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The best armor in Monster Hunter: Rise

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The heart of Monster Hunter: Rise (aside from the monsters) is the gear you earn as you progress through each fight. That gameplay loop is what has attracted so many players to the series, and in many ways, Rise has streamlined the process of acquiring gear. There are dozens and dozens of different armor sets you can make in Rise, all of which have their own unique benefits and attributes. While it’s tough to specifically narrow down which ones are the best, there are some that are objectively better than others — and some that just make sense to have available for many encounters.

In this guide, we’ll show you which armor sets you should work toward while narrowing down their skills and bonuses. There are tons of different situations in Monster Hunter: Rise, so you’ll always want to have an armor set available that suits your needs. Whether you’re a newcomer or someone with more experience in the series, you’ll always want to strive toward having the best armor you can find.

Here is the best armor in Monster Hunter: Rise.

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The best Monster Hunter: Rise armor — Low rank

This might be a given, but the low-rank armor sets are only good during the earlier quests. These are meant for players who are just starting out and are typically easier to obtain. While many sets are great in their own way and are good for various play styles, we’ll cover some of the best armor that protects against most elemental attacks. This will hopefully keep your bases covered when you first start out.

Bishaten

Bishaten armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 2
  • Defense: 22
  • Fire resistance: -2
  • Water resistance: 2
  • Thunder: 2
  • Ice resistance: – 4
  • Dragon resistance: 2

Kicking things off is the Bishaten armor, which is a relatively obtainable set to aim toward when first starting out. It won’t give you the greatest protection, but it’s well-balanced, particularly against water, thunder, and dragon elemental attacks. The good thing about grinding for this armor set is that you’ll need to face off against the Bishaten, which is a great, low-level monster that teaches you the ins and outs of the game. You shouldn’t keep this set around forever, but it’ll serve you well during the earlier hunts.

Bnahabra

Bnahabra armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 2
  • Defense: 14
  • Fire resistance: -2
  • Water resistance: 0
  • Thunder: 0
  • Ice resistance: 0
  • Dragon resistance: 2

Next up is the Bnahabra armor. The interesting thing about this set is that it requires parts from a non-boss enemy. That means grinding it will be relatively easy, making it well worth the investment. With it being such a low-level set, it isn’t amazing, but you’ll want to use this one if you’re facing off against a large monster that uses dragon elemental attacks. This is one of the easiest sets to obtain for beginners, and grinding for it will provide multiple learning lessons about how the game works.

Almudron

Almudron armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 3
  • Defense: 30
  • Fire resistance: -4
  • Water resistance: 3
  • Thunder: 3
  • Ice resistance: -2
  • Dragon resistance: -2

When it comes to the best low-level gear, it doesn’t get much better than the Almudron set. This armor will defend you against water and thunder attacks and has high general defense. Just don’t rely on this set when going up against a fire-type monster because it has very poor defense in this category. But aside from that, this is one of the sets you should strive toward earning as you make your way to the end of low-rank quests. One thing to note is that grinding the Almudron monster is tough, so hopefully by the time you get to it, you’ll be familiar with taking on tough creatures.

Goss Harag

Goss Harag armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 3
  • Defense: 30
  • Fire resistance: -4
  • Water resistance: 1
  • Thunder: -1
  • Ice resistance: 4
  • Dragon resistance: 0

The main reason you’ll want to have the Goss Harag set is to help defend you against ice attacks. This has the same defense as the Almudron set but is meant for facing off against monsters in a cold environment. While grinding for this armor isn’t the most troublesome, you’ll likely need to spend a considerable amount of time gathering all the materials needed. But once you have it, you’ll be glad you did, as those pesky ice-based monsters won’t stand a chance while you’re wearing it.

Anja

Anja armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 3
  • Defense: 26
  • Fire resistance: 3
  • Water resistance: -3
  • Thunder: -1
  • Ice resistance: -1
  • Dragon resistance: 0

Finally, let’s cover an armor set that is great against fire. Many of the harder enemies can severely damage you with fire attacks, so you’ll need gear that will keep you alive during the … heat … of battle. That’s why we advise using the Anja armor, which is once again one of the last sets in the low-rank category. Grinding for this one isn’t too difficult, though you’ll want to be careful when facing off against the deadly Anjanath monster. Keep in mind, the previous two sets — Almudron and Goss Harag — have better overall defense, but Anja should be your go-to for fire protection.

The best Monster Hunter: Rise armor — High rank

When it comes to high rank, you’ll want to pay more attention to the gear you’ll be using during any given fight. That’s because monsters will be much more deadly, making it easier to be eliminated in just a few hits. With that in mind, you’ll also find it more difficult to grind for these sets, especially if you’re a newcomer. Though, don’t let that steer you away from working toward the best armor in the game.

Bishaten S

Bishaten S armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 5
  • Defense: 52
  • Fire resistance: -2
  • Water resistance: 2
  • Thunder: 2
  • Ice resistance: -4
  • Dragon resistance: 2

The Bishaten S armor set isn’t the best in any category, but is decent against many elemental attacks including water, thunder, and dragon. This is an ideal pick that serves as an interstitial armor set — holding you over for something with more focused defense. But because of its versatility, it’s hard to pass up, especially since its overall defense is high. By this point, you should be at least mildly familiar with taking down the Bishaten, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to grind for parts. Just don’t use this set when facing off against ice elemental monsters.

Barroth S

Barroth S armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 4
  • Defense: 50
  • Fire resistance: -3
  • Water resistance: -1
  • Thunder: 3
  • Ice resistance: -1
  • Dragon resistance: 0

The best thing about the Barroth S armor set is its defense against thunder, which is one of the highest for this particular category. Its overall defense is competitive, but you’ll likely find it challenging to gather all the parts needed for a complete set. Grinding the Barroth is yet another tough task, so you’ll need to be an experienced player to effectively make the most out of each fight. You might also have some trouble coming across the Quality Fin, which is obtained from the Delex in Sandy Plains.

Ludroth S

Ludroth S armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 4
  • Defense: 48
  • Fire resistance: -3
  • Water resistance: 4
  • Thunder: -1
  • Ice resistance: 0
  • Dragon resistance: 0

One of the most effective armor sets against water is the Ludroth S. Depending on your skill and how well you perform against the Ludroth, you might be able to easily obtain this particular set. It has relatively high defense overall, but its water resistance is its biggest asset. We highly discourage using this armor set against monsters that use fire attacks. Aside from that, it’s slightly weak against thunder, but even so, you’ll find this armor to be useful in general — especially against water.

Aknosom S

Aknosom S armor screen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 4
  • Defense: 38
  • Fire resistance: 3
  • Water resistance: -3
  • Thunder: -1
  • Ice resistance: 0
  • Dragon resistance: 0

This one is a bit of a lower-end set, but if you’re looking for decent fire resistance, the Aknosom S is recommended. Fortunately, the Aknosom isn’t too difficult to grind, so you should have an easier time farming the materials needed than with other sets. One thing to note is that this armor does poorly against water, but aside from that, it’s a versatile set that works well, especially when upgraded. Of course, this should be your go-to for fire-resistant gear.

Dober

Dober armor set.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • Rarity 5
  • Defense: 52
  • Fire resistance: -2
  • Water resistance: 0
  • Thunder: 0
  • Ice resistance: 0
  • Dragon resistance: 4

Full stop, Dober is just fantastic. Aside from the fact that it just looks cool, this armor set provides high general defense, making it ideal for many situations. Though, its main asset is protection against dragon attacks, so keep that in mind when accepting quests. The main thing to consider about the Dober set is that it requires parts from many different monsters — not just one, as you might be used to by now. For this reason, it’s arguably a little easier to grind for since you don’t need to repeat the same fight against one creature over and over, but there are still rare materials required for the entire set.

Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
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