Armor Type: POLYCERAMIC

Another in the family of ancient Human armors. Polyceramic armor is the modern adaption of ancient ceramic ballistic armors. Following exactly the same principles, at that.

A strong, rigid ceramic plate, or several, form a defensive structure that protects the wearer from hand weapons and bullets. Being very rigid, the plates are also brittle. When struck by traumatic force, the polyceramic plate typically breaks. But, as a result, most of the force in the attack is absorbed by the plate as it is pulverized. This saves both pain, and the shock of the moment, from inconveniencing a fighter.

In a modern context, Polyceramic armor is often cheap, and utilized by civilian forces. Some militaries use them for light troops, but not very often. Though, civil defense forces sometimes issue these armor harnesses when Hazard weapons are used, as Polyceramic can be rather useful in dealing with opponents using acid or ARC weapons. Not really any better at fire, or many other forms though.

Polyceramic armor can’t utilize mass altering technologies, due to the accepted rates of destruction in the armor itself. It would at best be a very costly way to potentially make the armor last longer, with no guarantees.

But an advancement over ancient Ceramic armors is that one could have an entire, tailored suit from head to toe in Polyceramic plate.

An adaption on the ancient Polyceramic armor, Microceramic armor functions on many of the same principles. Using robust, three-dimensional shapes on a micro-scale, as one might expect, the armor uses vastly more plates than even the most intricate Polyceramic armors could dream of. And, moreover, being integrated with a Z-Forge in almost all cases, where these micro-polyceramic plates break, they can be recast and repaired in short order.

This increases the fight-time available to people wearing the armors. Making them more useful for civil defense, planetary defense, and even certain forms of offensive troops where Polyceramics might’ve been a good idea but too impractical. To those using Hazard weapons which polyceramic armor can protect against, it might feel nicer knowing your own weapons are less effective against themselves.

Though, more effectively than bare Polyceramic armor, Microceramic armor is still seen as a poor investment for mass-altering defensive technologies.

Isoceramic is an advanced form of polyceramic armor that is both new, and yet somewhat proliferated through different mercenary, bandit, and private soldier outfits.

Isoceramic takes what Microceramic does, and modifies the process and materials slightly. Instead of a Z-Forge producing entirely new microceramic plates, instead the Z-Forge creates a cell in which a chemical reaction will take place that forms an Isoceramic plate. Isoceramic plates are made using a proprietary Nickel-Argon isotope that is still as strong as conventional microceramic armor, but has incredible insulation and anti-conductive properties.

While toxic and caustic in large amounts, the small amounts necessary to create proprietary Isoceramic plates, whether large or small, is much safer for organics to handle. Make Isoceramic armor incredibly effective against not only Hazard weapons, but against natural hazards themselves, hostile environments, dangerous technology, Assemblers, and so on. It also punches above its weight-class in making sure a Light weapon might not immediately kill you. Though, it will still do tremendous damage through the Isoceramic, sadly.

So, while more expensive, and limited in quantity, this is an armor set that some are proud to wear in military or personal defense service.