- Armor recipes in Monster Hunter Stories 3 come from quests, treasure chests, the Melynx Emporium, or monster drops. Generally, obtaining the required monster materials automatically unlocks the armor craft options at the Blacksmith. This means keeping an eye on the materials you collect is as important as the hunting itself.
- Ranger Armor kicks off your journey with solid baseline stats, focusing on fire resistance and offering the Den Protector skill, which proves useful early on.
- Stats for Ranger Armor are as follows: Fire resistance, Defense levels progressing from 18 (Lv 1) to 52 (Lv 3), with 2 decoration slots and the Den Protector (S) skill.
- Upgrade Materials
- Hunter Armor taps into ice resistance and delivers a Non-Element Defense Boost, making it a strong pick against ice-based foes.
- Hunter Armor stats include Ice resistance, Defense ranging from 20 at level 1 to 54 at level 3, 2 decoration slots, and the Non-Elem Def Boost (S) skill.
- Upgrade Materials
- The Bone Armor offers electricity resistance along with a non-element attack boost, enhancing damage output against many foes.
- Bone Armor has 20 defense at low levels, maxing at 54, with 2 decoration slots and the Non-Elem Atk Boost (S) skill.
- Upgrade Materials
- Leather Armor provides water resistance paired with the Synchronize skill, useful for matching your Yokai’s abilities.
- Leather Armor stats: 20 to 54 defense, 2 decoration slots, water elemental resistance, and the Synchronize (S) skill.
- Upgrade Materials
- Bnahabra Armor specializes in draconic and fire resistance, perfect for fighting dragon-type enemies with skills boosting inflict rate and dragon defense.
- Defense starts at 22 and rises to 62 by level 3, with 1 decoration slot and skills: Inflict Rate Up (S) and Dragon Def Boost (S).
- Upgrade Materials
- Lumu Armor offers both water and fire resistance, alongside Divine Blessing and Stamina Surge skills, balancing offense and defense.
- Defense ranges from 22 to 62 with 1 decoration slot. Key materials include Paolumu Material (6 points) for level 1, with no noted materials for level 2 and 3.
- Upgrade Materials
- Chatacabra Armor blends draconic and electricity resistances with valuable combat skills like Health Boost and Item Saver.
- Defense grows from 22 to 62 with 1 decoration slot. Skills include Health Boost (S), Item Saver (S), and Instigator (S).
- Upgrade Materials
- Kut-Ku Armor is a good choice against fire and ice damage, equipped with Fire Def Boost and Antiburn skills.
- Defense reaches up to 62 at max level with 2 decoration slots.
- Upgrade Materials
- Kut-Ku U Armor improves upon standard Kut-Ku Armor with boosted attack and critical skills.
- Defense is significantly higher, maxing at 68, with 2 decoration slots.
- Upgrade Materials
- Gypceros Armor covers electricity and fire resistance and offers a suite of defensive skills including Antivenom and Thunder Def Boost.
- Defense progresses from 22 to 62 with 2 decoration slots.
- Upgrade Materials
- Gypceros U Armor ramps up defense and switches focus with Vigilance and Fortify skills.
- Max defense reaches 68, but only 1 decoration slot is available.
- Upgrade Materials
- Ludroth Armor shines with water and fire resistance, plus supportive skills like Water Def Boost and Sealbreaker.
- Defense ranges from 22 to 62, with 2 decoration slots available.
- Upgrade Materials
- Ludroth U Armor significantly improves defense and skillset, including Antivenom and Water Atk Boost.
- Defense increases dramatically to 108. Gear comes equipped with 2 decoration slots.
- Upgrade Materials
- Nerscylla Armor features strong draconic and electricity resistances paired with impressive defensive and anti-status skills.
- Defense caps at 64 with 1 decoration slot, skills include Insomniac (S) and Anti 1-Hit KO.
- Upgrade Materials
- Nerscylla U Armor elevates defenses with higher stats and skills like Panacea and Evasion Ability.
- Defense maxes at 118 with 2 decoration slots, crafting requires Shrouded Nerscylla Material and an unknown item.
- Upgrade Materials
- Kadachi Armor is tailored for electricity and water resistance, featuring thunder attack boosts and evasion.
- Defense increases from 38 to 64 with 2 decoration slots. Skills include Thunder Atk Boost (M) and Evasion Ability (S).
- Upgrade Materials
- Plesioth Armor boasts balanced elemental resistances and offers strong defensive boosts and attack skills.
- Defense peaks at 102 with only 1 decoration slot. Skills include All-Out, Water Def Boost, and Den Protector.
- Upgrade Materials
- Anja Armor provides fire and water elemental defenses, with Fire Def Boost and the aggressive Vicious skill.
- Defense begins at 48 and reaches 62, equipped with 2 decoration slots.
- Upgrade Materials
Monster Hunter Stories 3 blends striking armor designs with strategic gameplay, making your gear choices crucial for surviving tough hunts. Each armor excels in elemental resistance and grants skills that turn the tide in challenging battles. Tracking down these armors and understanding their crafting essentials is key to tailoring your hunter’s loadout.
Armor recipes in Monster Hunter Stories 3 come from quests, treasure chests, the Melynx Emporium, or monster drops. Generally, obtaining the required monster materials automatically unlocks the armor craft options at the Blacksmith. This means keeping an eye on the materials you collect is as important as the hunting itself.
Monsters drop materials with assigned point values. Knowing the exact materials and point requirements helps you plan efficient farming routes. You’ll find each armor’s needed points and monsters listed, letting you prioritize the targets that will build your ideal defense.
If you’re drawn to an armor’s style but find its stats lacking, the Base chest allows you to use that armor as a cosmetic layer, so your looks don’t have to sacrifice function. Armors here are organized by their Base Defense to give a quick overview, except for alternate “U” versions, which are placed alongside their standard counterparts.
Also, if you like the aesthetic of an Armor but don’t like the stats, you can always just choose it as a ‘layer’ when you interact with the big chest at Base. The list is set in order of Base Defense (with the exceptions of U Armors, which I put next to their respective counterparts).
Ranger Armor kicks off your journey with solid baseline stats, focusing on fire resistance and offering the Den Protector skill, which proves useful early on.
Stats for Ranger Armor are as follows: Fire resistance, Defense levels progressing from 18 (Lv 1) to 52 (Lv 3), with 2 decoration slots and the Den Protector (S) skill.
To upgrade Ranger Armor to level 3, you’ll need:
• Ludroth Pelt (16 points)
• Izuchi Pelt (10 points)
• Armor Sphere (5 points)
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| – | – | • Ludroth Pelt (16 pts) • Izuchi Pelt (10 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Hunter Armor taps into ice resistance and delivers a Non-Element Defense Boost, making it a strong pick against ice-based foes.
Hunter Armor stats include Ice resistance, Defense ranging from 20 at level 1 to 54 at level 3, 2 decoration slots, and the Non-Elem Def Boost (S) skill.
For its level 3 upgrade, gather:
• Low-Grade Ore (16 points)
• Gargwa Feather (10 points)
• Armor Sphere (5 points)
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| – | – | • Low-Grade Ore (16 pts) • Gargwa Feather (10 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
The Bone Armor offers electricity resistance along with a non-element attack boost, enhancing damage output against many foes.
Bone Armor has 20 defense at low levels, maxing at 54, with 2 decoration slots and the Non-Elem Atk Boost (S) skill.
Upgrade materials needed for level 3 include:
• Brute Bone (24 points)
• Ludroth Pelt (8 points)
• Blango Pelt (10 points)
• Armor Sphere (5 points)
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| – | – | • Brute Bone (24 pts) • Ludroth Pelt (8 pts) • Blango Pelt (10pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Leather Armor provides water resistance paired with the Synchronize skill, useful for matching your Yokai’s abilities.
Leather Armor stats: 20 to 54 defense, 2 decoration slots, water elemental resistance, and the Synchronize (S) skill.
Upgrade requires:
• Velociprey Scale (16 points)
• Slagtoth Hide (10 points)
• Armor Sphere (5 points)
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| – | – | • Velociprey Scale (16pts) • Slagtoth Hide (10 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Bnahabra Armor specializes in draconic and fire resistance, perfect for fighting dragon-type enemies with skills boosting inflict rate and dragon defense.
Defense starts at 22 and rises to 62 by level 3, with 1 decoration slot and skills: Inflict Rate Up (S) and Dragon Def Boost (S).
Crafting and upgrading require:
Level 1: Bnahabra Shell (6 points)
Level 2: Bnahabra Shell (8 points), Crystalline (10 points)
Level 3: Bnahabra Shell (24 points), Crystalline (10 points), Ivory Lagiacrus Material (12 points), Armor Sphere (5 points)
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Bnahabra Shell (6 pts) | • Bnahabra Shell (8 pts) • Crystalline (10 pts) |
• Bnahabra Shell (24 pts) • Crystalline (10 pts) • Ivory Lagiacrus Material (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Lumu Armor offers both water and fire resistance, alongside Divine Blessing and Stamina Surge skills, balancing offense and defense.
Defense ranges from 22 to 62 with 1 decoration slot. Key materials include Paolumu Material (6 points) for level 1, with no noted materials for level 2 and 3.
| Recipe Location | Elemental Resistance | Defense | Max Decorations | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Drops | Water Fire |
Lv 1 – 22 Lv 2 – 44 Lv 3 – 62 |
1 | Divine Blessing (S) Stamina Surge (S) |
Upgrade Materials
Upgrades mainly rely on Paolumu materials early on.
Chatacabra Armor blends draconic and electricity resistances with valuable combat skills like Health Boost and Item Saver.
Defense grows from 22 to 62 with 1 decoration slot. Skills include Health Boost (S), Item Saver (S), and Instigator (S).
Upgrade to level 3 requires:
• Chatacabra Material (25 points)
• Plesioth Material (12 points)
• Armor Sphere (5 points)
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Chatacabra Material (6 pts) | – | • Chatacabra Material (25 pts) • Plesioth Material (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Kut-Ku Armor is a good choice against fire and ice damage, equipped with Fire Def Boost and Antiburn skills.
Defense reaches up to 62 at max level with 2 decoration slots.
Upgrade materials include:
• Kut-Ku Material (6 points) for level 1. No noted materials for higher levels.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Kut-Ku Material (6 pts) | – | • |
Kut-Ku U Armor improves upon standard Kut-Ku Armor with boosted attack and critical skills.
Defense is significantly higher, maxing at 68, with 2 decoration slots.
Upgrading to max requires Blue Kut-Ku Material (25 points) and Armor Sphere (5 points), with one unknown material.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Blue Kut-Ku Material (6 pts) | – | • Blue Kut-Ku Material (25 pts) • ? • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Gypceros Armor covers electricity and fire resistance and offers a suite of defensive skills including Antivenom and Thunder Def Boost.
Defense progresses from 22 to 62 with 2 decoration slots.
For upgrades, collect:
• Gypceros Material (6 points) at level 1
• Gypceros Material, Ivory Lagiacrus Material (12 points), Armor Sphere for level 3
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Gypceros Material (6 pts) | – | • Gypceros Material (25 pts) • Ivory Lagiacrus Material (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Gypceros U Armor ramps up defense and switches focus with Vigilance and Fortify skills.
Max defense reaches 68, but only 1 decoration slot is available.
Upgrades need Purple Gypceros Material, Khezu Material, and one unknown material alongside Armor Sphere.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Purple Gypceros Material (6 pts) | • Purple Gypceros Material (15 pts) • Khezu Material (6 pts) |
• Purple Gypceros Material (40 pts) • Khezu Material (6 pts) • ? (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Ludroth Armor shines with water and fire resistance, plus supportive skills like Water Def Boost and Sealbreaker.
Defense ranges from 22 to 62, with 2 decoration slots available.
Upgrade requires Ludroth Material at level 1; higher-level materials are unspecified.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Ludroth Material (6 pts) | • | • |
Ludroth U Armor significantly improves defense and skillset, including Antivenom and Water Atk Boost.
Defense increases dramatically to 108. Gear comes equipped with 2 decoration slots.
Materials for upgrades include Purple Ludroth Material and Garangolm Material, plus one unknown and Armor Sphere at the highest level.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Purple Ludroth Material (6 pts) | • Purple Ludroth Material (15 pts) • Garangolm Material (6 pts) |
• Purple Ludroth Material (40 pts) • Garangolm Material (6 pts) • ? (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (8 pts) |
Nerscylla Armor features strong draconic and electricity resistances paired with impressive defensive and anti-status skills.
Defense caps at 64 with 1 decoration slot, skills include Insomniac (S) and Anti 1-Hit KO.
Upgrade materials span Nerscylla Material, Somnacanth Material, and Nibelsnarf Material, topped with Armor Sphere.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Nerscylla Material (6 pts) | • Nerscylla Material (15 pts) • Somnacanth Material (6 pts) |
• Nerscylla Material (40 pts) • Somnacanth Material (6 pts) • Nibelsnarf Material (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Nerscylla U Armor elevates defenses with higher stats and skills like Panacea and Evasion Ability.
Defense maxes at 118 with 2 decoration slots, crafting requires Shrouded Nerscylla Material and an unknown item.
| Recipe Location | Elemental Resistance | Defense | Max Decorations | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monster Drops | Draconic Electricity |
Lv 1 – 98 Lv 2 – 118 |
2 | Panacea (M) Evasion Ability (S) Critical (S) |
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| – | • Shrouded Nerscylla Material (12 pts) • ?(6 pts) |
– |
Kadachi Armor is tailored for electricity and water resistance, featuring thunder attack boosts and evasion.
Defense increases from 38 to 64 with 2 decoration slots. Skills include Thunder Atk Boost (M) and Evasion Ability (S).
Upgrade materials involve Tobi-Kadachi Material, Bishaten Material, and Ajarakan Material with Armor Sphere at higher tiers.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Tobi-Kadachi Material (6 pts) | • Tobi-Kadachi Material (15 pts) • Bishaten Material (6 pts) |
• Tobi-Kadachi Material (40 pts) • Bishaten Material (6 pts) • Ajarakan Material (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Plesioth Armor boasts balanced elemental resistances and offers strong defensive boosts and attack skills.
Defense peaks at 102 with only 1 decoration slot. Skills include All-Out, Water Def Boost, and Den Protector.
Upgrade requires Plesioth Material at all tiers with added Almudron Material and an unspecified material at level 3.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Plesioth Material (6 pts) | • Plesioth Material (15 pts) • Almudron Material (6 pts) |
• Plesioth Material (40 pts) • Almudron Material (6 pts) • ? Material (12 pts) • Armor Sphere (5 pts) |
Anja Armor provides fire and water elemental defenses, with Fire Def Boost and the aggressive Vicious skill.
Defense begins at 48 and reaches 62, equipped with 2 decoration slots.
Upgrade involves Anjanath Materials and one unknown component at level 2.
Upgrade Materials
| Level 1 (Craft) | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • Anjanath Material (6 pts) | • Anjanath Material (12 pts) •? (6 pts) |
– |