Mantles are specialized pieces of equipment that grant temporary, powerful effects during hunts in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Beyond the initial set available in the base game, Iceborne introduces new Mantles and provides ways to upgrade existing ones, significantly enhancing your combat capabilities and strategic options. the new Iceborne Mantles and how to upgrade them.
New Iceborne Mantles
Iceborne introduces several new Mantles that offer unique advantages:
- Challenger Mantle: Increases your attack and defense when monsters are enraged. This is invaluable for aggressive playstyles and for monsters that frequently enter an enraged state.
- Impact Mantle: Enhances your stun capabilities, making it easier to stagger monsters and create openings for attacks. Particularly useful for blunt weapon users.
- Temporal Mantle: Automatically dodges incoming attacks for a short duration. This is a lifesaver against highly aggressive monsters or when you're learning new attack patterns.
- Shield Mantle: Reduces incoming damage significantly and can even block certain attacks. Excellent for survivability, especially when facing powerful new monsters.
- Kinsect Charger: Rapidly charges your Kinsect's stamina, allowing for more frequent Kinsect attacks and essence gathering. Essential for Insect Glaive users.
Upgrading Existing Mantles
Many of the Mantles you acquired in the base game can be upgraded in Iceborne, increasing their duration, reducing their cooldown, or enhancing their effects. These upgrades are typically unlocked by completing specific Guiding Land quests or by gathering materials from new monsters.
- Vitality Mantle Upgrade: Increases the amount of health restored.
- Temporal Mantle Upgrade: Extends the duration of automatic dodges.
- Impact Mantle Upgrade: Increases the stun buildup.
- Shield Mantle Upgrade: Enhances its blocking capabilities and reduces stamina drain.
- Evasion Mantle Upgrade: Increases the window for successful dodges.
The process for upgrading Mantles often involves specific monster parts from the Guiding Lands, such as specific monster materials or rare endemic life. Keep an eye on your available Guiding Lands quests and target the monsters that drop the materials you need.
Acquiring and Equipping Mantles
New Mantles are typically unlocked through Master Rank quests, special assments, or by fulfilling certain conditions in the Guiding Lands. Once acquired, you can equip them at your item box. Each hunter can equip two Mantles at a time, allowing for strategic combinations.
Consider pairing Mantles for synergistic effects. For example, the Temporal Mantle combined with the Challenger Mantle can allow you to attack aggressively during enraged phases with a reduced risk of taking damage.
Strategic Mantle Usage
The effectiveness of Mantles hinges on their timely deployment. Learn the cooldowns and durations of each Mantle and integrate their use into your combat rotation. For instance, activating the Impact Mantle just before a monster is about to perform a powerful attack can lead to a stagger, creating a significant opening.
| New Iceborne Mantle | Primary Effect | Upgrade Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Challenger Mantle | ATK/DEF boost when monster enraged | Increased duration/effectiveness |
| Temporal Mantle | Automatic dodges | Extended dodge duration |
| Shield Mantle | Damage reduction/block | Enhanced blocking |
| Impact Mantle | Enhanced stun capabilities | Increased stun buildup |
Experiment with different Mantle combinations and upgrade paths to find the loadout that best suits your playstyle and the challenges you face in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.