Types of armour

From Acw

Inert armour

This is the simplest form of armour, and consists of thick layers of resistant material liek iron, steel, ceramic alloys or spider silk. It is good at resiting small-calibre kinetic projectiles, and when thick enough can occasionally resist large calibre shells too.

Spaced or ablative armour

This is the second most common form of armour on space vessels, and consists of a second belt of armour suspended above the first on a frame, with a gap between it and the second belt. It is particularly good against warheads, which detonate on the first belt and then turn into shrapnel, which cannot penetrate the second belt below it.

Pressurised spaced armour

This is a form of spaced armour with gas or liquid between the belts to allow the projectile's energy to dissipate through another medium through heat. This is more effective at absorbing the impact of all forms of projectile, but is very complex to manufacture and is less useful after one cell has been hit.

Reactive armour

This is a form of armour that is itself explosive, and detonates outwards as the projectile hits it, to dissipate and deflect the force of the original projectile. It is particularly effective against most projectile types, but is particularly dangerous for any nearby space vessels, as the shrapnel travels further in zero gravity and a vacuum.