Armor customization (Halo 3)

For other uses, see armor permutations. Armor permutations in Halo 3 allow players to customize their Spartan and Elite player model with a variety of armor pieces available to players. The feature is an improvement of Halo 2 's player customization feature.

Overview
There are a total of 17 armor sets included in Halo 3, 12 of which for the SPARTAN-II character model and 5 for the Elite character model. These armor permutations are organized into three categories: Helmet, Chest and Shoulder. Certain armor permutations can only be unlocked by completing the game on certain difficulties, accumulate certain Gamerscore, or by obtaining certain multiplayer-specific achievements.

For the Halo 3 multiplayer component of Halo: The Master Chief Collection between the game's launch in 2014 and the launch of Halo 3 on PC in 2020, armor customization was limited to full sets with no mix-and-match customization, due to the difficulties of running multiple engines in the menu component. Following the launch of Halo 3 on PC and start of Season 2: Spark, this system was updated to display Halo 3 character models in Unreal Engine 4, with full customization in-game as it was at the launch of Halo 3. With the launch of Season 3: Recon, Halo 3 customisation was updated with the inclusion of skins for application on a player's weapon and several new visor colour options for use with all helmets. The full list of Halo 3 skins can be viewed here.

Unlocking armor permutations
Note: The below unlock requirements only apply to the original Halo 3'' game. In The Master Chief Collection, all armor is unlocked by default for all players - including the Bungie armor.''

Production notes

 * There was originally going to be an Arbiter armor permutation in Halo 3, but it was taken out before the game's release.

Mistakes

 * In reusing tooltips from Halo: Reach's appearance menu, the updated customization menu for Halo 3 in Halo: The Master Chief Collection now erroneously states the choice between a Spartan and Elite player model is only applicable to appropriate, species-specific gametypes, despite the option being available regardless of gametype.
 * Additionally, when hovering over the menu element to change Elite armor permutations, the game erroneously states the option is to change Spartan armor.

Miscellaneous

 * The Bungie Armor is the only armor not obtainable by players as it is exclusively for Bungie employees.
 * This would change in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, with players being able to use the armor freely, now dubbed "Flaming Head", and later "Legacy".
 * In Halo 3, the neck of an Elite (regardless what armor permutation used) is completely immune to any form of damage except for a shot from an overcharged Plasma Pistol. In addition, the projectile will simply pass through the neck, as though the neck wasn't there, without a blood spatter. This is because both Elites and Spartans have similar models.
 * Many people speculate that hitboxes of the Spartans and Elites are shared but this is not true. While Bungie has officially commented on the hitboxes, they regard the size of the hitbox not the arrangement. Hitboxes are an unseen registry mechanic, which fall into the player models. They determine whether or not something has collided with the player. If an Elite is facing profile (sideways), and a shot is fired underneath the head (to where a Spartan's chest would be), the game will not register a hit. The head "hitbox" is forward more on Elites than it is Spartans.