Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 1

When you first start playing Monster Hunter: World, you'll likely be tempted to focus on crafting armor with a higher defense rating. We recommend that you don't do that, because the skills on them are far more important.

That's because you can upgrade most armor sets to the max defense rating, but you can't change the skills on the vast majority of them. It's not until the very end of the game that you get to be that choosey.

So from this moment onwards, pay close attention to the skills tied to each individual piece of armor, and craft a set that complements your play style. Here are all of the skills and what they do.

Poison Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Grants protection against the effects of poison. 3 Level 1: Reduces the duration of poison by 30%.
Level 2: Reduces the duration of poison by 60%.
Level 3: Prevents poison.

Attack Boost

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases attack power. Also improves affinity at higher levels. 7 Level 1: Attack + 3
Level 2: Attack + 6
Level 3: Attack + 9
Level 4: Attack + 12 / Affinity + 5%
Level 5: Attack + 15 / Affinity + 5%
Level 6: Attack + 18 / Affinity + 5%
Level 7: Attack + 21 / Affinity + 5%

Defense Boost

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases defense. Level up to improve resistances as well. 7 Level 1: Defense + 5
Level 2: Defense + 10
Level 3: Defense + 15
Level 4: Defense + 20 / All Elemental Resistances + 3
Level 5: Defense + 25 / All Elemental Resistances + 3
Level 6: Defense + 30 / All Elemental Resistances + 3
Level 7: Defense + 35 / All Elemental Resistances + 3

Paralysis Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Reduces the duration of paralysis. 3 Level 1: Reduces the duration of paralysis by 30%.
Level 2: Reduces the duration of paralysis by 60%.
Level 3: Prevents paralysis.

Sleep Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Reduces the duration of sleep. 3 Reduces the duration of sleep by 30%.
Reduces the duration of sleep by 60%.
Prevents sleep.

Stun Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Reduces stun duration. 3 Level 1: Reduces the duration of stun by 30%.
Level 2: Reduces the duration of stun by 60%.
Level 3: Prevents stun.
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 2

Windproof

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Grants protection against wind pressure. 5 Level 1: Slightly reduces the effects of minor wind pressure.
Level 2: Reduces the effects of minor wind pressure.
Level 3: Negates minor wind pressure.
Level 4: Negates minor wind pressure and reduces the effects of major wind pressure.
Level 5: Negates minor and major wind pressure.

Fire Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases fire resistance. Also improves defense at higher levels. 3 Level 1: Fire resistance + 6
Level 2: Fire resistance + 12
Level 3: Fire resistance + 20 / Defense + 10

Water Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases water resistance. Also improves defense at higher levels. 3 Level 1: Water resistance + 6
Level 2: Water resistance + 12
Level 3: Water resistance + 20 / Defense + 10

Thunder Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases thunder resistance. Also improves defense at higher levels. 3 Level 1: Thunder resistance + 6
Level 2: Thunder resistance + 12
Level 3: Thunder resistance + 20 / Defense + 10

Fire Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases fire element attack power. (Elemental attack power has a maximum limit.) 5 Level 1: Fire attack + 30
Level 2: Fire attack + 60
Level 3: Fire attack + 100
Level 4: Fire attack + 5% / Bonus + 100
Level 5: Fire attack + 10% / Bonus + 100

Water Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases water element attack power. (Elemental attack power has a maximum limit.) 5 Level 1: Water attack + 30
Level 2: Water attack + 60
Level 3: Water attack + 100
Level 4: Water attack + 5% / Bonus + 100
Level 5: Water attack + 10% / Bonus + 100
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 3

Thunder Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases thunder element attack power. (Elemental attack power has a maximum limit.) 5 Level 1: Thunder attack + 30
Level 2: Thunder attack + 60
Level 3: Thunder attack + 100
Level 4: Thunder attack + 5% / Bonus + 100
Level 5: Thunder attack + 10% / Bonus + 100

Paralysis Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the rate of paralysis buildup. (Elemental buildup has a maximum limit.) 3 Level 1: Paralysis buildup + 5 % / Bonus + 10
Level 2: Paralysis buildup + 10 % / Bonus + 10
Level 3: Paralysis buildup + 20% / Bonus + 10

Sleep Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the rate of sleep buildup. (Elemental buildup has a maximum limit.) 3 Level 1: Sleep buildup + 5% / Bonus + 10
Level 2: Sleep buildup + 10% / Bonus + 10
Level 3: Sleep buildup + 20% / Bonus + 10

Slugger

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Makes it easier to stun monsters. 3 Level 1: Stun power + 10%
Level 2: Stun power + 20%
Level 3: Stun power + 30%

Stamina Thief

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases certain attacks' ability to exhaust monsters. 3 Level 1: Exhaust power + 10%
Level 2: Exhaust power + 20%
Level 3: Exhaust power + 30%

Artillery

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Strengthens explosive attacks like gunlance shells, Wyvern's Fire, charge blade phial attacks, and sticky ammo. 3 Level 1: Increases power of each attack by 10% and reduces Wyvern's Fire cooldown by 15%.
Level 2: Increases power of each attack by 20% and reduces Wyvern's Fire cooldown by 30%.
Level 3: Increases power of each attack by 30% and reduces Wyvern's Fire cooldown by 50%.
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 4

Hunger Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Reduces maximum stamina depletion over time. 3 Extends the time until your stamina cap decreases by 30%.
Extends the time until your stamina cap decreases by 60%.
Prevents your stamina cap from decreasing.

Guard

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Reduces knockbacks and stamina depletion when guarding. 5 Level 1: Very slightly decreases the impact of attacks.
Level 2: Slightly decreases the impact of attacks and reduces stamina depletion by 15%.
Level 3: Greatly decreases the impact of attacks and reduces stamina depletion by 15%.
Level 4: Greatly decreases the impact of attacks and reduces stamina depletion by 30%.
Level 5: Massively decreases the impact of attacks and reduces stamina depletion by 50%.

Wide-Range

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Allows the effects of certain items to also affect nearby allies. 5 Level 1: Items affect nearby allies with 33% of their efficacy.
Level 2: Items affect nearby allies in a wider radius with 33% of their efficacy.
Level 3: Items affect nearby allies in a wider radius at 66% of their efficacy.
Level 4: Items affect nearby allies in a much wider radius with 66% of their efficacy.
Level 5: Items affect nearby allies in a much wider radius with full efficacy.

Item Prolonger

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Extends the duration of some item effects. 3 Level 1: Item effect duration + 10%
Level 2: Item effect duration +25%
Level 3: Item effect duration + 50%

Speed Eating

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases meat-eating and item-consumption speed. 3 Slightly increases item use speed.
Moderately increases item use speed.
Greatly increases item use speed.

Divine Blessing

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Has a predetermined chance of reducing the damage you take. 3 Level 1: While active, reduces damage taken by 15%.
Level 2: While active, reduces damage taken by 30%.
Level 3: While active, reduces damage taken by 50%.
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 5

Botanist

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the quantity of herbs and other consumable items you gather. 4 Level 1: One extra consumable herb item per gather.
Level 2: One extra consumable herb, fruit, nut, or seed item per gather.
Level 3: One extra consumable herb, fruit, nut, seed, or insect item per gather.
Level 4: One extra consumable herb, fruit, nut, seed, insect, or mushroom item per gather.

Geologist

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the number of times you can use a gathering point. 3 Allows you to gather one extra time from bonepiles.
Allows you to gather one extra time from bonepiles and special item gathering points.
Allows you to gather one extra item from bonepiles, gathering points, and mining outcrops.

Slinger Capacity

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the loading capacity for slinger ammo obtained in the field. 3 Level 1: Increases the loading capacity for slinger ammo collected from the ground or plants.
Level 2: In addition, increases the loading capacity for some slinger ammo dropped by monsters.
Level 3: In addition, increases the loading capacity for all slinger ammo dropped by monsters.

Stealth

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Makes it easier for monsters to lose sight of you. 3 Level 1: Makes it slightly easier for monsters to lose sight of you.
Level 2: Makes it moderately easier for monsters to lose sight of you.
Level 3: Makes it much easier for monsters to lose sight of you.

Sporepuff Expert

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Recover health when using sporepuffs. 3 Sporepuffs restore 20 health.
Sporepuffs restore 35 health.
Sporepuffs restore 60 health.

Aquatic Expert

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Improves mobility in water. 3 Level 1: Prevents water from slowing movement.
Level 2: Prevents water from slowing movement and improves evasion while in water.
Level 3: Prevents water from slowing movement and greatly improves evasion while in water.
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 6

Entomologist

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Decreases the chance of destroying the bodies of small insect monsters, allowing them to be carved. 3 Level 1: Increases the chances of a corpse being left behind.
Level 2: Greatly increases the chances of a corpse being left behind.
Level 3: Makes it so corpses will always be left behind.

Intimidator

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Reduces the chances small monsters will attack after spotting you. (No effect on certain monsters.) 3 Level 1: Discourages monsters from engaging you even if you've been spotted.
Level 2: Highly discourages monsters from engaging you even if you've been spotted.
Level 3: Prevents monsters from engaging you even if you've been spotted.

Heavy Artillery

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the firepower of ballistae and cannons. 2 Level 1: Firepower + 10%
Level 2: Firepower + 20%

Free Meal

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Gives you a predetermined chance of consuming a food or drink item for free. 1 Level 1: Activates 25% of the time.

Scenthound

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases your scoutflies' gauge fill rate when you find tracks and other traces left by monsters. 1 Level 1: Increases gauge fill rate by 50%.

Fortify

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases your attack and defense every time you fall in battle. (This effect can stack twice.) 1 Level 1: Increases attack by 10% and defense by 15% with each use.
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 7

Horn Maestro

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the effect duration of hunting horn melodies. 1 Level 1: Extends the melody effect duration and increases health recovery.

Capacity Boost

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the gunlance's shell capacity and charge blade's phial capacity. 1 Level 1: Loading capacity + 1

Bleeding Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Grants protection against bleeding. 3 Level 1: Reduces damage while bleeding.
Level 2: Greatly reduces damage while bleeding.
Level 3: Prevents bleeding.

Recovery Speed

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Speeds healing of recoverable damage (the red portion of the health gauge). 3 Level 1: Doubles the speed at which you heal recoverable damage.
Level 2: Triples the speed at which you heal recoverable damage.
Level 3: Quadruples the speed at which you heal recoverable damage.

Ice Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases ice resistance. Also improves defense at higher levels. 3 Level 1: Ice resistance + 6
Level 2: Ice resistance + 12
Level 3: Ice resistance + 20 / Defense + 10

Ice Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases ice element attack power. (Elemental attack power has a maximum limit.) 5 Level 1: Ice attack + 30
Level 2: Ice attack + 60
Level 3: Ice attack + 100
Level 4: Ice attack + 5% / Bonus + 100
Level 5: Ice attack + 10% / Bonus + 100
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 8

Critical Eye

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases affinity. 7 Level 1: Affinity + 3%
Level 2: Affinity + 6%
Level 3: Affinity + 10%
Level 4: Affinity + 15%
Level 5: Affinity + 20%
Level 6: Affinity + 25%
Level 7: Affinity + 30%

Evade Window

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Extends the invulnerability period when evading. 5 Level 1: Very slightly increases invulnerability window.
Level 2: Slightly increases invulnerability window.
Level 3: Increases invulnerability window.
Level 4: Greatly increases invulnerability window.
Level 5: Massively increases invulnerability window.

Quick Sheath

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Speeds up weapon sheathing. 3 Level 1: Slightly increases sheathing speed.
Level 2: Moderately increases sheathing speed.
Level 3: Greatly increases sheathing speed.

Speed Sharpening

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Speeds up weapon sharpening when using a whetstone. 3 Level 1: Removes one cycle from the sharpening process.
Level 2: Removes two cycles from the sharpening process.
Level 3: Removes three cycles from the sharpening process.

Dragon Resistance

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases dragon resistance. Also improves defense at higher levels. 3 Level 1: Dragon resistance + 6
Level 2: Dragon resistance + 12
Level 3: Dragon resistance + 20 / Defense + 10

Dragon Attack

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases dragon element attack power. (Elemental attack power has a maximum limit.) 5 Level 1: Dragon attack + 30
Level 2: Dragon attack + 60
Level 3: Dragon attack + 100
Level 4: Dragon attack + 5% / Bonus + 100
Level 5: Dragon attack + 10% / Bonus + 100
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 9

Critical Draw

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases affinity when performing draw attacks. 3 Level 1: Draw attack affinity + 30%
Level 2: Draw attack affinity + 60%
Level 3: Draw attack affinity + 100%

Special Ammo Boost

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the power of bowgun special ammo and Dragon Piercer. 2 Level 1: Increases the power of bowgun special ammo and Dragon Piercer by 10%.
Level 2: Increases the power of bowgun special ammo and Dragon Piercer by 20%.

Free Elem / Ammo Up

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Unlocks your weapon's hidden element. Also increases bowgun loading capacity. (There is a cap to loading capacity.) 3 Level 1: Draws out 33% of hidden element and expands clip size for some ammo.
Level 2: Draws out 66% of hidden element and expands clip size for many ammo.
Level 3: Draws out 100% of hidden element and expands clip size for most ammo.

Handicraft

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Extends the weapon sharpness gauge. However, it will not increase the gauge past its maximum. 5 Level 1: Weapon sharpness + 10
Level 2: Weapon sharpness + 20
Level 3: Weapon sharpness + 30
Level 4: Weapon sharpness + 40
Level 5: Weapon sharpness + 50

BBQ Master

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Improves your skill at cooking meat. 1 Level 1: Makes it easier to cook well-done steaks.

Master Fisher

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Improves your skill at fishing. 1 Level 1: Increases the time window for reeling in fish, and makes it easier to catch large fish.
Monster Hunter: World Armor Skills, What They Do, and Upgrade Levels 10

Pro Transporter

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases your speed while transporting items and decreases the likelihood of dropping them. 1 Level 1: Increases movement 

Honey Hunter

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the quantity of honey you receive when gathering in the field. 1 Level 1: One extra honey per gather.

Master Gatherer

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Allows you to gather more quickly, and also prevents attacks from knocking you back while gathering. 1 Level 1: Speeds up gathering and prevents knockbacks while gathering.

Carving Pro

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Prevents knockback from attacks while carving. 1 Level 1: Prevents knockback while carving.

Weakness Exploit

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the affinity of attacks that exploit a monster weak spot. 3 Level 1: Attacks that hit weak spots have 15% increased affinity.
Level 2: Attacks that hit weak spots have 30% increased affinity.
Level 3: Attacks that hit weak spots have 50% increased affinity.

Focus

Skill Effects Upgrade Levels Upgrade Effects
Increases the fill rate for weapons with gauges and the charge rate for weapons with charge attacks.  3 Level 1: Increases gauge fill rate by 5% and reduces charge times by 5%
Level 2: Increases gauge fill rate by 10% and reduces charge times by 10%
Level 3: Increases gauge fill rate by 20% and reduces charge times by 20%.