Editing Armour and Shields (section)

==Armour==
[[Armor|Armour]] layering is the most basic way of protecting a ship from damage. Each ship has armour consisting of at least one layer of armour-plating distributed around the hull. Additional layers increase protection but reduce the top speed of the ship. The thicker the armour is the more armour it takes to add another layer, as the ship's surface area increases with each added layer.

For a detailed overview of armour, including basic mechanics, research costs and weapon penetration, see the [[Armor|component article]].

Armour's main disadvantage is that it slows down the ship, meaning that ships with heavy armour may be forced to engage the enemy head-on and sustain damage to that armour.  Armour tech decreases the weight of each armour layer, so you can add more for the same weight or build lighter and faster ships.

Armour has a good strength per HS ratio compared to other ship components. A ship with a higher armour rating can take much deeper hits from highly penetrative weapons such as [[lasers]] and still have its internals intact. Armour also adds to the [[Ship Maintenance|maintenance needs]] of a ship.  Damaged armour can only be repaired at a shipyard or in a hangar.