Hunting Basics and Beginner's Guide

Here is a list of beginner guides and hunting tips and tricks for Monster Hunter Wilds. Learn more about our beginner's guide and hunting strategies here!

Hunting Basics

List of Hunting Tips
Understanding the HUD or UI Choose a Primary and Secondary Weapon Equip Armor with Complimenting Skills Bring Hunting Items Eat Meals to Boost HP and Stamina Bring Your Palico with You Begin Your Hunt

Understanding the HUD or UI

HUD Explanation

Health Gauge - Shows how much Health your hunter currently has. This gauge automatically hides into the icon on the left and will reappear once you are damaged. Stamina Gauge - A resource used for performing actions such as running, rolling, and certain weapon attacks. This gauge automatically hides into the icon on the left and will reappear once you use stamina. Sharpness Gauge - Determines the sharpness of a melee weapon. This gauge shortens every melee attack you do and will shorten more when your attack is deflected. Can be refilled upon using a Whetstone. Party Members - This displays all the health and names of your party members, including your Palico. Their health gauges also hides into their ino on the left and will reappear one they are damaged or in combat. Nearby Materials - Your Scoutflies automatically look for gathering nodes near you and will display what they are here. Current Quest - Display the current Quest you are taking, along with a Quest Timer on the right. Day Cycle - Displays your current daytime (Morning, Evening, Night). Mini Map - Shows a mini version of the map that also contains nearby gathering nodes, monsters, and the current area. Weather Cycle - Displays the current weather (Plenty, Fallow, Inclemency). Certain monsters can appear in certain weather types. Slinger Ammo - Displays the current ammo you have equipped on your Slinger. The numbers on the left represent the remaining ammo you have. Monster Status - Displays the current status of the monster you are hunting whether it is Enraged or Capturable. Item Bar - Contains all the items you currently have in your pouch. Holding L1 will show the Radial Menu and extend this into a bar that you can cycle through and select the item you want to use.

We recommend understanding the HUD (Heads-Up Display) or the User Interface first since they are extensive and essential towards combat. Key elements include the Health, Stamina, and Sharpness Gauge, Party Members, nearby Materials, Day and Weather Cycle, Mini Map, Slinger Ammo, Monster Status, and Item Bar. These resource are important towards completing a hunt and mastering the gameplay of Monster Hunter Wilds. Follow our guide above to see an explanation of each HUD element and icon.

Choose a Primary and Secondary Weapon

Before heading out to hunt, you first have to pick a Primary and Secondary weapon of your choosing. Try to pick a weapon that suits your playstyle and another that can compliment your main weapon.

Keep in mind that you can switch weapons any time so it does not matter whether your main weapon is your Primary or Secondary.

All Weapons and Guides

Equip Armor with Complimenting Skills

Depending on the weapon you chose, you will need armor that benefits your weapon according to the Skills it has. Make sure that you are using Skills that focus on a certain aspect of the weapon such as stamina, charge attacks, blocking and parrying, and many more.

Some examples would be the Dual Blades and Bow which are stamina heavy so equipping armor with Stamina Surge and Constitution will help you greatly. The Hammer and Hunting Horn are blunt weapons so armor with Slugger can benefit from its high stun chance.

Bring Hunting Items

Hunting Items are essential to your survival and affects the way you hunt monsters. You can either buy them from the Shop or craft them yourself before heading out so you will be prepared for anything that happens.

Some suggestions would be the Pitfall and Shock Traps which are great for creating openings and is required for capturing a monster, while Antidotes and Nulberries can cure certain status effects that may hinder you. Make sure to bring Barrel Bombs as well since these deal huge damage against sleeping monsters.

Eat Meals to Boost HP and Stamina

Never go hunting on an empty stomach. Meals are your go-to pre-hunting essentials as these boost your Max HP and Stamina which makes tanking hits and performing attacks so much easier.

Bring Your Palico with You

Your Palico is your best friend when it comes to hunting as they can help you in various ways such as laying traps and healing you when you are low. Additionally, they also help you in combat by attacking monsters and triggering certain environmental traps in tandem with your moves.

Begin Your Hunt

In order to begin your hunt, you have to either start your quest from the Handler or venture out on your own and hunt monsters along the way. Keep in mind that you can gather monster tracks to learn a monster's location so try to observe your surroundinngs often.

Once you have everything prepared, you are ready to go hunting! Feel free to invite friends or join quests that other hunters are doing to make things easier.

Beginner Tips to Monster Hunter Wilds

Tips for Beginners
Make Use of Your Seikret's Auto Pathing Perform a Sneak Attack when Engaging Activate Focus Mode on Wounded Monsters Trigger Environmental Traps Use the Slinger to Gather Distant Items Take Advantage of Your Radial Menu Set Up Pop-Up Camps to Rest and Fast Travel Dodge Attacks with Red Warning Indicator Identify When the Monster Has Weakened Fire the SOS Flare to Summon Help

Make Use of Your Seikret's Auto Pathing

Your Seikret has an auto pathing ability that will show the most optimal route to your target, be it a monster or a specific location on the map.

Simply placing a waypoint on the map will activate your Seikret's autho pathing. Make use of this ability to track and easily reach where you need to be!

Perform a Sneak Attack when Engaging Monsters

Sneak Attacks allow your weapons to deal more damage when attacking from behind. It's easier to land this type of attacks if the monster is unaware of your prescence, such as if you're engaging it for the first time.

Crouching, hiding behind brushes, and using a Ghillie Mantle helps in executing a preemptive strike with a Sneak Attack.

Activate Focus Mode on Wounded Monsters

A new mechanic called Focus Mode is introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds that allows you to make more precise attacks and blocks through a crosshair in the center of your screen.

While in Focus Mode, your attacks will hit exactly where you point the crosshair at. It also highlights exposed weakspots and wounds on a monster, and since they receive more damage from these points, it will be much easier to take down a target by utilizing this mechanic.

How to Use Focus Mode and Focus Strike

Trigger Environmental Traps

Observe your surroundings and see if there's anything you can use in your hunt! Some areas have environmental traps like frogs that can stun anyone nearby and vines that immobilizes monsters, which you can use to your advantage when things get dicey.

Use the Slinger to Gather Items From a Distance

Your Slinger isn't only used for slinging objects, it can also be used to grab them! The Hook Slinger can gather items from a distance and can even be used while riding your Seikret.

Take Advantage of Your Radial Menu

The Radial Menu is a set of customizable menus that allows you to perform specific actions quickly, even in the middle of a battle! Actions include using different consumables, crafting items and ammo, gestures, and more.

Just make sure to memorize the actions you have set in the Radial Menu to avoid dancing in the middle of a heated battle!

Set Up Pop-Up Camps to Rest and Fast Travel

Set up Pop-Up Camps at strategic spots to easily get around the map and reach your target faster. These can also be used to retrieve items from your storage to restock for the next fight and even switch to a weapon that you think is most suitable!

Dodge Attacks with Red Warning Indicator

When your health bar flashes red with waves shaking wildly, it is indicating that the incoming attack is fatal! Keep an eye on the top left corner of the screen and make sure to dodge the attack when it warns you to, then pop a potion when it's clear.

Identify When the Monster Has Weakened

Some monster drops can only be obtained when the target monster is captured, not killed. A monster can only be captured when it's in a weakened state.

You'll know the monster has been weakened when it starts running away and is limping while fleeing. If you need it captured, quickly run towards it, lay down a trap, and throw a tranquilizer bomb!

However, if you want the monster dead, you can still take advantage of its weakened state by putting it to sleep then stacking Barrel Bombs to finish it off.

Fire the SOS Flare to Summon Help

If you find a monster difficult to challenge alone, call for other hunters through an SOS Flare! This signal will be received by players all over the world if you're playing online, or a group of NPCs if you're in single player mode.

Monster Hunter Wilds Related Guides

Monster Hunter Wilds Walkthrough Wiki

Monster Hunter Wilds Wiki Contents
Weapons	Armor Sets
Monsters	Tips and Tricks
Characters	Story Walkthrough
Items and Materials	Maps and Locations
Palico	Skills
Endemic Life	Quests
News and Game Info	-