Even though Monster Hunter Wilds is undoubtedly one of the most streamlined experiences in the series, it's still a Monster Hunter game, and that means all sorts of systems and mechanics to learn and contend with. It can be a lot for new players, and even series veterans to be honest, as you try to work out what's changed and whether they've massacred your weapon.
These Monster Hunter Wilds tips aim at making your first few hours in the game a bit easier than simply wandering around the Forbidden Lands whacking every random monster you see—though that's admittedly a valid approach, too. I'll run through some of the new mechanics introduced in Wilds, but also offer some advice that'll make understanding everything that much easier.
Experiment with weapons and learn what's new
A lot has changed in Monster Hunter Wilds, even for longtime fans of the series. You might find that your fave weapon has gained a mechanic or two, so be sure to take some time to investigate and mess around in the Windward Plains training area. One of the biggest additions is that you can now carry a spare weapon on your Seikret and swap at will while mounted. Of course, you could just use this to access a different element or status with the same weapon, but you might also want to try something entirely new.
If you're a Greatsword main, maybe it's time to test out a ranged option like Bow or Heavy Bowgun. Hell, maybe it's time to play around with a faster weapon like Dual Blades or Insect Glaive to see how the other half is living. You could even take a Hunting Horn for when you're teamed up and blast out melodies for your team. The most important weapon advice for new players, though—don't settle until you're sure. Monster Hunter is pretty unique in terms of both its number of weapons and their mechanical depth, so take your time and play around till you find one that fits.
Stay sharp for more damage
Though it's less of an issue in Wilds due to a far more forgiving sharpness gauge, keeping your weapon sharp is important in maintaining optimal damage and not bouncing off of hard monster parts you're trying to hit. Since the Seikret can now run on autopilot and follow monsters between arenas, it's the perfect time to cycle along to your whetstone in the item bar and give your weapon a little love. Different weapons have different sharpness gauges in Wilds, so make sure to pay attention when crafting a new one or upgrading.
You can also get sharpness-based skills like Razor Sharp (chance of no sharpness loss), Protective Polish (grants no sharpness loss for a short time after sharpening), and Master's Touch (80% chance of no sharpness loss when you land a crit). There's even a skill for those who can't be bothered sharpening their weapon, Bludgeoner, which gives increased attack power if your gauge is low.
Learn how to guard or evade with your weapon
When you first start using a weapon in Wilds it's worth learning how it functions defensively. Lance, Gunlance, Greatsword, and Sword and Shield, all have a defensive element built into them, letting you guard against monster attacks. Others such as Dual Blades, Bow, Long Sword, and Insect Glaive use their mobility to reposition and evade attacks instead.
Even with all of these, you'll frequently find that you have to evade attacks and timing is paramount here. If you find yourself struggling to get out of the way, look out for armour skills and decorations to improve it like Evade Extender, which you can get from the Balahara set early on, or Evade Window, which is a skill on the Hirabami set a little later on.
Most important of all, watch the monsters you fight and learn their tells. Recognising when big attacks are coming, especially the AoE one-shots that late-game monsters often have, can save you a lot of trouble.
Destroy wounds for big damage and free materials
Just like wirebugs in Monster Hunter Rise, Focus Mode is the biggest combat mechanic added in Wilds. It's honestly kind of unavoidable. While in Focus Mode you can spot wounds highlighted with a red glow and destroy them with Focus Strikes for big damage and a material—it's extremely lucrative and massively streamlines each hunt. Destroying wounds also grants a mechanical bonus to many weapons—full essence on Insect Glaive, Spirit Gauge on Long Sword—helping supercharge your damage rotation.
Classic skills like Partbreaker now grant increased damage when destroying wounds, and new skills like Flayer, make it easier to create wounds when damaging a monster. Mounting a monster now also involves opening wounds on top of it. And later game hunts—such as those against Tempered monsters—even include them as a mechanic, where you'll have to break glowing blue wounds to gain unique materials. All in all, Focus Mode is really important now, so I'd suggest embracing it for more rewarding hunts.
Consider monster weaknesses and consult your field guide
While destroying wounds is important, considering each monster's weaknesses remains a big part of really hard hunts. Every monster has a weakness to certain elements, such as fire, ice, water, dragon, and thunder, and status ailments, like blast, poison, paralysis, and sleep. The former are direct damage, but the latter build up over time as you hit the monster, activating an ailment when you hit that threshold.
Each monster also has physical weaknesses to certain damage types. Take a Quematrice, for instance. This big chicken has a head and tail that are weak to severing (bladed weapons like swords), bludgeoning (blunt weapons like hammers), and shot (ranged weapons like bowgun) damage. Other monsters, however, have different part weaknesses.
You can see all of these and more in the Monster Field Guide after you've hunted said monster. This guide also features handy info on how to get each specific monster part. You'll be introduced to this via the main story, so don't forget to utilise it in the menu.
Use your environment against monsters
Another way to inflict status ailments on monsters is through Endemic Life—the small creatures you can find and interact with in each region. Take a Paratoad for instance; if you annoy this amphibian and time it for when a monster is nearby, it'll be paralysed by the toad's effect, giving you a chance to deal some damage. Beware, though, since Endemic Life can also affect you.
You can also use your environment to trap and entangle monsters, and though this was a feature in Monster Hunter World, there are far more opportunities to use it in Wilds. Look for vines to pull down as convenient traps or hanging boulders you can yoink down on monsters with your Hook Slinger. Some monsters, like the Balahara, will even create their own traps; in this case a whirlpool of sand that sucks in anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.
Stuff your face
Hunting is high calorie work. As any Monster Hunter player knows, the pre-hunt meal isn't optional. At its most basic, it boosts your health and stamina, but it can even provide powerful extra abilities and buffs like increased elemental resistances or decreased stamina consumption, depending on the ingredients. While there are no Felynes to cook for you in Wilds, you can grab rations from the Ingredients Center and make a meal for yourself in your tent.
If you acquire some raw meat—from a Ceratonoth or a Dalthydon in the Windward Plains—you can get out your Portable BBQ Grill and cook some Well Done Steaks. These are a solid backup meal to have in case your previous meal's duration runs out and you need to top off your health and stamina bars. Later in the game, you'll find yourself able to visit villages for special meals with bonus effects.
Stuffing your face doesn't just apply to food, either. Consumables are really important in Monster Hunter, especially during harder hunts. Potions and Mega Potions will heal you, but Antidotes will also remove poison, Nullberries can remove status effects, and Hot and Cold Drinks will prevent you from feeling negative effects from cold or warm climates respectively.
This means you should adjust your inventory in the tent accordingly to give yourself access to a range of items. Also consider getting the Free Meal skill if you find crafting more consumables a chore.
Look after your Palico and they'll look after you
Your furry Felyne friend is your partner in battle and has a variety of abilities they can pull out of the bag in a tough spot. As your Palico levels up after hunts, its abilities will get upgraded as well, and once you arrive in High Rank, you can undertake quests to earn your cat companion more skills to use.
It's important to craft your Palico new gear if you don't want them to fall behind. Early weapons like the Felyne Barina Needle—after you hunt Lala Barina—are really good for your Palico, as it means they can build a status ailment (paralysis in this case) in the background. Upgrading Palico armour also gives them better defense and resistances against monster attacks so they can stay in the fight longer. Simply head to Gemma and select the option to craft Palico equipment.
Grab everything with the Hook Slinger and turn on auto-craft
Everything, seriously. There isn't such a thing as too much stuff in Monster Hunter, and grabbing lots of items will give you a good stockpile of materials for crafting. Even special items—the ones you can't craft with—provide Guild Points which are a valuable currency you can spend to change time in your tent, or at the Support Ship when you hit High Rank.
Early on you'll want to grab honey and herbs for Potions and Mega Potions, but also make sure to harvest mining outcrops and bone piles for equipment materials. One excellent way to acquire a lot of items is to use your Hook Slinger to grab them while your Seikret is on autopilot or when you're riding your Seikret and talking to characters in a story sequence. Finally, make sure to turn on auto-crafting for Mega Potions and anything else useful in the item crafting menu.
Don't neglect your Slinger and use special ammo types
You're briefly introduced to the power of your Slinger during the intro, when you fend off a bunch of Balahara using Screamer Pods you pull from flying Baunos. You can pull ammo types from all over with your Hook Slinger, but in particular, I'd suggest grabbing Flash Pods from Flashbugs. Similar to the Flashflies that you can activate to blind monsters, this pod has a similar effect when fired and is pretty strong.
Sometimes when you break monster parts, you'll notice them drop an item you can pick up. This is a special heavy ammo type for your Slinger and I 100% recommend grabbing them since they actually do a reasonable amount of damage and can break parts if aimed well. If you're really enjoying blinding monsters, look out for the Flash Jewel when you unlock decorations, since this provides the Blindsider skill that buffs flash effectiveness.
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