Monster Hunter Wilds Armor Guide – How to craft and upgrade Armor

Monster Hunter Wilds has hundreds of different armor combinations that can be crafted throughout the game. The sets, which can be earned by defeating monsters, taking on certain tasks, and via certain pre-order bonuses, are one of the most important parts of Monster Hunter Wilds, second only weapon choice.

One thing that Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t entirely clear about is exactly how you get this armor, and the best way to upgrade it. Thankfully, with this guide you’ll learn everything you need to know about the armor system in Monster Hunter Wilds, how to upgrade armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, and some early-game armor that you can craft from the first few beasts you take down.

How does armor work in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Monster Hunter Wilds armor is made up of five parts, the head, chest, hands, legs, and feet. All of these individual parts can be assigned separately, meaning that your armor can be a mash-up of many different styles. There are also different ways in which you acquire new armor.

The main one is by crafting it, which we will explain below. At the start of the game you’ll be asked to pick your first armor. Don’t worry about which armor you choose, as you have access to all of them as you continue to play the game.

Where do I get armor in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Armor can be purchased or upgraded as the Smith, which can be found in every camp in the game. The Smithy is the character with the large ploom of blonde hair who joins you on several missions. When in the base camp, speak to the Smithy and you’ll be able to upgrade or craft new armor.

In order to craft or upgrade armor, you’re going to have to go and kill some Monsters. Once you’ve completed the tutorial and established your base camp, you’ll quickly begin taking down some huge monsters, each of which will unlock bespoke armor. You unlock the ability to craft this armor after the first time you hunt the monster. Once you’ve finished one hunt, and completed the associated mission, you’ll be given a certificate related to that monster. That certificate allows you to craft the armor that’s inspired by that monster.

Return to the Smithy and you’ll be able to try on, and craft, the armor. In a first for the Monster Hunter franchise, there is no gender limits on armor, meaning male characters can wear female-style armor and vice versa. This means that monsters now offer twice as many armor options for every character. 

Defeating a monster once will rarely give you enough crafting materials to fully craft a set of armor, so if you’re missing some materials, you can always hunt down monsters you’ve already defeated during expeditions.  

Read our Monster Hunter Wilds guides:

• How to craft and upgrade Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds
• How to customize your Seikret in Monster Hunter Wilds
• How to play online with friends in Monster Hunter Wilds multi-player
• Monster Hunter Wilds Cooking Guide