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Monster Hunter Wilds: Weapons and Armor Upgrades
At the heart of the gameplay in Monster Hunter Wilds lies the ability to forge and enhance weapons and armor using various monster materials. By collecting parts from defeated monsters, players can craft powerful gear sets that provide distinct skills and bonuses. However, it’s important to note that armor and weapons follow different upgrade paths, with unique rules for enhancing their capabilities.
Fortunately, the majority of weapon modifications in Monster Hunter Wilds do not alter their upgrade system. Armor and weapons maintain similar upgrade mechanics to those found in previous titles, allowing seasoned players to jump right into improving their gear. To unlock the upgrade mechanics through Gemma, the blacksmith you create equipment with, you’ll need to progress through the main storyline.
How to Unlock Weapon and Armor Upgrades
Progress Through Story Chapters
You’ll unlock weapon upgrades sooner than armor upgrades, but both are accessible after reaching certain points in the game’s narrative. Once you establish your first campsite in the Windward Plains, you can consult Gemma to start enhancing your weapons in various ways. At this stage, you’ll have the option to craft a range of weapons from diverging trees, which lead to more robust versions of particular tools.
Weapon upgrades are tied to your encounters with and defeats of new monsters throughout the storyline. For instance, defeating a Quematrice for the first time will unlock the upgrade branch that allows you to create Fire-elemental weapons. As you advance in the game, additional upgrade avenues will become available, including weapons that inflict unique elements and status effects.
It’s essential to note that not every new monster will grant access to an upgrade path for your weapons. While many weapons boast multiple elemental or status upgrade paths, not every weapon type will have all possible branches in its trees.
On the flip side, armor upgrades become available at a specific plot point. You’ll gain access to armor enhancements once you reach Chapter 2, after uncovering the Oilwell Basin region on your map. At this juncture, Gemma will inform you about upgrading your armor, allowing you to boost your gear’s defensive capabilities.
Best Weapon Upgrades
Choose the Path that Complements Your Build
In Monster Hunter Wilds, every weapon can be developed through several weapon trees. There are two main weapon upgrade paths:
- Expedition (Metal) Tree
- Bone Tree
Each tree presents different options, with certain weapon upgrades providing new elemental affinities for varied damage types. For each weapon, one branch of either tree may lead to Water, Fire, Thunder, Paralysis, or Sleep effects, aligning with your preferred playstyle. Building every upgrade for your favored weapon can be advantageous in countering various monsters.
As your game progresses, you will unlock Gem Decoration slots on higher-tier weapons located deeper in the upgrade paths. Decorations offer opportunities to add extra Skills to a weapon, resulting in a more customized build.
It’s important to remember that there is no definitive “best” weapon upgrade path. Each offers distinct advantages depending on your style. You may choose a path that delivers high raw damage with lower critical hit rates or vice versa. It’s wise to examine the Skills associated with weapons along different upgrade tracks to decide which path is most worthwhile.
Best Armor Upgrades
Focus on Enhancements That Suit Your Build
Armor upgrades function differently than weapon improvements. Unlike weapons, armor doesn’t have branching paths; instead, you can enhance armor pieces using Armor Spheres, which are specific items earned from hunting rewards. By infusing an Armor Sphere into a piece of gear, you can raise its Level and improve its Defense stat.
Every armor piece can be upgraded through six Levels, whether it’s a helmet, coil, or any other part. There are different types of Armor Spheres, each offering varying experience points when infused into armor. You can only improve armor defense by increasing its Level, so you’ll require stronger Armor Spheres to hit the maximum experience cap for any piece of gear.
The three basic types of Armor Spheres and their experience contributions are as follows:
- Armor Sphere – 10 XP
- Armor Sphere+ – 50 XP
- Advanced Armor Sphere – 200 XP
Though higher Levels demand more experience to reach, similar to weapons, there is no singular “best” armor upgrade path. Evaluating the worth of spending Armor Spheres to upgrade armor is best done by considering how beneficial that armor is for your build. Skills and Decoration slots on a piece of armor significantly influence its value, especially if it already has high Defense that can be further enhanced.
How to Gather Upgrade Materials
Complete Quests Without Failures
To acquire materials for weapon and armor upgrades, you must finish Quests and Assignments successfully. Armor Spheres are commonly rewarded for completing Optional and main story missions that involve defeating various monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds. As you progress through the main storyline, you will accumulate a solid supply of armor upgrade materials.
You can preview the rewards of a Quest by checking its details in advance. Armor Spheres and specific monster components are typically listed as potential rewards from hunts, provided that you complete the Quest without failing.
Upgrading weapons can be more complicated since many require specific monster parts for crafting. Weapons further along their upgrade trees often demand rarer materials, forcing you to hunt specific monsters for their parts. One effective strategy to gather these rarer materials is to target particular monster body parts during your hunts, such as severing a tail or breaking a horn.
Farming for upgrade materials is an inevitable part of the Monster Hunter experience. Make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to upgrade in Monster Hunter Wilds to streamline the process, especially if you can team up with friends to farm desirable items.
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