Monster Hunter Wilds can be a rather overwhelming experience for those who are new to the franchise. Not only will you need to select a beginner-friendly weapon that fits the playstyle that you are looking for, but also get familiar with some of the core fundamentals that Wilds has introduced.
So if you are looking to have the perfect start when you finally start your journey with the Windward Plains then the guide below will help you out.
Best Monster Hunter Wilds beginners tips and tricks
If you are new to the franchise, here are some tips and tricks that you need to keep in mind when starting out in Monster Hunter Wilds:
1) Get used to the HUD
The feature that will overwhelm you immediately in Monster Hunter Wilds is the HUD and the onscreen UI. Before you start taking on multiple hunts, it’s important that you spend some time familiarizing yourself with all the key elements that you will see on-screen as soon as you can control your character.
Here is everything that is usually present on your HUD:
- Health Gauge
- Stamina Gauge
- Sharpness Gauge
- Party Members
- Nearby Materials
- Current Quest
- Day Cycle
- Mini Map
- Weather Cycle
- Slinger Ammo
- Monster Status
- Item Bar
While it might feel like a lot of visual clutter at first, every single feature that is represented on your HUD is important and is something that you will need to constantly keep an eye on.
2) Pick the right Primary and Secondary weapon that you want to main
There are 14 unique weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds. Each has a different playstyle and will fit a different combat approach. However, while all weapons are equally capable of rounding out a hunt, there are some weapons that are a bit easier to use than the rest.
So if you are new to the franchise, we recommend that you start with the easiest-to-pick-up weapons and then slowly transition into the ones that are harder to use.
As Wilds will allow you to switch between two weapon types by using the Seikret, make sure to two main weapons when starting out.
3) Equip armor that has skills that complement your weapon and build
To have an easier time progressing through the narrative and completing the more challenging hunts, you will want to equip armor that has skills that complement the weapon you have as well as the build that you are going for. For example, if you are looking to be a Bow main, you will need to have armor skills like Stamina Surge and Constitution. These will help you have a considerably easier time with Stamina Management.
Alternatively, if you love using the hammer, you will need Stun Up skills to improve the weapon’s KO potential.
4) Bring the ideal hunting items and make Item Loadouts and Radial shortcuts
Hunting Items like healing potions and consumable traps are a core part of helping you survive longer and make hunts significantly more manageable in Wilds. Mega and Ancient Potions will top up your health, while Dash Potion will help Bow and Dual Blades users have an easier time managing their Stamina.
Traps, on the other hand, like Shock and Pitfall will CC the monster in place allowing you room to hit it with your hardest-hitting combos. However, certain animals are immune to specific traps, like Shock Trap does not affect Ray Dau, moreover, Elder Dragons are immune to consumable traps from the get-go. So it’s important to keep monster as well as weapon-specific item load-outs so that you don’t have to keep managing your inventory before every hunt.
With the Radial menu feature, you will also be able to keep some important items like Mega Potion and Nulberry on the Radial Shortcut Menu. This will save you a lot of time and you can use the item with the necessary analog input without having to scroll through your entire inventory.
5) Always cook and eat a meal before a hunt
Meals will make your hunts a whole lot easier in Monster Hunter Wilds. Cooking is a core part of gameplay this time around and it’s recommended that you use the camp or the portable BBQ Grill to make a meal before you engage the monster.
Basic meals that you find in the recommended section will provide you a boost to overall HP and Stamina along with some other specific buffs. It’s advisable that you go for the recommended meal in the early game and then make customized ones to gain specific buffs like Black Bealt, Attack Boost, and more.
6) Don’t shy away from using the SOS flare
If you are having trouble with a particular hunt and finding yourself carting a lot, then don’t shy away from using the SOS Flare. If you are in a normal multiplayer setting then other players will join you and help with the hunt, however, if you are in Online Singleplayer mode and have only set the multiplayer settings to Support Hunters only, then you will call in the various Support Hunters.
Putting more numbers in your party will make any monster encounter significantly easier. You will be dividing up the monster aggro amongst yourselves, giving each player a lot of room to manage their resources, and health bars, and get in some attacks.
Moreover, in Wilds, while players joining your party will increase monster HP, it will also adjust itself if anyone leaves mid-hunt. So you don’t have to keep worrying about a party member leaving when firing an SOS Flare.
7) Master the Wounding and Focus Strike mechanic
As you damage monsters you will be able to inflict Wounds on them. These will show up as glowing red body parts, and all attacks that land on them will do bonus damage. Wounding a monster is a key part of making your hunts much faster
Moreover, Wounds will help you make the most of the Focus Strike mechanic. Every weapon has a Focus Strike which is unique to them. They deal a lot of damage to the monster and stagger them making them vulnerable to some of your best combos.
8) Set up multiple pop-up camps around the map
Pop-up camps will act as fast-travel points around the open world allowing you to have an easier time traversing the various regions in Monster Hunter Wilds. Moreover, they also act as the base camp and you will be able to use the tent to change items and armor, along with making item set-ups and armor loadouts.
However, do keep in mind that pop-up camps are susceptible to getting destroyed by monsters. Some pop-up camp areas are safe from monster attacks, while others are in insecure and dangerous zones.
9) Make the most of environmental traps
Apart from the consumable traps, you will want to make the most of environmental traps as well during your hunts. They come in various forms based on the region that you are in and will usually range from Vines, Sand pits, falling boulders, and more.
Environmental traps will at times damage the monster and incapacitate them for a short time. This will help you have a better DPS uptime on them as a staggered monster will give you more room to deal damage to them.
10) Capture monsters for more parts and faster hunts
Capturing monsters will provide you with more and at times rarer monster parts. So if you are looking to specifically farm the armor set or weapon of a monster, if they are capturable, then capture them.
Capturing monsters will also reduce the overall quest time significantly, leading to faster hunts as you do not have to wait till you kill them. As long as they are skulling you can catch them with a consumable trap and Tranquilizer bombs.
However, do keep in mind that some monsters like Elder Dragons cannot be captured, and the only way to get their parts will be by killing them.
