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The Monster Hunter Wilds best armor is all Rarity tier 8, with armor sets that grant massive defensive bonuses and powerful skills to those who can craft and equip them. Armor in MH Wilds is arguably not as important as weaponry - especially for those who know how to play evasively and avoid taking damage in the first place - but it's pretty essential for most.
With that in mind, we've explained all the details you need to know about Monster Hunter Wilds and the way that armor sets work, with explanations on how to unlock those powerful Rarity 8 sets and what they all have to offer you, from the Arkveld armor to the Guild Ace set.
How to get the best armor in Monster Hunter Wilds
To get the best armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, which is Rarity 8 armor, all of these sets are unlocked after completing Chapter 6 of the campaign. At this point Gemma will add five different armor sets of that high-rank rarity as options for the player to forge (not including the cosmetic variants), all of which are equally viable contenders for the position of "best armor", depending on the hunter's playstyle and weapons. You can craft and equip them for yourselves after getting the relevant materials.
if you want to know when that will take to reach that point, we won't spoil here, but you can find the details on our guide for how long is Monster Hunter Wilds. Those armor sets and what they're suited to are as follows:
- Arkveld α (Alpha): Elemental power, weakness exploitation, speed and aggression.
- Arkveld β (Beta): Less significant skill buffs than the α model, but more decoration options.
- Guardian Arkveld α (Alpha): Exploiting monster wounds and damage focus.
- Guardian Arkveld β (Beta): Less significant skill buffs than the α model, but more decoration options.
- Guild Ace α (Alpha): Across-the-board elemental defense, evasion, status effects and staying at full health.
Basically, the four Arkveld armor variants are suited to aggressive play, whereas the Guild Ace is one for careful strategy, rewarding the use of status effects, dodging, and granting a damage buff when you're at full health. Of these sets, which one you'll get the most out of will depend on your own personal playstyle and skill level: ranged players will thrive with the Guild Ace, whereas Dual Blades users should grab the Arkveld models.
Once you have those sets, use Gemma's forge to upgrade the armor you get with Armor Spheres, either earned through mission rewards or through forging at the Everforge. Armor spheres will bring the defense of these pieces up to 12, a massive boon. Then, if you've chosen a set with space for Decorations, make sure you equip the right ones to fit your playstyle.
At this point, you'll have the game's best armor! Well, at least until future updates change what's available with new monsters and armor sets, as well as Master Rank gear. Of course, if you want to change armor appearance in Monster Hunter Wilds, you'll need to check out our guide here. However, if you're stuck with early-game armor for now, you might need to know how to get Sharp Fangs in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Why not read our Monster Hunter Wilds review, where we described it as "The new peak of the series and an early contender for game of the year". Or find out every horror waiting for you in our full Monster list for Monster Hunter Wilds.
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