After six years, 343 Industries is back with another mainline Halo installment. Things have undoubtedly changed since the release of Halo 5: Guardians and one of those is front and center in Halo Infinite: armor cores. Also, the multiplayer for Infinite is free, so I guess that’s a big change too. My point is, there’s a whole lot that has been adapted to the times. In this guide, we go over armor cores, explain what they are, how you can unlock more of them, and how they affect which cosmetics are available.
What Is An Armor Core?
You could be excused for not knowing what an armor core is, even if you’ve played every other Halo game. Lore-wise, it makes sense. Armor built for the MARK VII probably won’t fit on the MARK V’s from Halo: Reach. Therefore, every chest piece, shoulder pad, and helmet you unlock is assigned to a specific armor core.
For example, the Aviator and Trailblazer helmets in the Heroes of Reach season pass are only available on the MARK VII while almost everything else is exclusive to the MARK V.
Why Are There Armor Cores?
Contrary to what some believe, this isn’t just an effort to make things harder on players and to double dip armor coatings. 343 has said it helps reduce the number of visual conflicts. As the studio adds more and more armor, it becomes difficult to make sure everything looks good and fits together no matter the combination. By limiting it to a specific frame some of those problems are eliminated. For example, some helmets might otherwise be too small and look silly on a larger frame or a chest piece might clip with large shoulder pads.
What Isn’t Affected By Cores?
Very few things, unfortunately. Even armor coatings and visor colors are core exclusive. I’m certainly not going to feel great if I’m unlocking the same visors and armor coatings multiple times for different cores. So here’s hoping the system doesn’t end up making us grind for the same stuff.
The only thing we’ve found that is available between all three at the moment are armor effects and mythic effect sets.
Armor Core List
MARK VII
This is Halo Infinite’s primary armor core. Though it is the default when you’re playing, customization options are surprisingly lacking compared to the MARK V core at the moment. Nothing is unlocked out of the gate, with many pieces marked “Stay tuned for details,” whatever that means. In the meantime, your only options are to purchase bundles in the store or earn some of the battle pass armor.
Currently, the only available armor kits are for Halo Championship Series teams.
- Armor Kits: HCS Teams
- Seven Helmet Options
- Seven Armor Coatings
- 12 Visor Colors
- Seven Chest Pieces
- Five Shoulder Pads
- One Gloves
- One Wrist Attachment
- Two Utility Options
- Two Knee Pads
MARK V [B]
Unlocked via the Heroes of Reach battle pass, this armor core is home to basically everything from Halo: Reach. It offers far more options than the MARK VII core at the moment and will likely be the go-to for many over the next six months.
- Armor Kits: Carter, Jun, Catherine, Jorge, Emile
- Ten Helmet Options
- Six Armor Coatings
- Six Visor Colors
- Nine Chest Pieces
- Five Shoulder Pads
- Two Gloves
- Four Wrist Attachments
- Two Utility Options
- Three Knee Pads
YOROI
A non-canon legendary armor core from the Fractures: Tenrai event. In order to unlock the Yoroi armor core, you need to hit level 5 in the Fracture: Tenrai event. This is done by completing Weekly Challenges associated with this event. You can tell which of the challenges are tied to Fracture: Tenrai by the orange ribbon on the left side of the challenge.
Right now, that’s all the armor cores in Halo Infinite. Fans of the franchise darn well know there are more to come, so stay tuned!
