While stats like Attack are pretty self-explanatory, Affinity needs some explanation in Monster Hunter World. This stat plays an important part in determining how much damage you do. That makes it crucial for every would-be monster slayer in Capcom‘s fantasy world to understand. Whether you prefer two-handed sword brawls or sniping with bows, you’ll want to keep a careful eye on your Affinity. By considering how your Affinity may rise or fall with each new weapon, you’ll be in a good position to take on every fearsome beast in Monster Hunter World.
Monster Hunter World Affinity Guide
At its most basic, Affinity measures how likely you are to score critical hits. In Monster Hunter World, critical hits increase your normal weapon damage by a flat 25%. A weapon with 10% Affinity therefore has a 10% chance of dealing +25% damage with every hit. If your Affinity is 50%, you’ll be dealing 25% extra damage about half the time. That extra damage really adds up and can make taking down some of the game’s tankiest monsters much easier, which is why it’s always a good idea to increase your Affinity if you’re going for a crit build. If you use skills to increase Affinity to 100%, you’re guaranteed to deal 25% more damage per attack.
Unlike most other games, Monster Hunter World includes not only critical hits but also anti-critical hits (aka feeble hits). These hits deal a flat -25% of your weapon’s default damage. If your weapon has -20% Affinity, for example, every hit has a 20% chance of doing -25% damage. Negative Affinity and feeble hits aren’t the end of the world, but they’re detrimental if you’re trying to min-max your build and kill monsters quickly. Getting through all the story quests won’t be easy if you’re dealing feeble hits regularly, so keep an eye on your Affinity when crafting new weapons and avoid negative Affinity if possible.
Monster Hunter World is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
