One of the primary methods for Monster Hunter Rise players to optimize their armor sets is through the game's decoration system. As Monster Hunter Rise players obtain higher level gear they may notice that many of the armor pieces contain slots depicting various gem icons. In these slots, players are able to set various decorations that grant a variety of skill bonuses to aid players in their hunts.
To craft and set decorations in Monster Hunter Rise, players must speak to Smithy in the Steelworks area of the village and select decorations from the menu. In order to unlock the game's decoration system, players must first reach the "High-Rank" Hub Quests which are denoted as 4 star quests. However, even after players unlock the option to create and set decorations, they will only have access to a limited variety of decorations at the onset.
Like the game's armor sets, specific decorations are unlocked by completing main quests and obtaining the various monster parts required to create the decoration. For example, to craft the "Counter Jewel 2", players will require 2 Bloodrun Jewels, 3 Rathalos Scale+, and 1 Ibushi Horn.
Because of the parts required, if the player has not faced the high-rank version of Rathalos, the jewel will not appear in the crafting menu. While some of these decorations will only require players to find the specific monster parts before they can be unlocked, others will require the player to complete certain quests before they are available. As a result, players should attempt to complete as many main and side quests as possible in order to have access to a larger variety of decorations.
The other crucial aspect to consider when crafting decorations is what level slot the decoration requires. In Monster Hunter Rise, there are 3 levels of decorations that players can create and set. These levels are denoted by the number after the decoration name and can also be identified by the corresponding icon of a jewel next to the decorations name.
As a result, it is important for players to pay attention to what level slots they have available on their armor pieces. Players will be unable to slot a level 2 decoration into a level 1 slot or a level 3 decoration into a level 2 slot.
While the decoration system may appear daunting at first, players should experiment with as many decorations as they can before deciding what works best with their builds. Unlike in other RPGs, in Monster Hunter Rise decorations can be freely removed from one armor piece or weapon to another without any repercussions.
The ability to move decorations between armor sets also applies to the game's loadout system. If for example, players have a KO decoration equipped on their weapon for their greatsword build and wish to experiment with the decoration on other weapons, they can save the build to their item box. If they decide to revert back to their greatsword build, when they equip the build from the item box the decoration will be automatically set back to where it was previously.
Monster Hunter Rise is now available for the Nintendo Switch, with a PC release slated for 2022.
