What is the best all round armor mod capacity build at chargen.

Also what are the rules about starting with armor mods?
Does it just mean you have the parts but need to install them?
If you have the tools and the skills (or contacts) can you just say that at some point before the game start that the mods were installed. I assume the rules are similar for vehicles and weapons.

How much money are you willing to throw at it?

As much as is needed.
The armor is already 20,000.
Making it all it can be should not be to much more. Right?

Hahaha. Right.

Don't you know that modding anything in SR always costs much, much more than the base item? (If you're doing it right, of course. )

Uh. No, I can spend an ungodly amount of money on armor.

BASIC MILITARY ARMOR AND HELMET

HEAVY MILITARY ARMOR [[Capacity 20]] 20,000nY

• BOD*3 Before armor causes encumbrance,
• Wireless Enabled (subscribed to helmet's commlink),
• Biomonitor,
• Security tags (several)
  20,000nY

MILITARY HELMET [[Capacity 5]] 10,000nY

• Commlink (Firewall, Response, Signal, System, and Encryption Rating 4; Can be upgraded to hardware ratings of 5 (+2,500nY) or 6 (+8,500nY)),
• Camera,
• Flare compensation,
• Image link,
• Smartlink,
  10,000nY to 18,500nY

SWEET MODIFICATIONS

HELMET MODS [[5]]

• MAD Scanner(3) [1] 200nY
• Thermographic Vision [1] 100nY
• Low-light [1] 100nY
• Audio Enhancement(3) [1] 300nY
• Select Sound Filter(3) [1] 600nY
• Ruthenium Polymer Coating [0] 7,500nY
  8,800nY

ARMOR MODS [[20]]

• Medkit [5] : Spring for the Savior Medkit for 2,000nY, or the EVO Archeron for 31,600nY
• Chemical Seal [4] +5,000nY (also pops the Availability up to 26, so replace it if needed)
• Ruthenium Polymer Coating [0] 7,500nY
• Hydraulic Jacks(3) [6] 6,000nY
• Thermal Damping(6) [5] 3,000nY
  18,500nY to 53,100nY

COMMLINK

• Tacnet program (Rating 4 if you can spend another 5 BP for Restricted Gear, Rating 2 otherwise) 6,000nY or 12,000nY
• Agent(4) 5,500nY or 10,500nY
• Analyze(6) 450nY
• Command(6) 450nY
• Encrypt(6) 450nY
• Decrypt(6) 4,500nY
• EECM(6) 4,500nY
• Sniffer(6) 4,500nY
• Stealth(6) 4,500nY
• Reality Filter(6) 450nY
• Scan(6) 450nY
• Armor(6) 4,500nY
• Medic(6) 4,500nY
• Black Hammer(6) 4,500nY
  47,100nY to 58,100nY

Adding it all up

• +41,100
• +18,500
• +08,800
• +06,000
• +10,000
• +20,000
  104,400nY
  
  
• +46,100
• +53,100
• +08,800
• +12,000
• +18,500
• +20,000
  158,500nY

So the most awesome Armor (in my opinion) is going to run you 158,000nY + 15 BP for Restricted Gear. Take 5,000nY off and remove the chemical seal if you GM decides to have it raise the Availability by 6.

How much you mod your milspec armor really depends on the armor mod rules your game is using.

Capacity is an optional rule, sadly.

Its good to keep in mind for Mission's characters, though. Start with milspec armor, add two articulated weapon arms, and start piling stuff on from there.

Can I put an anthroform robot into that suit of armor?

What is the reason behind the costs on this?

DICE POOL
MEDKIT RIGGER
LOG(5)
First Aid(5)
Remote operation(2)
VR bonus(2)
Control Rig(2)
Control Rig Booster Nanites(3)
Medkit(6)
Skilled Assistants(3)
Tacnet(2){
needs 4 members,
each member needs 4 sensors,
add 4 biomonitors for 4 members }
subtotal: 30 dice

Working remotely through a medkit(-2)
Bad Conditions(-3)
Patient is Awakened or has 4 Essence in implants(-2)
Uncooperative Patient(-2)
subtotal: -7 dice
TOTAL: 23 dice

DOCBOT
Medkit(6)
Pilot(4)
Pilot Vehicle bonus(2)
Autosoft(4)
skilled assistants(3)
Tacnet(2){
needs 4 members,
each member needs 4 sensors,
add 4 biomonitors for 4 members }
subtotal: 21 dice

Working remotely through a medkit(-2)
Bad Conditions(-3)
Patient is Awakened or has 4 Essence in implants(-2)
Uncooperative Patient(-2)
subtotal: -7 dice
TOTAL: 14 dice

First Aid or Stabilize Test
[LOG+First Aid (+2 from Savior Medkit for Stabilize Test)](2) : if patient is in Overflow, they are stabilized, else the number of net hits over threshold is number of boxes healed.
Complex Action
1 Combat Turn per box

1 Medic can watch over the entire teams medicine, making use of the DocBot Pilots for small wounds, or to apply Slab on someone who is toast, and jumping in when a team member takes a shotgun to the face.

OK I got to hand it to you that is a sweet medkit.

But what about these costs?

Medkit [4,600 nY] (Is it like 4 biomonitors and 4 rating 6 medkits in one? Even then the cost is off. 3600ny is what I came up with.)
Custom Look Savior Medkit [2,100 nY] (Basically fluff? That is fine though.)
Savior Medkit Refill (5 doses) [2,500 nY] (Refills cost 50ny, unless this is including some other costs.)

The cost difference is a minor detail though.

Yeah, but how many Missions games are you going to be able to use the armor monstrosity without getting an airstrike called in on you?




-karma

Note that you need to start with a commlink of response 4 and add an 8000 response upgrade and a 3000 system to run that software at level 6, so you might want to tack on another 11000 to the cost of a Hermes Ikon or Transys Avalon. (Only go with the Avalon if you're planning to upgrade the signal strength to 6 for very long distance encrypted messages.)

Or you can buy the rating 4 all round helmet that works out as a saving.

The EVO Archeron is available at character generation, which is why some of the programs and systems are rated lower than would be optimal.

The primary limiter is the Availability on the primary Pilot and the Tacnet. In order to have an Availability lower than or equal to 12, the Pilot is capped at Rating(4), and the Tacnet at Rating(2).

Tacnets need to have 2+Rating members, each contributing Rating*2 sensor channels to the Tacnet to get any benefit. The only sensors that made sense in this case are the biomonitors, so each of the 4 Pilots participating in the Tacnet have 4 biomonitors, for a total of 16 biomonitors.

Since only 1 Pilot can perform the First Aid, the other Pilots are acting as Skilled Assistants to provide a +1 dice pool modifier (up to 3). But you have to pay for each individual pilot and each copy of the Autosoft so they can run on the same system (a hacker can spoof the program to give different identity codes and get around that, but everyone else has to pony up the cash).

I did do my math wrong with the commlink. Since there are 9 programs running (4*Pilot, 4*First Aid Autosoft, 1*Tacnet), the System has to be 9/2 round up, or 5. Since System is limited by Response, the Response needs to be 5 as well.

The medkit itself is somewhat expensive, as the Savior medkit needs to be resupplied after every 2 uses at a cost of 500nY. It is a Rating(6) medkit, and offers a +3 to Stabilize rolls.

GEAR BREAKDOWN
Pilot(4)
Availability: Rating*3 = 12
Cost: Rating*1,000nY(up to 3), Rating*2,500nY(up to 6) = 5,500nY

Pilot(1)
Availability: Rating*3 = 3
Cost: Rating*1,000nY (up to 3) = 1,000nY

First Aid Autosoft(4)
Availability: Rating*2 = 8
Cost: Rating*200nY (up to 3), Rating*500nY (up to 6) = 1,100nY

First Aid Autosoft(1)
Availability: Rating*2 = 2
Cost: Rating*200nY = 200nY

Tacnet(2)
Availability: Rating*5 = 10
Cost: Rating*3,000nY = 6,000nY

Biomonitor
Availability: -
Cost: 300nY = 300nY

Hermes Icon
Response: 4
Signal: 3
Cost: 3,000nY

Response Increase(5)
Availability: 12
Cost: 4,000nY

Novatech Navi
Firewall: 3
System: 4
Cost: 1,500nY

Firewall Increase(6)
Availability: -
Cost: Rating* (up to 3), Rating* (up to 6) = 1,500ny

System Increase(5)
Availability: -
Cost: Rating*200 (up to 3), Rating*500 (up to 6) = 1,600nY

Savior Medkit
Availability: 6
Cost: 2,000nY

Savior Medkit Refills*5
Availability: 6
Cost: 500nY = 2,500nY

COST BREAKDOWN
Pilot(4) = 5,500nY
Pilot(1) = 1,000nY
Pilot(1) = 1,000nY
Pilot(1) = 1,000nY
First Aid Autosoft(4) = 1,100nY
First Aid Autosoft(1) = 200nY
First Aid Autosoft(1) = 200nY
First Aid Autosoft(1) = 200nY
Tacnet(2) = 6,000nY
16 Biomonitors = 3,900nY
Upgraded Hermes Icon = 7,000nY
Upgraded Novatech Navi = 4,600nY
Savior Medkit = 2,000nY
5 Refills = 2,500nY
Gold plating, 'cause it's so freaking cool = 100nY
TOTAL = 36,300nY

To bump it up to Tacnet(4) and Pilot(6), there is the extra 11,000nY for the programs, the extra 1,000nY for the Autosoft(6), another 2,000nY for two more Pilots, and 400nY for two more Autosoft(1)s, another 7,800nY for the Biomonitors, 500nY for the System(6), 8,000nY for the Response(6), and 15 BP for Restricted Gear (Tacnet(4), Pilot(6), Response(6)). Additional costs are 30,700nY +15 BP. You will get an additional 4 dice out of this. I considered the doubling of the price to not be worth the extra dice.

You forgot jump jets and your shoulder mounted tactical nuke launcher.

Oh wait, this is Shadowrun and not Starship Troopers.

Lockheed Sparrow
Handling: +1
Acceleration: 15/40
Speed: 90
Pilot: 3
Body: 4
Armor: 2
Sensors: 1
Availability 12
Cost: 19,500nY
Improved Takeoff and Landing 2

Unstable Structural Agility
Availability: 12
Cost: 20,000nY

COMMLINK
Hardware
Hermes Icon
Response: 4
Signal: 3
Cost: 3,000nY

Software
Novatech Navi
Firewall: 3
System: 4
Cost: 1,500nY

Firewall Increase(6)
Availability: -
Cost: Rating* (up to 3), Rating* (up to 6) = 1,500ny

PILOT
Pilot(4)
Availability: Rating*3 = 12
Cost: Rating*1,000nY(up to 3), Rating*2,500nY(up to 6) = 5,500nY

Autosofts
Adaptability(3) = 600nY
Chaser(4) = 1,100nY
Covert Ops(4) = 1,100nY
Trailblazer(4) = 1,100nY

JUMPJETS TOTAL: 53,900nY

I can't manage a shoulder-mounted tacnuke laucher.

Hmmm, they still have the Bastilia backpack missile launcher in Sr4.5, don't they?
Don't know about tacnuke, but you could dirty it up reasonably easy with some fissionables...

-Tir

Would one of these make for a better armor mod for the main part of the armor?
________________rating_capacity_avalibility___cost
Thermal Damping------3-----3------10f-----------1,500ny
Nonconductivity--------3-----2------6-------------600ny
Insulation--------------3-----1-------4------------450ny
Fire Resistance---------3-----1------4------------300ny
Chemical Protection----6-----2------8------------1,500ny
Gyromount -------------------4------8f-----------4,000ny
Strength Upgrade -----2-----2------12r----------3,000ny
Medkit -----------------6-----5

________________rating_capacity_avalibility___cost
Thermal Damping------6-----5------10f----------3,000ny
Nonconductivity--------3-----2------6------------600ny
Insulation--------------3-----1------4------------450ny
Fire Resistance---------3-----1------4------------300ny
Chemical Protection----6-----2------8------------1,500ny
Strength Upgrade------3-----3------12r----------4,500ny
Biomonitor--------------------1--------------------300
Medkit -----------------6-----5

Basically I figured that the any elemental protection would be better than none, because any protection at all negates the -half armor. I could see more exotic elements making this a problem, but fire, chemical, and electricity seem like they would crop up in all kinds of circumstances.

It does not work like that. The elemental protection itself is not halved, but the armor still is.