Knowing which armor to use in Monster Hunter Rise can be a little daunting for new players.
Unlike most RPGs, the armor found in the Monster Hunter franchise has always given more than just a boost in the defense stat.
Armor is a vital piece of a hunter’s build because of its ability to boost other stats through the use of skills.
It is, then, not a surprise when beginners struggle to find the perfect armor piece for their builds.
Most newcomers tend to drift towards building entire armor sets from a single monster, due to the lack of skill knowledge. While donning the armor of your favorite monster may look fashionable, it often provides sub-optimal performance.
Instead, the ideal way to wear armor is to mix and match perfect pieces that provide good defense and great skills.
To help you along with the search for the perfect armor pieces, here is a list of the 10 best armors in Monster Hunter Rise.
10. Ingot Greaves S
Ingot Armor
The Ingot Greaves S is one of the very first unlockable armor upon reaching high rank.
Being one of the first unlockable armors, it has a subpar defense stat which makes it seem like a subpar piece of equipment, but don’t let the numbers fool you.
What the Ingot Greaves S lacks in defense, it more than makes up for in offense.
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 40
- Attack Boost Lvl 2
- Critical Eye Lvl 2
What makes the Ingot Greaves S so great:
- A total of 4 skill levels in one piece of armor.
- Easy to craft.
- Provides pure offense.
How to get the Ingot Greaves S:
- Crafting the Ingot Greaves S requires ores from the high-rank version of Monster Hunter Rise’s maps.
9. Flame Seal
The Flame Seal, much like the Ingot Greaves, doesn’t have much to show for in the protection department; that isn’t so surprising, it’s an eyepatch after all.
Damage is the main selling point of this piece of armor. And boy, does it cause a lot of damage.
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 56
- Critical Eye Lvl 4
What makes the Flame Seal so great:
- Boosts affinity by an ABSURD amount.
How to get the Flame Seal:
- To get this armor, hunters must complete EVERY single village quest from 1 star to 6 stars. Upon completing the quests, a new challenge quest will be unlocked which will reward the Flame Seal, upon completion.
8. Anjanath Coil S
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 60
- Attack Boost Lvl 2
What makes the Anjanath Coil S so great:
- Good defense stat.
- Great offensive skills.
How to get the Anjanath Coil S:
- Parts for the Anjanath Coil S are obtained from hunting down the high-rank Anjanath.
7. Nargacuga Mail S
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 60
- Evade Window Lvl 1
- Critical Eye Lvl 2
What makes the Nargacuga Mail Sso great:
- Two levels of affinity-boosting.
- Good defense stat.
- Gives one level of evade extender.
How to get the Nargacuga Mail S:
- Parts for the Nargacuga Mail S are obtained from hunting down the high-rank Nargacuga.
6. Rathalos Coil S
However, the Rathalos Coil S simply has more going for it than its counterpart.
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 62
- Windproof Lvl 1
- Attack Boost Lvl 2
What makes the Rathalos Coil S so great:
- Good defense stat.
- Great offensive skills.
- Gives a single level of Windproof.
How to get the Rathalos Coil S:
- Parts for the Rathalos Coil S are obtained from hunting down the high-rank Rathalos.
5. Rakna Greaves
This bad boy will give you more endurance than your daddy’s secret stash of aphrodisiac pills!
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 66
- Constitution Lvl 2
- Stamina Surge Lvl 2
What makes the Rakna Greaves so great:
- NECESSARY for stamina-hungry weapons.
- Provides a healthy amount of defense.
How to get the Rakna Greaves:
- Parts for the Rakna Greaves are obtained from hunting down the high-rank Rakna Kadaki.
4. Golden Hakama
The Golden Hakama marks the start of the gold tier of armor on this list.
When going for more damage, hunters tend to turn towards a boost in affinity. This piece of armor boosts the critical damage itself making it a necessity.
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 70
- Critical Boost Lvl 2
- Latent Power Lvl 1
What makes the Golden Hakama so great:
- Two whole levels of Crit Boost.
- Great defense stat.
- One level of heroics.
How to get the Golden Hakama:
- Parts for the Golden Hakama are obtained from hunting down the Rajang.
3. Azure Age Haori
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 72
- Constitution Lvl 2
- Weakness Exploit Lvl 1
What makes the Azure Age Haori so great:
- Two levels of constitution for stamina needs.
- A level of weakness exploit.
- Excellent defense stat.
How to get the Azure Age Haori:
- The Azure Age Haori is unlocked by completing the USJ event quest.
2. Kaiser Crown
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 74
- Critical Eye Lvl 3
- Critical Boost Lvl 1
What makes the Kaiser Crown so great:
- Excellent defense stats.
- ABSURD affinity boosting skills.
How to get the Kaiser Crown:
- Unfortunately, hunters need to have a Hunting Rank of 40 before even unlocking Teostra. Once Teostra is unlocked, hunt him until enough materials are gathered for a Kaiser Crown.
1. Valstrax Braces
The Valstrax Braces provide an absurd amount of defense, and two levels of the most universal skill in Monster Hunter Rise.
Armor Defense and Skills:
- Defense: 80
- Dragon Heart Lvl 1
- Weakness Exploit Lvl 2
What makes the Valstrax Braces so great:
- Highest defense stats.
- TWO whole levels of Weakness Exploit.
- Provides an extra safety net with one level of Dragon Heart.
How to get the Valstrax Braces:
- To get the Valstrax Braces, one naturally needs to hunt Valstrax. Valstrax, himself, is unlocked upon reaching HR 100.