Monster Hunter Rise Layered Armor is a tricky thing to find. The previous games in the series, Monster Hunter World and Generations Ultimate, unlocked the feature as you progressed through the story. Now the Nintendo Switch game comes with several Amiibo you can use to unlock it. You might want to know how this process works and exactly how you can unlock more Layered Armor for all your fashion hunter needs. So, I concocted this quick guide to Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Rise!
Monster Hunter Rise had a few strange hiccups at launch — which might account for the equally odd way Layered Armor was originally buried in the game. The game plays perfectly. It’s just missing some key elements that appear tied to future Title Updates that start about a month after release. The endgame in particular was a little lacking at launch. And Layered Armor sets — as well as other cosmetic “transmog” features in the series — are traditionally pursuits for after you beat the main story.
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Crafting Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise originally didn’t have much in the way of Layered Armor. After the release of Patch 2.0, you now unlock Layered Armor crafting — which lets you turn pretty much any normal armor in the game into Layered Armor — by simply playing through the main story! The option just doesn’t show up at first by default. Not even under the section where you change your appearance, which is only for altering your hunter’s face. What you need to do is unlock your HR cap by completing the “The Serpent Goddess of Thunder” in the Gathering Hub.
This unlocks Hunter Rank 8: the first “soft cap” in Monster Hunter Rise. More importantly (at least for this guide) it also unlocks Layered Armor crafting. Just speak to Hamon the Blacksmith in the Kamura Village square. From here on out, you can craft Layered Armor using “Outfit Vouchers.” Of which you should get three to start. From this point on, you need more Outfit Vouchers any time you want to make Layered Armor, along with some basic crafting materials. Usually these will be common crafting parts associated with the monster whose Layered Armor set you want to create.
You receive three Outfit Vouchers by default when you unlock Layered Armor crafting in Monster Hunter Rise. From then on, these will also appear as quest rewards for beating High Rank missions. Any HR 7 mission appears to have a small chance of awarding an Outfit Voucher. Hunts with Apex Monsters, however, seem to give many more. Apex Rampages are probably the most efficient Outfit Voucher farming method in the game right now — especially considering you get Defender Tickets that can be used for Talisman melding.
With these Outfit Vouchers, just hit up the smithy in Kamura and select the Layered Armor option. You can then craft nearly any set use the “points” system seen on many weapon upgrades. This allows you to craft the cosmetic gear without needing too many specific monster parts.
Layered Armor DLC in Monster Hunter Rise
Before this part of the game, of course, there are a couple other ways to unlock bonus Layered Armor sets. Though they mostly involve spending real money.
The “Kamurai” set, for example, is available as part of the deluxe edition of Monster Hunter Rise — or buy purchasing the “Deluxe Kit” DLC for $15 after you buy the normal game. There’s also a horde of smaller Layered Armor pieces available in the eShop or on Steam. They usually cost about $1.50 apiece. Switch players can also grab a bundle of some of the early Layered Armor choices in a single $20 bundle. For whatever reason, however, that bundle does not exist on the Steam store page.
Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo Layered Armor
There are also currently three Monster Hunter Rise Amiibo: one for Magnamalo, a Palico, and a Palamute. The first comes with a Layered Armor set for your hunter known as the “Sinister Seal” set. It’s a wispy, purple affair by default that’s clearly based on the flagship monster itself. The other two Amiibo unlock similar designs. Only they create Layered Armor for your Palicoes and Palamutes respectively.
To scan your Amiibo in Monster Hunter Rise, you actually need to go to the in-game market (i.e. the place where you buy potions, traps, ammo, etc.). The first time you scan one of the three Amiibo you’ll permanently unlock its Layered Armor set. From then on, you can also scan each one for in-game lottery tickets that provide some useful items. This is already a feature in the game, but the Amiibo let you perform the action a tiny bit more frequently.
The Sinister Seal set (and all Monster Hunter Rise Layered Armor for that matter) will then become available at your Item Box. The first time you scan in or purchase a piece, the Layered Armor function will finally, permanently appear as an option just below “Appearance Settings.” From there you can select any piece of your hunter’s body and cosmetically change it to any unlocked piece of Layered Armor — just like in MHW before. The armor pieces will appear, but your stats will remain tied to whatever real equipment you have selected.
Monster Hunter Rise Layered Armor Event Quests
Last but certainly not least, some Monster Hunter Rise Layered Armor is tied to Event Quests. These are optional missions that can be acquired from Senri the Mailman (the mail-carrying cat in Kamura). And unlike in Monster Hunter World, you can complete them at any time. Just accept the quests from Senri and they will be permanently added to your Event Quest category when going out on missions.
Event Quests that award Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Rise currently include:
- “Memories of That Day” – Blossom Layered Armor
- “Zin and Yang” – Gala Layered Armor
- “A Good Old-Fashioned Rampage” – Origin Layered Armor
- “USJ – Shrine Showdown” – Azure Age Layered Armor
- “Frost Bites” – Orion Layered Armor
- “Troubled Waters” – Diver Layered Armor
- “Super Shady Look-alike” – Sonic Wear Layered Armor
- “Knight in Shattered Armor” – Arthur Layered Armor
- “SF: Ultimate Promotion Exam” – Akuma Layered Armor
- “An Icy Blade So Bright” – Shadow Shades Layered Armor
- “Almudron: Fashion Victim” – Black Leather Legs Layered Armor
- “Haste Makes Waste” – Cunning Specs Layered Armor
And for your buddies, we have:
- “Bird Wyverns of Ruin?” – Tsukino Costume Layered Armor (Palico)
- “Rising Sun!?” – Ammy Costume Layered Armor (Palamute)
- “The Blue Bomber’s Best Bud” – Rush Costume Layered Armor (Palamute)
- “Gotta Hoard Fast!” – Sonic Costume Layered Armor (Palico) & Canyne Tails Layered Armor (Palamute)
- “USJ – Arzuros Onslaught” – F Azure Era Equipment Layered Armor (Palico)
Unlocking Layered Armor in Monster Hunter Rise is a helluva lot easier than in past games. So make sure to check it out and see what sort of fashion feels best to you!
