Everything you need to know about dens in Monster Hunter Stories 2

Monster Hunter Stories 2 dens are where you’ll spend most of your time in the game. These are dungeons where some of the strongest monsters lurk, but more than that, they’re also where you’ll find Monster Hunter Stories 2 eggs to expand your Monstie team. Most spawn randomly, which means you’ll need to hunt a bit if you want the rare dens.

However, finding rare dens is well worth your time for the rewards they offer. This guide explains what each type of den is and finding rare dens quickly, so you can get better eggs as fast as possible.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 den types

Monster Hunter Stories 2 has three main den types: normal, rare, and everden. There’s another sub-type connected to retreating monsters, but these are less common and only contain one type of egg. Den types don’t correlate with the type of monster you’ll find, either. For example, you’re just as likely to find a Velocidrome or Kulu-Ya-Ku in a normal den as you are in a rare one.

Normal
The most common type. These appear as grey craggy cave entrances on the world map and, unless you’ve used a Gathering Charm at the village pot, they most often contain normal gathering items and treasure. 

Rare
There's usually at least one rare den in a given area every time you arrive. Eggs in these dens are more likely to have better weight and smell, and the gathering items are usually better as well.

Everdens
These look like normal dens with extra bulk, but their position is static even when you exit and re-enter an area. These are ideal if you want to farm eggs of a certain type for a chance to get better genes for the Rite of Channeling.

Then there are the dens in which retreating monsters hide. Some random and scripted fights see enemy monsters flee before you can defeat them. When that happens, they’ll run to a nearby den with an egg over its entrance. Follow it for a chance to grab an egg that’s guaranteed to hatch a Monstie of that enemy's species.

How to find rare dens Monster Hunter Stories 2

Everdens aside, if you want to find more rare dens, you’ll need to take advantage of the Catavan fast travel system. You unlock that early in the game. If you arrive in an area and either plunder the existing dens or want to reset them, you can use fast travel to leave and return to reroll the available dens.

If you’re near a Catavan station, speak with the attendant to change the time of day. This also resets the area’s dens and is faster than traveling.

A den’s rarity won’t determine what kind of monster you find within, though. That’s tied to the area, so don’t waste time in the Kamuna region trying to find Nergigante in Kamuna Forest.