While I was riding the Armada Beatnik, it kept reminding me of was the Capita Mercury. While they have a few differences, they’re meant for the same rider and feel the same in so many ways. They’re both fast. They carve with some power behind them. They both jump and jib phenomenally well. They’re versatile all-mountain freestyle decks and good at every style of riding you’ll do with them.
So here’s the way that I’d steer you if you were stuck deciding between both of these boards.
With that said, there are two differences in these snowboards that will make one of them better than the other, depending on your riding style and the terrain you get to ride in most often.
The goal of this article is to help you figure out which one of these boards is the better option for you.
Read Full Armada Beatnik Review – Rated 87.4 / 100
Read Full Capita Mercury Review – Rated 92.4 / 100
Both Boards At a Glance
| Spec | Armada Beatnik 2027 | Capita Mercury 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $579.95 | $699.95 |
| Shape | Directional twin | Directional twin |
| Camber Profile | Traditional camber with early rise nose and tail | Resort V2, camber dominant with early rise tips |
| Setback | 0mm, centered | 0.5 inches (12.5mm) |
| Brand Flex Rating | 7 / 10 | Medium-stiff, around 6.5 / 10 |
| My Flex Rating | 6.5 / 10 overall, 6 in the pressable zones and 7.5 underfoot | 5.5 / 10 overall, the nose feels softer and closer to a 5 / 10 |
| Edge Hold Tech | None listed (keep your edges sharp for ice) | New Age Progressive Death Grip (an extra serrated bump for added grip on ice between your feet) |
| Damping Tech | Titanal impact plates in the binding zone | Carbon Flax Amplifiers |
| Ability Level | Intermediate to Advanced | Intermediate to Advanced |
| My Score / All-Mountain Freestyle Category | 87.4 / 100 | 92.4 / 100 |
How They Compare By Riding Category
This chart breaks down which board scores higher in each specific riding category or consideration.
This chart is meant to be a head to head comparison, showing which board performs better in a specific category. If one board was noticeably better in a category, it earned 1 point for the category. If both of the boards were completely even for the category, they both earned a tie point for the category. The points were then totaled up in the last row to show you which is the better snowboard overall.
So, let’s compare the Armada Beatnik against the Capita Mercury.
| Riding Style Consideration | Armada Beatnik | Capita Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Resort Riding | 1 | 1 |
| Pop / Power | 1 | 1 |
| Carving | 1 | |
| Responsiveness | 1 | 1 |
| Speed | 1 | 1 |
| Edge Hold | 1 | |
| Jumps | 1 | 1 |
| Fun to Ride | 1 | 1 |
| Switch | 1 | |
| Jibs | 1 | 1 |
| Dampness | 1 | |
| Buttering | 1 | |
| Ice / Poor Conditions | 1 | |
| Powder | 1 | |
| Total Points | 9 | 12 |
Summary of Their Comparison Scores
The Capita Mercury is slightly more versatile than the Armada Beatnik. This is mostly due to its setback directional shape, which helps it carve on groomers and float in powder a little better than the Beatnik. Because of the added versatility points, the Mercury scored a 12 out of a possible 13 points, while the Armada Beatnik scored a 9 out of 13 points.
Both of these are exceptional snowboards, though.
They have certain strengths that make them slightly more appealing to different types of riders. The Mercury will be for the All-Mountain Freestyle rider who gets to hit deeper snow and wants to hit side hits, and while the Beatnik is ok for those things, it’s going to appeal more to the East Coast or Midwest rider who charges groomers and spends more time in the park.
The truth is that while the Mercury scores higher on paper, you could buy either one of these snowboards and still not make a wrong decision.
Full Scores and Rankings for Each Board
Armada Beatnik
The Beatnik earned a 87.4 out of a possible 100 in our All-Mountain / Freestyle boards rating scale. Here are the stats from the review.
Capita Mercury
The Mercury earned a 92.7 out of a possible 100 in our All-Mountain boards rating scale. Here are the stats from the review.
Consider Their Price
The difference that matters most is the price. The 2027 Capita Mercury costs $699.95. The Armada Beatnik is only $579.95. That’s a $120 between them, and it’s worth knowing what that $120 actually buys you, because you might not even notice it.
What the Extra $120 Actually Gets You If You Buy the Mercury
Two additional things, and I want to be fair about both of them because they’re real.
A setback stance for improved pow performance. The Mercury sets you back half an inch. The Beatnik riding stance is dead centered. That half inch means the Mercury floats a little better when it gets deep. Neither are a dedicated powder board by any means, but the Mercury floats better than the Beatnik in deeper snow.
Death Grip edge tech for added grip on ice. Capita’s sidecut adds in an extra contact point into the board’s edge between your feet. This extra bump gives you some additional grip on ice and harder surfaces. Now, the Beatnik still grips to ice and hardpack better than I expected, but the Mercury has added feature to give it a little extra grip on ice.
That’s the main difference. If you ride a lot of deep days or your home mountain is a total sheet of ice, those two things are worth paying for.
Choose the Capita Mercury if
- You get real powder days and want the setback stance for helping you float
- Your home mountain is icy and you want the Death Grip for added grip
- You want the higher scoring board and the extra $120 isn’t a factor
Choose the Armada Beatnik if
- You want to save $120 without sacrificing much.
- The park is where you spend most of your day. The Beatnik is more fun in the park.
- You ride switch a lot. The centered stance makes it a little easier riding switch than the setback in the Mercury.
- You want the Titanal plates, which is a genuinely premium damping feature at this price.
My take is for $120, go with the Beatnik, and you’ll likely not miss those other features. Manually set your stance back on the deeper days and keep your edges sharp for the icier days.
You can read my full review of the Capita Mercury to learn more.
Who Is the Armada Beatnik Good For?
The Beatnik was made for the all-mountain freestyle rider who wants a single board for the whole resort. It’s perfect for park laps, side hits, rollers, and carving groomers in between.
Experience wise, it will be best for the intermediate rider who already knows how to turn. Any rider can learn to ride this board, but the intermediate to advanced rider will have the most fun on it.
You don’t need to be great rider to enjoy this one, but you do need enough time on snow to figure out and appreciate its strengths.
Who Is the Capita Mercury Good For?
The Capita Mercury is perfect for intermediate to advanced all-mountain freestyle riders who want one board that excels at riding the entire resort, including powder.
The Mercury has specific tech features built into its design to help them do it. This board is for the rider who loves to carve at all speeds and needs a board that is as strong on ice as it is in powder.
Where to Buy These Boards
If you found this board comparison helpful in any way, please consider purchasing your boards through one of the linked buttons below. Both links will point you to the lowest priced offer I could find for each board, and it will not cost you anything extra.
Why use these links? These links are embedded with my affiliate partner tracking code. This shows EVO or Burton that my article helped you make your decision.
In return, they share a small commission with me for your board purchase. While these commissions are nowhere near enough for me to quit my day job, they help cover the hosting fees for this website and the remaining proceeds go towards lift tickets and more gear to review.
And most importantly, thanks for your support and for reading as far as you have.
I know you’ll have fun out there with either of these boards.
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Steve Weber is the passionate snowboarder, skateboarder, and author behind Board of the World. He understands that most gear reviews focus on having the perfect snow conditions, but his testing methodology is different. Living in Pennsylvania, Steve describes exactly how a board performs when the conditions aren’t perfect. His reviews cover performance on ice, hardpack, and flat-out brick conditions. In other words, he reviews boards for the conditions that East Coast riders actually face.
Bringing 27 years of East Coast snowboarding and 21 years of skateboarding experience, Steve is a 42-year-old intermediate park rider. His recommendations are informed by decades of battling icy conditions, ensuring every review accounts for the board’s performance on the roughest of terrain.
For the last five years, Steve has poured his passion into writing in-depth, unbiased reviews that help riders make informed decisions about the gear they’ll use. He also works part-time at a snowboard shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which gives him a direct line to learning about the new gear tech months in advance. When he’s not writing reviews, Steve is often found riding at Montage Mountain and testing out new boards.
Steve’s goal with Board of the World is simple: to help every reader find the right gear so they can have fun outside from the first time they use it.