Noob Question: Should I avoid the 'Defenders' Equipment?

[Noot Noot Time to Scoot]

So I recently returned to this game again, and noticed that there was new armour that was very easy to make and was vastly superior to anything else. I main the lance and the defenders lances seem better than the rest in every single way. Apparently they were added to make the game easier for new players? I just got into early High Rank, yet these defenders weapons and armour still seem very good compared to anything else that i can make. Should I avoid this to preserve my experience with the game?

[Nope]

Simple speaking, do you want your ass handed hard in Iceborne? No? Don't use it till you get yourself the armor augmenting
Otherwise use it as you please, it's pointless to decide whether you want to use it or not

[M-stream]

it was meant for players who didnt finish world yet so they can blast through the story its basicly playing on easy mode but the armor isnt fit for the real endgame content there are much better options in the game at this point

[VeeVee麦]

Use it and get a feel for the monsters attacks and the weapon. Get use to their attacks, then you can talk it off. Remember the defender armor set is there to help guide you, so it’s very important you learn how to dodge correctly while using it (if you don’t know how to already), because this armor allows you to make a few mistakes. I see a lot of beginners using the defender armor, trying to plow through everything and end up fainting. As other people mentioned, when Iceborne is released (depending if you’re going to pick it up or not), it will become useless. So if you want to finish the story quickly so you can get ready for iceborne, then go ahead, just keep in mind the things that I said. Good luck.

[Jet Uppercut]

Low rank is worthless and once you get to high rank you'll find that over time, you need the defensive skills it gives less as you play more. So don't worry about it too much.

[DaBa]

If you're new, Defender equipment can mess with how well you learn the game. Not taking any damage from monster attacks will make you feel like it's okay to get hit and you will not learn how to play cautiously and position yourself properly. Defender weapons will kill monsters much faster, which will make every fight much easier than what it actually would be. Also, higher damage will mean the monsters will stagger much more often, giving you more opportunities to attack, which is not how the game actually plays out when you use equipment that is not overtuned. You will feel less need to use consumables because who needs healing or buffs when you are already this strong? You will learn to rely on defensive skills, which you will learn later are a trap. And so on, you get the point.

So, it's possible that if you play the entire game with defender equipment, you won't learn many essential lessons before you make it to the end game, and then you will get slapped in the face hard by the difficulty curve. Especially if you buy the Iceborne expansion later. I actually tested out defender weapons recently, and they make the game so much easier, I can only imagine how big the difficulty spike Master Rank will be for people who handicapped themselves with defender gear. So, keep this in mind. If you feel like you're good enough to learn things as you go, then go ahead.

[Cirom]

I would say avoid using the Defender weapons and especially armour unless you're already experienced with the game - you may end up getting too used to taking hits you're not supposed to be able to take, and then once Iceborne hits (there are no Defender weapons in Iceborne), you'll suddenly be way out of your league.

Plus, it's more fun to make your own sets with the armour skills you want. Especially with Lance: You'll probably want the Guard skill, present on the Radobaan, Uragaan, Barroth and Bazelgeuse sets. This skill helps reduce knockback and stamina use when you block with your shield, allowing you to continue your poke-poke-poke onslaught that much sooner.

[Smug Kot]

Defender armor gives you all the skills to be really tanky and the weapon are even better than end-game ones.

with that amount of power creep that every new player can get with no effort, will mess not only with you learning curve but it will destroy the whole point of monster hunter.

theres will be no reason to farm or to craft, no even do arch-tempered monsters, Behe or kulve ..

[Nero1024]

Avoid it like venom if you want to enjoy every second of the game

[sas647]

Don't use it, you'll ruin the entire low rank equipment progression if you do

[TVMAN]

Originally posted by sas647:

Don't use it, you'll ruin the entire low rank equipment progression if you do

Ah yes, the progression from "upgraded bone armor" to "the first suit of HR armor you can get your hands on".

[sas647]

Not everyone speedruns the game like you do. Lots of people, especially those who started with MHW may run into several walls before making into HR and will farm for different sets.That grind, that would otherwise be pointless with defender stuff, would help said players familiarize themselves with the gameplay and monster movesets. Defender weps/armor are for lazy people who don't get what MH is about, and want to play it like a generic action game

[ElviraDemonQueen]

Originally posted by Scooty Scooty Noot Noot:

So I recently returned to this game again, and noticed that there was new armour that was very easy to make and was vastly superior to anything else. I main the lance and the defenders lances seem better than the rest in every single way. Apparently they were added to make the game easier for new players? I just got into early High Rank, yet these defenders weapons and armour still seem very good compared to anything else that i can make. Should I avoid this to preserve my experience with the game?

i will say just get it and get ready i mean mostly the old monsters will no one bedoing no more so you then be left out alone that just my opinion tough

[TVMAN]

Originally posted by sas647:

Not everyone speedruns the game like you do. Lots of people, especially those who started with MHW may run into several walls before making into HR and will farm for different sets. Defender weps/armor are for lazy people who don't get what MH is about

lol never been accused of speedrunning the game before. Flattered you think I'm that good at the game, but the fact is I took my time with LR, and the only real walls in LR do either fire damage (anja, rathalos) or raw damage (odie, diablos).

Bone armor has fire resist plus good enough def once upgraded to last you all throughout LR. The only odd monster out that is also a wall is legiana, and the bone suit isn't weak to ice so it's still viable then too. There's no real reason to use anything else until you hit high rank, especially since your first real wall in HR (once again, anja), does... fire damage. Just accept that there's no real armor progression in LR and never has been. Bone armor has always been the best choice up until Defender came out.

[sas647]

You seem to have ignored the part where i said (less skilled) people aren't supposed to be tanking stuff through the entire early game and reach HR in five minutes where they will get ♥♥♥♥♥♥ by absolutely everything that isn't a rathian (since they never bothered to learn to dodge), the defender set encourages people to do just that and then ruin Coop quests where they triple cart in instants (that's with HR, imagine when MR comes out and noobs will still be using it). The LR grind is part of the learning process, and the defender stuff hurts the players who were meant to use it precisely because of that. that's just my opinion and honestly i don't care whether you agree or not, i think it goes against the point of playing monster hunter.

[JPM岩]

Originally posted by sas647:

You seem to have ignored the part where i said (less skilled) people aren't supposed to be tanking stuff through the entire early game and reach HR in five minutes where they will get ♥♥♥♥♥♥ by absolutely everything that isn't a rathian (since they never bothered to learn to dodge), the defender set encourages people to do just that and then ruin Coop quests where they triple cart in instants (that's with HR, imagine when MR comes out and noobs will still be using it). The LR grind is part of the learning process, and the defender stuff hurts the players who were meant to use it precisely because of that. that's just my opinion and honestly i don't care whether you agree or not, i think it goes against the point of playing monster hunter.

If noobs are using it in MR, then that's their fault, they still will have to learn how to play the game, regardless of armor