When you're just starting out in Low Rank, don't sweat the gear choices too much. The crafting system is pretty limited at this point. You won't have access to most of the important Core Skills or any Decorations, and the armor pieces only give basic skill combinations.

The good news? None of this matters much. You'll cruise through Low Rank in just a few hours on your way to High Rank, where the real equipment crafting begins. For now, focus on mastering your lance's core moveset and getting comfortable with the fundamentals of positioning and guarding.

Here's the thing about Champion weapons and Blackbelt armor, they were added right before Sunbreak dropped to help players rush to the expansion. They're incredibly strong and easy to craft, basically letting you steamroll through the base game.

So if you want to experience what makes Monster Hunter special: crafting situational gear, experimenting with different armor skills, and actually hunting monsters for their materials, then stick with this guide. Trust me, the journey is what makes Monster Hunter truly memorable, not just racing to the endgame.

Your starting Kamura gear is surprisingly solid, though we'll grab a few pieces of Hunter armor to improve it. The Hunter's Greaves in particular are a standout piece that'll serve you well through most of Low Rank.

Start by crafting the Iron Lance I from the Ore Tree. While we'll switch to something better soon, you'll eventually need this lance for crafting one of the best weapons available in High and Master Rank, so it's a good investment.

village starter setup

Early game is all about raw damage, and with our limited skill options, Attack Boost gives us the most bang for our buck. We'll mix armor pieces that give Attack Boost and Critical Eye to start building a solid offensive foundation.

EFFECTIVE RAW

⚔️

139

AVG AFFINITY

🎯

5%

SHARPNESS 50 yellow hits

After taking down your first large monster, the Great Izuchi, you'll unlock two-star quests. Use its materials to craft the Wind Thief Lance I - your first weapon with green sharpness, which is a significant upgrade. The Great Izuchi helm is also worth crafting for some extra offensive power.

great izuchi special

While the effective raw looks similar to our previous setup, the green sharpness is a game-changer. Yellow sharpness has an annoying sweet spot mechanic that reduces damage - green gives us consistent damage output no matter where we hit.

EFFECTIVE RAW

⚔️

139

AVG AFFINITY

🎯

20%

SHARPNESS 40 green hits

Once you've dealt with Aknosom in the Urgent Quest, you'll unlock three-star village quests, opening up a bunch of new hunts and monsters. After completing two Key Quests, you'll also get your first taste of Rampage quests :)

The Sandy Plains is now available, where you can grab some Jaggi materials for its gauntlets. But the real prize here is Barroth. Craft both the helm and mail to hit Attack Boost 4, which is a massive damage increase in Rise since it adds percentage-based boosts at level 4 and above.

We're also going to make a quick detour to craft the Kulu Lance. The Kulu Spear I packs more punch than our previous lance, making the upcoming hunts smoother.

Don't forget to chat with Master Utsushi to unlock the Shield Charge Switch Skill. If you can craft 8 different lances, you'll also unlock Instablock. It's absolutely worth the effort since it's one of lance's most powerful defensive tools when mastered.

kulu-ya-ku spear

This setup is where things get interesting. The Kulu spear's high raw and natural affinity, combined with Attack Boost 4, gives us a significant damage boost. This will make short work of the upcoming quests.

EFFECTIVE RAW

⚔️

183

AVG AFFINITY

🎯

20%

SHARPNESS 30 green hits

Taking down Bishaten in the Urgent Quest opens up four-star village quests. Use its materials to upgrade your Kulu spear to keep your damage output high.

The Lava Caverns are now accessible, bringing new mining points for crafting the Ingot Greaves which are a solid upgrade to your kit. You can also challenge Barioth for its coil, which rounds out our armor nicely.

upgraded kulu setup

A refined version of our previous build. The upgraded Kulu spear gives us more raw power and better sharpness, while our new armor pieces boost our critical hit rate. A solid all-around setup for tackling harder monsters.

EFFECTIVE RAW

⚔️

200

AVG AFFINITY

🎯

30%

SHARPNESS 50 green hits

After conquering Magnamalo, you'll reach five-star village quests. Its materials let you craft the Paladin Lance I, another weapon from the Ore Tree. This one's worth investing in since we'll be using it for quite a while.

Among the newly unlocked monsters, focus on Rathalos and Anjanath. Their parts let you craft the Rathalos helm and braces, plus the Anjanath coil. The Rathalos pieces are mostly sidegrades with better defense, but that Anjanath coil with Attack Boost 2 is a straight upgrade.

Don't stress too much about completing the whole set though, High Rank is just around the corner with much better gear options.

paladin's pride

The Paladin Lance packs serious raw damage, and paired with Attack Boost from the Anjanath coil, we're hitting harder than ever. This setup will carry you through the rest of Low Rank with ease.

EFFECTIVE RAW

⚔️

232

AVG AFFINITY

🎯

5%

SHARPNESS 50 green hits

Reaching six-star village quests unlocks the final Special License Quest. Complete all three of these, and you'll fast-track your way to High Rank. You could also go through Hub Quests to reach High Rank, but that's definitely the scenic route.

Since High Rank is so close now, I wouldn't bother crafting new gear even though you have access to some new monsters and materials. Save those resources since you'll need them for the next phase of your journey: