Visages are an important part of character progression in Monster Hunter Outlanders. They provide additional stats, powerful set bonuses, and special effects that can make a noticeable difference during difficult hunts. However, getting the best results from them takes more than simply equipping the highest-rarity pieces you find.
You need to understand how Visage Sets work, which effects should be placed in the Core slot, how to unlock additional substats, and when it is actually worth spending your upgrade materials. If you start investing in every Visage you collect, you can quickly run out of resources before finding the pieces you really want.
In this guide, I’ll explain how Visages work, where to get them, how to upgrade them, and which stats you should prioritize. We’ll also cover the Visage Album, including how to level it up and why reaching Level 14 is such an important milestone.
Monster Hunter Outlanders Visage Guide – How to Upgrade
Visages are equipment items that you can equip on your Adventurers to improve their combat performance. They provide additional stats and can activate powerful bonuses depending on the Visage Set you use.
Think of them as another layer of character progression. Your weapon and armor provide your main equipment setup, while Visages let you customize an Adventurer further based on their element, abilities, and combat role.
There are several things you need to understand before farming them.
Visages Have a Cost Limit
Every Visage has a Cost value. Each Adventurer has a maximum Visage Cost limit of 12, meaning you cannot equip pieces with a combined Cost higher than 12.
This limit is important because you cannot simply equip every powerful Visage you own. You need to choose pieces that provide the most useful combination of set bonuses, Core Effects, and stats while staying within the available Cost.
As you collect more Visages, try to build around the bonuses that benefit your Adventurer instead of choosing pieces randomly.
Visage Sets Provide Bonuses
Visages belong to different sets, and equipping multiple pieces from the same set activates additional effects.
There are two important milestones:
- 2-piece bonus: Activates the first Set Effect.
- 4-piece bonus: Activates an additional Set Effect.
You can already get useful benefits from equipping two pieces of a set, which makes this a good starting point while progressing through the game.
However, your eventual goal should be to complete a four-piece set that matches the Adventurer you are building. This gives you access to the full set bonuses and makes your equipment setup more specialized.
Core Effects Only Work in the Core Slot
One important detail that you should not overlook is the Core slot.
Every Visage can have Core Effects, but these effects only activate when you equip that Visage in the designated Core slot. Simply owning or equipping the Visage in another slot will not activate its Core Effects.
Core Effects are fixed for each monster’s Visage. This means you cannot freely change the Core Effect itself by upgrading or resketching it.
Because different Adventurers benefit from different effects, you should pay attention to which Visage you place in the Core slot. Even if two Adventurers use the same Visage Set, they might need different Core Effects depending on how you play them.
Main Stats and Substats
Every Visage provides additional stats through its main stat and substats.
Main Stats
- Main stats are already assigned when you obtain a Visage.
- They increase as you level up the Visage.
- Different Visages can provide different main stat bonuses.
Substats
- Substat slots unlock as you level up certain Visages.
- You can use a Brush to resketch an unlocked slot.
- Resketching gives you a random additional effect.
- You can replace an existing substat by resketching that slot again.
The important thing is that both main stats and substats contribute to your Adventurer’s overall bonuses. A Visage with the right set and main stat is a good starting point, but its substats can make it much more valuable.
How to Get Visages
The main way to obtain Visages is by hunting monsters in the field. However, not every monster provides them, so you should check the map before spending time on a hunt.
Hunt Monsters That Drop Visages
Some monsters have a special Visage mark displayed near the top-right corner of their map icon. This indicates that the monster can drop Visages.
Before starting a hunt, check the monster’s reward information to confirm whether it provides Visages.
The rarity of the Visages you obtain depends on your progression, particularly your Visage Album level and ecology level.
As you increase both, you improve your chances of obtaining higher-rarity Visages and unlock access to more rewarding hunting activities.
Complete Free Hunt for First-Clear Rewards
Free Hunt is another useful source of Visages.
You receive a guaranteed Visage when you defeat each monster for the first time in Free Hunt. These rewards have a fixed rarity and are only available once per monster, so they are not a reliable source for repeatedly farming the same Visage.
Even so, I recommend clearing these stages because they provide useful early progression rewards and help increase your Visage Album level.
Complete Daily Ecological Surveys
Do not ignore your daily ecological surveys.
These activities can reward you with Visage Selection Boxes, which are particularly useful when you are missing specific Visages. Some survey rewards also include Brushes, which you will need later when optimizing substats.
Since the number of survey attempts is limited each day, make them part of your regular routine.
Use Visage Selection Boxes
Visage Selection Boxes allow you to choose a Visage from the available options of the box’s rarity.
They are useful when you need a particular Visage but do not want to depend entirely on random monster drops.
Some boxes also provide three additional low-Cost Visages of the same rarity alongside your selected piece.
You can obtain these boxes through ecological survey rewards, shops, and other progression rewards.
My recommendation: Save your selection boxes for Visages that help complete an important set or improve an Adventurer’s Core slot. Avoid choosing pieces without considering your current build.
How to Upgrade Visages
Once you have collected Visages, you can level them up to increase their main stats and unlock additional substat slots.
However, upgrading every Visage you obtain is not a good idea. The materials required for upgrades are limited, so you should save most of your resources for higher-rarity equipment.
Where to Get Visage Upgrade Materials
The main material used to level up Visages is Pigment.
You can obtain Pigment through the Hunt Request for Pigments. Each attempt consumes Energy, and higher difficulty levels become available as you increase your ecology level.
Higher difficulties provide more Pigment, making them a better option once you have unlocked them.
If you are planning to optimize several Visages, increasing your ecology level should be one of your priorities. It helps you access better farming opportunities and makes collecting upgrade materials more efficient.
Visage Level Caps by Rarity
Different Visage rarities have different maximum levels and substat slot limits.
| Rarity | Appearance | Maximum Level | Substat Slots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | Blue | 5 | 0 |
| Epic | Purple | 15 | 3 |
| Superior | Gold | 25 | 5 |
The biggest difference is that Superior Visages can reach Level 25 and unlock up to five substat slots.
Rare Visages do not provide substat slots, while Epic Visages have fewer upgrade levels and slots than Superior ones.
This is why I recommend saving your serious upgrade investment for Superior Visages rather than spending all your Pigment on equipment that you will eventually replace.
How to Unlock Substat Slots
Epic and Superior Visages unlock additional substat slots as they level up.
You unlock one additional slot every five levels.
For example, a Superior Visage can unlock its five slots as it progresses toward Level 25. Once a slot becomes available, you can use a Brush to add a random substat.
These additional effects are important because they let you customize your Visages around the stats your Adventurer actually needs.
How to Resketch Substats
Resketching is the process of using a Brush to add or replace a Visage substat.
When you resketch an unlocked slot, the game gives you a random effect. You cannot directly select the exact stat you want, so getting a perfect Visage may take several attempts.
There is also a Brush rarity requirement. For example, a Superior Visage requires a Superior Brush.
You can resketch a slot even if it already has an effect, allowing you to replace an unwanted substat with another random result.
Be careful with this system because repeatedly replacing effects can consume a lot of resources.
When Should You Start Farming Superior Visages?
This is one of the most important decisions when building your characters.
I would avoid spending too many resources on Rare and Epic Visages early in the game. They are useful for temporary progression, but you will eventually want to replace them with Superior Visages.
Superior Visages become available when you reach:
- Adventurer Rank 34
- Visage Album Level 14
These are the important progression requirements to keep in mind before starting serious endgame farming.
Why Visage Album Level 14 Matters
Reaching Visage Album Level 14 unlocks Superior Visages, but the drop rate is still relatively low at that point.
At Album Level 14, the chance of obtaining a Superior Visage is only 5%.
This means you should not expect to get perfect equipment immediately after unlocking the rarity. You will still need to hunt regularly and improve your Album level to make farming more worthwhile.
Increase Your Ecology Level
Your ecology level also plays an important role in Visage farming.
Higher-star monsters provide better opportunities to obtain higher-rarity Visages. Increasing your ecology level also unlocks harder Hunt Request difficulties, which provide more Pigment.
This creates a useful progression loop:
- Increase your ecology level.
- Unlock stronger monster hunts and higher Hunt Request difficulties.
- Farm Visages from eligible monsters.
- Collect more Pigment for upgrades.
- Improve your Visage Album level to increase access to higher rarities.
Keep Early Upgrades to a Minimum
If you are struggling with early hunts, upgrading a few lower-rarity Visages can help.
However, do not spend all your materials trying to perfect Rare or Epic pieces. You can get through much of the early game by activating useful two-piece set bonuses and improving your weapons and armor.
Once you reach the requirements for Superior Visages, you can start investing in equipment that is worth keeping for longer.
How to Choose the Best Visages
Getting a high-rarity Visage is only the first step. You also need to choose the right set bonuses, Core Effects, main stats, and substats for your Adventurer.
I recommend focusing on the following priorities.
1. Set Effects
Priority: 5/5
Set Effects should be your first priority because they can provide powerful bonuses when you equip multiple Visages from the same set.
Try to identify which four-piece set works best for your Adventurer and build toward completing it.
The ideal set can depend on how you use the character. An Adventurer that you control directly may need different bonuses from one you mainly bring into battle for their Ultimate.
Do not assume that every character should use the same set just because it is popular.
2. Main Stats
Priority: 4/5
Main stats are important because they contribute to your overall character bonuses and improve as you level up the Visage.
When choosing between two pieces, compare their main stats and consider which one provides more value for your Adventurer.
The best choice depends on the character’s abilities, Insights, element, and combat role.
3. Core Effects
Priority: 3/5
Core Effects are another important part of your build, but they are relatively straightforward to obtain because they are fixed for each monster’s Visage.
You do not need to repeatedly resketch them to get a different Core Effect.
Instead, focus on finding the correct monster Visage and placing it in the Core slot of the Adventurer who benefits from it.
Recommended Farming Priority
| Visage Feature | Priority | Farming Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Set Effects | 5/5 | 3/5 |
| Main Stats | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Core Effects | 3/5 | 1/5 |
Overall, I would start by completing the correct set, then look for useful main stats and Core Effects. Once you have a good foundation, you can spend more time optimizing substats.
Best Substats to Look for When Resketching
Substats are where you can spend a lot of time trying to improve an otherwise good Visage.
Since resketching produces random effects, you should have a clear idea of what you want before using your Brushes.
Here are some of the stats worth prioritizing.
Elemental Damage Bonus
Elemental Damage Bonus is one of the most useful offensive stats to look for.
Try to match the bonus to your Adventurer’s element.
For example:
- Fire Damage Bonus for Fire Adventurers.
- Thunder Damage Bonus for Thunder Adventurers.
- Dragon Damage Bonus for Dragon Adventurers.
- Ice Damage Bonus for Ice Adventurers.
- Water Damage Bonus for Water Adventurers.
Using an elemental bonus that matches your character is generally a better choice than selecting an unrelated elemental stat.
Affinity
Affinity is another useful stat to consider when building damage-focused Adventurers.
If you are trying to improve your offensive output, look for opportunities to increase Affinity through your Visage substats.
Ultimate Charge Rate
Ultimate Charge Rate is particularly useful for support-oriented Adventurers.
If you regularly bring a character into your team because of their Ultimate, improving how quickly they can charge it can make their support role more consistent.
Prioritize Stats That Activate Passive Skills
You should also consider the passive abilities of the Adventurer you are building.
Some characters benefit more from particular stats because those stats support their abilities or combat mechanics.
Instead of blindly chasing the same substats on every character, check the Adventurer’s skills and Insights first.
The best Visage is not necessarily the one with the highest number of offensive stats. It is the one that works with the character’s complete kit.
How to Save Brushes and Upgrade Materials
Resketching can become expensive if you repeatedly upgrade and reroll Visages without a plan.
One useful approach is to test your Visage before committing to its maximum level.
I recommend the following process:
- Find a Visage with the set and main stat you want.
- Level it up to Level 15.
- Unlock and resketch the available substat slots.
- Check whether the results are useful for your Adventurer.
- If the substats are poor, move on and continue farming.
- Only invest further when you find a piece worth keeping.
This approach helps you avoid spending all your Pigment and Brushes on a Visage that may not be suitable for your final build.
Remember that the goal is to find equipment with the right combination of set bonuses, main stats, Core Effects, and substats. Do not keep investing in a piece simply because you have already spent materials on it.
Where to Get Brushes
Brushes are required to resketch Visage substats, so you should collect them whenever possible.
There are several sources worth checking.
| Source | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Survey Quests | Guaranteed Brush rewards alongside Visage Selection Boxes |
| Field Hunts | Can provide Brushes when the relevant monster is available |
| Marathon Hunt | Guaranteed Brush rewards from the daily reward chest |
| Season Rewards | Earn Brushes through daily progression |
| Shop | Provides additional Brushes with a purchase limit |
Survey Quests
Survey Quests are one of the most reliable ways to obtain Brushes because they provide guaranteed rewards.
You can also receive Visage Selection Boxes, making these activities especially valuable when you are trying to complete a set.
The main limitation is that the number of available quests per day is restricted.
Field Hunts
Field Hunts are useful because you can farm Visages and potentially obtain Brushes at the same time.
The available rewards depend on the monster and your progression, including your ecology level.
Whenever a monster that drops Visages appears, check its rewards before deciding whether to hunt it.
Marathon Hunt
Marathon Hunt is another source of Brushes, with a guaranteed reward from its daily chest.
Make sure you collect this reward regularly rather than leaving it unused.
Season Rewards and Shop
You can also obtain Brushes through season progression and the shop.
The shop has a purchase limit, so it should be treated as an additional source rather than your main farming method.
My recommendation: Complete your daily surveys and Marathon Hunt first. Then use field hunts to collect Visages and additional materials while working toward your desired build.
Visages are one of the most important systems to understand when preparing your Adventurers for difficult hunts in Monster Hunter Outlanders. They provide additional stats and set bonuses, but getting the right combination requires patience and careful resource management.
My biggest recommendation is to avoid spending too many materials on low-rarity Visages. Focus on raising your Visage Album to Level 14, reach Adventurer Rank 34, and then start farming Superior Visages for your main characters.
Once you have the right four-piece set, Core Effect, and main stats, you can begin optimizing your substats with Brushes. This is where you will get the most value from your Visage investment and build stronger Adventurers for endgame content.