Monster Hunter Wilds launched just yesterday, and over a million players are already out there hunting. Which means now is the perfect time to sharpen your skills! It does not matter if you are a newbie or rusty veteran: We have compiled a few amazing beginner tips that will have you tackle the wilds like a pro in no time. So let’s get right into it!
Visit The Training Room
First things first: practice is your friend. Visit the training room through the map menu (hit Y on the world map) to get comfy with your weapon’s moves. If you want the full rundown you can also peek at the play guide under “Play Guide” → “Weapon Controls” for all the combo details. Getting those attacks down right is the best way to survive early hunts.
Make Use of Sneak Attacks
Sneak up behind a monster while it has not seen you yet, and tap F on PC, B on Xbox, and Circle on PS5 to perform a sneaky surprise attack for a good amount of free damage right off the bat. Later on, you can also wear Ghillie Mantle for some more sneaky ninja vibes and a clean first hit. In any case, using sneak attacks is a small trick that pays off big!
Always Use Focus Mode
The new Focus Mode (introduced with Monster Hunter Wilds) is your secret power. Use it as much as possible, or rather as much as you want, to land precise hits and target wounds. Breaking those wounded spots will cause extra damage and drop bonus loot, making farming much more enjoyable and less of a nuisance.
Keep Your Weapon Sharp
It is important that you keep your weapon sharp, because dull blades impact your damage, make attacks bounce, and drag out hunts, while high sharpness improves your hits and staggers monsters for faster, easier fights. Check the colored sharpness meter under your weapon icon; when it dips to yellow or red, use a Whetstone to sharpen during safe moments, like when the monster is stunned, trapped, or limping. Ideally, sharpen before using a big combo.
Take a Second Weapon
Do not forget: you can carry two weapons into every hunt: One on you and one on your Seikret. Need to switch things up mid-fight? You can swap whenever you want. If a monster is too fast for your heavy axe, grab something quick like dual blades or a bow and keep it on your Seikret so you can switch weapons as you fight, whenever you want. Check out the controls for swapping weapons, as they vary depending on the device you play on.
Pack the Right Items
Hunting without the right gear is hard, so make sure to equip yourself accordingly. Here is what you will want in your pouch at all times:
- Shock Trap and Pitfall Trap (watch out, because some monsters shrug these off).
- Mega Potions, Potions, Herbs, and Honey for healing.
- Rations to keep your stamina topped up.
- Mix in extras like Null Berries for blights, Antidote for poison, Tranq Bombs for captures, and Flash Pods to knock flyers out of the sky.
Keep Your Item Pouch Clear
Here is a quick one: clear out your item pouch at base whenever you go to grab a meal. Nothing is worse than a “pouch full” warning mid-hunt. This might seem like a tiny detail, but making it a habit can save you major headaches.
Mount Monsters for Big Damage
Mounting monsters is pure chaos, and I mean that in the best way. Launch yourself with aerial attacks (Sword & Shield or Insect Glaive are very good at it) to hop on. Once you are ‘riding’ the monster, use strong attacks to carve out wounds, then knock it down with a finishing blow for good damage! After that, aim for those wounds with Focus Mode for bonus damage and better loot.
Unlock Talismans for Boosts
Talismans are little power-ups that can change your stats, e.g. with improved defense or elemental resistance. Unlock them by playing through the main story to Oilwell Basin! After a certain point in the campaign, you will then unlock the ability to craft them at the Smithy with Gemma. They are very valuable if you want to make your hunter even more powerful.
Make Sure to Eat Enough!
Lastly, don’t even think about hunting on an empty stomach! Meals before a hunt can grant various different, beneficial buffs. In low ranks, go for meat dishes to increase your attack, as offense wins fights. Need more? Grab Droolshrooms and add them to your meal to cut stamina drain or Wild Herb to help with elemental hits. Easy buffs, big impact!
That’s it for now! Monster Hunter Wilds is just getting started, and there is plenty more to learn along the way. Hopefully, these tips help you get through your first hunts a little easier! Got any other beginner-friendly tricks? Let us know on X/Twitter!