There are ways to optimize your Guardian’s armor other than just fashion sense. Learn about Mobility, Resilience, and Recovery.
The world of Destiny 2 is filled with loot, ranging from weapons to various levels of rare armor, exotic gear, hard to attain gear, and gear with perks perfect for specific situations. Guardians can spec out their armor in a combination of three stats; Mobility, Resilience, and Recovery. This article will explain what those are, how each class differs in its intrinsic stat’s values, and how to build the type of Guardian you want to play as.
Mobility
Mobility is the measure of how fast a Guardian moves. It does not affect the sprinting speed, rather only applies to the speed of movement while walking. This does, however, also include the speed of strafing, something highly valued in the Crucible. Being able to move quickly from side to side can make a Guardian harder to hit in PvP competitions. The class most typically associated with Mobility is the Hunter.
Resilience
Resilience is simply a fancy term for toughness or health. The higher a Guardian’s resilience, the more damage he or she can take before dying. According to researchers, each of the first six points invested in the Resilience stat will increase a Guardian’s health by three points. After the sixth point, each upgrade will only add one additional health point. Titans are best known for their ability to tank damage on the battlefield.
Recovery
Recovery refers to the speed with which a Guardian can regain health after taking damage. Warlocks are typically best known for recovering quickly from damage they take, as they have the highest amount of base Recovery points.
Check out this Recovery Comparison created by Reddit user paolozz92.
Base Armor Ratings by Class
If you’ve ever paid close attention to your Guardian’s armor ratings, you may have noticed that there are some values that are in effect no matter what Perks or Traits you equip. This is because each class of Guardian has their own built-in base values in Mobility, Resilience, and Recovery. The table below breaks down what the base values are.
| Base Armor Value/Class | Hunter | Titan | Warlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Resilience | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Recovery | 0 | 0 | 4 |
How Perks and Traits Work
The maximum value for each armor stat that will impact your Guardian is 10. Depending on the type of armor you wear, the type of intrinsic Perk it has, and the type of Trait you select, you can spec out your Guardian to be strong in any of the particular areas. Some classes lend themselves better to certain builds. The Titan, for example, as seen above, starts with a base of 5 Resilience, so it’s not very difficult to raise that up to 10. Warlocks, on the other hand, are the only class able to achieve 10 Recovery with the correct pieces of armor.
In many cases, Armor mods will also play a vital role in attaining a perfect build of a particular type. Regardless of class, there are mods available for Helmets that can add 1 Resilience. Similarly, mods exist for Legs that can add 1 Recovery. The class items have available mods that will add an extra point to each class, depending on their typical base build, meaning Hunter Cloaks can add 1 to Mobility, Titan Marks add 1 to Resilience, and Warlock Bonds add 1 to Recovery.
The remaining amount of points used to max out your armor ratings will come from the individual armor pieces for the Helmet, Arms, Chest, and Legs. Every armor piece has an intrinsic Perk that cannot be changed, and a choice of two Traits, which can be toggled between at will.
Finding the Armor You Want
Once you’ve decided on the type of Guardian you want to play as, it’s time to get the type of armor that will help you achieve that goal. This is where fashion sense can sometimes go straight out the window. Thankfully, Bungie have provided us with the ability to apply Shaders to armor to create a more consistent appearance. Armor mods can be attained by dealing with the Gunsmith in the Tower. The addition of Masterwork Armor now allows you to re-roll your armor which can be a great help in getting the gear just the way you want.
External resources, such as the listing of Armor Sets on the Destiny 2 Wiki, are a great way to find the type of armor pieces that will fit your build. You can then go out and grind the particular activity that will most likely reward you with the item you’re looking for. Since all of Destiny 2 is ruled by the random number generator Gods, this may take some time. But at least you have a goal in mind while you grind.
Personally, I’m currently trying to create a maximum Recovery/Resilience Warlock, one with 10 points in Recovery and 6 in Resilience. I’ll likely move like a brick through peanut butter, but I’ll be able to take damage and recover quickly. What are your perfect Guardian configuration aspirations? Let us know in the comments!
Now that you know how to optimize your Guardian’s Armor, be sure to visit our Destiny 2 Guide Hub for more guides.
