If you want a better chance of reaching the endgame of Monster Hunter Wilds, you’ll need a healthy collection of High Rank armor. The question is, should you choose the alpha or beta version? Both have their advantages and which you choose will depend on the needs of your building.

The difference between alpha and beta armor in Monster Hunter Wilds

There are a few main differences between the alpha and beta armor types inMonster Hunter Wilds.

In previousMonster Huntertitles, beta armor was almost always the go-to, as access to the largest amount of decorations was key to buildcrafting.Wildschange that by tying specific decoration types to your weapons and armor. Armor decos now tend to modify your hunter’s survivability and physical attributes, with damage decos relegated almost exclusively to your weapon slots.

Rompopolo in Monster Hunter Wilds

As such, you won’t put a Critical Eye or Weakness Exploit three-slot decoration on your chest piece. That makes alpha armor with damage perks more appetizing than they once were. So which should you choose?

Is alpha or beta armor better in Monster Hunter Wilds?

If you’d asked me to choose between alpha and beta armor in previous games, my answer would almost always be to use a full five-piece beta set. Now, the answer is a bit more nuanced. The short version is:it depends.There are still Skills you’ll want to have on almost every build, but others are designed for specific weapons and playstyles. Think Critical Draw for Greatswords or Wide-Range and Free Meal for healing builds.

The hard and fast rules for choosing between alpha and beta armors, then, are:

Alpha Guardian Rathalos armor in Monster Hunter Wilds

There aren’t too many ways outside of armor and decorations to add Skills to your build, especially if you don’t want to endlessly gamble for the perfectArtian weapon. You do have Talismans and your weapon’s intrinsic Skills, of course. However, when you choose your weapon based on the elemental weakness of the monster, sometimes those weapon Skills don’t mesh as well, forcing you to switch up your armor and decoration choices.

The endgame ofMonster Hunter Wildsis a game of build optimization for specific monsters and more general hunting. Knowing when to choose between alpha and beta armor for a particular build can vastly alter how effective it is in combat and how efficient you’re able to make its decoration setup. If all you care about is fashion, the choice is a different matter entirely.

Beta Guardian Rathalos armor in Monster Hunter Wilds

The smithy working in Monster Hunter Wilds

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PEAK Mesa biome

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The Mesa biome in PEAK

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