Armor customization

Armor Permutations are a feature in Halo 3, allowing the player to aesthetically customize their multiplayer avatar (the armor doesn't have any effect on gameplay).

Introduction
Permutations allow a player to customize their multiplayer avatar (either a UNSC SPARTAN-II or a Covenant Elite) by choosing different helmets, shoulder pieces, chestplates, and detailed colors (primary color, secondary color, and a armor detail color). All permutations are aesthetic only and do not change actual gameplay in any way, except for the fact that certain colors could be more easily seen. But it has been proven that the smaller armor you have, the less likely chance of being sniped.

They were originally discovered in the foremost release of the Halo 3 Beta in internal hexadecimal codes by modders, and they were later confirmed to be in the game by GamePro's June magazine issue, in order to provide high levels of player customization. Calculated together, there are 187,947,000 possible combinations for permutation pieces for the player to choose from.

Armor Permutations are available only in Halo 3 (at the beginning of the game, the only parts unlocked are the Mark VI Mjolnir Armor, Mjolnir Mark VI CQB Variant, and the Elite Combat and Assault variant.) Armor is unlocked through completing achievements in both the Campaign and multi-player modes of Halo 3 or by finding the hidden skulls.

Bungie has confirmed (several times) that no new armor permutations will ever be available.

I mean there are no, and never will be new Elite Armor permutations or permutations of any kind in Halo 3 the interactive entertainment experience from Bungie Software Products Corporation.- Bungie Weekly Update 7/25/08

SPARTAN Armor Permutations
There are a wide variety of SPARTAN II armor permutations, with eleven helmets, eight shoulder pieces, and eight chest pieces for a total of 6,144 different SPARTAN armor permutations: one helmet, two shoulder pieces, and one chest piece per permutation, with the exception of the Rogue, Mark V, and ODST armor, which do not have either chest or shoulder pieces, and Security armor, which does not have a chest piece.

Helmets

 * Mark VI: Unlocked by default.
 * CQB: Unlocked by default.
 * EVA: Unlock the Campaign Complete: Normal achievement.
 * EOD: Unlock the Campaign Complete: Legendary achievement.
 * Hayabusa: Collect all 13 Skulls in Campaign mode.
 * Security: Unlock at least 49 achievements that are worth a 1000 Gamerscore points or more in Halo 3.
 * Scout: Unlock the Used Car Salesman achievement.
 * ODST: Unlock the Spartan Graduate Achievement. Due to a glitch regarding the new rank progression system this Achievement must be unlocked by reaching the rank of Private in any playlist ranking
 * Mark V: Unlock the UNSC Spartan Achievement. Due to a glitch regarding the new rank progression system this Achievement must be unlocked by reaching the rank of Sergeant in any playlist ranking
 * Rogue: Unlock the Spartan Officer Achievement. Due to a glitch regarding the new rank progression system this Achievement must be unlocked by reaching the rank of lieutenant in any playlist ranking
 * Recon: Unlock all the Vidmaster achievements, 4 which have yet to be available online.

Shoulder Pieces

 * Mark VI: Unlocked by default.
 * CQB: Unlocked by default.
 * EVA: Complete The Ark in Campaign on Normal or higher difficulty.
 * EOD: Complete the level The Ark on Legendary difficulty.
 * Hayabusa: Collect at least 9 skulls.
 * Security: Earn 750 of 1000 gamerscore on Halo 3. Due to inconsistency, this armor permutation is not always given at 750. There are some reports that the Security Shoulders need a minimum of 500- 995 gamerpoints, even though the official guide to Halo 3 lists the requirements as 750 (could also be total metagame points). Even then, the armor permutation may be unlocked, and then re-lock itself after a time, as has been reported. The only way to keep it permanently is to get all the achievements. This permutation may sometimes need the player's model to have accessed online to unlock it.
 * Scout: Unlock the Mongoose Mowdown achievement.
 * Recon: Unlock all the Vidmaster Achievements: Annual, Lightswitch, 7 on 7 and Brainpan(Mythic Map pack required.)

Chest Armor

 * Mark VI: Unlocked by default.
 * CQB: Unlocked by default.
 * EVA: Complete The Tsavo Highway on Normal difficulty or higher.
 * EOD: Complete The Tsavo Highway on Legendary difficulty.
 * Hayabusa: Collect at least 5 skulls in campaign.
 * Katana (Add-On): Unlock at least 49 achievements which are worth 1000 or more Gamerscore points in Halo 3.
 * Scout: Unlock the Too Close to the Sun Achievement, although has been reported that it may appear later sometimes.
 * Recon: Unlock all the Vidmaster Achievements, 4 of which has yet to be available online.
 *  Flaming Helmet: A popular misconception is that the Bungie Flaming Helmet is actually a helmet, but in fact, it is a piece of fire on the collar. Thus, it is a chest piece. It is the Bungie Chest Piece that allows the flame on the head which can be used with any helmet and shoulder piece. The only way to get it is to get hired at Bungie.(Allowing for a little remaining exclusivity after all the Vidmaster Acheivements have been released to the public)

Sangheili/Elite Armor Permutations
There are a wide variety of Elite armor permutations, with 5 helmets, 5 shoulder pieces, and 5 chest pieces for a total of 625 different Sangheili armor permutations: one helmet, two shoulder pieces, and chest piece per permutation.

Helmets

 * Combat: Unlocked by default.
 * Assault: Unlocked by default.
 * Flight: Unlock either Campaign Complete: Heroic or Campaign Complete: Legendary Achievements.
 * Ascetic: Unlock the Steppin' Razor achievement.
 *  Commando: Unlock the Overkill Achievement.

Shoulder Pieces

 * Combat: Unlocked by default.
 * Assault: Unlocked by default.
 * Flight: Complete the level The Ark on Heroic or Legendary difficulties.
 * Ascetic: Unlock the Overkill achievement.
 * Commando: Unlocked by default after Auto Update 1 was applied on February 19, 2008. At first, the Killing Frenzy achievement was needed to unlock the piece, but a bug prevented this. Some people reported getting the shoulder pieces, but then they re-locked themselves after a certain amount of time without using them.

Chest Armor

 * Combat: Unlocked by default.
 * Assault: Unlocked by default.
 * Flight: Complete the level Tsavo Highway on Heroic or Legendary difficulties.
 * Ascetic: Unlock the Up Close and Personal achievement.
 * Commando: Unlock the Triple Kill achievement.

Trivia

 * The EOD armor chest variant is surprisingly similar to the Mark V chest plate. Many people have noticed this and wear the chest plate with the Mark V helmet and the Mark VI shoulders to re-create Mark V armor from Halo: CE.
 * There was originally going to be an Arbiter Armor Permutation, but it was taken out before Halo 3's release, Bungie however, did not explain why.
 * Before the release of Halo 3 Beta, it was speculated that there would be Brute Armor Permutations, this made sense since the information about Brute ranks and armor had been released in a Bungie podcast.
 * Elite Armor is normally considered harder to headshot from behind compared to Spartan Armor although easier from the side.
 * It was recently discovered that the neck of an Elite(regardless what type of permutation used) is completely immune to any form of damage. In addition, the projectile will simply pass through the neck as though the neck wasn't even there without even a blood spatter.