Diamond Age

I read "The Diamond Age", I liked it, but I don't remember any armour
> >battles in it. There were social conflicts and character conflicts,

Not true. There are brief glimpses of the war going on in mainland
China, involving troopers called 'Hoplites' who where nano-powered armor
and command a really wierd (if somewhat vague) assortment of energy and
nano-weapons.  (Check out the last few chapters, mostly).