Magnetic Ion Armour
General Information
An improvement of the Ion Armor and the pinnacle of our defensive research, the Magnetic Ion armor was constructed as the conflict rapidly escalated. As the aliens had begun to field the Sonic Cannon routinely by that point, it was welcomed by the troops. The Magnetic Ion Armor has slightly stronger plates than the Ion Armor, but its true strength is its ability to allow the user to float smoothly through water in any direction. In this way, it is reminiscent of the Elerium-powered Flying Suit; however, the Magnetic Ion Armor does not function properly outside of water. Because of this, in the event that there is a land battle, some Commanders may consider issuing Ion Armor to the troops instead so that the resources put into Magnetic Ion Armor are not destroyed where they cannot be fully utilized. This is a choice best left for the Commander to make.
As it is simply a modification of the Ion Armor, the back plate is once again significantly heavier than the side plates, although it is still not as strong as the front plate.
This armor is used in Terror from the Deep. In UFO: Enemy Unknown, the Flying Suit is the equivalent.
Research
There are two ways to get the Magnetic Ion Armor, depending on what version of the game you have. If you don't know which version you have, you'll learn when you research the Magnetic Ion Armor.
TFTD Unpatched
- Magnetic Navigation + Ion Beam Accelerators + Plastic Aqua Armour => Magnetic Ion Armor
- In the unpatched version of TFTD, you will need to capture and interrogate a live Lobsterman Navigator in order to access the Magnetic Navigation research topic. Ion Armor does not need to be researched to access Magnetic Ion Armor in this game.
TFTD V2
- Ion Armor + Magnetic Navigation => Magnetic Ion Armor
- In the patched version(TFTD V2), you will be able to research Magnetic Navigation as soon as you have an available sample in storage. You will also need to complete Ion Armor research before starting Magnetic Ion Armor research.
Refer to the TFTD Research Tree Bug Avoidance Guide for more information.
Statistics
| Facing | Protection |
|---|---|
| Front | 142 |
| Right | 80 |
| Left | 80 |
| Rear | 110 |
| Under | 65 |
Magnetic Ion Armor reduces Sonic damage by 10%, Armor Piercing and High Explosive damage by 20%, Gauss damage by 30%, and negates Fire/Phosphor damage completely.
Once again, note the curious distribution of defensive power. As a modification of the Ion Armor, the back plate is the second strongest on the suit, and the side plates are just over half as strong as the front plate. While counterintuitive to say the least, this means it is safer to turn your back to the aliens than to let them see you from the side. Looking at the picture, it seems to be due to that massive thing hanging off the back of the suit.
UFOpedia
- An enhancement for the ION armor incorporating the Magnetic Array technology to allow full freedom of movement in the aquatic environment.
See Also
Diving Suit
Plastic Aqua Armor
Ion Armor
