Crafting armor can be extremely expensive, so having a plan is very important. This Wild Hearts armor guide will show you the best armor pieces you can get early in the game that will last you a while!
Unfortunately, in the early-game the armor pieces don’t have many skills attached. As for the ones that do have skills, they’re very weak versions of them. That makes base stats the more important value for early armor. Survivability is also of paramount importance early on because you will be facing Kemono that you haven’t seen before, so you will get hit a lot during the learning process. If you die in two hits, you don’t get to experience much of the fight and learn what the monster does. This armor set makes you extremely durable and is all-around the best early-game armor set which will last until the mid game. You can also craft it extremely early on, only requiring Ragetail, Sapscourge, and Dreadclaw materials.
Headpiece: Roaming Bard Mengu
This headpiece grants 11 armor, 10 Kemono path value, and a 15% recovery boost skill. For resistances, it has -3 wood, 4 fire, 2 water, 2 wind, and -2 earth. The recovery boost skill increases the amount of health that healing water restores.
The recovery boost on this piece is what is truly important, making your healing water 15% more effective! This makes you heal more in a pinch and continue fighting.
Chestpiece: Young Samurai Body Armor
This chestpiece grants 8 armor, no path value, and a 3 health boost. For resistances, it has 5 wood, -4 fire, 0 water, 5 wind, and -2 earth. Health boost increases your maximum health.
Health boost is a general skill that can let you take stronger hits before going down. Especially in the case of some nuke attacks, having just a bit more health can be the difference between tanking the hit or falling to it.
Armpiece: Roaming Bird Tekkō
This armpiece grants 9 armor, 10 Kemono path value, and 1 savage. For resistances, it has -3 wood, 4 fire, 2 water, 2 wind, and -2 earth. Savage increases your attack stat.
Although the other armor piece grant survivability skills, the armpieces that you can get in the early-game don’t have very good survivability skills. They are either too niche or don’t grant much of a bonus at all. Although having 1 extra attack doesn’t seem great, it really does add up over a fight. Overall this armor piece is great for how early you can get it.
Torso: Young Samurai Haidate
This torso piece grants 8 armor, no path value, and a 3 health boost. For resistances, it has 4 wood, -3 fire, 0 water, 4 wind, and -2 earth.
This armor piece is good for the same reason as the chest piece: Tanking larger hits. Otherwise, there’s no better alternative gear for how early you can get this.
Boots: Young Samurai Sune-ate
These boots grant 8 armor, no path value, and a 6% sidestepper skill. For resistances, it has 4 wood, -3 fire, 0 water, 4 wind, and -2 earth. The sidestepper skill increases the distance that your dodge covers.
Sidestepper is an incredible skill for general movement. It allows you to dodge farther out of range to avoid getting clipped by an attack, or it makes it so that sliding towards a Kemono to get closer covers more distance. Even out of combat, sliding farther makes it so you move faster, and even though 6% isn’t that much, it’s definitely better than nothing.
Overall stats:
44 Armor
20 Kemono Path Value
Resistances: 7 wood, -2 fire, 4 water, 17 wind, -10 earth.
Skills: 15% recovery boost, 6 health boost, 1 savage, 6% sidestepper.
Armor to get while progressing to mid-game:
Veteran Tekkō:
These armpieces give 15 armor, 20 Kemono path value, and 17% dodge master. Dodge master decreases the amount of stamina used when dodging. For resistances, it has 3 wood, -3 fire, -3 water, 4 wind, and 2 earth.
Dodge master allows more dodges to be used without running out of stamina. This is a great alternative to the Roaming Bird Tekkō by giving more survivability over damage.
Veteran Sune-ate:
These boots give 15 armor, 10 Kemono path value, and 17% dodge master. For resistances, it gives 3 wood, -3 fire, -3 water, 4 wind, and 2 earth.
Although you lose the 6% sidestepper, upgrading to the Veteran Sune-ate allows you to dodge more frequently rather than enhance your dodge. It also grants more armor, allowing for a bit more survivability.
Argent Breastplate:
This chestpiece grants 38 armor, no path value, 3 heath boost, and 16% stowed weapon art. Stowed weapon art increases the speed that you sheathe your weapon. For resistances, it gives 3 wood, -6 fire, 6 water, 0 wind, and -1 earth.
This chestplate grants a ton of armor, but you can only obtain it right before mid-game. However, it will still last you a long time due to the health boost. Stowed weapon art is quite practical because you regenerate stamina much faster with your weapon sheathed.
Argent Vambraces:
This armpiece grants 33 armor, no path value, 1 ironclad and 2 dodge boost. Ironclad increases defense and dodge boost increases the invulnerability of dodges. For resistances, it gives 3 wood, -4 fire, 4 water, 0 wind, and -1 earth.
This armor piece has incredible defense like the Argent Breastplate, but it’s also bolstered by ironclad. Dodge boost is the important skill though, and it makes this armor piece incredibly good. By making dodge timing more lenient, this armor piece can last you even until late game.
Argent Faulds:
This torso piece grants 36 armor, no path value, 6% sidestepper and fusion master if heavily on the human path. Fusion master extends the amount of time before fusion karakuri disintegrates. For resistances, it gives 3 wood, -5 fire, 5 water, 0 wind, and -1 earth.
Having sidestepper is very useful especially when paired with the Young Samurai Sune-ate, but that has a low armor value. Even fusion master can be put into use if you alter the path of some armor pieces to be on the human side. Either way, the defense value alone makes this armor piece good, but sidestepper only adds to its value.
These were the best armor pieces that you can obtain in the early-game, and I hope it helps you on your hunts! To further improve your hunting and out of combat capabilities, check out our Wild Hearts Tips and Tricks post! Thanks for reading and good luck hunting!
