Everyone has their own way of doing things, but here's my order of finishing any armor build:
1) Basecoat(s)
2) Future (over all)
3) Decals
4) Future (just over decals)
5) Wash
6) Dull Cote
7) Dry Brush
8) Dull Cote (not necessary, but I like it)
9) Detail Painting (including chips, tools, etc.)
10) Dull Cote (again, not necessary)
11) Weathering (with pastels)
I am a die-hard believer in sealing my builds after every step to protect the underlying work. If anything, I'll usually add steps to this basic outline. For example, if I were going to add a dusting of a dirt color to the lower sections of my build, that would become Step 11, I would add another Dull Cote application for Step 12, then do the Weathering with pastels as Step 13.
Enjoy your modeling...