Like most games, there is no one best armor that's come out of Monster Hunter Wilds. Because your strength in this game relies on your build, any one set of armor might work for your build but not your friend's, depending on your weapon, skills, etc. That being said, there are some sets of armor that do generally perform better than others for certain weapons or playstyles.

It's important to be aware of what stats and skills are important depending on your preferred weapon type. For Dual Blade s, Constitution is important because it reduces stamina use when taking certain actions, allowing you to move more quickly and stay in the fight for longer without worrying about getting hit. This is just one example, and each weapon type has its own priorities, so make sure you're aware of yours when picking your armor. Additionally, note that, for the sake of simplicity, the following armors will not be mixed sets.

10 Butterfly Armor α

For Beginners, Full Of Comfort Skills

There's a lot to look at when you first start playing Monster Hunter, so no one can fault new players for being unsure of what armor to pick up. The Butterfly Armor α version isn't the best for those looking to do incredible amounts of damage, but the sheer number of innate skills it has make this is set the best for those who still aren't confident in their gameplay. It comes with Evade Extender 3 and Evade Window 5 to make dodging much easier, plus Recovery Up 2 and Recovery Speed 1 for those who prioritize getting back on their feet when they get hit. The Butterfly Armor isn't too exciting, but it will keep you alive while you're still getting the hang of harder monster fights.

9 King Beetle Armor α

Good For Poison Builds With Room For Some Comfort Skills

The King Beetle α version armor isn't the strongest, but it's got steady potential for any players looking to run a poison-focused build thanks to the Heroics, Foray, and Flayer skills it has built-in. Flayer has increased Wound creation chance, Foray deals increased damage against monsters who are poisoned or paralyzed, and Heroics increases your attack and defense when you're at 35% health or lower. To make a Poison build work with this set, you'll need a few things.

To craft the King Beetle set, you'll need to farm Great Hornflies in the Scarlet Forest. You can also trade for them on occasion, though trading in Monster Hunter Wilds can be annoying to work with.

As with any status-focused build, you're going to want a weapon that hits quickly, like Dual Blades. This is because status buildup is proportional to how many times the monster is hit. Additionally, despite King Beetle α's relatively low number of deco slots, you'll want to slot some Poison Duration Up and Poison Attack decorations to increase your damage over time.

Overall, poison and other DOT builds feel kind of ive in my experience, but they can be a great entry into build crafting for newer players thanks to how straightforward they tend to be: apply poison, don't get hit, let monster die, and repeat as necessary.

8 Damascus Armor α

Wide Range 5 Means It's Not Just Your Healing, It's Our Healing

There aren't really any true weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds, so grabbing the Damascus Armor α set will be super important for those who want to be able to keep their party alive while they fight. The real power behind this armor set is its Wide-Range 5 skill paired with its Item Prolonger 2. Wide Range allows nearby allies to get the benefit of certain items you use, and the Level 5 version of it allows them to get the full effect.

The exact items that work with Wide Range aren't defined, but most healing items will be able to be shared with your friends as you play. Item Prolonger does what it says it does, so take advantage of these two skills to keep yourself and your party alive.

7 Jin Dahaad Armor α/β

Weakness Exploit And Agitator Means You'll Be Dealing Consistent Damage

Jin Dahaad's armor set has Weakness Exploit and Agitator, which allow you to do more damage to three and four-star weak points, and give you bonus attack and infinity once your quarry is enraged. These are pretty simple skills to take advantage of, and they don't really rely too much on a build, so this is a good set for generalist play. Jin Dahaad's distinctive mantle and spines mark this armor as one of the more unique sets and one of my personal favorites.

Like so many other highly rated armors, the Jin Dahaad sets also have a good array of deco slots. That means these sets are super adaptable to your desires, letting you apply your preferred skills to the set, rather than searching out one that has them intrinsically. If you're not sure if you want to commit to a more specific set of armor, grab the stuff for the Jin Dahaad set, rather than wasting your time making armor you'll never end up using.

6 Gore Magala Armor β

Intrinsic Synergy With Itself, Giving Free Damage

Gore Magala can be a tricky enemy to face, but its armor is so worth the work. Running the Gore Magala β version set is done almost purely for its set bonus, so don't split it up if you can avoid it. The bonus, called Black Eclipse, infects you with Frenzy when going against large monsters. On top of this set bonus, you also have Antivirus and Coalescence. Antivirus cleanses the Frenzy and gives you bonus recovery and affinity when cured, and Coalescence increases your elemental attack power and status buildup.

This combination of skills allows you to practically guarantee bonus damage against any large monsters, and the increased status build that Coalescence gives makes this armor set perfect for faster weapons (more attacks mean more status application and effect). Do note that Coalescence is bugged, only giving 10% affinity at Level 3 rather than its listed 15%, but that doesn't stop it from feeling great to use.

5 Arkveld Armor β

Near-Full Decoration Slots Mean Extra Customization

There aren't a ton of armor sets that you can throw on without really thinking about it, but the Arkveld β set is one. It features Weakness Exploit, which gives extra affinity whenever attacking three and four-star weak points. Additionally, you get Convert Element, which temporarily grants you dragon element effects after taking elemental damage.

You can slot in pretty much whatever you want, allowing this armor to function with most builds, which is great for players who are new to the franchise or unsure about what they want to run.

While the baked-in skills on the Arkveld β set are nice, the real draw to this set is how many high-level decoration slots it has. In total, it has three level threes, four level twos, and five level ones. You can slot in pretty much whatever you want, allowing this armor to function with most builds, which is great for players who are new to the franchise or unsure about what they want to run.

4 Xu Wu Armor β

If You've Got The Skills, Xu Wu Rewards Excellence

The Xu Wu β version armor set features the Heroics and Adrenaline Rush skills, making them good for players who like to live a little closer to the edge than most. Adrenaline Rush gives you an escalating Attack after perfectly dodging an attack with perfect timing, really rewarding players who have an excellent grasp on the patterns and behaviors of their foes. Heroics is basically the opposite, giving an attack and defense boost when the player's health drops below 35%.

I'm not skilled enough at dodging to think that Xu Wu β is the armor set for me, but those who believe in their ability to not get hit can do a pretty bewildering amount of damage when playing right. For an extra attack boost, take advantage of the armor's set bonus, which gives an attack boost for an amount of time after eating a meat item. It might sound silly, but the damage boosts all stacked together — combined with the rest of your build — can make for a really fun amount of damage.

3 Guardian Fulgur Anjanath Armor β

Agitator And Coalescence Make A Solid All-Around Set

The β set of the Guardian Fulgur Anjanath armor may not be the best set to run on its own, but it really shines when using it to beef up other sets. Agitator increases your attack and affinity when large monsters become enraged, allowing you to more easily deal with monsters in their scarier forms. Coalescence increases your elemental attack power and status effects when recovering from blights or abnormal status. These two stats make it so even when you take a hit, you're still able to swing back and stay consistently in the fight.

Alongside the skills the set features, its set bonus gives you a second stamina gauge, allowing you to do everything you need to do without pauses for recovery. While extra stamina won't boost your damage like Burst or other skills will, the set also has a pretty healthy number of slots open. This allows you to build your armor set to fit your exact needs.

2 Guardian Arkveld Armor

If You're Looking For Flayer Armor, Look No Further

The Guardian Arkveld β set features one of the greatest skills in the game, Flayer. Flayer makes it easier to inflict Wounds on monsters, and also gives an extra damage bonus non-elemental damage after you deal enough. As if this wasn't enough, its set skill is Decimator, which allows you to restore health when destroying Wounds on a monster. Deal your damage, create wounds, destroy wounds, profit.

With three of the five pieces of armor boasting Flayer, you might as well just throw on the whole thing. This is one of those armor sets that doesn't really need a build to work, though the right Flayer build could make it truly monstrous. No matter whether you're fine-tuning your overall build or just need some good armor for the endgame, the Guardian Arkveld set is a strong bet.

1 Guardian Ebony Armor β

Burst Is Just Too Good Right Now

The Guardian Ebony Odogaron armor set has a few things going for it, all aimed around the armor's Burst skill. Burst allows your attack and elemental attack to increase the more successive hits you make. The exact amount you gain depends on the weapon you use, so fast-attacking weapons will get a boost more often, but slower weapons scale more per upgrade. You gain a small temporary boost after your first hit, and then another boost after every five hits in a row.

The Burst skill is useful enough when paired with the appropriate weapon, and its set skill, Burst Boost, makes it even better. When wearing the whole set of the Guardian Ebonxy Odogaron armor, your Burst skill will be even more powerful, giving you more Boost per Boost. The set itself is useful, and pieces of it are even great on their own for some mixed sets.

Like most any game that features different weapons and types of builds, there is no "best" armor set here. As such, picking one that matches your playstyle is going to be the best bet for those looking to prepare for endgame and future Monster Hunter Wilds DLC. High-level armor takes quite a bit of work to craft; don't waste your time making stuff you won't use just because someone else says it's the best. Play what's fun for you, then find armor that will make it work.