Then there's Cold, which reduces the size of your stamina bar over time.

You're also constantly fighting the onset of Iceblight from monster attacks, which makes you consume stamina faster. Iceborne's frigid environment also wants to mess up your day.ĭeep snow can slow movement and reduce visibility, so steering the battle towards clear ground is always on the mind. Now you won't just have to juggle health, stamina, and dodging monster attacks. Looking good is my favorite aspect of the game- setting my own goals according to what cool clothes I want next, so more ways to update my look without busting my stats is great news. Layered armor is a stand-in for the transmog system (which is also on the way, assuming PC gets the same console updates) where you can craft purely cosmetic armor sets that simply change the appearance of your actual armor.

Layered armor opens up as you murder more wildlife. If you haven't been putting the work in, you'll need to put it in now to be in fighting shape come January. The first few monsters can still easily deplete half of my HP with one or two direct hits. So far, having this gear hasn't made Iceborne that much easier. The Guardian armor, though, is nowhere near the best, so take on Behemoth if you want better protection. Several of the Defender weapons are the best in their slot, meaning you can go into Iceborne knowing you're doing an appropriate amount of damage. They're meant to help you plow through Monster Hunter World's campaign or original endgame challenges. They're the new base level item, cheap and available right now, before Iceborne is even out.

To be as prepared as possible to take some big hits, you should take on Behemoth to earn the Drachen armor.Ĭapcom has thrown new and lapsed players a bone with Defender weapons and Guardian armor sets, though. Iceborne introduces Master Rank and isn't joking around with the title. I have no doubt the MH loyalists with hundreds or thousands of hours will breeze through these early battles, but lapsed players shouldn't expect to hit the ground running.

Monster hunter world early armor