Defense | Monster Hunter Wilds Wiki

Defense in Monster Hunter Wilds (MHWilds) is a basic stat that measures how much incoming damage is prevented or blocked. This stat is increased to protect the player from Raw Damage (Physical), which means it may not protect from other Elemental forces or Status Effects. This page covers guides and vital information on the Defense combat mechanic, including How Defense Works, How to Increase Defense, and a list of Equipment, Talismans, Skills, and Decorations that increase Defense in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds Defense Guide

What is Defense in MH Wilds?

Defense is the overall protection a Hunter has against incoming Physical Damage. For the Hunter, the Defense Status including the Elemental Resistances can be viewed on the Equipment Info. This includes a summary of how well you will fare in Combat based on your total Defense, which is based on the equipped Armor, Decorations, and Skills that are passively available to you.

Incoming Raw Damage is subjected to a multiplier that depends on the Player's Defense value. The value after the reduction is the amount that will be taken from the hunter's Health.

• Your Raw Damage Reduction is equal to 80/(80+defense)

How To Improve Defense in Monster Hunter Wilds

Check the Smithy

Wearing specific Armor and Equipment can improve your Defense. On top of that, there are Skills that passively grant increased Defense, while there are conditional ones like Fortify, wherein your Defense is increased by X amount each time you faint. If you are looking to increase your Defense, you can browse the selection from the Smithy to see the available pieces of Equipment. You can also opt for Armor that have an increased Defense, which you can see before you craft an Armor piece.

Upgrade Armor to Increase Defense

To Improve Defense in MH Wilds, players can browse the collection of Armor Sets at the Smithy. Here, you can try on armor pieces and armor sets to get a preview of how much your defenses will improve. Once you have forged an armor, you can move on to upgrading each piece. Upgrading requires Materials called Armor Spheres and Points. The cost and materials required generally goes higher as your Armor increases in Level.

It is important to note that your Smithy's collection will expand as you hunt new monsters. Make sure to come back often and see the latest additions (based on your personal progress). The Smithy also has an option where you can add an item to your Wishlist. The Wishlist feature lets you track the missing materials and tells you how much more you need to get a piece of equipment crafted.

Craft Decorations

In MH Wilds, each Decoration corresponds to the Skill's abilities. The Decoration can be activated by slotting them into an appropriate piece of equipment. For a Defense Jewel 1, it can only be slotted into Armor pieces and is activated separately. This grants 1 level of Defense Boost which corresponds to Defense +5. The director, Yuya Tokuda, also confirmed that some Decorations can be crafted through an Alchemy system. This change aims to solve the issue where players can't seem to acquire a desired skill through Decorations.

Unlocks and Craft Talismans

In MH Wilds, crafting the Talismans is a feature that becomes available as the players progress their game. This is a wearable item that grants passive boosts to essential stats, including Defense. There are over 100+ craftable Charms/Talismans in MH Wilds. One of them is the Defense Charm I, which grants the Defense Boost Skill. (Defense Boost increases your Defense for 5+ points at Level 1, and can go up to +10% Defense, and a bonus of +35 to All Elemental Resistances at Level 7).

Increase Your Defense Through Eating Meals

In MH Wilds, Hunters now prepare meals for themselves wherever they are. The game comes with the Portable BBQ Grill, allowing players to cook and eat meals that increase their Defense, and other stats. Specifically, adding the Kunafa Cheese or Sharp Kunafa Cheese will grant the Food Skills Defender Meal (Lo) or Defender Meal (Hi) respectively, which decreases the damage taken. The meal effects will last up to 50 minutes and persist even after the Hunter faints (gets carted) in combat.

Village Feasts: Aside from the new way of preparing meals, the Hunters can also get invited to Village Feasts where they will share a meal with NPCs that they have developed a good relationship with. Players can get as much as 10+ Defense that can last up to 60 minutes.

Skills that Improve Defense

There are Skills that passively grant increased Defense, while there are conditional ones like Fortify, wherein your Defense is increased by X amount each time you faint. If you are looking to increase your Defense, you can opt for Skills that are tied up to Defense. In the image below, the Hope Greaves is a Leg Armor that grants Divine Blessing. This is a skill that has a predetermined chance of reducing the damage you take. Although it doesn't directly increase your defense, it will greatly increase your chances of reducing incoming damage by simply equipping it. Many more Skills act similar to the Divine Blessing, and can increase your Defense directly like the Defense Boost, Heroics, and Self-Improvement.

At some point, the game will also allow buying the Armorcharm, which is an Item that Hunters carry in their Pouches to raise their Defense points. There's also the Armorskin, a consumable drink that empowers the Defense for some time. Specific Armor, Talismans, and other Equipment will further improve your Defense.

How to Increase Defense in MH Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds Defense Notes and Tips

• Notes and Tips go here.