Monster Hunter Rise: How to Change Palamute Equipment

Monster Hunter Rise introduces the canine Palamute to the game, and it can wear different pieces of equipment much like the Palico. Unless you’re a seasoned veteran the game doesn’t go out of its way to teach you how to change your Palamute’s equipment till a bit later on, and even then it’s an easy to overlook tutorial. Thankfully, the process is simple, assuming you’ve forged some equipment for your new buddy.

Change your Palamute’s equipment at the Buddy Board in Monster Hunter Rise.

The Buddy Board is your go to interface for all things involving both your Palamute and Palico. There is one co-located alongside the Item Boxes in both Kamura Village (near the Village quest maiden), and the Gathering Hub (towards the back, near the quest counter).

Interact with the Buddy Board and select “Manage Equipment”, then “Change Equipment”. From here you’ll be asked to pick between Palicoes and Palamutes, though you can use L and R to tab between the two after you make your selection.

From here you will be able to pick the specific Palamute you want to change the equipment on. You will see their currently equipped items both next to their name, and in the “Buddy Info” panel on the right. Select the appropriate Palamute to bring up the interface used to change their equipment.

Each Palamute has three slots for equipment: weapon, head, and body. You can also select the Equipment Box to view all the Palamute equipment you have crafted. The panel on the far-right will display the stats for the piece of equipment you have highlighted, and you can click in the left stick to compare items against your Palamute’s currently equipped gear.

Once you have the right equipment for your Palamute slotted simply back out of the menu: there a separate tab within the “Manage Equipment” submenu for saving Loadouts (“Equipment Loadouts”). Whenever you forge new equipment for your Palamute be sure to visit the Buddy Board to equip it on your bestest friend.

Update: I failed to mention Palamute Gear, which is a standalone option on the Buddy Board that lets you change the two pieces of gear your canine companion can bring into battle. Select this to change up the active abilities your Palamute will use in combat, such as a healing scroll or defensive “umbrella” shield. These don’t affect your Palamute’s stats like equipment does, but they do alter how your doggo will support you. Apologies for the omission.

Monster Hunter Rise is available now on the Nintendo Switch.