Grading System
The Grading System lets you upgrade both normal equipment and shadow gear from grade [X] up to [A], boosting refine bonuses without risking destruction of your items.
Normal Gear Grading
Uses Ymir's Hammers and Soul Upgrade Gems to push armor, accessories, and weapons up through the ranks. Failure never breaks the item—only consumes gems.
Shadow Gear Grading
Trades in duplicate shadow pieces plus Azurite / Blessed Aether Dust to increase grade. Failures consume catalysts and dust, but never the main equipped piece.
Normal Gear Grading
Grading for normal gear is handled with Ymir's Hammers and Soul Upgrade Gems. There are three hammer grades and each attempt can raise your item from one grade to the next.
Requirements
- Items: Equipment to be graded must be in your inventory.
- Hammers: Low / Medium / High Grade Ymir's Hammer.
- Soul Upgrade Gems: Armor, Accessory, or Weapon variants depending on item type.
Failing a grading attempt only consumes Soul Upgrade Gems. Your equipment is never destroyed.
Low Grade Ymir's Hammer (46090)
| Grade Transition | Success Rate |
|---|---|
| [X] → [D] | 40% |
| [D] → [C] | 30% |
| [C] → [B] | 10% |
| [B] → [A] | 5% |
Requirements per attempt: 5x Soul Upgrade Gem (Armor) [46094], 10x Soul Upgrade Gem (Accessory) [46095], 20x Soul Upgrade Gem (Weapon) [46096].
Medium Grade Ymir's Hammer (46091)
| Grade Transition | Success Rate |
|---|---|
| [X] → [D] | 10% |
| [D] → [C] | 40% |
| [C] → [B] | 25% |
| [B] → [A] | 5% |
Requirements per attempt: 8x Soul Upgrade Gem (Armor) [46094], 15x Soul Upgrade Gem (Accessory) [46095], 30x Soul Upgrade Gem (Weapon) [46096].
High Grade Ymir's Hammer (46092)
| Grade Transition | Success Rate |
|---|---|
| [X] → [D] | 10% |
| [D] → [C] | 10% |
| [C] → [B] | 35% |
| [B] → [A] | 20% |
Requirements per attempt: 12x Soul Upgrade Gem (Armor) [46094], 23x Soul Upgrade Gem (Accessory) [46095], 40x Soul Upgrade Gem (Weapon) [46096].
Grading Bonuses (Normal Gear)
| Item Type | Grade | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 Weapons | [A] | +50% Weapon Refine ATK/MATK |
| [B] | +35% Weapon Refine ATK/MATK | |
| [C] | +25% Weapon Refine ATK/MATK | |
| [D] | +15% Weapon Refine ATK/MATK | |
| Armors | [A] | +20% Refine DEF |
| [B] | +15% Refine DEF | |
| [C] | +10% Refine DEF | |
| [D] | +5% Refine DEF |
These bonuses are applied on top of any existing effects or enchants the item already has.
Shadow Gear Grading
Shadow gear uses a separate grading flow focused on consuming duplicates of the same shadow piece plus special dust currencies.
Requirements
- Azurite Aether Dust (46127) or Blessed Aether Dust (46128).
- A second copy of the same shadow gear at the same grade to act as a catalyst.
- Target gear and catalysts must be in your inventory.
Failing will not destroy the target shadow gear, only the catalysts and dust. Blessed Aether Dust has a 40% chance to preserve catalysts on failure.
Catalyst Requirements by Grade
| Grade Transition | Required Catalysts |
|---|---|
| [X] → [D] | 1x Ungraded |
| [D] → [C] | 2x [D] |
| [C] → [B] | 2x [C] |
| [B] → [A] | 2x [B] |
Where to Obtain
| Content | Notes |
|---|---|
| Monster Hunter One | Source of Ymir's Hammers and Soul Upgrade Gems. |
| Monster Hunter Savage Coast | Additional source of high-end grading materials. |
For more details on Monster Hunter content and rewards, see systems/monster-hunter.