Introduced in the 2019 Nuclear Winter update for Fallout 76, Thorn Armor is a coveted armor set renowned for its legendary attributes, especially favored by melee combatants. Armor is essential for survival in the Wasteland, offering enhanced endurance and protection against the numerous threats lurking throughout Appalachia. While standard armor provides increased resistance, specialty armor such as the Thorn Armor set significantly boosts your advantages, particularly against more powerful adversaries.

Thorn Armor, engulfed by strangler vines and other flora, offers two unique set bonuses. This armor provides an appealing alternative for players seeking fresh options beyond the famed Power Armor in Fallout 76. It should not be confused with Solar Armor, although they share the same base model. It utilizes the same underlying design as Urban Scout Armor, Forest Scout Armor, and Covert Scout Armor but is differentiated by its unique appearance.

Thorn Armor Set Stats

Thorn Armor offers distinctive benefits and features that significantly enhance your melee tactics in Fallout 76. Equipped with the legendary Thorn Set bonus, this light armor causes enemies to bleed when they strike you with melee weapons and when you hit them with a melee attack.

Furthermore, wearing Thorn Armor makes it harder for enemies to detect you while sneaking, providing a substantial advantage for players who favor stealth-based playstyles and missions. Angry Turtle offers a comprehensive review of the Thorn Armor Set's features and abilities.

The armor pieces are bound to the player, as they cannot be dropped, sold, or traded. However, they can be exchanged for legendary scrip at a legendary exchange machine.

You only receive the set bonuses from Thorn Armor when you're wearing every piece of the set. However, the Vault 94 Scout Armor Mask, while belonging to the Thorn Armor set, is an exception and is not required to activate the set bonuses. This mask offers protection against airborne diseases and damage, but wearing it results in -2 Perception points. It may be wise to use the mask situationally to avoid the constant stat reduction.

How To Craft The Thorn Armor Set

Thorn Armor Set Crafting Recipe

As of Fallout 76's patch 1.0.2.23, Thorn Armor can only be obtained by acquiring the Armor Plan and crafting each piece using the appropriate materials for each component. The body pieces of the set can be crafted with legendary effects at an Armor Workbench.

Fortunately, these workbenches are abundantly available throughout the Wasteland and can be created within your C.A.M.P. base in Fallout 76. When crafted, each piece will always feature three random legendary armor effects in addition to the set bonus.

Like other Scout Armor variants in Fallout 76, modifications for the Thorn Armor Set cannot be crafted directly. Instead, players can purchase loose mods from the MODUS Armory Terminal, located inside the Whitespring Bunker, upon completing the main quest 'Officer on Deck.' These mods can then be applied to armor pieces on a workbench.

The Armor Plans for Thorn Armor can be purchased from Reginald Stone, known as Regs, a member of the Secret Service at Vault 79 in Fallout 76. He only accepts Gold Bullion as payment for these plans, a currency in the game that consists of solid gold bars.

Gold Bullion can be earned by completing 'Secrets Revealed,' the final quest in the Wastelanders questline, which involves Regs. Alternatively, Gold Bullion can be purchased from the vendor Smiley at the Wayward for 1000 Caps per 50 Bullion, with a weekly purchase limit of 300 Bullion.

Minerva, a traveling vendor, offers Thorn Armor plans and other valuable recipes at a 25% discount for Gold Bullion in Fallout 76, helping players save considerably. However, Minerva's availability is limited; she rotates weekly among four locations: Foundation, The Crater, Fort Atlas, and the Whitespring Resort.

With each move, her inventory changes, adding an extra layer of inconvenience. Due to her frequent restocking and unpredictable schedule, it's advisable to rely on something other than her if you want to acquire the plans for the Thorn Armor Set.

Where To Purchase The Thorn Armor Plan

To locate Regs, navigate to Vault 79, located in the far north of the Savage Divide, directly north of the Bailey Family Cabin, inside a cave and behind a door secured with a keypad. Simply return to the point where you would exit the vault, and it will lead you down to the gold reserves.

Here, you will find Regs nonchalantly leaning against one of the walls. Below is a detailed list of Regs' prices for the Thorn Armor Set in Fallout 76, as well as the materials required to craft each piece, with the stats optimized for the maximum Level 50 variant:

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