Top Armor Set in Monster Hunter Wilds: How to Obtain It

In Monster Hunter Wilds, the top armor sets are all Rarity tier 8, offering significant defensive boosts and powerful abilities for those skilled enough to craft and use them. While armor isn’t as crucial as weapons—especially for players who are adept at dodging and avoiding damage—it’s still important for many hunters.

Here, we’ll break down everything you need to know about armor sets in Monster Hunter Wilds. We’ll cover how to unlock these powerful Rarity 8 sets and what each has to offer, from Arkveld to Guild Ace.

How to Acquire the Best Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds

(Image: Credit to Capcom)

To obtain the best armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, you’ll need to unlock Rarity 8 armor after completing Chapter 6 of the campaign. Once you reach this milestone, Gemma will provide five different high-rank armor sets (excluding cosmetic variants) for you to forge. Each set has its strengths, making them suitable for different playing styles and weapon choices. You’ll need to gather the necessary materials to craft and equip them.

If you’re curious about the timing to reach this point, we won’t spoil it here, but you can check out our guide on how long the game takes to complete. Here are the armor sets and their specialties:

Arkveld α (Alpha): Focuses on elemental power, exploiting weaknesses, speed, and aggression.
Arkveld β (Beta): Offers fewer skill buffs than the Alpha version but has more decoration slots.
Guardian Arkveld α (Alpha): Enhances damage dealing when exploiting monster wounds.
Guardian Arkveld β (Beta): Similar to the Alpha but with increased decoration options.
Guild Ace α (Alpha): Provides balanced defense against elements, improves evasion, and supports status effects while maintaining health.

Monster Hunter Wilds Armor

(Image credit: Capcom)

More equipment guides for MH Wilds

In short, the Arkveld armor sets cater to aggressive playstyles, while the Guild Ace is better suited for those who prefer a more tactical approach. It rewards players for using status effects, dodging attacks, and maintaining maximum health. Your personal gameplay style will dictate which set you benefit from the most; ranged fighters tend to excel with the Guild Ace, while those wielding Dual Blades will find the Arkveld sets more advantageous.

Once you’ve acquired your chosen armor sets, utilize Gemma’s forge to enhance them using Armor Spheres, which you can earn from mission rewards or forge at the Everforge. Upgrading your armor with these spheres will boost their defense to 12, significantly improving your survivability. If you select a set with decoration slots, be sure to equip the right decorations that match your playstyle.

At this stage, you will have access to the best armor in the game—at least until updates introduce new monsters and gear, including Master Rank options. If you’re looking to change your armor’s appearance in Monster Hunter Wilds, be sure to check out our appearance guide. And if you’re stuck with early-game gear, you might want to learn how to gather Sharp Fangs.

Why not check out our Monster Hunter Wilds review, where we called it “the pinnacle of the series and a strong contender for game of the year”? Or explore the various threats you can encounter in our complete Monster list for Monster Hunter Wilds.

Tags: Action RPGs