I meant to write a review a long time ago for Monster Hunter World, but never got around to finishing it. In the mean time, I did actually put together a few tips which are some subtleties that can consistently that I sat on and never actually posted, so here it is:
#1: Comfort is King
There’s two types of players you shouldn’t really want to be. The first is someone who thinks they can run a pure damage set and be extremely effective because they think they’re some kind of god among Spikes, the second we’ll tackle with our next tip, but for the most part, even if Monster Hunter World is ‘easier’ than previous titles, I hate to break it to you, but…
…You’re probably not good enough to run a full “meta” set for dealing damage. Furthermore, supposing you are good enough to wear one and keep yourself alive throughout a hunt, you’re probably not actually good enough to deal a significant chunk more damage than someone using a comfort, or, more utilitarian set.
It takes a lot of practice to get good enough with these kits to really use them properly, and while I’m not suggesting you don’t consider a few self-inflicted handicaps here and there as a player (if you sandbag yourself right you can actually grow tremendously because of it), I highly suggest you don’t just copy someone’s build from reddit or wherever for max damage.
The simplest, most succinct way to explain it is this: if you do for whatever reason get hit in a situation where other skills would’ve made it possible to avoid the situation (for example, having enough Evade Window) then you’re having to give up an opening to get off a successful heal, or you’re playing a dangerous game which could result in costing even more time if you cart.
#2: Don’t be a [Hammer] Princess
At any given time it seems, you can load up the Steam forums for Monster Hunter World and you can see a post from a special type of person, that other person you shouldn’t be: someone complaining about getting flinched by a hunter who has joined in their escapades.
There’s three main problems playing with a Hammer Princess presents: it costs DPS, followed by it costs DPS, and of course, we can’t forget, that it costs DPS. That is to say, it costs the hunting party damage in three ways:
- Certain weapons, namely Switch Axes increase their damage by hitting nearby targets including friendlies.
- A player getting flinched or forcing another player to reposition because swinging near them will make them flinch, costs time during openings.
- The head is a generalized weak spot across nearly all weapons and monster types.
By using a single Flinch Free decoration, or having a single level of the skill from armor, you circumvent these issues entirely. Remember, no one is here to baby-sit you except those who elect to, and if they do, they’re probably playing Wide Range, or packing a lot of Life Dust and you should thank with them all due courtesy.
#3: Don’t Chase Monsters (All the Time)
Alternatively, you can title this tip, “use a Greatsword until you get it,” but suffice to say, it’s important to understand how to manipulate your target monsters’ behavior, and in large part the method to do this is knowing where to stand.
Without going into detail, which wouldn’t really work because of all the different monsters and their various behaviors, the best way to explain this is that the place where you want the monster to be, is where you need to stand.
That said, an example or two is still important: if you wanted a monster you’re in combat with to end up near a ledge, one of the best things you can do is stand on the ledge. They’ll saunter their way over eventually, usually when they’re done picking on your friends or palico.
Alternatively, when you’re fighting a monster like Nargacuga or Barioth and your hunting party is spread out, you might notice these monsters appear to become “extremely” aggressive. If you want to halt this behavior of aggressive leaps, usually the best thing to do is to close in as they’re attempting to close the gap with the players. It won’t stop all those undesirable behaviors, but it if you have a grasp of the idea, it will help with most of them.
#4: Gliding Mantle and Clutch Claw
With the Gliding Mantle becoming a staple of a number of different armor sets players are using to maximize equipment up time, there’s another characteristic that should be considered when actively using the Gliding Mantle: with the Clutch Claw and it, a mount can be secured from anywhere regardless of whether or not a ledge is present.
Normally, if you jump off a monster after clawing onto them, you’ll find yourself unable to do anything until you hit the ground. With the Gliding Mantle active however you can actually perform different actions as you’ll go into a glide. Prior to actually going into the glide, you can immediately commence an aerial attack, which can be used to mount the monster from any location.
This tactical option adds a lot to the potential usefulness of the Gliding Mantle in Iceborne, and is worth considering for anyone who isn’t using it already. For those people who are, they should be exploiting this when the situation arises: have an enraged monster after sending them into a wall? Creating another opening almost immediately with a well-timed set of aerial attacks can make the entire experience remarkably smoother after you mount and down the monster.
#5: Make Sure “Signal” Is Quickly Accessible
Signal might appear to only be useful for herding randoms or for alerting the other members of your hunting party, but it’s also useful for controlling your palico. By pressing the Signal input, your palico will dive underground and resurface next to you or run straight towards you at the next opportunity.
In situations where your cat is keeping the monster away from a trap you might’ve set, or keeping them from going across an environmental element, this becomes an extremely useful tool, so keep it in mind when hunting solo and in pairs for when your palico’s positioning might screw up any plans you’re cooking.
Happy Hunting!
I’ve got a few more tips up my sleeve for my preferred weapons, and I’ll serve those up next if I get around to it with the demo for Monster Hunter Rise.
