affects overall damage taken. For Energy to have an effect, energy-based weapons and explosions must be utilized; Digital deals with hacking-related attacks from bold foes who dare to get close to you; any source of heat that touches you will have a burning effect, but that basically sums it up. That’s why you’re better off making Physical Defense the priority, and then you can make your way down the ladder.

Selected Armor Pieces

Here are a few options that match up a great Physical Defense number with an Advanced torso armor piece in The Ascent. There’s a good chance you might’ve scooped up one of these while traveling and looting about on your quests, but you might be able to find them at a vendor:

Custom Sec-5 Rig

Physical Defense: 63

Energy Defense: 52

Digital Defense: 49

Fire Defense: 45

There’s an additional attribute boost worth two points that be added to your Internal aspect. Also, Weapon Handling and Spread Reduction will be rewarded two points each.

Custom Flatliner Rig

Physical Defense: 60

Energy Defense: 50

Digital Defense: 50

Fire Defense: 60

This piece of armor will add two bonus points to your Weapon Handling and Spread Reduction stats.

P-50 Upper Protection Package

Physical Defense: 56

Energy Defense: 41

Digital Defense: 38

Fire Defense: 37

For the P-50 Upper Protection Package, you’ll get a five increase to your Balance.

There are plenty of other torso armor pieces that the player can choose from. But if you keep in mind the high Physical level with Advanced protection, your chances of survival will be closer in your favor. Seeing that The Ascent is an action-packed cyberpunk title, you’re expected to run into trouble at almost every corner. Best to stay on the safe side when the bullets start flying.

The Ascent is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.