Current as of 2026. In ABI, ammo tier versus armour tier is the single most important combat mechanic. Armour is rated by class (roughly 1–6); ammo has separate penetration and damage stats. If your round cannot penetrate the enemy's armour class, you chip away for nothing while they kill you.
What to bring
- Match your ammo's penetration to the armour tier you expect on a map — higher on Armory, lower on Farm.
- Season 5 "Distortion" (April 2026) nerfed high-penetration "red" ammo damage and buffed low-tier chip damage, so mid-tier ammo is more viable than ever — you rarely need the priciest rounds.
- Carry a few magazines of higher-tier rounds for armoured targets, and cheaper ammo for scavs.
Learn to read armour on sight and swap mags accordingly — it wins more fights than raw aim.