ArmorSim kinetic penetrators: Complete Ammo List & Guide

ArmorSim kinetic penetrators are modeled using published terminal ballistics equations and continuum mechanics rather than health-point abstractions. Instead of assigning a fixed damage number or pre-animated hit sequence, developer Timerlan Galimov's sandbox calculates projectile rod erosion, plastic deformation, and residual velocity against customized multi-layer armor arrays.

Players have access to historical and modern service rounds from the United States, Germany, and the USSR/Russia, alongside generic reference rods and customizable penetrators.

Service Kinetic Penetrators by Nation

ArmorSim features 16 historical service rounds cataloged across three nations, spanning late Cold War service ammunition to modern developments. Each round incorporates specific core materials, calibers, and entry years.

Across the service ammunition catalog, eight specific projectiles utilize depleted uranium cores: the American M774, M833, M829, M829A1, M829A2, and M829A3, as well as the Soviet/Russian 3BM32 and 3BM46.

Generic and Experimental Kinetic Ammunition

Beyond the service catalog, the simulation provides standardized baseline projectiles for direct testing and calibration:

• Reference Rod: A baseline projectile for controlled testing.
• WHA Rod: A generic tungsten heavy alloy rod penetrator.
• DU Rod: A generic depleted uranium rod penetrator.
• Armour-Piercing (AP): Standard solid-shot armor-piercing projectile.
• AP Capped: Armor-piercing projectile fitted with a penetrator cap to test slope performance.
• Hard Core: Solid-core penetrator archetype.

How Kinetic Penetration Is Calculated

ArmorSim rejects hit point pools and RNG dice rolls. The interaction between a kinetic long-rod penetrator and target armor is evaluated through three distinct physics solvers.

Normal Solver (Fast Analytical)

The Normal mode is designed for rapid iteration, returning results in a fraction of a second. It calculates:

• Alekseevskii–Tate Erosion Integration: Calculates the hydrodynamic erosion rate of the long rod against target resistance as velocity changes.
• Recht–Ipson Residual Velocity: Determines the leftover speed of the penetrator after punching through a plate.
• Rosenberg Ricochet Criterion: Calculates critical deflection angles based on rod and plate properties.
• Grady Fragmentation: Solves the mass and distribution of spall fragments ejected from the rear of the armor.

Advanced Solver (Multi-Layer Accounting)

Advanced mode utilizes the same core analytical physics as Normal mode but provides comprehensive diagnostics across spaced plates, explosive reactive armor (ERA), and non-explosive reactive armor (NERA) packs. It tracks:

• Ballistic limits for each individual plate layer.
• Rod wear fraction after passing through each obstacle.
• Step-by-step residual velocity and energy loss through each air gap and composite interlayer.

ULTRA Continuum Solver (Lagrangian Mesh)

The ULTRA solver processes the impact as a continuous physical event using an axisymmetric Lagrangian mesh.

• Constitutive Equations: Models rod and plate destruction via Johnson–Cook plasticity and a Mie-Grüneisen equation of state.
• Material Models: Depleted uranium uses the DU-0.75Ti model based on Johnson & Cook (1983).
• Physical Failure Modes: Features adiabatic shear banding, cratering, petaling, plug ejection, and mesh element erosion.
• Analytical Consistency: While ULTRA visualizes deformation, stress distribution (such as Von Mises stress in GPa), and plastic strain, the official Steam specifications note that the analytic core retains authority over final penetration declarations to avoid contradictory outcomes.

Customizing Kinetic Projectiles

Players who want to experiment outside service specifications can adjust penetrator variables in the free-build projectile interface:

• Caliber: Adjust the diameter of the round.
• Flight Velocity: Modify the impact velocity (m/s) to simulate varying combat ranges or experimental propellant charges.
• Rod Length: Available specifically on rod penetrators to observe the direct effect of length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios on Alekseevskii-Tate erosion depth.

Solver Limits and Technical Considerations

Player tests and developer patch notes document several operational characteristics and limitations in Early Access:

• Angle Restrictions in ULTRA: ULTRA mode is strictly axisymmetric and solves impacts at normal incidence (perpendicular to the plate). Sloped plates and ricochet angles require Normal or Advanced modes.
• Hardware Demand: ULTRA continuum solves are CPU-bound. According to official system requirements, higher physical core counts directly reduce solve times. Player reviews report that detailed Super Simulation runs generate large temporary playback files (between 20 GB and 26 GB per run) and take significantly longer to solve than analytical modes.
• Alignment Sensitivity: In continuum simulations, targets must be centered along the projectile's trajectory axis to prevent solver aborts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can kinetic penetrators ricochet in ArmorSim?

Yes. Analytical simulations evaluate ricochets using the Rosenberg criterion and plastic hinge physics to determine if a rod deflects, breaks, or burrows into angled armor. In ULTRA continuum mode, however, impacts are restricted to normal (90-degree) incidence.

What is the difference between Tungsten (WHA) and Depleted Uranium (DU) rods in the game?

Depleted uranium penetrators in ArmorSim (such as the M829 series or 3BM32) are modeled using dedicated flow stress and equation-of-state parameters (including DU-0.75Ti). In continuum calculations, materials exhibit adiabatic shear banding and element erosion.

Why do ULTRA mode simulations take minutes to run?

Unlike Normal mode's split-second algebraic equations, ULTRA uses an axisymmetric Lagrangian continuum solver calculating element erosion, plastic strain, and shock propagation across a dense mesh. The developer notes that this mode is CPU-bound, with solve times scaling with processor core count.