In the Campaign, the player begins with a specific Armor Ability at the start of each mission and is able to swap for other Armor Abilities located in the level. In multiplayer and Firefight, Armor Abilities are chosen as a part of a loadout before a match is started or during respawn. All seven Armor Abilities are usable by both Spartan and Elite players. In multiplayer, Armor Ability use is disabled while performing objective-related tasks. If player attempts to use an Armor Ability while holding an Oddball or Flag, the object drops out of their hands.