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Monster Hunter World, much like most Monster Hunter games, is right up there with Dark Souls when it comes to difficulty (only it’s more back-loaded). And just like most JRPGs, the tutorial is mostly just you fending for yourself. We’re here to thankfully help you with the fending, using our Monster Hunter World beginner guide.
It’s also worth noting that the game’s beginning is its most accessible point; from then on, your life as a hunter in the 5th fleet only becomes more dangerous. And even then, the game’s beginning assaults you with walls of text, numbers, and a dizzying amount of information. So, we’ve simplified some tips and tricks for you.
Don’t Use Defender Gear Right Away
If you bought the whole Monster Hunter World package just recently, you most likely have Defender armor and weapons in your in-game Item Box. They look fantastic and better than other beginner sets, but we still advise you not to use them.
The developers merely introduced the Defender gear to boost lagging veteran players into Master Rank in preparation for the Iceborne expansion. Using that Defender gear as a newbie means you’ll be playing the game on easy mode for a while, only to hit a difficulty spike later on once the Defender gear falls off.
Your best bet is to just ignore the Defender gear at least up until you’ve defeated the normal final boss of the base game’s main story. This way, you can familiarize yourself better with the game’s upgrade system and many different weapons and armor combinations.
Don’t Forget to Eat
Early on, the game will introduce you to the Meowscular Chef and his cat-cooking crew. It’s the game teaching you the existence of food buffs, but what the game’s actually telling you is to maintain that food buff in basically every hunt or quest. They’re almost mandatory once you start nearing the end of the main quest due to the aforementioned spikes in difficulty.
Moreover, you will need to reapply this food buff (order and eat again) at camp every time your hunter faints or gets KO’d. It’s important to make eating food a habit in-game since you never know when that +50 to stamina or health might enable your clutch move. It’s the difference between life and death in each hunt.
Use Different Loadouts Depending on the Monster
Monster Hunter World is a game about studying the monsters you hunt and adapting to their strengths and weaknesses. That very well means you shouldn’t just keep reusing the same setup over and over again (at least in the beginning). If you don’t have endgame gear, you’ll have to switch up your hunting methods, weapons (different elements), and even consumables.
For that matter, you can make good use of the Loadout system in your Item Box (Manage Items then ‘Start’ button). Save up build templates and then just reactivate them before each hunt. This way, you can also be quicker to start hunts in multiplayer sessions.
Get Used to One Melee & One Ranged Weapon
Speaking of versatility, sticking to one weapon and being a one-trick pony is a good way to frustrate yourself as the game ramps up in difficulty later on. Ideally, you’d want to be adept at one melee weapon and one ranged weapon. This way, you can switch up your tactics and playstyle if you keep hitting a wall.
Certain monsters like Kulve Taroth are safer when engaged at a distance, while other monster parts might be easier to break off with melee weapons. In general, hunting with ranged weapons is easier in multiplayer since other players can draw the monster’s attention. But melee playstyles are simpler and less hectic for solo hunts.
Wait for Animations to Finish
Our Monster Hunter World beginner guide wouldn’t be complete without pointing out just how punishing the game is compared to other ARPGs. Because in Monster Hunter World, animation canceling is nearly nonexistent. You often have to wait for an animation to finish before another one registers be it for healing, attack, or even dodging.
Button mashing is punished here since inputting an action in the middle of an animation might queue up the action and result in delayed movements, which can leave you vulnerable. So our advice is to be patient and keep a sharp eye, on your character’s movements and the monster’s movements. Because once you make an action– even if it’s a mistake, you have to commit.
Getting Knocked Down has i-frames
While on the topic of animations, here’s something peculiar for our Monster Hunter World beginner guide. In other games, getting knocked down will usually trigger a sense of panic in which you’ll rush to get back up to resume the fight. In Monster Hunter World, getting knocked down can often be a lifesaver.
That’s because the knockdown animations and even lying down have i-frames or invincibility frames. It’s where the monster won’t be able to damage you. Of course, lying down also means monsters’ broad attacks might miss you. So don’t be in such a hurry to get back up depending on the monster’s movements. Sometimes, staying down during the monster’s tantrum combo can shift in your favor.
Focus on Armor Skills, not Stats
Don’t get too hung up on specific armor just because it has better resists or higher raw defense. The more critical aspect of armor is the innate skill. Certain armor pieces come with innate skills that can complete your build. The most sought-after skills typically increase damage (Attack Boost, etc.).
However, you can also do well by picking armor skills like Health Boost. More health is always needed in hunts. Later, you can customize your armor pieces with Decorations to be more flexible with your armor choices. However, armor skills tend to be more valuable when you’re just starting the game.
You Don’t Have to Kill Most Monsters
In the beginning, you might be tempted to kill each and every monster you hunt, even though there’s a capture tutorial. It’s a hunt, after all. But killing monsters can easily extend your hunting time by five to 10 minutes.
Once you see the monster limp away, you can bring out the trap and tranquilizers and follow it to its sleeping spot. Elder Dragons is a different story. You have no choice but to kill those pests. But for regular monsters that aren’t tagged as Elder Dragons, sometimes capturing them reduces the tedium of fights.
Weaponize Other Monsters
Aside from the environment and your very own weapons, Monster Hunter World also has organic weapons in the form of other monsters. Often, there are three or more monsters in an area. You can then lure the monster you’re hunting into a clash with another local monster.
Their fight will wear down the monster you’re hunting, hopefully. If not, you can always try again with another roaming monster. Additionally, there are smaller monsters that can paralyze a monster you’re fighting, such as the Paratoad. These lovely and grumpy amphibians can buy you several free hits. Of course, just don’t get caught in their paralysis mist since they’re not exactly on your side.
Retreat to Camp Instead of Fainting
And last but not least in our Monster Hunter World beginner guide, always keep retreat in mind. If you’re down to your last potion during an encounter, it’s best to return to camp and restock. Remember that you only get a few faints per hunt, and spending them wisely is tantamount to success.
Don’t be too stubborn if the fight doesn’t go your way. Return to camp or perform a tactical retreat to a safe spot and try to change your tactics with traps or buff yourself with potions or food. It’s not like the monster you’re hunting will mock you for running away… unless it’s Rajang, you know how he is.
