1. The Basics
- Armor pieces, decorations, and talismans grant skill points in specific skill trees.
- At +10 points, a skill activates (sometimes +15 or +20 for stronger versions).
- At -10 points, you activate a negative skill.
✅ Example:
- Attack Tree
- +10 → Attack Up (S) (+10 raw)
- +15 → Attack Up (M) (+15 raw)
- +20 → Attack Up (L) (+20 raw)
- -10 → Attack Down (S) (-5 raw)
2. How to Stack Points
You combine:
- Armor pieces (+ or - points in trees)
- Decorations (crafted gems slotted into armor)
- Charms/Talismans (random drops that give points + slots)
The sum across all gear determines what skills you activate.
3. Skill Levels & Variations
Some trees activate at multiple thresholds:
Artillery
- +10 → Artillery Novice (+10% Cannon/GL dmg)
- +15 → Artillery Expert (+20% + extra effects)
Constitution
- +10 → -25% stamina use (Constitution +1)
- +15 → -50% stamina use (Constitution +2)
4. Combined & Soul Skills
Deviant armor often grants combo skills, sometimes called Souls.
Examples:
- Bloodbath Soul X → Attack Up (L) + Evasion +2 + Composed
- Hellblade Soul X → Sharpness +2 + Shot Booster + Speed Sharpening + Bombardier
5. Negative Skills
Equipping mismatched armor can trigger penalties:
- Attack -10 → Attack Down (S)
- Stamina -10 → Short Sprinter (stamina drains faster)
- Sharpness -10 → Blunt Edge (sharpness drains faster)
6. Decorations & Slots
- Decorations are socketed into armor slots (1–3).
- They let you push a skill over the threshold.
✅ Example:
- Armor gives +9 Weakness Exploit.
- Add Tenderizer Jewel (+1) → total +10 → Weakness Exploit activates.
7. Charms & Melding
- Charms (Talismans) can roll any skill tree + slots.
- Farmed through quests, mining, and melding.
- Often define the flexibility of your final build.
8. Practical Example
Building a Crit Set:
- Esurient XR Chest (+4 Weakness Exploit)
- Silver Sol XR Waist (+8 Crit Boost)
- Charm: +5 Weakness Exploit, 3 slots
- Decorations: Tenderizer Jewels + Crit Jewels
➡ Result:
- Weakness Exploit (+50% affinity on weak points)
- Critical Boost (+40% crit damage instead of 25%)
9. Typical Skill Count
In MHGU, a well-made set usually reaches 5–6 active skills once you account for armor, charms, and decorations.
- Beginner or progression sets may sit at 3–4 skills.
- Optimized late-game and Deviant sets can push into 6 or even 7 active skills with the right talisman.
This flexibility is what makes GU’s set-building both deep and rewarding.
10. Using Athena’s ASS
Set building in MHGU can get complicated fast, especially with charms and decoration slots in the mix.
That’s why most hunters use Athena’s Armor Skill Search (ASS) Download (personal mirror) — a fan-made program that automatically finds armor combinations to hit your desired skills.
- You add your great/god talismans
- You input the skills you want (e.g. Weakness Exploit, Crit Boost, Razor Sharp).
- The tool searches all armor, charms, and slot combos.
- It then gives you sets with decoration layouts.
Without it, theorycrafting can take hours. With it, you can plan a full set in minutes.
11. Key Takeaways
- +10 (sometimes +15/+20) = activation, -10 = penalty.
- Build sets by stacking points across armor, decorations, and charms.
- Deviant/Soul skills merge multiple abilities for powerful endgame options.
- Unlike modern MH games, skills here are all-or-nothing, not level-based.
- Expect 5–6 active skills on a typical endgame build.
⚔️ In short: MHGU’s armor system is about carefully stacking hidden point values until you cross thresholds that unlock powerful skills. Crafting and gemming smartly is the heart of making effective builds.
Check out all armor skills separate into categories. You can see the original list on Kiranico.