Mass Effect: Andromeda guide: How to get the N7 armor (and why you might not care)

Do you miss Commander Shepard? Do you just want to recreate that vintage (it was 600 years ago, after all) look? Well, good news: Mass Effect: Andromeda has you covered. Here’s how to get the classic N7 armor for Ryder.

Where to get the N7 armor

There are two ways to get the N7 armor (just like most armor): Research and make it at a research station, or purchase it from a merchant. You’ll use Milky Way research points to research the N7 armor, and you can usually find it for sale at the armor merchant in the Nexus’ docking bay.

How the N7 armor stacks up

N7 armor provides stat boosts to your biotic powers and recharge speed, as well as your max shields. It’s the only armor that focuses on biotics, so if that’s how you play, this is the armor for you. If biotics aren’t your thing, though, it’s just armor.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Here’s the thing about armor in Mass Effect: Andromeda: armor is armor. Higher level armor is better (VI is better than II), but there’s no difference between, for example, Maverick armor and Hyperguardian armor in terms of defense against bullets. (This is not technically true of the Pathfinder or remnant armor, which we’ll talk about in a second.) The differences between them are the stat boosts they give you — that Maverick armor boosts your effectiveness with weapons, while the Hyperguardian armor boosts your health and shields.

So what does this mean for you and your wardrobe decisions? The “best” armor depends on your style of play and your preferred profile(s). Do you rely on your biotics a lot? The N7 armor will help you out. Do you focus on shooting? Maverick armor is where you want to look. Are tech powers your thing? Anagaran armor is for you.

There are a couple of boosts that do actually affect the defensive stat (for lack of a better description) of the armor. Armors like the Pathfinder and Remnant sets feature damage reduction as one of their buffs. This, as the description suggests, reduces the amount of damage you take, making it, arguably, better armor.

So, like we said earlier, armor is armor, but which set is best depends on how you play. And don’t forget that you can mix and match sets for smaller boosts to more abilities.