Weapons and Armor and Monster Stats

[Knusperwichtel]

Is it just me or are many armors and weapons useless before you can even craft them because of the stats?

Also is it possible to compare the stats of two monsties with each other from the same species to see which is better?

[Ignitedstar]

1) Kind of? When you get to High Rank, you will be able to upgrade your Low Rank armor into High Rank armor if you have the materials and you upgrade them enough. I actually don't quite remember, it's been a long time since I've bothered with gear. lol

2) Yes, absolutely.
- In Game: Field Guides > Monstipedia > Use L2/R2 on each Monstie and you can see their stat growths. More squares filled means more stats on level up.
If you want exact stats: https://mhst.kiranico.com/mhs2/data/monsties