Sometimes when you’re stuck in DMZ without the equipment necessary to exfil, you need to make something on the fly. That’s where Bartering comes in, and there are no better items to Barter for than three-plate vests.
Often once you’ve been killed and drop in for another session of DMZ you’ll want to gear up immediately. While it’s often fine to run some contracts and build up cash to buy a three-plate vest from a Buy Station, why not skip the trouble and get a better vest instead?
To do so, however, you’ll need to Barter for it. Each unique three-plate vest comes with its own benefits which you can choose to craft based on your playstyle. Want to hide from those pesky UAVs? The Stealth vest is the best option. More of a support player? Crack open a Medic vest to revive allies faster.
You can Barter for these vests (and an assortment of other items) but you’ll need to jump through some hoops first, like unlocking the recipe and then finding the items to Barter with. It isn’t easy but after a bit of effort, you’ll be back and armored up in no time.
Table of contents
All three-plate vests in DMZ and their Barter recipes
While players can’t Barter their way into the base version of the three-plate vest, the system allows them to craft different vests, each with its own effect. As of season five, there are four such vests available to Barter.
- Three-plate Stealth Vest
- Three-plate Comms Vest
- Three-plate Medic Vest
- Three-Plate Tempered Vest
The recipes and their unlock methods have changed over seasons, so check back in from time to time.
How to make the Three-plate Stealth Vest in DMZ
To unlock the Barter recipe for the three-plate Stealth Vest, you must kill the Sniper commander in Koschei Complex. Once you’ve brought down the boss, the recipe will be open to you to craft at a Barter station.
To craft a Stealth vest, you’ll need:
- One encrypted USB stick.
- One comic book.
- One game console.
The Three-plate Stealth Vest, for those familiar with Call of Duty, comes with its own version of the Ghost perk. This allows you to remain hidden from enemy UAVs, portable radars, or heartbeat sensors. You also won’t appear on enemy radars when firing an unsuppressed weapon.
The Stealth vest is my go-to every time I play, and outside of the encrypted USB the items are easy enough to find. Head to a bank or police station for a chance to pick up a USB but otherwise, check every computer you find for one.
How to make the Three-plate Comms Vest in DMZ
To unlock the Barter recipe for the three-plate Comms Vest, you must kill the Wheelson guard on Ashika Island, just inside the Tsuki Castle grounds. Afterward, you’ll have the Barter recipe open and available to use.
To craft a Comms vest, you’ll need:
- One encrypted hard drive.
- Two batteries.
- One soothing hand cream.
The Three-plate Comms Vest boosts the duration of UAV technologies, which include the killstreak UAV, the scan from UAV towers, and the mini UAV enemies can sometimes drop. When an enemy squad is near you, it will also give you an auditory cue, which can potentially be a warning sign of impending danger.
A great second option to the Stealth vest, the Comms vest has saved me numerous times by giving me that ping when an enemy is nearby. Like encrypted USBs, encrypted hard drives are mostly found in computers, banks, and police stations.
How to make the Three-plate Medic Vest in DMZ
To unlock the Barter recipe for the three-plate Medic Vest, you must kill the Pyro commander on Al Mazrah. Then, simply take the items to a Barter menu at any Buy Station.
To craft a Medic vest, you’ll need:
- Three bandages.
- One liquor.
- One watch.
The Three-plate Medic Vest allows you to revive yourself and your allies faster. This makes it suitable for players who want to support their team, or who just want an easier way to self-revive in a pinch.
In our experience, Medic Vests can be invaluable in shifting the numbers advantage in an engagement, since it makes you vulnerable for a much smaller period of time and lets you get the drop on enemies who are expecting a longer revive animation.
This is the easiest vest to craft, I’ve found, with most of the recipe items in numerous locations. Oftentimes times I’ve found a single Hospital to house everything needed for a Medic vest.
How to make the Tempered Vest in DMZ
To unlock the Barter recipe for the Tempered Vest, you must kill the Armored Commander on Al Mazrah, sometimes referenced as the Juggernaut. Once unlocked, you can Barter for a Tempered Vest at any Buy Station on Ashika Island only.
To craft a Tempered Vest, you’ll need:
- One classified document.
- One sensitive document.
- Two documents.
Players from Warzone may have spotted the Tempered Vest before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released, and it’s making another appearance in DMZ. This plate carrier has two plates with 75 health each instead of three with 50.
This offers the same amount of protection but lets players save up on Armor Plates in a match. Since you need fewer Armor Plates, this also provides more carrying space in your backpack, since you won’t need to take as many Armor Plates as you would with a regular Three-Plate Vest.
