Should you choose alpha or beta High Rank armor in Monster Hunter Wilds

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As a devoted Monster Hunter: World enthusiast, if you aim to advance further into the game’s endgame, it’s crucial to amass a robust assortment of High Rank armor. Now, the dilemma arises: should you opt for the Alpha or Beta set? Both versions come with unique benefits, and your decision hinges on the requirements of your character build.

The difference between alpha and beta armor in Monster Hunter Wilds

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

  1. They are very slightly different aesthetically. For instance, an alpha helmet might have a brighter shade of color on its accent pieces than a beta helmet.
  2. Alpha armor trades decorations slots for armor Skills. Alpha armor will almost always sacrifice its quality of decoration slots for a higher number and value of that set of armor skills.
  3. Beta armor sacrifices armor Skills for decoration slots. Rather than having multiple types and higher values of armor Skills, beta armor has more, higher quality decoration slots.

In my gaming experience with the Monster Hunter series, I’ve often found myself gravitating towards beta armor due to its access to a vast array of decorations, crucial for crafting the best gear. However, in the new Wilds, they’ve mixed things up by linking specific decoration types to your weapons and armor. Now, armor decos primarily focus on enhancing my hunter’s survivability and physical attributes, while damage decos are mostly confined to weapon slots.

Instead of equipping the Critical Eye or Weakness Exploit decorations on my chest piece, I’ve decided to go for an Alpha Armor setup that boosts damage. With these damage-focused perks, Alpha Armor now seems more enticing than before. Now I’m pondering which one to opt for in my gaming adventure.

Is alpha or beta armor better in Monster Hunter Wilds?

In earlier games, I would typically opt for a complete five-piece beta armor setup without hesitation. However, the choice is now more complex. To put it simply, the best option isn’t always straightforward. There are certain Skills that are beneficial on most builds, but others are tailored specifically to specific weapons or playstyles. For instance, Critical Draw is ideal for Greatswords, while Wide-Range and Free Meal are suitable for healing builds.

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

  • Use alpha armor if it’s the only way to max out a must-have Skill on your build. If you want five levels of Weakness Exploit and the only way to get it is to give up an armor decoration slot, alpha armor is the way to go.
  • Use beta armor if you want more customization for your build. Once you max out the damage-focused perks on your build, the remaining armor pieces should be the beta version. That way, you get some of the armor’s Skill benefits and access to supplementary decoration bonuses.

In most cases, other than armor or embellishments, there aren’t many options for enhancing your character’s skills, especially if you’re not keen on continuously rolling the dice for an ideal Artian weapon. Of course, Talismans and your weapon’s inherent skills are available. However, when you select your weapon based on the elemental vulnerability of the monster, the weapon skills may not always align, leading to adjustments in your armor and decoration choices.

In the final stages of Monster Hunter Wilds, the focus shifts towards optimizing your gear for specific monsters and overall hunting efficiency. Making the right decision between alpha and beta armor for a given build can significantly impact its combat effectiveness and decoration setup efficiency. However, if you’re only concerned with fashion, your choice would be different entirely.

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2025-03-09 21:17