Armor Combination FAQ - Guide for Monster Hunter Tri

Monster Hunter Tri Armor Combination FAQ

Copyright 2010 Mikal "DarkTechnomancer" Parrott
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Legal Notice:
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This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, 
private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed 
publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any website
other than GameFAQs or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited,
and a violation of copyright.

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Revision History:
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Version 0.0 - Hello World
     Basic templating done. Filled in the table of contents and foreword.

Version 1.0 - Full Guide
     Wrote the guide, submitted it to GameFAQs.

Version 1.1 - Revision 1
     Added some more Low Rank sets (courtesy TheGigginox), fixed a few errors,
     and slightly modified the format to be (hopefully) a little easier to
     read.

Version 1.2 - Revision 2
     Fixed errors in the Low Rank SnS and Damage Bowgun sets, and added more
     full sets to the guide. Also added a few new combos, and a section
     explaining how to create your own armor combinations.

Version 1.25 - Lancers rejoice
     Very minor change. I made the All-Purpose Lance set easier to make.
     I may not update for a while, as I'm quite currently quite busy. Feel
     free to send any emails, as I'll still answer them.

Version 1.3 - More lance sets
     Added two more lance sets, since it was brought to my attention that I
     have relatively few. Enjoy!

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Contents:
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1. Introduction     -     -     -     (1INT)

2. An Aside Regarding Charms    -     (2CHM)

3. Armor Combo List -     -     -     (3ACL)
  3a. General Sets  -     -     -     (3GNR)
  3b. Weapon-Specific Sets-     -     (3WPN)
  3c. Special-Purpose Sets-     -     (3SPC)
  3d. Miscellaneous Sets  -     -     (3MSC)
  3e. Low Rank Sets -     -     -     (3LRK)

4. Notable Full Sets-     -     -     (4FST)

5. Do it Yourself!  -     -     -     (5DIY)

6. Credits    -     -     -     -     (6CRD)

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1. Introduction                       (1INT)
--------------------------------------------
This guide is a compilation of useful armor sets and combinations that I have
found or come up with. This should help people who are new to the game or
have trouble with mixed sets to maximize their potential, without spending
hours of time on the metagame trying to come up with just the right skill
combination.

I won't be explaining how armor skills work in this guide, it's assumed that
you already know. If you aren't sure I suggest checking some of the other FAQs
or the Monster Hunter Wiki, which is an excellent resource (link in the
credits section).

Most of these sets are high rank, and many intended for the endgame, but some
of the best low rank are included here for those who haven't wet their toes
with the online portion of the game (or are simply in low rank).


I hope you find this useful. If you have any questions, comments, or
suggestions you can contact me at [email protected] or on the
forums. Please note that if you do email me make sure you put "GameFAQs" or 
"Armor FAQ" in the subject line, or I may not be able to respond.

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2. An Aside Regarding Charms          (2CHM)
--------------------------------------------
Monster Hunter Tri introduces a new element to armor, the talisman. Talismans
are an extra piece of armor that will never have any defense, but can have
slots and/or skill points. The only way to obtain talismans is by getting
charms. Charms are obtained either by mining, or by getting them in quest
rewards (except the Auto Guard charm, which is unique and is given to you
in the offline portion of the game). 

There are 23,517 different talismans, separated by three tiers of charms.
They are not entirely random, but I won't get into the specifics here.
Needless to say, getting a specific talisman can be extremely time consuming
due to the incredibly high number of possibilities. As such it is often a
priority for a set to work with as many different talismans as possible.
However, some sets, like it or not, require one very specific, very rare
talisman.

Because of all that, I highly recommend that you use this guide for
goal-setting, rather than simply a guide for what armor to use. It will often
be beneficial to comprimise (for example, using Evade+1 instead of +2) until
you are able to find an appropriate charm.

But enough about that, you came here for armor sets.

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3. Armor Combo List                   (3ACL)
--------------------------------------------
This is a list of mixed sets that are useful or otherwise interesting. Some
sets do not require a specific talisman, and instead list the minimum skills.

Please note that due to character limits per line, I have ommitted any skills
that do not activate on the set. When modifying a set, remember to double
check the skills, it may have a negative you weren't aware of. Surprises suck.

How to read a set:
- [Set name] -

  Skills: [Activated Skills]

  Talisman: [Skills] - [Slots]
  Head:  [Armor Piece] | [Skills] - [Slots]
  Chest: [Armor Piece] | [Skills] - [Slots]
  Arms:  [Armor Piece] | [Skills] - [Slots]
  Waist: [Armor Piece] | [Skills] - [Slots]
  Legs:  [Armor Piece] | [Skills] - [Slots]
  Weapons Slots: [Slots]

  Jewels: [Jewels required]

  Points: [Skill Summary]

[Description of the set]
--------------------------------------------
3a. General Sets                      (3GNR)
--------------------------------------------
- Farmer -

  Skills: Great Luck, Capture Expert

  Talisman: Any
  Head:  Jaggi Mask    | +10 Fate               - 0 Slots
  Chest: Guild+        | +3 Fate, +2 Tranquilzr - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Baggi         | +3 Tranquilzr          - 1 Slot
  Waist: Guild+        | +2 Fate, +1 Tranquilzr - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Baggi         | +4 Tranquilzr          - 1 Slot
  Weapons Slots: Optional

  Jewels: None needed

  Points: +15 Fate, +10 Tranquilzr

A very versatile set for farming materials. Depending on the charm you use
it is capable of adding a wide variety of skills depending on what you need.
Unfortunately it is not able to get to +15 on a skill without a two-slot
weapon. Since Guild+ is difficult to obtain, you can also use normal guild,
this loses a slot and requires a +3 Tranquilzr charm (will have no other
skills).

============================================
- Generic Attacker -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Attack Up (L), Evade+1, Detect

  Talisman: +7 Evasion, +3 Attack - 0-1 Slots
  Head:  Vangis   | +4 Psychic, +3 Attack, +4 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Chest: Vangis   | +3 Psychic, +3 Attack, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Vangis   | +4 Psychic, +5 Attack, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Barioth+ | +2 Evasion                           - 3 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis   | +1 Psychic, +1 Attack, +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Weapon: 0-2 Slots (Charm dependant, see description)

  Jewels: 1 Architect Jewel, 1 Onslaught Jewel, 1 Evade Jewel, (1 optional
          Assault Jewel, see description).

  Points: +16 Handicraft, +20 Attack, +10 Evasion, +11 Psychic

This is a very aggressive set focusing on attack boosts. It can be used on any
blademaster class effectively, making it a very strong all-purpose set for
those that don't like to switch armor. There are a few different talismans
that can work, which change the weapon requirements as follows:
Evasion/Attack - Slots
+7/+3 - 1: No weapon slot needed
+7/+3 - 0: 1 Weapon slot needed
+7/+0 - 2*: 1 Weapon slot needed, and an additional Assault Jewel
+7/+0 - 1: 2 Weapon slots needed, and an additional Assault Jewel

*Special note: If you have this charm, it's better to simply use
full Vangis (see the Full Sets section for details 4FST)

--------------------------------------------
3b. Weapon-Specific Sets              (3WPN)
--------------------------------------------
These sets are meant for use with one or two specific weapons, rather than as
something you can use with any weapon. Most of these play to the strengths of
the weapon they are meant for. Some weapons (such as Switch Axe, or Longsword)
have very few special properties to capitalize on, and don't really have
skills that work specifically for them, so don't be alarmed if there aren't
any sets here for your weapon of choice.

============================================
- All-Purpose Hammer -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, High Grade Earplugs, Evade+2

  Talisman: At least +7 Evasion after slots
  Head:  Ceadeus+ | +2 Hearing, +1 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+ | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+ | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus  | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis   | +2 Handicraft             - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: 2 Lightfoot Jewels, 2 Evade Jewels, 1 Handicraft Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Hearing, +15 Evasion

The quintessential hammer set. HGE to beat face or charge a super pound during
a roar, Sharpness+1 for extra KO damage, and Evade+2 for defense. This is the
set most requested by hammer users, and this is the combination which can most
easily attain it. This works with any talisman that can attain +7 evasion
after slots, making it the easiest version of the set to make after HR51.

============================================
- Focus Hammer -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, High Grade Earplugs, Focus

  Talisman: At least +2 FastCharge after slots
  Head:  Ceadeus+ | +2 Hearing, +1 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+ | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+ | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus  | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis   | +2 Handicraft             - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Dynamo Jewels, 1 Handicraft Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Hearing, +10 FastCharge

This set trades evasion for focus to allow for faster charging of the super
pound. This can allow for more frequent knockouts by creating new attack
opportunities for the hammer. Originally I only included the set after this
one, but I added this one due to popular demand.

============================================
- Focus Hammer 2 -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Focus, Earplugs, Evade+1

  Talisman: +7 Evasion - 2 Slots
  Head:  Baggi+   | +2 FastCharge             - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+ | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+ | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus+ | +1 Hearing, +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis   | +2 Handicraft             - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Dynamo Jewels, 1 Architect Jewel*, 1 Earplug Jewel
          1 Lightfoot Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +10 Evasion, +10 FastCharge, +10 Hearing

Against something that doesn't roar quite as loud, you can use this set to
really take advantage of the extra opporunities that focus gives you, while
still gaining the benefits of evasion. This set is preferred by some for the
extra knockouts that focus can allow for.

*: 3 Handicraft jewels will work as well without any added negatives.

============================================
- Assault Hammer -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Attack Up (L), High Grade Earplugs

  Talisman: +6-7 Attack - 2 Slots
  Head:  Ceadeus+ | +2 Hearing, +1 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+ | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+ | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus  | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis   | +1 Attack, +2 Handicraft  - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Onslaught Jewels, 1 Handicraft Jewel, 1 Assault Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Hearing, +20 Attack

This is an extremely high damage set for hammers. You sacrifice defense by
losing evade, but the combo of Sharpness+1 and Attack Up (L) is incredibly
strong, and you are bound to notice faster quest times if you use this set
effectively. Credit to TheMagician42 for pointing out errors in the previous
set.

============================================
- All-Purpose GS -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Focus, Unsheathe Critical

  Talisman: At least +5 Crit Draw after slots
  Head:  Baggi Helm+ | +2 FastCharge - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+    | +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Diablos+    | +2 CritDraw   - 3 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus+    | +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis      | +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: 1 Architect Jewel, 2 Handicraft Jewels, 2 Dynamo Jewels,
          1 Critical Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +10 FastCharge, +10 CritDraw

A common favorite GS set, this set is tailored to get the most out of the
unsheathed charge attack. With CritDraw giving you a guaranteed crit on your
strongest attack, Focus letting you do it more often, and Sharpness+1 is as
always an amazing attack boost. If you don't mind using a two-slotted weapon
you can get away with using only a +4 Critdraw charm, making this an extremely
easy set to make.

============================================
- All-Purpose GS ver 2.0 -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Focus, Unsheathe Critical, Earplugs

  Talisman: At least +8 Crit Draw after slots
  Head:  Baggi Helm+ | +2 FastCharge             - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+    | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Diablos+    | +2 CritDraw               - 3 Slots
  Waist: Vangis      | Torso Up                  - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Alloy+      | Torso Up                  - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: 2 Dynamo Jewels, 1 Earplug Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +10 FastCharge, +10 CritDraw, +10 Hearing

Almost the same as the other one, but this one has Earplugs (why not?). It
needs a tougher charm to get, though. If you have +7 CritDraw with two slots
on the talisman, you can use a slotless GS.

============================================
- Support GS -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Punish Draw, Unsheathe Critical

  Talisman: +7 CritDraw - 2 Slots
  Head:  Vangis   | +4 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Chest: Damascus | +1 PunishDraw - 3 Slots*
  Arms:  Uragaan+ | +1 PunishDraw - 3 Slots
  Waist: Vangis   | Torso Up      - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis   | +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1 Slot

  Jewels: 2 Checkmate Jewels, 1 Architect Jewel*, 1 Handicraft Jewel,
          1 Critical Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +11 PunishDraw, +10 CritDraw

If you have a fantastic CritDraw talisman and feel like pretending you're a
hammer user, this is the set for you. Punishing Draw adds KO to your charge
as long as you do the unsheathe version, and the sharpness still adds to that
KO damage. Remember that you can follow up with a slap for maximum KO
efficiency.

*: The Architect Jewel must be placed in the chest piece to benefit from
   Torso Up.

============================================
- All-Purpose Lance -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Guard+2, Evade+1

  Talisman: At least + 9 Evasion after gems
  Head:  Skull Mask | Torso Up      - 0 Slots
  Chest: Agnaktor+  | +5 Guard      - 1 Slots*
  Arms:  Agnaktor+  | +2 Guard      - 3 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus+   | +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis     | +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1 Slot

  Jewels: 2 Architect Jewels, 1 Iron Wall Jewel, 2 Handicraft Jewels*,
          1 Evade Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Guard, +10 Evasion

The Lances two favorite skills combined with my own personal favorite,
Sharpness+1. I've refined to to the least rare charm I could manage. This
should satisfy some of the people who are complaining about the excessively
rare charm that the old set called for.

*: Make sure you put one of the Handicraft Jewels in the chest to benefit from
   Torso Up.

============================================
- Absolute Guard -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Guard+2, Guard Boost

  Talisman: +7 Guard Up - 2 Slots
  Head:  Agnaktor+ | +5 Guard              - 0 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+  | +5 Handicraft         - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Agnaktor+ | +2 Guard              - 3 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus+  | +2 Handicraft         - 3 Slots
  Legs:  Agnaktor  | +5 Guard, +2 Guard Up - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Architect Jewels, 1 Iron Wall Jewel, 1 Shield Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Guard, +10 Guard Up

This is a set for the more defensively minded. If evading isn't your thing and
you find that you tend to block and counter more often, then this set is worth
a try. This set is particularly effective against Gigginox, but you might
also find it useful against other enemies with normally unblockable attacks.

============================================
- Status Attack Lance -

  Skills: Guard+2, Evade+1, Status Attack Up, Razor Sharp

  Talisman: At least +7 Evasion after slots
  Head:  Agnaktor+ | +5 Guard, +3 Sharpness  - 0 Slots
  Chest: Bnahabra+ | +3 Status, +1 Sharpness - 1 Slot
  Arms:  Agnaktor+ | +2 Guard, +1 Sharpness  - 3 Slots
  Waist: Bnahabra+ | +6 Status, +3 Sharpness - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Agnaktor+ | +2 Guard, +2 Sharpness  - 2 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Iron Wall Jewels, 3 Evade Jewels, 1 Status Jewel

  Points: +15 Guard, +10 Evasion, +10 Status, +10 Sharpness

Here is a slight modification of the all-purpose skillset for those who want
to do status damage more than actual damage. Quite easy to make, and even has
Razor Sharp to slightly offset the loss of Sharpness+1 on the set.

============================================
- Element Attack SnS -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Attack Up (M), Elemental Atk Up

  Talisman: +7 Attack - 2 Slots
  Head:  Ceadeus+   | +1 Handicraft            - 3 Slots
  Chest: Lagiacrus+ | +1 Elemental             - 3 Slots*
  Arms:  Vangis     | +3 Handicraft, +5 Attack - 0 Slots
  Waist: Vangis     | Torso Up                 - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis     | +2 Handicraft, +1 Attack - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Element Jewel+, 1 Architect Jewel*, 1 Handicraft Jewel,
          1 Assault Jewel

  Points: +15 Attack, +10 Elemental, +15 Handicraft

This set is for capitalizing on the strong elemental power of the SnS. It's
not necessarily the highest damage output the SnS is capable of, but it does
have the benefit of not having to worry as much about using stronger attacks.
AUM and Element Atk have obvious purposes, and Sharpness+1 because it's, quite
frankly, the best skill in the game.

============================================
- Status Attack SnS/LS -

  Skills: Evade+2, Status Atk Up, Razor Sharp, Good Luck

  Talisman: At least +6 Evasion after slots
  Head:  Jaggi Mask | +10 Fate                           - 0 Slots
  Chest: Bnahabra+  | +3 Status, +1 Sharpness, -5 Poison - 1 Slot
  Arms:  Barioth    | +5 Evasion                         - 0 Slots
  Waist: Bnahabra+  | +6 Status, +3 Sharpness, -2 Poison - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Bnahabra+  | +2 Status, +6 Sharpness, -3 Poison - 1 Slot
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: Evade Jewels as necessary

  Points: +15 Evasion, +10 Status, +10 Sharpness, +10 Fate

A set for getting the most out of your status attack weapons. Not much to say,
really. The set is incredibly easy to make using the Barioth+ Helm, but it's
still easy to make with the Jaggi Mask thrown in for good measure.
============================================
- Status Attack SnS/LS 2 -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Status Atk Up, Evade+1

  Talisman: +5-7 Evasion - 2 Slots
  Head:  Skull Mask | Torso Up                  - 0 Slot
  Chest: Ceadeus+   | +5 Handicraft, +3 Hearing - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Gigginox+  | +1 Status                 - 3 Slots
  Waist: Bnahabra+  | +6 Status                 - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Alloy+     | Torso Up                  - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1
  Jewels: 1 Lightfoot Jewel, 1 Disabler Jewel+, 1 Earplug Jewel
  Points: +15 Handicraft, +10 Status, +10 Evasion

A slightly more aggressive status attack set. More or less the same as the
other one, but it does more damage and loses sharpness faster. Use which ever
one suits your style of play.

============================================
- Support Bowgun -

  Skills: Recoild Down+2, Reload Speed+2, Status Atk Up

  Talisman: +6-7 ReloadSpd - 1-2 slots
  Head:  Uragaan+   | +6 Recoil, +1 Bomb Boost   - 1 Slot
  Chest: Rhenoplos+ | +4 Recoil                  - 1 Slot
  Arms:  Gigginox+  | +1 Status                  - 3 Slots
  Waist: Uragaan+   | +6 Recoil, +2 Bomb Boost   - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Bnahabra+  | +2 Status, +6 ReloadSpd    - 1 Slot
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: 1 Flashload Jewel, 7 Disabler Jewels

  Points: +15 Recoil, +15 ReloadSpd, +10 Status, +3 Bomb Boost*

A decent general purpose gunning set. Status attack up means you'll have more
of a focus on support, so this is not a viable solo set. Not much else to say
really. Shoot lots of bullets and make it stop moving.

*: You can gem Bombardier in by removing the Flashload Jewel if you've got
   at least +3 Bomb Boost on the talisman (after any gemming, of course).
   This also works with as little as +5 Reload Speed on the talisman, since
   you're going down to Reload Speed+1 anyway.

============================================
- Damage Bowgun -

  Skills: Evade+2, PierceS Boost, Bonus Shot

  Talisman: +7 Evasion - 2 Slots
  Head:  Diablos+   | +5 PierceS Up - 0 Slots
  Chest: Lagiacrus+ | +1 Rapid Fire - 3 Slots*
  Arms:  Diablos+   | +1 PierceS Up - 3 Slots
  Waist: Vangis     | Torso Up      - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Barioth+   | +2 Evasion    - 2 Slots
  Weapons Slots: None needed

  Jewels: 2 Lightfoot Jewels, 1 Pierc Jewel+, 1 Fussilade Jewel*

  Points: +15 Evasion , +10 PierceS Boost, +10 Rapid Fire (Bonus Shot)

This set is great for spamming rapid fire pierce or crag shots. If you choose
to use crag shots, the pierce will still be very useful once you run out. You
might need to be picky about your bowgun, since the recoil gets pretty bad,
but I'll leave that to you.

--------------------------------------------
3c. Special-Purpose Sets              (3SPC)
--------------------------------------------
These sets are designed for a specific purpose, and are often impractical for
use outside of that purpose. They may exploit a certain monsters weakness, or
require a very specific strategy. Make sure you read the description to
understand how to properly use a set in this section.

============================================
- Speedbombing Gunner Set -

  Skills: Load Up, Recoil Down+2, Trap Master, Bombardier

  Talisman: +10 SpeedSetup, +3 Bomb Boost - 1 slot
  Head:  Uragaan+ | +6 Recoil, +1 Bomb Boost - 1 Slot
  Chest: Damascus |                          - 3 Slots
  Arms:  Uragaan+ | +1 Recoil, +2 Bomb Boost - 3 Slots
  Waist: Uragaan+ | +6 Recoil, +2 Bomb Boost - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Vangis   | +2 Loading               - 3 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1 Slot

  Jewels: 3 Magazine Jewels, 2 Absorber Jewels, 1 Chamber Jewel,
          1 Bombardier Jewel

  Points: +15 Loading, +15 Recoil, +10 SpeedSetup, +10 Bomb Boost

While it's labelled "speedbombing" this is actually a catch-all set for every
bomb-related strategy in the game. In particular this is used for bomb
spamming, a strategy which essentially consists of dropping as many bombs as
possible in the shortest time-frame. While technically only Trap Master and
Bomb Boost are required, it's usually best for at least one person to take a
gun and paralyze and/or sleep whatever unfortunate beast is being subjected
to this gamebreakingly powerful strategy. Whoever that gunner is, they'll want
this set.

============================================
- Sleep Bomb SnS -

  Skills: Evade+2, Status Atk Up, Razor Sharp, Bombardier

  Talisman: At least +6 Evasion after slots
  Head:  Jhen Mohran+ | +1 Sharpness            - 3 Slots
  Chest: Damascus*    |                         - 3 Slots
  Arms:  Gigginox+    | +1 Status               - 3 Slots
  Waist: Bnahabra+    | +6 Status, +3 Sharpness - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Bnahabra+    | +2 Status, +6 Sharpness - 1 Slot
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: 5 Bombardier Jewels, 3 Lightfoot Jewels, 1 Disabler Jewel

  Points: +15 Evasion, +10 Sharpness, +10 Status, +10 Bomb Boost

This is an SnS set designed for sleep-bombing Alatreon. This is great for
saving on gunner ammo. For those who are really cheap or simply aren't
confident enough to gun Alatreon without dying.

*: Any 3-slotted chest piece EXCEPT LAGIACRUS+ will work here. Damascus has
   the best def, though.

============================================
- Jhen Mohran Solo Set (High Rank) -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Fortify, Adrenaline+2, Bombardier

  Talisman: At least +8 Bomb Boost after slots
  Head:  Barroth+            | +2 Potential  - 2 Slots
  Chest: Hellhunter Jacket   | +5 Fortify    - 3 Slots*
  Arms:  Uragaan+            | +2 Bomb Boost - 3 Slots
  Waist: Vangis              | Torso Up      - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Black Leather Pants | +13 Potential - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1

  Jewels: 2 Architect Jewels*, 3 Handicraft Jewels

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Potential, +10 Fortify, +10 Bomb Boost

This set is designed to get the highest attack boost possible, without being
vulnerable to the somewhat random chances of taking damage while on his back
(in other words, without using Heroics). Some people might not like this set
due to the necessity of death abuse (to activate Survivor) but there is no
questioning its raw power. This can actually be used to speed run just about
anything, but it may be tricky to work the deaths in against certain monsters
while still getting a reasonable time.

============================================
- Adrenaline Hammer -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Adrenaline+2, High Grade Earplugs, Evade+1

  Talisman: +7 Evasion, +3 Potental - 1 Slot
  Head:  Ceadeus+            | +2 Hearing, +1 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+            | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+            | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus             | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Black Leather Pants | +13 Potential             - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1 Slot

  Jewels: 1 Lightfoot Jewel, 3 Handicraft Jewels

  Points: +16 Potential, +15 Handicraft, +15 Hearing, +10 Evasion

While there really isn't a specific monster or strategy to use here, it can
hardly be considered "normal use" to keep one's health below 40% at all times.
This set pretty much offers the best attack power a hammer can get while still
retaining the classic hammer skills (outside of Heroics, of course).
Definitely not a set for a beginner.

Special note: This can't be done without the Black Leather Pants event item.
              In order to get the same application without them, simply
              replace the evasion on the All-Purpose Hammer Set with
              potential.

============================================
- All-weapons Adrenaline -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Attack Up (L), Adrenaline+2, Detect

  Talisman: +6-7 Attack, +3 Potential - 1 Slot
  Head:  Vangis  | +4 Psychic, +3 Attack, +4 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Chest: Vangis  | +3 Psychic, +3 Attack, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Vangis  | +4 Psychic, +5 Attack, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Vangis  | Torso Up                             - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Black Leather Pants | +13 Potential            - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 2 Handicraft Jewels

  Points: +20 Attack, +15 Handicraft, +16 Potential, +14 Psychic

Pretty much the same as the hammer version, but a little more "balls to the
wall", it can also be used with any weapon effectively. The lack of evade
means you'll need to really stay on your toes throughout the fight. If you
ever think you'll need more damage than this, consider Heroics as the only
place left to go.

============================================
- Awakening Tenebra -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Awakening, Element Atk Up

  Talisman: At least +2 Handicraft after slots
  Head:  Lagiacrus+ | +3 FreeElement, +2 Elemental - 1 Slot
  Chest: Lagiacrus+ | +1 FreeElement, +1 Elemental - 3 Slots
  Arms:  Lagiacrus+ | +5 FreeElement, +2 Elemental - 1 Slot
  Waist: Vangis     | Torso Up                     - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Lagiacrus+ | +4 FreeElement, +3 Elemental - 1 Slot
  Tenebra D: 3 Slots

  Jewels: 2 Architect Jewels, 1 Handicraft Jewel, 1 Release Jewel,
          1 Elemental Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 FreeElement, +10 Elemental

This set is set is designed specifically to get the most out of the Tenebra D
longsword (from the Cold Call Event). It actually has Status Atk down, but
Tenebra isn't a status attack weapon, so this is pretty much irrelevant. The
only enemies weak enough to ice to warrant using this set are Alatreon,
Diablos, and Qurupeco.

Note: Technically this works with most Awakening weapons, but I don't
      recommend using them.

============================================
- HGE Awakening -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Awakening, High Grade Earplugs

  Talisman: +3 FreeElement, +1 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Head:  Ceadeus+ | +1 Handicraft, +2 Hearing - 3 Slots
  Chest: Ceadeus+ | +5 Handicraft, +3 Hearing - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+ | +3 Handicraft, +5 Hearing - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus | +3 Handicraft, +5 Hearing - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Vangis | +2 Handicraft - 3 Slots
  Weapon: 3 Slots

  Jewels: 3 Catalyst Jewels

  Points: +15 FreeElement, +15 Handicraft, +15 Hearing

Similar to the other awakening set in skills, but vastly different armor.
This is an alternative set for those that prefer HGE over the relatively
weak damage boost that Element Atk Up provides.

--------------------------------------------
3d. Miscellaneous Sets                (3MSC)
--------------------------------------------
These sets are not really intended for regular use, or for any special
purpose. Most of them are just interesting combos or special versions of other
sets.

============================================
- Very Sharp Set -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, Razor Sharp

  Talisman: +4 Handicraft (3-slot gemmed with an Architect will NOT work)
  Head:  Vangis       | +4 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Chest: Vangis       | +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Vangis       | +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Jhen Mohran+ | +5 Sharpness  - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Bnahabra+    | +6 Sharpness  - 1 Slot
  Weapons Slots: 1

  Jewels: 1 Handicraft Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +10 Sharpness

This set can be gemmed for Attack Up Medium with a two-slotted weapon.
Whetstones are for chumps.

============================================
- Headless Hammer Set -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, High Grade Earplugs

  Talisman: None needed
  Head:  None needed
  Chest: Ceadeus+ | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Ceadeus+ | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Waist: Ceadeus  | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Ceadeus+ | +4 Hearing, +4 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: None needed

  Jewels: None needed

  Points: +17 Hearing, +15 Handicraft

Highly customizable set. Play around with it and see what you can do.

--------------------------------------------
3e. Low Rank Sets                     (3LRK)
--------------------------------------------
These sets are meant for the low rank game. Most of these will not be as
strong as their high rank counterparts, but a few of them may prove useful.
For the most part, these won't be very picky about charms, since most people
won't be farming them in the early ranks.

============================================
- Low Rank Hammer -

  Skills: Sharpness+1, High Grade Earplugs

  Talisman: No skills needed - 2 slots
  Head:  Ceadeus   | +3 Hearing, +2 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Chest: Lagiacrus | +1 Sharpness*             - 1 Slot
  Arms:  Ceadeus   | +2 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 1 Slot
  Waist: Ceadeus   | +5 Hearing, +3 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Ceadeus   | +3 Hearing, +5 Handicraft - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1 slot

  Jewels: 2 Handicraft Jewels, 2 Earplug Jewels, 1 Protection Jewel

  Points: +15 Handicraft, +15 Hearing

Not really much to say. The Lagi chest is to offset the negative sharpness.

============================================
- Low Rank Lance -

  Skills: Razor Sharp, Guard+1, Speed Sharpener

  Talisman: None
  Head:  Lagiacrus   | +2 Sharpness           - 2 Slots
  Chest: Steel       | +4 Guard, +3 Sharpener - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Lagiacrus   | +3 Sharpness           - 2 Slots
  Waist: Jhen Mohran | +4 Sharpness           - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Alloy       | Torso Up               - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: None needed

  Jewels: 2 Stone Wall Jewels, 2 Grinder Jewels, 1 Razor Jewel

  Points: +10 Guard, +10 Sharpener, +10 Sharpness

The Jhen Mohran waist might be a little offputting, but you can use Bnahabra
instead as long as you have at least one slot between your weapon and charm.
Don't forget, though, that the event Jhen Mohran lets you obtain his equipment
well before your urgent. This set can easily be customized since it doesn't
use a charm.

============================================
- Low Rank SnS -

  Skills: Status Atk Up, Evade+1, Razor Sharp

  Talisman: No skills needed - 1-2 slots
  Head:  Barioth  | +3 Evasion              - 1 Slot
  Chest: Bnahabra | +4 Status, +3 Sharpness - 0 Slots
  Arms:  Barioth  | +5 Evasion              - 0 Slots
  Waist: Bnahabra | +3 Status, +3 Sharpness - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Alloy    | Torso Up                - 0 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1 slots

  Jewels: 2 Evade Jewels, 1 Razor Jewel

  Points: +10 Sharpness, +11 Status, +10 Evasion

This requires two slots between your weapon and charm. A nice early status
SnS set. If Element attack is more your thing, try gemming evade into
full Lagiacrus.

============================================
- Low Rank GS -

  Skills: Unsheathe Critical, Attack Up (M)

  Talisman: At least 3 Attack or CritDraw after gemming
  Head:  Diablos  | +2 CritDraw - 1 Slot
  Chest: Rathalos | +2 Attack   - 1 Slot
  Arms:  Diablos  | +5 CritDraw - 0 Slots
  Waist: Rathalos | +5 Attack   - 0 Slots
  Legs:  Rathalos | +2 Attack   - 2 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 1 Slot

  Jewels: 1 Assault Jewel, 3 Draw/Attack Jewels

  Points: +15 Attack, +10 CritDraw

Unsheate Critical and Attack Up (M) goes a long way with all those level 3
charges. You can go down to Attack Up (S) without the charm, but at that point
you'd probably be better off going for focus...

============================================
- Low Rank Focus GS -

  Skills: Unsheathe Critical, Focus

  Talisman: 1-2 slots
  Head:  Diablos | +2 CritDraw   - 1 Slot
  Chest: Baggi   | +1 FastCharge - 2 Slots
  Arms:  Diablos | +5 CritDraw   - 0 Slots
  Waist: Baggi   | +2 FastCharge - 1 Slots
  Legs:  Baggi   | +3 FastCharge - 1 Slots
  Weapons Slots: 0-1 Slots

  Jewels: 3 Draw Jewels, 4 Charger Jewels

  Points: +10 Fastcharge, +10 CritDraw

Pretty easy set to make, and it gets even easier if you have some CritDraw on
the Talisman.

============================================
- Low Rank Jhen Solo -

  Skills: Adrenaline+2, Survivor, Attack Up (S), Bombardier

  Talisman: +4 Potential - 1 Slot
  Head:  Barroth           | +1 Potential, +4 Attack - 1 Slot
  Chest: HellHunter Jacket | +5 Foritfy              - 3 Slots*
  Arms:  Barroth           | +3 Potential, +4 Attack - 1 Slot
  Waist: Barroth           | +3 Potential, +1 Attack - 1 Slot
  Legs:  Uragaan/Alloy     | Torso Up                - 0 Slot
  Weapons Slots: None needed

  Jewels: 2 Crisis Jewels*, 1 Attack Jewel, 4 Bombardier Jewels*

  Points: +15 Potential, +10 Fortify, +10 Attack, +10 Bomb Boost

Can't find a good party for your 3* urgent? Solo him! As with the other set
this one requires some death abuse.

*: Both Crisis jewels and one of the Bombardier jewels should go in the
   chest piece.

============================================
That's all I've got for low rank sets. I'll try to add more as I come across
them, but there really isn't a high demand. Sorry if you didn't find what
you were looking for. Check out some of the full sets in the next section,
I cover the low ranks as well.

--------------------------------------------
4. Notable Full Sets                  (4FST)
--------------------------------------------
In this section I'll go over a few of the more useful full sets in the game.
I won't be covering all of them, nor will I go over them in detail.

The sets will be displayed in this format:
 - Set Name -
  Skills:
  Charms/Gemming:

Summary

--------------------------------------------
4a. Blademasters                      (4BLD)
--------------------------------------------
 - Leather Armor -

  Skills: Divine Whim, Gathering+1, Speed Gatherer

  Charms/Gemming: Each piece has one slot, which makes it simple to gem up
                  to Gathering+2. It also comes with 4 points of attack,
                  making Attack Up (S) a possibility.

This is a great set for gathering quests. It will really speed up the boring
parts of the first half of the game. I definitely recommend making this set,
especially since it's so easy to make (just kill some Kelbi).

============================================
 - Loc Lac Armor -

  Skills: Heat Cancel (Lo), Pro Transporter, Recovery Spd +1

  Charms/Gemming: It's only three pieces, but none of them have slots. Gem
                  to Heat Cancel (Hi) if you can.

Not that useful for hunting, but spectacular for carrying quests. Get it to
save time when doing carrying quests (especially powderstone).

============================================
 - Great Jaggi Armor -

  Skills: Attack Up (S), Halve Stun, Gourmand

  Charms/Gemming: Try gemming it up to Attack Up Medium. If you're lucky
                  enough to find a nice attack charm early you can even go
                  for AUL.

A fairly solid beginners set. At this point armor is hardly needed, but at
least the attack bonus is nice.

============================================
 - Bnahabra Tuxedo -

  Skills: Status Atk Up, Razor Sharp, Double Poison

  Charms/Gemming: No slots makes this kinda tricky to work with. Gem off the
                  poison, I guess. Remember that you can add a head and arms
                  from anything else, I used Jaggi to get Attack Up Small.

With the terrible sharpness of early weapons, Razor Sharp is a godsend at
this point in the game. This was the set I used for a very long time. As an
added bonus, you will look absolutely fantastic.

============================================
 - Qurupeco Armor -

  Skills: Defense Up (S), Evasion +1, Recovery Up

  Charms/Gemming: You can gem Def up to Medium, or add something like Speed
                  Sharpening.

Earliest set with evasion. This can be great for players who are just getting
a handle on the idea of utilizing invinciblity frames to dodge attacks.
Remember not to rely on it, though.

============================================
 - Barroth Armor -

  Skills: Attack Up (S), Marathon Runner, Adrenaline +1, Critical Eye -1

  Charms/Gemming: Gem off that critical eye, Adrenaline+2 is a lost cause
                  unless you have a decent potential charm already. You can
                  try gemming attack up if you've got the right charm as well.

The is the earliest set with Adrenaline, so it's quite nice for the pro vets
who just want to get the highest attack boost they can and zip through to the
meaty parts of the game.

============================================
 - Gigginox Armor -

  Skills: Constitution +2, Status Atk Up, Negate Poison

  Charms/Gemming: Nothing special here. You'll have to work around your
                  charms.

Constitution +2 is actually a fairly decent skill, especially for Lance.
Status Atk Up has some pretty obvious applications.

============================================
 - Lagiacrus Armor -

  Skills: Olympic Swimmer, Element Atk Up, Razor Sharp, Status Atk Down

  Charms/Gemming: Sky's the limit here. It's got 10 slots by itself, so you
                  can gem all kinds of stuff into this set. I'm partial to
                  attack boosts, personally, but you can get as creative as
                  you want.

This set is pretty awesome. Razor Sharp is still very useful at the point in
the game, and Element Atk Up is a rarely seen skill. It also has a ton of
slots. The downside? Because it's a very nice set, you'll see A LOT of people
in low rank wearing it.

============================================
 - Rathalos Armor -

  Skills: Attack Up (M), Heat Cancel (Lo), Critical Eye +1, Defense Down (S)

  Charms/Gemming: Gem to AUL, and take out the negatives.

Not much to say. You can get AUL on it, which is pretty great.

============================================
 - Barioth Armor -

  Skills: Evasion +2, Marathon Runner, Cold Cancel (Lo), Heat Surge (Lo)

  Charms/Gemming: Not very good on options. Take out the negative, at least.

If you're still wearing Qurupeco, switch to this.

============================================
- Diablos Armor -

  Skills: Critical Draw, Tremor-Proof, Element Atk Down

  Charms/Gemming: Only one slot naturally. Enough to take of the negative.
                  No waist or pants piece, so it's highly customizable.

Great for anyone maining a GS. Critical Draw is defintely the skill to have
for that weapon. Try combining with Rathalos for an attack boost.

============================================
- Agnaktor Armor -

  Skills: Guard +2, Guard Boost, Flaming Aura, Short Sprinter

  Charms/Gemming: Short sprinter sucks, so be sure to ditch that. Then try
                  gemming evade if you've got a good enough charm.

A decent lancing set. Guard Boost makes Gigginox a joke.

============================================
- Ceadeus Armor -

  Skills: Sharpness +1, HG Earplugs,Demonic Blessing, Blunt Edge

  Charms/Gemming: It's almost impossible to get Blunt Edge off.

This armor is pretty good, spectacular for hammer. Unfortunately the negatives
are extremely bad, and Blunt Edge tends to take Sharpness+1 with it when it
goes. Check the Low Rank Sets for a solution.

============================================
- Jhen Mohran Armor -

  Skills: Focus, Razor Sharp, Recovery Spd +1, Combination -5%

  Charms/Gemming: Try to get CritDraw on it to get a decent GS set.

With a CritDraw charm you can make it a workable GS set, but it's otherwise
pretty unimpressive.

============================================
- Guild Armor -

  Skills: Evasion +2, Autotracker, Good Luck, Taunt

  Charms/Gemming: No slots :(

This is a pretty fun set. Evasion is fairly solid, and Taunt is arguably
more useful than Sneak. It also looks really cool.

============================================
- Leather+ Armor -

  Skills: Divine Whim, Gathering +2, Speed Gatherer

  Charms/Gemming: 9 slots! I'd gem in Pro Transporter and Heat Cancel (Hi)
                  for a hassle-free mining set.

It's like Leather Armor, but better.

============================================
- Great Jaggi+ Armor -

  Skills: Attack Up (M), Negate Stun, Gourmand

  Charms/Gemming: Gets to AUL pretty easily. Not much else, really.

Not a terrible choice for your first High Rank armor. Very little special
about it, it's just a better Jaggi armor.

============================================
- Bnahabra+ Armor -

  Skills: Status Atk Up, Razor Sharp, Double Poison

  Charms/Gemming: 1 slot per piece, work with your other parts.

This is pretty much exactly the same as low rank, but a little easier to
work with.

============================================
- Qurupeco+ Armor -

  Skills: Wide-Range +2, Recovery Up, Defense Up (S)

  Charms/Gemming: You can either work with the natural +3 to Expert or gem
                  in more Defense Up, depending on your style.

While I really don't suggest this strategy, I do understand that some people
just aren't as good at not getting hit. This is a nice defense-heavy set
that really gets the most out of all those potions.

============================================
- Great Baggi+ Armor -

  Skills: Capture Expert, Focus, Ice Res +20

  Charms/Gemming: I'd try to gem in Critical Draw.

If you have a good enough charm to gem in Crit Draw, this makes a pretty
decent GS set. Capture Expert is a really useful skill for hunting materials
too.

============================================
- Barroth+ Armor -

  Skills: Attack Up (S), Marathon Runner, Adrenaline +2, Critical Eye -1

  Charms/Gemming: If you're brave enough to tackle a Deviljho or two, you
                  can gem in Attack Up Large without a charm. Otherwise
                  work around whatever charm you've got. Might want to take
                  out that negative too.

If you're looking at this set you've probably been using Barroth up to this
point. This is a pretty great upgrade from Barroth, since it can get AUL.

============================================
- Dober Armor -

  Skills: Dragon Res +15, Marathon Runner, Critical Draw

  Charms/Gemming: Try gemming Sharpness+1 if you've got a good enough charm.
                  Otherwise, you can gem in Focus easily enough.

Another GS set. This one functions slightly better than Great Baggi+ I think.
It also has ridiculously high dragon resistance.

============================================
- Barioth+ Armor -

  Skills: Evasion Up, Evasion +2, Cold Cancel (Lo), Heat Surge (Lo)

  Charms/Gemming: Try to get a decent Guard charm and gem in Guard+2.

A nice evade set. Works very well with lance, but can be used with other
weapons too. Not great for damage output, though.

============================================
- Diablos+ Armor -

  Skills: Critical Draw, Tremor-Proof, Element Atk Down

  Charms/Gemming: Work around your choice of waist/legs. I suggest Handicraft
                  or Focus.

Arguably the best full set for GS in the game. It gives the beloved Crit Draw
skill with only three pieces. This makes it great no matter what your style of
GS play is (unless you just swing the weapon around mindlessly).

============================================
- Agnaktor+ Armor -

  Skills: Guard +2, Flaming Aura, Razor Sharp, Short Sprinter

  Charms/Gemming: You can gem in Evade or Guard Boost with right right charms.
                  Guard Boost is a little tricky, but you should be able to
                  manage it if you gem in a Marathon Jewel.

This is almost suspciously good for a lance. It's like this set was designed
for the sole purpose of making the game as easy as possible for anyone using
a lance. If you happen to be using a lance, this is pretty much a no-brainer.
Much like Barioth, this only makes it easier to play with Lance, and isn't
optimal for damage output.

============================================
- Vangis (Deviljho Armor) -

  Skills: Autotracker, Attack Up (M), Sharpness +1, Raise Hunger

  Charms/Gemming: If you have a charm with +7 Evasion and two slots, you can
                  gem this for AUL, and Evade+1, and even take out the
                  negative skill with only one slot needed on the weapon.'

This set is the king of all-purpose sets. If what you want to do is damage,
this set delivers. It doesn't matter what weapon you're using, this set can
be of use to you. You may have read the "Generic Attacker" set from earlier;
using an Evade+7 two-slotted charm, this set becomes that set, but with
Autotracker instead of Detect (and fewer jewels). If you don't really care
about switching armor sets depending on the situation, then this is THE
endgame set for you.
--------------------------------------------
4b. Gunners                           (4BLD)
--------------------------------------------
This is just a placeholder. I have not gunned enough to write accurately about
gunner sets. Try checking out Vampirecosmonaut's bowgun guide for some 
useful bowgun sets.

--------------------------------------------
5. Do it Yourself!                    (5DIY)
--------------------------------------------
This section explains how to make your own armor combos using some simple
math to establish what is or isn't possible, and what is needed to make it.
While it remains a very simple method, if number crunching just isn't your
thing, feel free to skip this.

First you begin by taking the skills you want to put together and add together
the total number of points needed to get those skills:

Sharpness+1, Guard+2, Guard Boost
15 + 15 + 10 = 40

You then subtract the number of points that weapon and charm can account for.
In this case, we only want one weapon slot, and we'd like to avoid a
multi-skill charm. The best charms in the case are (Guard+7 - OO) and
(Guard Up+7 - OO); those both account for 10 points. Remember that slots
effect some skills differently from others when accounting for charms.

So with the charm and weapon we get:

40 - 11 = 29

Now what you have to do is divide this number by the number of armor pieces
(which will be 5 unless you're doing something special) to find out how many
points per piece are needed:

29 / 5 = 5.8 or 5R4 (remainder 4)

The integer portion of the number (the part before the decimal) is how many
points per piece are required, and the remainder is the number of pieces
which must be one point higher in order to reach the right average. In this
case, that means 4 pieces with 6 points, and one with 5. Note that this is a
minimum, and that more efficient pieces are allowed and encouraged.

Briefly, I'll talk about how to look at these numbers. 5-6 points per piece
or below is usually simple to obtain, 7-8 points can be very difficult if
there are no armors which share the skills you need, and almost anything
requiring even a single piece with 9 points or more is impossible. This is
only a rule of thumb, always use your discretion when trying to figure out
if an armor set can be made.

Moving on, look for a combination of pieces, which most efficiently meets this
goal. And remember that slots can account for skill points as well. In this
example I've figured out the following pieces of armor to meet the
requirements:

Agnaktor+ | +5 Guard              - 0 Slots (5 Points)
Ceadeus+  | +5 Handicraft         - 0 Slots (5 Points)
Agnaktor+ | +2 Guard              - 3 Slots (6 Points)
Agnaktor  | +2 Guard, +2 Guard Up - 2 Slots (7 Points)
Vangis    | +2 Handicraft         - 3 Slots (6 Points)
Total Points (including slots): 29

Remember to look ahead as you choose pieces. Too many points in one skill can
become redundant, wasting points and making a piece worth less than you
expected.

All that's left is to figure out gemming. I specifically picked pieces with
Architect Jewels in mind. They take three slots, so I automatically included
them while picking armor. This is a good way to ensure that your tricky
"A" skills aren't left trailing due to their rather finicky decorations. I
have also decided that I'll be using a (+7 Guard Up - OO) talisman.

First, you total up all your skill points before gems:

+9 Guard Up, +9 Guard, +7 Handicraft

We need 8 more Handicraft, 6 more Guard, and 1 more Guard Up. We have 11 slots
distributed as follows:

Charm: OO
Weapon: O
Head: -
Chest: -
Arms: OOO
Waist: OO
Legs: OOO

Since we only need one more point of Guard Up, we can put a Shield Jewel in
the errant weapon slot. Architect Jewels are the most efficient handicraft
jewel, and take 3 slots each, so they go in the arms and legs. Then two Iron
Wall Jewels can finish off the charm and waist.

That's it! All the the skill points are at the right totals, and this armor
set will work. I hope that you've found this helpful. Good luck and have fun
coming up with new armor sets to play around with.

--------------------------------------------
6. Credits                            (6CRD)
--------------------------------------------
XeroShinobi - For help, ideas, and overall support while I wrote the guide.

The Monster Hunter Wiki - An amazing resource for all things MH related:
                          http://monsterhunter.wikia.com

All contributers to the MHWiki Armor Combinations section.

TheGigginox - For giving me a big list of sets to use, in particular the
              hammer set that only needs +7 evasion on the charm and
              low rank sets.

Karsticles - For revealing his devil magic to me, which I now use to create
             new armor sets. The "Do it Yourself!" section can almost
             entirely be credited to him. He came up with the method, I
             just wrote it down.

Maverick - Contributions

TheMagician42 - Contributions

Vampirecosmonaut - For writing a guide on bowguns that allowed me to include
                   some general use bowgun sets without feeling like an idiot.

Capcom - For making the game

GameFAQs - For being around to upload the guide to

The GameFAQs Monster Hunter Boards - For keeping me entertained while I wrote
                                     the guide.


IT'S OVER!