Monster Hunter: World wishlist guide

Monster Hunter: World has all sorts of esoteric tricks to make progress quicker, but they’re hidden and not tutorialized. Not only do you have to discover them, but you then have to remember that they exist. In this guide we’ll explain how to get on track and build up your gear efficiently using an easy to overlook feature: your wishlist.

Use the wishlist

Like most things in Monster Hunter: World the wishlist is briefly mentioned, easy to skip and isn’t mentioned again. Here’s how it works.

Capcom

Whenever you’re in a vendor menu, you can press the triangle/Y button to put all of the required items for something you want to make on a wishlist. This prompts a pop-up whenever you acquire an item you can use in that recipe, most notably monster bones or specific creature scales.

It’s a small thing, but you’ll always be aware when an upgrade is either just around the corner, completely out of reach or ready to buy right now. It’s an essential tool for getting stronger quicker, in part because you’re able to put multiple pieces of gear on the list.

Target specific pieces of gear

Speaking of specific gear, you’re going to want to specialize quickly in Monster Hunter: World. Getting an entire armor set can put you on a mix-max road to success, where you skew your character toward a specific playstyle.

Capcom

There’s no way around it: You’re going to have to grind. There are all sorts of user-friendly tools like scout flies to help track down your prey and the aforementioned wishlists to pare down your requirements, but if you need six Great Jagras scales to complete a set, you have to hunt them down repeatedly.

At first, you kind of just take what you can get. Completing the first few missions will grant you a swath of rewards, which can net you several pieces of armor that improve upon the starter set you got at the beginning. Start using the wishlist feature early and often and complete an entire line of armor based on a type that compliments how you play the game.

Pick a weapon and stick with it

Monster Hunter: World’s weapon upgrading system is forgiving: You can undo upgrades whenever you want and get the materials back. Don’t let that trick you into swapping weapons repeatedly, though.

After spending all that time going for an item on your wishlist, it would be a shame to negate your hard work, change gear and start a new grind session. Here’s the argument for committing to a weapon.

Capcom

At the start of your adventure, we recommend that you head directly to your room, speak to the Palico (cat) inside of it and go to the training room. Try every weapon in the chest. Tutorial prompts will pop up after swapping weapons. It’s one of the only teaching tools in the entire game, so be sure to take advantage of it. Try each weapon for at least one minute. Worst case scenario: You spend roughly 14 minutes picking out the weapon that you like the most.

You shouldn’t choose a main weapon because of the crafting requirements — again, you can get those back. It’s more about the time investment. Learning how a weapon works takes time and effort, especially some of the high skill ceiling pieces of equipment like the hunting horn or the gunlance.

Monster Hunter: World recommends that you start with the sword and shield, which is a great option, but the hammer also has a really easy learning curve and can cripple enemies with its powerful blows. Whatever you choose, just stick with it for several missions.