Crafting the best armor set for Wild Hearts will greatly improve your survivability against giant kemono you face in the early and mid stages of the game. Read on to learn which armor sets to prioritize crafting in the early game!

Best Mid Game Armor

Bandit Armor Set

Armor	Req. Materials
Bandit Mengu	・ Cobalt Lavaback Hide x3 ・Cobalt Lavaback Molten Rock x2 ・420 Gold
Bandit Tekko	・Icetusk Horn 4x ・Peculiar Cocoon x2 ・420 Gold
Bandit Uwagi	・ Icetusk Frost Limb x2 ・Icetusk Frost Tail ・Cobalt Lavaback Tail ・420
Bandit Loincloth	・Cobalt Lavaback Fang x3 ・Strigine Flight Bone x3 ・Lightstone x2 ・420 Gold
Bandit Boots	・ Icetusk Ivory x1 ・ Lightstone x2 ・420 Gold

Right after gaining access to Fuyufusagi Fort, we highly suggest farming the Icetusk and Cobalt Lavaback for the Bandit Armor Set. This set boosts both your water and fire resistance at equal levels, allowing you to take this armor even against Kemono from the later chapters in the game. This set also provides freezing recovery great against Kemono like the Deathstalker.

The best feature of this armor set so far lies in its Kemono Path upgrade, providing the skill of resurrection which allows you to tank a hit if you're low on health, a great skill to have for survivability.

Argent Armor Set

Armor	Req. Materials
Argent Helmet	・ Deathstalker Claw x2 ・Lightstone x2 ・560 Gold
Argent Vambraces	・ Deathstalker Hide x1 ・Deathstalker Pelt x4 ・560 Gold
Argent Breastplate	・ Deathstalker Hide x2 ・ Deathstalker Ice Tail x2 ・Simian Yin Organ Gem x3 ・560 Gold
Argent Faulds	・Deathstalker Pelt x2 ・Deathstalker Icicle x1 ・Peculiar Cocoon x3 ・560 Gold
Argen Sabatons	・Deathstalker Pelt x2 ・Deathstalker Fang x2 ・Lightstone x2

You would want to go back for more after beating the Deathstalker, as its armor set provides resistance to three attributes namely, Nature, Water, and Wind and comes with an addition to Health Boost. This set allows you to go on consecutive hunts nearly without having to change equipment.

The only downside of this equipment is its extreme weakness to the Fire attribute, which shouldn't be an issue considering there are only a number of Kemonos with fire-based attacks.

Brighteye Armor Set

Armor	Req. Materials
Brighteye Archer Strawhat	・ Ripclaw Corona Spray x2 ・Ripclaw Sickle Feather x3 ・Long Pearlbeak Tailfeather x4 ・Giant Kemono Petal ・700 Gold
Brighteye Archer Tekko	・ Pearlbeak Razor Wing x2 ・Sharp Pearlbeak Bill x4 ・Blue Columnar Ore x3 ・700 Gold
Brighteye Archer Body Armor	・ Sharp Ripclaw Talon x4 ・Ripclaw Bloom Beak x2 ・Sharp Pearlbeak Talon x3 ・Pealbeak Light Orb x1 ・700 Gold
Brighteye Archer Hakama	・ Ripclaw Petal Derm x4 ・Sharp Pearlbeak Talon ・Small Kemono Shell Skin x3 ・Blue Colimnar Ore ・700 Gold
Brighteye Archer Tabi	・Ripclaw Petal Derm x3 ・Ancient Lumber x4 ・Demon Rock x5 ・Corestone x4 ・ 700 Gold

As soon as you start Chapter 3, we highly recommend farming gear from the Ripclaw and Pearlbeak. The Brighteye Armor set offers great resistance to the Nature, Water, and Wind attributes similar to the Argent Armor Set.

What makes this armor shine is its skills with a huge percentage on Fatigue Recovery which greatly helps to reduce idle time when hit with fatigue-based attacks. Additionally this armor set also adds a percentage damage to lunge attacks with its Lunge Boost skill, perfect for Bow users and Repeater Crossbow karakuri.

Best Early Game Armor

Craft the Fresh Fern Set Immediately

Armor	Req. Materials
Fresh Fern Headgear	・ Ancient Lumber x2
Fresh Fern Gauntlets	・ Ancient Lumber x2 ・Lizard Bloom x1
Fresh Fern Body Armor	・ Ancient Lumber x2 ・Small Kemono Skin x1
Fresh Fern Kusazuri	・Small Crystal Ore x1
Fresh Fern Sune-ate	・Small Scale x1

We recommend crafting the Fresh Fern Set immediately, as it's a straight upgrade from your 1-defense starting gear. In addition, it's incredibly cheap to craft as it only requires basic materials which you can gather around the Giant Tree Trunk Camp.

You gain the ability to craft the Fresh Fern Set after defeating the Ragetail for the first time and creating a forge for Natsume.

Upgrade to the Young Samurai Set

Armor	Req. Materials
Young Samurai Helmet	・ Sapscourge Horn x1 ・Sapscourge Leafbeard x1 ・Small Scale x3 ・50 Gold
Young Samurai Gauntlets	・Ragetail Fang x1 ・50 Gold
Young Samurai Body Armor	・Ragetail Pelt x1 ・Sapscourge Tail x1 ・Sapscourge Leaf Beard x2 ・Ancient Lumber x2 ・50 Gold
Young Samurai Haidate	・Sapscourge Horn x1 ・Sapscourge Tail x1 ・50 Gold ・
Young Samurai Sune-ate	・Ragetail Fang x1 ・Ragetail Claw x1 ・Small Crystal Ore x2 ・50 Gold

After making the Fresh Fern Set, we suggest aiming for the Young Samurai Set, which you also unlock after creating a forge for Natsume.

This armor set features high Nature resistance, which is excellent against the first three giant kemono you encounter. In addition, the armor set also features potent early quality-of-life skills, with Health Boost's maximum health increase and Sidestepper's 6% evade distance boost.

The Young Samurai Set is also relatively easy to craft, as you obtain most of the materials needed while you play through the story, requiring only Ragetail and Sapscourge parts.

Get the Roaming Bard Set in Natsukodachi Isle

Armor	Req. Materials
Roaming Bard Mengu	・Dreadclaw Corona x2 ・Dreadclaw Talon x3 ・Ancient Lumber x5 ・170 Gold
Roaming Bard Tekko	・Spineglider Horn x2 ・Blue Stone x2 ・Coral Fragment x5 ・170 Gold
Roaming Bard Uwagi	・Spineglider Claw x2 ・Spineglider Dripstone x1 ・Dreadclaw Sickle Feather x3 ・170 Gold
Small Roaming Bard Hakama	・Dreadclaw Skin x2 ・Small Kemono Carpace x2 ・Bluestone x2 ・170 Gold
Roaming Bard Sune-ate	・Spineglider Hide x2 ・Coral Fragment x5 ・170 Gold

After reaching Natsukodachi Isle, we recommend upgrading to the Roaming Bard Set. This set boasts a higher basic defense than the Young Samurai Set while also providing solid elemental resistance against most of the giant kemono of the new region. Its innate abilities of Recovery Boost, Savage, and Presence of Mind also contribute heavily to your survivability.

The Roaming Bard Set also only requires Spineglider and Dreadclaw materials, which you can begin hunting as soon as you visit the island for the first time while progressing through the story.

Wild Hearts Related Guides

Tips and Tricks: A Beginner's Guide

All Tips and Tricks Guides

All Weapon Build Guides

Best Builds and Armor for Each Weapon

All Weapon Builds
Karakuri Katana	Nodachi
Karakuri Staff	Claw Blade
Bow	Hand Cannon
Maul	Bladed Wagasa