I’m not even joking, almost EVERYONE i see ranks general and above wear the following armor combination.
Why is the more bulky the better in some people’s minds? That just makes them that much bigger of a target for snipers xD
i am a legend, but i do not wear a single one of those armor pieces.
I use the Mark VI helmet, but none of the other crap. The whole thing about the bigger target though? Not at all, the hitbox is exactly he same size for everyone regardless.
> i am a legend, but i do not wear a single one of those armor pieces.
This.
I use MK V helmet, Sniper shoulders, and Jun’s chest (Forgot the name). Looks bad–Yoink-. 
I think I’ve hit General, and I don’t have any of those, but the helmet.
This is my current armor.
Pilot Helmet
June’s shoulder with round in it on the right side, and Cartar’s on the left.
and the simple chest.
I don’t know 100% why people make them selfs so big. But my best guess is they ether want to show off to every one that they’ve unlocked all of that armor, or cause they think people will be more scared of them with bigger armor.
It’s kind of like the RECON helmet, people love showing off, and rubbing it in every one else’s faces, even those who don’t give two -Yoink-.
It has everything to do with aesthetics and nothing to do with actual gameplay. I have a lot of friends with general and above who sport a wide variety of armor choices. In the end it’s all personal preference.
I for one change up my armor quite frequently, merely because well…why not? I’ve got the armor, might as well use it. And yes sometimes I go for the bulkier pieces, but not for long. I just don’t really like how it looks.
<4
it doesn’t change any hit boxes and it is their choice, if that’s what they like let them wear it.
Perhaps because the armour is more expensive. It’s their Spartan anyway, so they can do what they want.
Im general grade 4 (almost to field marshal) and I’m wearing basically the saem thing i wore at colonel, ODST helmet with, The parafoil chest, and one small shoulder and then Carters big shoulder
Like other members have stated, it’s personal, it may just be coincidence that you noticed x amount and type in relation to rank.
I’m a general grade 4, I don’t use any of those pieces.
I’m an eclipse. They only one of those I wear is Emile’s shoulder because I like blades.
I have the Security helmet, but that’s ONLY because I actually like it WITH the first attachment. Otherwise I hate the Security helmet but that top attachment makes it look pretty good IMO.
I like having one shoulder bulkier than the other (so yes I have Emille’s Right Shoulder), but then on the other side have FJ/PARA. I use it because some of the other bulkier shoulder pieces just aren’t as good IMO (e.g. Commando I think looks horrible), but I like having it “unbalanced” like that.
And I personally HATE Jorge’s chest. I would use the Collar/Breacher chest but I don’t like the shells at the bottom of it so I stick with the security chest piece (from Waypoint)
I wear the Mark VI helmet, the sniper bullets on my left arm and currently have the Mark V shoulder for my right arm btu I’m saving up for the Security knife shoulder and I use the Jun/Sniper chest.
Personally I hate the Jorge chest, looks real bad in my opinion but the better armor requires a high level so to be honest that’s the reason why I think.
I am a Hero. I do wear the security helmet, but i genuinely like the way it looks. If i liked the way a different helmet looks better I’d wear that one. the exact reason i don’t wear the shoulders and chest you mentioned.
http://www.bungie.net/stats/reach/playermodel.ashx?rpis=0AVy9keMuRabi-TdwgcDiQ==
I’m a Mythic and only wear Mark VI from those, that’s only because I want m Spartan to look like a real Spartan with Mjolnir Mark VI, but with few added attatchments.
Now I wouldn’t like to generalize people, but most people I see wearing these armor parts you mentioned, are either tryhards or just go for kills. But that’s just what it seems like when you don’t see the whole picture. i’ll break this down: Who can afford those armor parts? High ranking players. What kind of players get high ranks? People who play alot. What kind of people play alot? Tryhards, people who only play for high K/D and those kind of people.
But why do these people use these parts? Well, what do tryhards and people who go for high K/D try to get by what they do? Reputation. But why? Because of their ego. But why these parts? Because these parts can only be attained at higher ranks, which boosts their ego.
Now that I have cleared that out. I have one more clarification to make, there is nothing wrong with being that kind of player or having a huge ego, if you don’t act like a total jerk. If you act like a total jerk, you should consider even trying to change your manners. Everyone acts like a jerk sometimes, but our goal is to try not to, to be able to give other players a good gameplay experience.
These are only my analysis and most players I have seen using these armor parts fall into one of these categories (I know I do). If you feel like that you don’t, I apologize for possibly offending you.
I wear all Security armor in memory of what it use to be. In truth I hate the design of the new Security helmet, and the first add-on just makes it a bit more tolerable. But I was doing it to get it as close to my Halo 3 armor as I could.
> i am a legend, but i do not wear a single one of those armor pieces.
If I ever got to that rank, even though (I don’t play much Reach), I would keep my armor the same. default with a few minor changes =)
I’m a Hero and I don’t wear any of that.
-CQC Helmet
-CQC right shoulder/Sniper left shoulder
-Can’t remember the name of my chest (it has a bunch of supply pouches on it)
-Supply pouch utility
-Tac Pad for my wrist.
I rarely see people wearing half the stuff I wear (like the helmet).