Unlocking layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds lets you slay monsters in style without sacrificing stats-craft High Rank armor after completing the main story to unlock this coveted transmog system, then customize your hunter’s look from your tent while keeping your battle advantages intact. Ready to hunt in fashion? Here’s how to unlock and equip layered armor on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Monster Hunter Wilds is stuffed with loads of cool-looking armor. (The silky layers of the Lala Barina set come to mind, and in the end-game Death Stench armor set.) But sometimes, the armor that will benefit you the most in a certain fight might not be the one you most like the look of.
Luckily for players, the layered armor settings allow you to keep the stat bonuses of one set, but maintain the look of another. It’s the best of both worlds, but unlocking it can take time.
This guide will show you how to unlock and equip layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds.
How to unlock layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds
To unlock layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, you need to reach Chapter 4 of the game and start crafting High Rank armor. Once you have crafted a High Rank armor piece, it automatically becomes available as layered armor, which you can wear to change your appearance without affecting your stats. After completing the main story and unlocking High Rank, visit Gemma the Smithy to forge High Rank equipment. Then, to equip layered armor, enter your tent, go to the Appearance Menu, select Equipment Appearance, and choose the layered armor pieces you want to wear. This system allows you to customize your hunter’s look freely while retaining the benefits of your equipped armor.
In most cases, the only way to unlock layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds is by creating and upgrading to the High Rank versionof a particular piece of equipment.
Each time you craft a piece of high rank armor, it also unlocks the layered armor version for that piece of equipment. These high-difficulty fights only occur after you roll credits on the main story, so you will have to play the entire mainline quest to unlock High Rank armor/layered armor.
The one exception to this rule is that certain versions of the game, like the Deluxe Edition and Premium Deluxe Edition, come with bonuses including special layered armor that you can use from the start.
How to equip layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds
To equip layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, first ensure you have crafted high-rank armor pieces, as only these unlock layered armor options. Then, go to any tent and open the Appearance Menu. Select “Equipment Appearance,” where you can choose the layered armor for each body part-head, arms, waist, legs, and chest. Select the desired layered armor piece to change your character’s appearance without affecting the stats of your equipped armor. You can also toggle the visibility of armor pieces or change their colors in this menu. This system allows you to customize your look while retaining your preferred armor’s performance.
Once you craft high-rank armor for a specific piece of equipment or armor, you can go wear it as layered equipment. Here is how to equip layered armor in Monster Hunter Wilds:
- At any tent, open the “Appearance Menu.”
- Select the “Equipment Appearance” option.
- You’ll now see a little overview of your armor. Select one of the five following options: head, chest, arms, waist, or legs.
- This brings you to a menu that lists all of the layered armor you have unlocked. Use the D-pad to navigate your cursor and move it until you highlight the piece of equipment you want to wear as layered armor.
- Once you’ve highlighted the piece of armor you want to wear, press X to select it.
And that’s it! Your character is now wearing its layered armor. You can continue to use this menu to change the look of other pieces of equipment if you would like.
How can I unlock layered armor without completing the main story
In Monster Hunter Wilds, unlocking layered armor without completing the main story is generally not possible through normal gameplay, as layered armor unlocks when you reach Chapter 4 and craft High Rank armor after finishing the main story. However, there are alternative options:
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If you purchased the Premium Deluxe version or the Layered Armor DLC, you can access some layered armor sets from the start without finishing the story.
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Certain event quests and special assignments may grant access to specific layered armor pieces before the main story completion, but these are limited and often tied to DLC or special content.
In summary, without completing the main story, your best bet is to either purchase the Layered Armor DLC or participate in event quests that reward layered armor. Otherwise, crafting High Rank armor after chapter 4 is required to unlock the full layered armor system.
Can I unlock layered armor by reaching Chapter 4 in Monster Hunter Wilds
Yes, you can unlock layered armor by reaching Chapter 4 in Monster Hunter Wilds. Once you reach Chapter 4 and craft High Rank armor, the layered armor system is unlocked, allowing you to wear the appearance of any High Rank armor without affecting your stats. This requires completing the main story up to that point and crafting the High Rank version of armor pieces at Gemma the Smithy’s forge. After crafting, you can equip layered armor from your tent’s Appearance menu.
