The endgame in Monster Hunter: World and its Iceborne DLC expansion can be brutal if you don’t have the best possible build.
It doesn’t help that the endgame build meta has shifted a lot over the years, thanks to new gear becoming available and whatnot!
In this guide, we’ll tell you the current best endgame builds in Monster Hunter: World so that you can gear up for the most challenging content in the game.
Best Endgame Build Guide
Base Game Without Iceborne
If you only own the base Monster Hunter: World game without the Iceborne DLC, your options for endgame builds are rather limited.
Though, of course, you also don’t have to prepare yourself to deal with the insane challenge that is the Iceborne endgame!
The best endgame build in the base game, then, is the general-use Defender set. The basis of this build is as follows:
- Head – Drachen Armet Alpha with Challenge Jewel 2 and Expert Jewel 1.
- Chest – Drachen Mail Alpha with Critical Jewel 2.
- Arms – Drachen Vambraces Alpha with two Challenger Jewels 2.
- Waist – Drachen Coil Alpha with Tenderizer Jewel 1.
- Legs – Nergigante Greaves Gamma with two Challenger Jewels 2.
- Charm – Exploiter Charm II (Weakness Exploit +2)
For your weapon, you will just use the Defender V version of whichever weapon category you want. It’s as simple as that!
Side Note: To obtain Defender weapon sets, you have to farm for commendations. Check out our guide on how to get commendations and where you can farm them.
You can change your Decorations on your armor later on if you want to change your skills to specialize in a niche.
For example, using Decorations that grant Free Elem/Ammo Up effects if you are favoring a ranged weapon.
Nonetheless, that’s the gist of the best endgame build for the base Monster Hunter: World game.
Current Endgame Meta Armor Sets For Iceborne
Generally speaking, the current endgame meta armor sets in Iceborne are actually very similar across the board.
The Master Rank Fatalis and Velkhana armor sets are used almost exclusively, no matter which weapon type you use!
While this does make the meta somewhat stale, due to sameyness, it does mean that you can easily swap to different weapon builds without getting new armor!
You will want to, at the very least, always have 4 pieces of either the Fatalis Alpha+ or Fatalis Beta+ armor sets. It doesn’t matter which pieces, either, as long as you just have 4 total.
This will give you the full Fatalis Legend set effect. Fatalis Legend removes skill level caps for skill secrets, increases your Health and Stamina, and the True Razor Sharp/Spare Shot boon.
As for the remaining piece of gear, you can equip any other Master Rank armor piece.
As previously mentioned, though, the Velkhana Alpha and Velkhana Beta armor sets are the most common supplements to the Fatalis sets.
The main benefit of these armor sets is their offensive boosts and high quantity of open slots for Decorations.
Truth be told, their defensive stats are irrelevant due to how offense-oriented the endgame is in Monster Hunter: World and Iceborne!
Armor sets aside, your choices of best Charms are similarly limited if you want to have the best possible build.
You will want to use the Challenger Charm V almost exclusively, as its Agitator +5 skill boosts your Attack and Affinity.
Ranged weapon users might want to consider the Awakening Charm III as an alternative. It can grant free ammo thanks to its skill, but the Challenger Charm V is the king of endgame charms otherwise!
Best Weapon & Skill Builds for Endgame
Now, lastly, let’s look at which weapon in each category is considered the best for endgame builds. We’ll also look at what the recommended skills to focus on are for them!
- Greatsword: Black Fatalis Blade.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Punishing Draw, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Divine Blessing, Weakness Exploit, Peak Performance, Critical Boost, Focus, Evade Window, Handicraft, Recovery Up.
- Long Sword: Fatalis Zaggespanon.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Punishing Draw, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Handicraft, Divine Blessing, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Peak Performance, Evade Window, Clutch Claw Boost.
- Sword and Shield: True Fatalis Sword.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Peak Performance, Evade Window.
- Dual Blades: Kjárr Daggers of any element.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Element, Agitator, Attack Boost, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Evade Window, Peak Performance, Critical Boost, Constitution, Critical Eye, Quick Sheath, Marathon Runner, Clutch Claw Boost, Stamina Surge.
- Also, get the “Element” Attack skill that matches the Kjárr Daggers of your choice and boost it as high as possible.
- Charge Blade: True Fatalis Charger.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Artillery, Evade Window, Attack Boost, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Focus, Handicraft, Offensive Guard, Guard, Capacity Boost, Divine Blessing.
- Switch Axe: True Fatalis End.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Attack Boost, Agitator, Evade Window, Handicraft, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Power Prolonger, Critical Boost, Peak Performance, Divine Blessing, Dragon Attack, Coalescence, Mind’s Eye/Ballistics.
Click here for a comprehensive Switch Axe Build Guide for World and its Iceborne expansion!
- Hammer: Fatalis Demolisher.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Attack Boost, Agitator, Slugger, Divine Blessing, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Peak Performance, Critical Boost, Evade Window, Quick Sheath, Handicraft.
- Hunting Horn: Fatalis Menace Wailer.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Attack Boost, Agitator, Divine Blessing, Coalescence, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Peak Performance, Evade Window, Handicraft, Horn Maestro, Dragon Attack, Resuscitate, Mind’s Eye/Ballistics.
Weapons and Skills Part 2
- Lance: True Fatalis Lance.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Guard, Handicraft, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Peak Performance, Critical Boost, Offensive Guard, Quick Sheath, Evade Window.
- Gunlance: True Fatalis Gunlance.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Slinger Capacity, Artillery, Evade Window, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Evade Extender, Flinch Free, Clutch Claw Boost, Capacity Boost.
- Insect Glaive: True Fatalis Dyaus.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Attack Boost, Agitator, Divine Blessing, Coalescence, Weakness Exploit, Handicraft, Critical Boost, Peak Performance, Dragon Attack, Resuscitate, Airborne, Clutch Claw Boost.
- Bow: Bow of Vice & Violence.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Stun Resistance, Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, Peak Performance, Stamina Surge, Constitution, Dragon Attack, Evade Window, Normal Shots, Spread/Power Shots, Bow Charge Plus, Divine Blessing.
- Light Bowgun: Fatalis Depths.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Divine Blessing, Coalescence, Weakness Exploit, Evade Window, Critical Boost, Special Ammo Boost, Free Elem/Ammo Up, Spread/Power Shots, Resuscitate.
- Heavy Bowgun: Vor Buster.
- Skills: Transcendence, Inheritance, Critical Eye, Agitator, Attack Boost, Divine Blessing, Coalescence, Weakness Exploit, Evade Window, Free Elem/Ammo Up, Critical Boost, Spread/Power Shots, Resuscitate, Divine Blessing.
There you have it! Now you have the best endgame builds to complete the most challenging part of the game. Gear up, Hunter!
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