Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is here, and with it comes a flurry of new features and changes that Capcom has put into place, not to mention the bevy of monsters waiting to pommel you into the snow until you scream “daddy.”
In order to help you avoid that humiliation, and to fill you in on the coolest features introduced to Monster Hunter World, I’ve put together a list of the 10 essential tips you need to embrace Master Rank. Here are our top tips to overcoming the icy tundra in Iceborne:
Farm Hot Drinks and Nulberries
You knew this one was coming. Start farming those Hot Peppers, because you’re going to need those Hot Drinks to warm up when you’re digging yourself out of the snow after a giant moose (Banbaro) attacks you.
Specifically, the cold will permanently drain your stamina unless you consume a Hot Drink. You also get a crate full of Hot Drinks at the start of each mission in the Hoarfrost Reach, so be sure to stockpile there.
And you better be packing some Nulberries, too, to stave off Iceblight, which you can catch from several snow monsters that infest the Hoarfrost Reach.
Let go of your old gear
Trust me, I feel your pain. I was probably one of the many hunters fighting alongside you to get those monster parts for that badass gear you’re hauling around. I have an entire set revolving around my Empress Axe “Styx,” and I’m having trouble parting with it. But I have to, and so do you.
Iceborne introduces an entire new rank, so all those hard-fought hours we spent farming are moot. For example, the very first piece of gear that becomes available to you in Master Rank is the Bone A+ armor, which starts off at a whopping 114 defense at level 1. In comparison, my Empress Crown B helmet has 90 defense, at level 11.
My tip is to get over it. This is a whole new game. Focus on getting new gear to embrace this new, dangerous world. Otherwise, you won’t survive. We’ll figure out new and improved builds in time, my friend.
Become a Clutch Claw master
Mounting monsters has never been easier -- well, sort of. This is a different kind of mounting.
With the Clutch Claw, you can attach yourself to a monster and perform several actions. While on top of the monster, you can move yourself to the desired position. From there, you can go for a simple weapon attack (Y or triangle) and wound the monster, which will make that part more susceptible to critical attacks (you’ll notice a different texture on the monster part as well).
If you manage to grapple on the monster’s head, you can get them to change direction with a claw attack (B or circle), which can be crazy useful to control the environment. While on a monster’s head, you can also fire the entirety of your slinger ammo (RT or R2) into their skull for some extra damage.
However, keep in mind that Clutch Claw moves takes a lot out of your stamina bar, so keep an eye on that when you’re trying to grapple your opponent.
If you’re having trouble mastering the Clutch Claw, the developers added a section just for that in the training room.
New world, new moves
Speaking of practice, it’s time to hit the training room, young hunter. Capcom has added at least one new move to all of the weapon types that you need to get a handle on if you want to succeed.
For example, my lovely Switch Axe has a new move called Heavy Slam, which gets comboed in from Wild Swing. That move activates a red buff on my axe. According to the Hunter’s Notes, this is called Axe Mode, and it’ll make it easier to flinch monsters.
If you’re wondering what’s new with your weapon, take a look at your Hunter’s Notes. New modes and combos are displayed with light blue text, while new button inputs are listed in a light gray.
Palico Gadgets get an upgrade
All of your Palico’s gadgets can now level up beyond level 10 and also obtain a new skill.
We’re not privy to all of the new skills. But for example, once the Vigorwasp Spray is maxed out, again, it’ll be able to fully revive you after death.
Of course, there’s a new gadget to accompany the new world as well, called TailRider Signal. With this, you can summon your personal troop of grimalkyne to help you combat monsters.
Two-player hunts is a viable option
Along with the expansion, Capcom has made it so that two-player games are set at a separate difficulty level from matches with three-to-four players.
This finally makes two-player parties a viable option for hunting monsters. Not only that, but the developers have made it so that the game will adjust for difficulty on the fly if someone leaves the group.
Know what The Steamworks is all about
Capcom added a minigame to the new hub, dubbed The Steamworks. You can earn a number of rewards in this minigame, but your goal is to get the Celestial Wyverian Print, which is essentially the Gold Wyverian Print of Master Rank. Other notable rewards are the Steam Ticket (material for armor) and Armor Spheres.
In order to power the machine, and get this minigame going, you need fuel. The developers introduced two new minable ores for that sole purpose: the Dragonvein Coal and Dragonvein Shard. You can use other ores as fuel, but I don’t recommend it since you’ll get diminishing returns in comparison.
The minigame is more about luck than anything else. You have to click three of the face buttons (A, X and Y or cross, square and triangle) in a hidden order to power the machine. Everytime you successfully power the machine, your reward pool increases. For what it’s worth, I managed to get a Celestial Wyverian Print on my first try with some natural guesswork. And since you don’t lose much from taking part in the minigame, I suggest simply keeping an eye out for Dragonvein Coal and Dragonvein Shards when you’re out hunting.
Monster Hunter Snap! Aka the Surveyor Set
Iceborne throws a sprinkle of Pokémon Snap into the mix of Monster Hunter World via the Surveyor Set.
The Surveyor Set allows you to take pictures out in the wild to be saved to an album. Your goal with the Surveyor Set is to complete Research Requests that task you to capture Lynians on camera under certain conditions, such as: Captured as large as possible, subject in front, and subject sniffing the surroundings. Capturing them with these conditions will award you items like Steel Eggs and a First Wyverian Print. You’ll know you made good on your request when a red paw print appears after you shoot the photo.
You can also simply capture epic moments and save them in your album for your own personal findings.
Become an interior decorator
What do all of these tips really matter when you can now Fab Five your house?
That’s right, you can replace the wallpaper, tear up the flooring and even change the lights. Maybe you want a new sofa? Or a new bed? Want a shelf to hang up your trinkets? You can do that too! (Trinkets in this case being weird house stuff like an urn or a burlap sack). Not only that, but you can also customize the color of the furniture and the type of wood it uses.
If you’re itching for different kinds of furniture, you’ll be able to get more by progressing through the story. And you’ll also be able to get furniture as a reward for completing certain bounties. If you purchased the deluxe edition of Iceborne, you actually get a Traditional Room set, which gives your room more of a stone-medieval design.
View Mode is your photo mode
Finally! There’s a photo mode to capture all of those ridiculously cinematic moments throughout Monster Hunter World.
It’s incredibly limited, but it does exist. You can access it by going to the System tab in the menu (you can also assign it to your Radial Menu, which is neat).
The camera can only go a certain distance from your body, but you can perform gestures as well as poses, such as a Powerful Pose and a Cutesy Pose. You can also adjust the camera speed as well as the camera controls. Unfortunately, there aren’t any filters to choose from. Hopefully, Capcom will add to View Mode as time goes on.
Regardless, I’m super excited for the content that the community comes up with.
