Heavy Melee Defense Armor not out of a locker

[drspendlove]

Currently the best anti-melee armors are the heavy armor in A5 lockers:

Interlock Armor
Soaks 36-72% Ballistic Dmg
Soaks 30-60% Melee Dmg
146% Deflection
2 Dodge
-4 Initiative

I'd like to see an additional Level 6 Contact heavy armor or perhaps an Orbital Salvage rare reward (that you could theoretically get multiple times) for a Level 7 armor that bridges this gap. I'll post both a proposed level 6 version if you like the idea of contacts selling two level 6 heavy armors, and a level 7 in case the Orbital drop is preferred.

Level 6 Bulwark Plate
Ballistic Soak: 33% - 66%
Melee Soak: 33% - 66%
150% Deflection
0 Dodge
-4 Initiative

Level 7 Bulwark Plate
Ballistic Soak: 34% - 68%
Melee Soak: 35% - 70%
154% Deflection
0 Dodge
-4 Initiative
+5 Radiation Resist


Also compare Level 6 Heavy Contact Armor:

Keepers Plate
Soaks 36-72% Ballistic Dmg
Soaks 21-42% Melee Dmg
160% Deflection
4 Dodge
-4 Initiative


Analysis: Bulwark armors have less deflection than other heavy armor options of similar levels, but not by much. They trade some ballistic soak for a focus on melee soak. They have the usual initiative penalties but really have a weakness in having no native dodge bonuses, making getting hit far more likely. The level 7 variant offers a modest amount of radiation resist belying its true anti-Xeno focus.

[fallen]

Thanks for the suggestions and the specifics!