To progress through Monster Hunter Wilds' main story assignments, having the right armor sets can be a great advantage. There are many armor options to choose from, but some stand out due to their bonus skills. To help you, I have compiled a list of the best armor sets for main story progression.
Note that this post contains spoilers.
Starter Set Until Doshaguma
At the start of Monster Hunter Wilds, you'll receive the free Hope armor set. While this is the standard beginner set, its skills are actually quite good. It provides Level 3 Divine Blessing, a highly useful skill, especially for beginners. Divine Blessing significantly reduces incoming damage, making early progression much easier.
The monsters you encounter until your fight with Doshaguma aren't too challenging, so you should be able to manage with just the Hope set.
After Doshaguma Hunt
Once you reach Chapter 1-4, "A Hunter's Pride," you'll be tasked with defeating Alpha Doshaguma and Balahara. While it's still possible to defeat them using the Hope set, there's no need to waste resources crafting weaker armor sets.
However, after defeating Doshaguma, upgrading your armor is highly recommended, as the next monsters will be much tougher. At this point, you'll have unlocked both Doshaguma and Balahara armor sets. Craft and equip these before heading into your next mission:
- Ingot Helm
- Doshaguma Mail
- Balahara Vambraces
- Ingot Coil
- Doshaguma Greaves
- Blessing Charm
Equipping this set grants Level 3 Divine Blessing, Level 2 Free Meal, and Level 1 Evade Extender. Divine Blessing remains the best defensive skill in the early game, helping you survive tougher fights. Free Meal is especially useful since resources are still limited at this stage, allowing you to conserve healing items. Evade Extender is a nice bonus, giving you more mobility.
Make sure to craft the Blessing Charm to maximize Divine Blessing.
With this armor set, you should be able to progress safely until Chapter 3.
After Guardian Rathalos
At the start of Chapter 3, you'll face the iconic yet uniquely different Guardian Rathalos. Be cautious when fighting it, as it differs from the regular Rathalos you may be familiar with.
After defeating it, you'll unlock the Guardian Rathalos armor set, which will be your go-to gear as you prepare for the challenges ahead.
Equipping the full Guardian Rathalos set grants Level 3 Weakness Exploit and Level 3 Intimidator. These skills are a significant upgrade over the previous defensive abilities, as you'll now need to focus more on dealing damage to make your hunts smoother.
With this set, you should be well-equipped to progress safely into High Rank.
After Yian Kut-Ku
After defeating Zoh Shia, congratulations—you've officially entered High Rank! This is where the real challenge begins.
At the start of Chapter 4, you'll be tasked with hunting a Yian Kut-Ku, a classic monster from older Monster Hunter titles. However, don’t underestimate it—this High Rank version deals significantly more damage.
Once you defeat Kut-Ku, you'll unlock its armor set. However, to maintain the valuable skills from the Guardian Rathalos set, it’s best to mix and match both armor sets for optimal performance.
- G Rathalos Helm
- Yian Kut-ku Mail
- G Rathalos Vambraces
- Yian Kut-Ku Coil
- G Rathalos Greaves
By combining these armor sets, you'll gain Level 3 Weakness Exploit and Level 2 Agitator. Agitator is especially useful at this stage, as it boosts your attack power and affinity when monsters are enraged, allowing you to hunt faster and more efficiently.
That’s it! By following this armor progression, you'll be well-equipped to handle the challenges ahead. After using the final set, you'll unlock even more High Rank armor, each offering unique skills.
At this stage, the best armor set depends on your weapon and playstyle, so be sure to check out our best builds for all weapons guide for optimal setups. Armor up and happy hunting, Hunter!
