Monster Hunter Wilds: Best Tips for Improving Armor

Improving armor in Monster Hunter Wilds allows you to enhance the defense of each piece of equipment that you create or find. You can upgrade any armor in the forge using special items — armor spheres, which are earned during hunts. In this guide, we will explain how to upgrade armor, when this option becomes available, and how the upgrade process works.

Your first armor spheres — items necessary for upgrading — will be obtained during the quest Chapter 2-1: "To the Flaming Fields". This is a main mission where you will track your first Rompopolo shortly after arriving in Azuz.

When you return from the hunt, Gemma will call you to the forge and tell you about upgrading equipment with spheres.

Once you obtain the first armor spheres during the playthrough, you can begin upgrades. In the forge, select "Create/Upgrade Armor". A familiar menu will appear, but now when selecting an item you have already created (a red chest icon in the lower right corner means the item is crafted and stored, and a yellow checkmark means it is currently equipped), a new pop-up window will appear. Select "Upgrade". Then a new submenu will open:

This process allows you to convert armor spheres into points required for leveling up. Regular spheres give 10 points, spheres+ give 50 points, advanced armor spheres give 200 points, a hard armor sphere gives 1000 points, and a heavy armor sphere gives 5000 points. The higher the item's upgrade level, the more points are needed for further advancement.

Upgrading armor does not change its skills or resistances. The only thing that improves is the overall defense rating.

From the same menu, you can upgrade your talismans, but you will need additional resources and in-game currency — zenny.

As Gemma says during training: "If you faint over and over, upgrade your armor." So the short answer is — armor spheres are meant to be used, and spending them will only benefit you. However, throughout most of the story playthrough, you will be constantly receiving new sets of equipment almost after every hunt. If you find it difficult to handle enemies, invest a few spheres to boost your defense and survive the next battle. But if possible, it's better to save spheres until High Rank, when you start investing in armor for the long term — especially considering the bonus of layered armor.

The most logical and effective way to get more armor spheres is to participate in hunts. Throughout the storyline, you will be able to accumulate your initial capital. Don't neglect additional quests. Sometimes spheres are given just for logging into the game, but this is rare.

There are a couple of ways you can increase the number of spheres at your discretion. The first is trading with a character named Gawdydog. He is located at the Woodwood Haven in the Crimson Forest region and becomes available after completing Chapter 1-3 "Into the Woods".

A little later in Chapter 3-1 "Born of Flames", you will unlock the smelting workshop in Azuz. There, you can exchange materials harvested from monsters for armor spheres. Initially, these will be basic options, but more powerful ones will appear as you progress.