Monster Hunter Wildsisa deep game, and while the core gameplay loop is easy to understand, you’ll pick up new tricks dozens of hours later.
The game makes an admirable attempt toimprove the beginner experience.Wildsis themost accessible the series has ever been, but there are plenty of things the tutorials neglect to mention.
If you want to show offMonster Huntertech, here’s a selection of tips, including some you may not even find in the darkest corners of Discord.
I’ve tried to keep this list as spoiler-free as possible, but some monsters, including ones shown on theMonster Huntersocial media feed, are revealed in the screenshots.
10The Seikrets Secret Pouch
Umm… Where Is The Prompt?
We’re kicking the list off with one that may not be a big secret,provided you paid attentionto the prompts at the start of the game.
The Seikret has an item pouch thatperiodically refills during hunts. Better still, it often contains mission-specific items, like Deodorant if you’re fighting a monster that can hit you with a stink debuff.
This tip makes the list becausethe button prompt is oddly absentfrom the Seikret’s controls at the top of the screen. To access the stash, hop on your Seikret andhold left on the D-Pad. You can transfer items from the pouch to your bag if you have space.
9Learn How To Sleep Bombing
It’s An Etiquette Thing
Monster Hunter Wildsshows you plenty of mechanics, but there aremany unwritten ruleswhen you play online.
One of those is sleep bombing. If the monster goes to sleep during a multiplayer hunt, you’re expected to place anyLarge or Mega Barrel Bombsyou have around its head or tail.These items are worth taking on every huntas they always come in handy.
Once the team has placed all its barrels, the player with the highest damage weapon shouldtrigger the explosion by hitting the pile. The idea is for the attacker to hit the bombs AND the monster in the same swipe to deal a ton of free damage.
You’ll get more mileage from this technique if you let ahard-hitterlike a Hammer or Greatsword user detonate the bombs, but anything will do.
8Master Your Trap Tech
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Traps arefantastic items to take on every hunt, but they have a few limitations you’re left to discover on your own. For starters,Shock and Pitfall Traps do the same thing, but some monsters have clever ways of nullifying your tools.
Shock Traps will work better against some monsters than Pitfall Traps, and vice versa. If a monster hovers, you may find it doesn’t trigger a Pitfall, for example.
One golden rule that has existed inMonster Hunterfor multiple games is how Traps interact with Elder Dragons.Elder Dragons cannot be capturedunder any circumstance, so don’t even waste your time trying. Some Elder Dragons in previous games even have defense mechanisms against Traps, like Lunastra.
Capcom loves adding new monsters to their games over time, so this tipmay become essentialin the future.
7You Can Launch Your Teammates
Unconventional Team Work
Youcannot hurt your squad matesinMonster Hunter, and team interactions have massively changed as the series has evolved.
That said, you should alwaysbe mindful of your friendswhen you’re readying for a powerful attack, asyou can knock themoff balance. These interactions aren’t always a bad thing. For example, if your friend falls asleep, you cangive them a wallop to wake them upbefore they eat an attack from the monster.
Some attacks can launch teammates, which can be advantageous if they expect it. You can even mount monsters without a ledge if you time it right!
6Use A Draw Finisher When Mounting
It’s Not A Bucking Bronco
Mounting is a great mechanic inMonster Hunter, but it’s poorly explained, andsome key mechanics aren’t even mentionedin the tutorial prompts.
You probably at least know how to mount a monster. Any hunter can do it.Attack a monster in midair(jumping off a ledge is the easiest), and you might trigger a mount. Once you’re on top of your target, you canjump to different body partswith the left stick. Slash away with your knife in the same place to create a wound, then press R1 to use your regular weapon and send the monster into the dirt. You can do this when the ‘Draw Finisher’ prompt appears in the command list at the top of the screen.
Move to different partsof the monster or hold R2 to ‘brace’ if your target is thrashing around.You can remount a beast, but doing it for the second time is much tougher. Monsters gain a sort of mounting immunity after you’ve done it for the first time. You can mount multiple times during a hunt if you keep attacking from above, but the game doesn’t tell you when the target is ready.
5You Can Hold The Carve Button
The Hours I’ve Wasted
This tip will beespecially applicable if you’re a returning hunterwho hasn’t played the most recent games.
Back in the day, when we were giving ourselves hand cramps playingMonster Hunteron the 3DS, you had tomanually tap the carve buttonto claim your prizes after a hunt.
Nowadays, you canhold the carve button, and your hunter will automatically collect every reward available from a carcass. You still need to wait for the animation, but it beats doing it yourself and potentially miscounting. On the topic of saving time, you can instantly stop the countdown after a hunt by holding the touchpad down. Just verify you’ve grabbed everything you want before you do.
Monster Hunter Wilds' First Post-Launch Update Detailed
Still two weeks out from its launch, Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds has revealed some of the contents included in the game’s first post-launch update.
4More Players Make The Game Harder
Mmm, Damage Scaling!
Monster Hunter Wildsis alwaysdesperate to recommend SoS flaresand to invite other players to your hunts, but it’s not always a good thing.
Monsterhealth and damage scaledepend on how many hunters are in the fight. This mechanic means you can make battles far harder while waiting for other players to appear, set up, and join you in battle.
I firmly believe thatMonster Hunteris best with friends, even with the increased difficulty. However, it’s always good to know what you’re getting into before you fire up that flare for hunters worldwide to see.
3Use The Sneak Attack Mechanic
It Hurts More When They Don’t See It Coming
Monster Hunterhas never beena game about stealth, butWildsadded a cheeky mechanic that rewards hunters who can get close undetected.
If you can sneak up on a monster, you canpress Circle when you’re right behindthem to initiate a stealth attack. Keep an eye out for the prompt, and press when it appears. Stealth attacks deal decent damage and area great way to open the fight.
It can be challenging to approach a monster quietly, but you cancrouch to walk slowlyand even use your lower profile to hide in bushes. Stealth isn’t an essential mechanic inWilds, but it’s free damage you should go for if you get the opportunity.
2Traps Can Be Repositioned
It’s A New Era
Few things are more irritating inMonster Hunterthan laying down a perfectly placed trap only for your target to say, “Peace out!” and walk to another area.
Fortunately, you can nowpick up and reposition traps, a first for the series. Oddly enough, the game doesn’t really explain how to do it, and you won’t even realize it’s a mechanic until you place a trap and notice the prompt.
If there’s zero chance of your trap hitting its mark, walk up to it andpress Circle to dismantle it. The trap will end up in your inventory for reuse, and you can do this multiple times. It’s probably best not to think too hard about how your hunter manages to disassemble a hole in the ground, but it’s anexcellent quality-of-life feature.
With additions like this, it’s clear that Capcom wants to make the hunting loop more accessible, but how does it compare tothe best games in the series?
1Brightmoss Is OP Vs Flying Foes
Secret Anti-Air Tech
I’ve sunk an irresponsible amount of time into theMonster Hunterseries without knowing about this mechanic, and I can confirmit works inMonster Hunter Wilds.
Every map in the game is teeming with flora and fauna. Many items have niche uses in recipes, butBrightmoss has a fantastic applicationin combat. You can grab Bightmoss on the field and load clumps of it into your Slinger.
The ammo doesn’t seem to do anything at first, but it comes into its own,specifically against flying monsters. If your quarry takes to the air, you may shoot a volley at your target toimmediately drop itto the ground.
I’ve not tested Brightmoss on every monster, but it absolutely works against one story-critical opponent I won’t reveal here. Brightmoss isespecially useful if you’re a melee userwith a slow, stubby weapon, like the Hammer.
