Capcom has officially reintroduced Tempered Monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds! This time, however, the changes also bring new mechanics, tougher fights, and better rewards. The tempered, battle-hardened monsters now come with Battle Scars: blue-glowing weak points that seemingly change mid-fight. Breaking them opens up new attack opportunities and drops exclusive materials for weapon crafting.
And that’s not all; Monster Hunter Wilds is also making changes to the endgame experience with investigation quests, a revamped weapon crafting system, and a new arena for high-level battles. If you thought previous endgames were tough, this one is looking even more intense.
What Are Tempered Monsters?
Tempered monsters are tougher, more powerful versions of their regular counterparts. Having survived countless battles, they hit harder, have more stamina, and now bear large war wounds called Battle Scars. These scars appear across their bodies, and attacking them gradually breaks them open, creating new weak points.
What Are Battle Scars?
Tempered Monsters will now have Battle Scars, glowing blue wounds that can be targeted in Focus Mode. Destroying these scars does not just open up new weak points; it drops rare crafting materials! The live stream was in Japanese, so names are still rather speculative. But the dropped materials could be items such as:
- Small Dragon’s Blood Stone – A mysterious ore with unknown properties.
- Tempered Scar Fragments – Special drops that hint at a deeper link between these monsters and the game’s lore.
These mechanics bring a whole new layer of strategy to combat. Instead of just surviving against an enraged monster, you will need to break specific scars to gain the upper hand.
Artian Armor and a New Weapon Crafting System
The Artian Armor, known for its high-tech, ancient design, is making a comeback! In past games, this set was tied to mysterious civilizations, and now it seems Monster Hunter Wilds is expanding on its lore.
From the livestream, we learned that hunters who slay tempered monsters will be rewarded with Artian Parts, which can be taken to the smithy to craft Artian Weapons. To forge a weapon, you will need three Artian Parts of the same rarity, though lower-rarity parts can apparently be repurposed at the alchemy facility. The required materials also seem to vary by weapon type, and once crafted, Artian Weapons can be upgraded using special materials to improve their performance even further. In short, unlike traditional weapon trees, the crafting process for Artian Weapons follows a completely different system.
Even more exciting, Artian Weapons could be bringing back a multi-weapon system, similar to Safi’jiva and Kulve Taroth gear from past games. This would mean customizable stats and properties based on the materials used. However, for now, this is just speculation making its way through the Monster Hunter community.
The Frenzy Returns
As if Tempered Monsters were not enough, Frenzied Monsters are also back! These are creatures that are infected with the Frenzy Virus, making them even more aggressive and unpredictable. If Monster Hunter Wilds follows the previous games’ mechanics, Frenzied Monsters could bring:
- Faster attack patterns and erratic movements.
- The potential return of Apex Frenzied Monsters, which were absolute nightmares to fight.
A New Arena!
Another exciting reveal from the livestream was a completely new battle arena, Ruins of the Dragon Valley. This area looks like it is built for high-level fights, possibly against some of the toughest monsters in the game. The layout features strategic spots for trap placement and even a lever-activated wall that rises from the ground; something that could play a big role in certain battles.
This Changes Endgame Hunts
With the Battle Scarring System, Frenzied Monsters, and a revamped weapon crafting system, Monster Hunter Wilds is already looking to have one of the most in-depth endgames in the series. I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to start the hunt in less than a week!