The Ultimate Guide to Fallout 76's Strangler Heart Power Armor - Unleash Its True Power!

Highlights

In terms of defenses, the Strangler Heart power armor excels in radiation resistance, presenting above-average capabilities. However, it lags behind other power armor sets when it comes to standard defense and energy resistance.

The Acid damage provided by the Strangler Heart power armor is relatively weak and proves to be most effective when paired with shotguns or weapons that have the Two-Shot Legendary effect. This particular power armor is particularly useful in PvP scenarios and areas that are heavily irradiated.

Among the various sets of power armor available in Fallout 76, the Strangler Heart piques the curiosity of players who may wonder if its high cost is justified.

There are a total of three Legendary Vault Steel armor sets in Fallout 76, with the Strangler Heart armor being one of them. Although the Strangler Heart set is the only power armor among the Vault Steel sets, it is one among many unique power armor sets available in the game. Wearing a complete set of any unique armor in Fallout 76 will provide players with additional bonuses in addition to the legendary effects of each individual armor piece.

Strangler Heart Power Armor is One of the Most Expensive Sets in Fallout 76

Once players have unlocked access to the Gold Bullion vendor in Vault 79, they can purchase the plans for each part of the Strangler Heart power armor. The vendor named Reggs in Vault 79 offers these plans for 6,900 Gold Bullion. However, players can also buy them from Minerva, a traveling Gold Bullion vendor, for a discounted price of 4,176 Gold Bullion. Opting to purchase from Minerva can help players save a significant amount of Gold Bullion. It is important to note that Minerva is not always available, and the Strangler Heart plans may not always be part of her rotating inventory.

How the Strangler Heart Power Armor Performs in Fallout 76

In addition to the expensive Gold Bullion investment, players will also be required to have 1,920 Legendary Scrip in order to purchase the minimum amount of Vault Steel needed. It is strongly recommended that players who wish to craft the Strangler Heart armor make use of the Power Smith Perk, as it will greatly reduce the amount of crafting materials required, including Vault Steel.

Damage Resistance: 453

Energy Resistance: 393

Radiation Resistance: 500

Set Bonus: Inflicts additional Poison (Acid) damage on all weapon strikes. Nearby adversaries suffer Acid damage.

Upon examining the defenses of the remaining power armor sets in Fallout 76, it becomes evident that the Strangler Heart variant of Ultracite power armor surpasses the average level. Although it lags behind the T-51, T-65, and Union power armor sets in terms of conventional defense, and falls short in energy resistance compared to the T-51, T-65, and X-01 sets, the Strangler Heart reigns supreme in radiation resistance among power armor options.

Compared to Fallout 76's Plague Walker Mutation, the Strangler Heart Mutation's Acid damage is less than half as effective when it comes to proximity damage with a single Disease. However, one advantage of the Plague Walker Mutation is that it can be stacked with the Strangler Heart Mutation to increase overall proximity damage, despite its temporary nature and the requirement for players to have generally detrimental Diseases.

Aside from its relatively low damage output, the main drawback of the Strangler Heart Mutation's ranged Acid damage is that it only stacks when using weapons that fire simultaneous projectiles. This means that the most effective way to apply the Acid damage is by using shotguns or weapons with the Two-Shot Legendary effect. Additionally, there is a useful trick where players can utilize the Ricochet Perk to occasionally deflect bullets towards attackers, consistently activating the Strangler Heart Mutation's ranged Acid damage. However, it should be noted that overall, the Acid damage is notably weak against endgame enemies in Fallout 76, including Raid bosses.

The Strangler Heart power armor is most effective in PvP encounters in Fallout 76 due to its compatibility with the Ricochet Perk and the fact that players typically have lower Acid/Poison resistance compared to NPCs. Counteracting the Acid damage caused by the Strangler Heart armor is challenging for players, as the available methods are uncommon.

However, considering that PvP is not widely favored in Fallout 76, players who anticipate utilizing the passive Acid damage of the Strangler Heart armor may not find it worth the investment. Nevertheless, it can still prove valuable for players seeking power armor to wear in high radiation areas such as nuke zones. Aside from that, the set bonuses provided by the Strangler Heart armor are not particularly noteworthy.

Fallout 76 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.