The Berill-5M armored suit is a protective suit featured in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.
Overview[]
The Berill-forces is an official suit used by the Ukrainian Military, modified for the Zone. It includes a PSZ-9a military bulletproof vest with beryllium coating and a Sphere-08 helmet. It features a European woodland camouflage pattern. The helmet has a special copper wire mesh installed to protect the wearer from background psionic emanations of the Zone. All wearers either use the gas mask or goggles variant of the helmet, though certain characters do not wear a helmet at all.
The Berill-5M suit is exclusively used by the Spetsnaz.
In Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat, the Freedom faction uses its own variant of the Berill suit. Known as "Guardian of Freedom suit", it offers effective anomaly protection, compared to the original model, and features a pattern similar to the German Flecktarn camouflage, similar to the camouflage used by Freedom suits.
Appearances[]
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
A Berill-5M special forces suit modified for the Zone environment. It includes a PSZ-9a military bulletproof vest with beryllium coating and a Sphere-08 helmet. It is designed for assault operations in areas with high background radiation. Its level of anomaly protection is low.
― In-game description
In Shadow of Chernobyl, the Berill is a particularly durable suit and very resistant to firearm damage. Its only drawbacks are its below-average anomaly protection and weight. It is equipped with first-generation night vision. It is effective as a starting suit as it can be easily bought from Barkeep (although it costs no less than 50000 RU) or found in the open.
Acquisition[]
The Berill-5M is sold by Barkeep after delivering the Documents from Lab X18, part 4. He also rewards the player with one for completing the side mission Find the Night Star artifact.
It can be found in the following locations:
- In the emitter room in Lab X-16, near the staircase leading to the second switch.
- In a trailer in the Red Forest, near a watchtower in the northern part of the map.
- Two in Pripyat. One below a flipped UAZ-469 at the end of the large avenue (where the player encounters the group of experts Loners. The second is below a crashed Mi-24 (along with a few boxes of 9x39mm SP-6 ammunition) in the vicinity of the Bus Station, near where Freedom and Military stalkers fight each other.
Unique variants[]
Clear Sky[]
The Berill-5M is a Spetsnaz bodysuit, modified for use in the Zone. The suit includes PSZ-9a series military body armor with beryllium sputter and a Sphere-08 helmet. Designed for assault operations in extremely radioactive regions, it is ineffective in areas of high anomalous activity.
― In-game description
The Berill-5M is designed for combat; while not as superior to other Tier 2 armors in terms of firearms resistance compared to its Shadow of Chernobyl incarnation, it is still comparable to the Guardian of Freedom suit and the CS-1 body armor in term of bullet/rupture protection and can be modified to have a maximum of 60% protection against firearms. If modified for anomalies, it won't go above 35% and it will lack night vision. Overall it's better to use it if one is combat oriented and compensate for the lacking anomaly protection with artifacts.
Overall the Berill-5M doesn't provide as much anomaly protection as comparable Tier 2 armors (the Guardian of Freedom or CS-1), but costs less and is cheaper to upgrade and maintain.
Acquisition[]
The Berill-5M commonly costs around 18,800 rubles, making it economical and hardy compared to other high level armors. It is bought and regularly available from most traders.
Upgrades[]
Color-coded upgrades are mutually exclusive.
 Kevlar plates are inserted into body armor for extra protection.
 A relief vest makes it easier to carry one's load by redistributing the weight.
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 This thickening fabric effectively absorbs the energy of a bullet.
Special straps make this backpack easier to carry, allowing for heavier loads.
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This reinforced military body armor provides protection against assault rifle fire.
 Suit screening (6250 RU)  Psy-protectionA complex system of screening cables provides limited psy-protection.
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 This thickening fabric, placed under the body armor, acts to effectively reduce damage.
 Polymer materials offer good protection from heat and electric shock.
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 Even if one layer of armor is damaged, the second one will still provide adequate protection.
 This special sealant coating can be used to insulate a suit from fire or electricity.
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 Plastic suit elements make it more durable.
 When filters are separated from the gas mask, more of them can be used.
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 Night vision device (3125 RU)  Night visionFirst-generation night vision device.
 Use a more efficient filtering system.
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 Artifact container (3125 RU)  Artifact containerContainer for wearing additional artifacts.
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Artifact container (3125 RU) Artifact containerContainer for wearing additional artifacts.
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Max weight 
Integrity 
Thermo-electrical protection 
Durability 
Radiochemical protection ^[note] In reality a +15 kg upgrade
Call of Pripyat[]
This item comprises military PS5 series body armor with beryllium sputter modified for use in the Zone. Designed for assault operations in highly radioactive areas, it is ineffective in areas of high anomalous activity. The suit makes its way to stalkers through the military, who exchange it for loot. Does not come with an artifact container.
― In-game description
The Berill offers good hit protection and armor, and is generally effective as a starting suit. Due to the fact it is available at the start of the game, it is a good option to purchase it if the player is looking for effective armor protection. However, its price (18000 RU without discounts), its lack of artifact slots and mediocre anomaly protection (it does not provide any psi protection) make it ineffective as a general purpose suit, and it is outclassed by the CS-3a armor available with a helmet from Nimble for 40000 RU, or the Bulat armored suit available for free from Kirillov.
Acquisition[]
It is sold by Owl at the beginning of the game and more frequently after achieving friendly reputation with either the Loners or the Bandits (or both).
It can be occasionally found in Snag's stash at the end of the mission Theft.
Upgrades[]
 Armor with an inner layer that spreads impact over a greater area.
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 A lighter aluminium frame for plates to replace the steel frame.
 The frame is capable of stopping a pistol bullet if the main body armor is damaged.
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 Reinforced matrix that used beryllium instead of aluminium is one of the most reliable ways of protecting infantry soldiers.
 A ceramic outer layer can deflect armor piercing bullets that impact at an angle and cause armor piercing bullets that make a direct impact to crumble into fine dust.
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 A multi-layered polycarbonate, silicon and carbon fiber insert in case the main armor is penetrated.
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 A number of ergonomic adjustments that use a rubber construction, which allow mobility to be retained even when wearing bulky armor.
 Constantan is capable of isolating against electricity and has a very high melting point.
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 SBK-RKhZ.m.II - a special radiochemical protection combat bodysuit, mark two.
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 The system supplies anti-tetanic, anti-inflammatory and streptocide substances.
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 A system of mounts allows for weight to be distributed onto the whole body more evenly.
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Installation of an additional artifact container.
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Impact neg. 
Body armor weight 
Energy recovery 
Elec. prot. 
Ther. prot. 
Chem. prot. 
Number of containers ^[note 2] See "Glitches" section
Development[]
Build 1154[]
In the first builds (most notably Build 1154, the first functional gameplay build), the armour uses the design for Jeffry, apparently a space marine of sorts. While the texture and model was used as a placeholder, the overall design of the marine was later reused in the final armour.
Shadow of Chernobyl 'beta' design[]
The beta model of the Berill suit is slightly different from the model used in the final version of Shadow of Chernobyl. The original beta design made use of an olive drab woodland camouflage pattern on the boots, helmet and overall gear similar to the ones used by regular military grunts and also incorporated a camouflaged back-pack while the current one does not make use of one.
Gallery[]
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Glitches[]
- In Call of Pripyat, the Berill-5M's tier 3 "Additional two-compartment artifact container" upgrade cannot be applied even though it is displayed in the armor's upgrade tree. This is because while the modification is implemented in the armor's upgrade configuration file, no technician in the game is configured to be able to apply this upgrade.
Trivia[]
- "Berill" derives from berillium, a chemical element mostly used to create ultra light and durable alloys (inter metallic compounds) of great thermal properties, mainly for special application such as high velocity missiles, space crafts etc. It is also used as a neutron reflector in some reactor designs. While these properties would in theory make it an excellent armor material - and indeed, beryllium-based ceramic armor showed astonishingly low weight (below 2g/cm3) in U.S. military testing - armor applications were not pursued further due to beryllium's exceedingly high cost and its dust being lethally toxic if inhaled.
- For unknown reasons, every Spetsnaz soldier who wears this suit also wears a Sphere-08 helmet, even though the helmet is said to be of Western origin in its Call of Pripyat description. A correct choice would be the Sphere M12 helmet which is seen on Bulat armored suits.
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