How to get Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds
Here's how to change the look of your armor without changing the stats
What exactly is Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, and how do you get more? Layered Armor is cosmetic armor which you can wear over the top of your regular armor to change its appearance.
If it makes it easier, think of Layered Armor as an outer layer of armor which you wear over your actual armor. Layered Armor provides no stats or benefits, but it does hides all of your actual armor and makes it look like you're only wearing your Layered Armor. This will all be familiar to longtime Monster Hunter players, but for newcomers it can be rather confusing just what Layered Armor does, how to use it, and how to get more options for customising the look of your hunter's gear.
In the guide below, we'll answer all of these questions. Read on to learn exactly how Layered Armor works, and how to unlock more Layered Armor later on.
How to get Layered Armor
To get Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds, you need to craft High-Rank Armor. Any High-Rank Armor that you craft can also be used as Layered Armor, changing the appearance of your actual armor. High-Rank Armor is only available to craft from Chapter 4 onwards, so to get more Layered Armor you need to reach Chapter 4 and then speak to Gemma to craft the High-Rank armor that you wish to use as your cosmetic armor.
For example: if you want to look like you're wearing full Chatacabra Armor even if you're wearing something else, then you need to craft the High-Rank version of each Chatacabra Armor piece. But don't equip it like normal armor. Instead, go into your Tent after crafting it, and follow the steps below to set your Layered Armor to your new Chatacabra Armor.
Aside from High-Rank Armor, there's a small number of unique pieces which exist purely as Layered Armor (as in, they have no real armor counterparts). These unique armor pieces are based on which version of the game you've bought, with the Deluxe Edition you'll get the Oni Horns Wig and Fencer's Eyepatch, and with the Premium Deluxe Edition, you'll get the Wyverian Ears.
How to use Layered Armor
Here's how to equip Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Wilds:
- Enter your Tent inside any Base Camp.
- Switch to the "Appearance" tab of the Tent menu.
- Select "Equipment Appearance".
- Select the armor part you wish to change.
- Choose your desired Layered Armor from the list.
- (Optional) Tweak the Pigment settings to change the Layered Armor colour.
From the "Equipment Appearance" screen in your Tent menu, you can customise your Layered Armor in several different ways. If you have any layered options, you can click on the relevant body part to select it - or you can select none, in which case your regular armor will be shown for that part instead.
You can also toggle whether that part of your armor is visible at all. And if you have a piece of Layered Armor set, then you can change its primary and secondary colour with the "Pigment 1" and "Pigment 2" settings. Once you're happy, you can exit out of the menu with B or ESC.
That's all you need to know about Layered Armor and how to get it in Monster Hunter Wilds. If you need more help, make sure you head to our Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough and our guide on how to capture monsters. We've also got a page on all Monster Hunter Wilds weapons, as well as primers on the best solo weapon and best starting weapon.