Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is the first paid expansion for the base game, and boy, is it big! There are tons of new monsters to fight, things to do and achievements to unlock. And the game doesn’t baby its players; it assumes that you’re still as skilled as you were when you finished the main game. So, if you haven’t played Monster Hunter: World in months, this will feel pretty difficult. That’s not to say this is a bad game. If anything, it’s been getting rave reviews from many publishers. They have praised the new, icy location, the new tools for fighting monsters, the ability to ride mounts, and more. If you loved Monster Hunter: World, you’re bound to love Iceborne too.
There are players who might struggle with this game, though, so we’ve developed a guide for getting the most out of this ambitious and complex expansion.
10 Learn about Steamworks
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne has a new minigame called The Steamworks. It offers plenty of rewards, like the Steam Ticket and Armor Spheres, but the main aim is to obtain the Celestial Wyverian Print. To power the machine that starts the minigame, you need fuel. The best ores to mine for this fuel are the Dragonvein Shard and the Dragonvein Coal.
You can use other ores, of course, but they will not be as effective as these ones. The minigame relies on luck, but the potential rewards are worth the effort of looking for those ores.
9 Play with a Friend
In Monster Hunter: World, a two-player party was a chore to get through, since you got the same difficulty as three and four-player parties. Overcoming the harder monsters needed a tremendous amount of effort, and defeating the elder dragons was an exercise in futility. Thankfully, Iceborne addresses that.
Two-player games can be difficult. And to further show that the developers have been listening to gamers, the difficulty will automatically change if a player leaves the party. This makes Iceborne a pleasure to play with a friend.
8 Get a Tailrider
If you’re playing the game alone, you need a Tailrider. These cats help you in your hunts. They deal plenty of damage, which makes a massive difference in the more challenging hunts. The Tailriders also draw plenty of aggression from a monster you’re fighting, which takes the heat off of you for a little while and gives you time to heal.
You can look for these cats on your map through small cat icons. You can also befriend the BoaBoa at Hoarfrost Ridge, and they will give you a Tailrider Signal to help you find these furry creatures.
7 Capture Tempered Monsters
At some point in the game, you will start to face Tempered Monsters. These monsters are a lot stronger than High Rank monsters but not as powerful as the Master Rank ones. Flash Pods won’t affect them after a few uses, plus they deal increased damage and have increased health. However, their rewards are worth it: improved Feystones and Streamstones.
The Tempered Monsters come in three different threat levels. Your goal should be to capture at least seven different threat level two monsters. Doing so will unlock the hidden mission, “New World Sky, New World Flower."
6 Upgrade your Palico
Hunting solo can be quite punishing in this game. That said, if you’re not into multiplayer and prefer going solo, there are a few things you ought to do so you don’t die too often. One of the most helpful is upgrading your Palico. If you build new tools for them, they can hold their own, and might even be able to get you out of a bind.
Other than new tools, you can also consider upgrading their weapons and armor. Furthermore, Palico tools are also getting a new ability in this expansion, but you can only unlock them if you upgrade your tool.
5 Learn the Clutch Claw
The clutch claw is among the most beneficial new additions in Iceborne. It’s not mandatory to use, but if you learn how to use it, it can be a versatile and effective tool. It works as a grappling hook, and if you use it to hit a monster, you can catapult yourself straight towards it. And it doesn’t end there.
Once you reach the monster, you have the option to rappel up its side, steer the monster (possibly to a pitfall) or deal a critical blow to it. In other words, the clutch claw gives you a number of creative new ways to deal with those massive beasts.
4 Pack Enough
Hoarfrost Reach is a cold and unforgiving place. If you go in without any preparation, the sub-zero climate will take you down you faster than any monster can. Stocking up on Hot Drinks is not even an option; you need it to keep your stamina from running out and leaving you vulnerable to attacks.
You should also craft the most powerful healing potions you can, together with items like Herbal Medicine and Antidote. Elemental effects from monsters are the norm in Iceborne, so you need to carry as many healing items as you can to cure these inflictions.
3 Upgrade your Base
You will spend a lot of time at Hoarfrost Reach, hunting massive new monsters. However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your home base. In fact, this expansion necessitates upgrading the facilities in your base.
You need plenty of medicines, tonics, and potions every time you leave the village, because of the increasing demands and difficulty in Iceborne. But using your zenny to purchase them each time is not cost-effective. Instead, the best option is to upgrade your facilities so that you can craft these things as opposed to buying them.
2 Remember your Decorations
Decorations in this game are about more than just looking good; they also help you in various other ways. For one, fitting your armor with various jewels gives you additional skills. The larger the jewel you use, the more potent its effects will be. Jewels also impact your weapons. If you prefer going airborne while fighting, for instance, you can equip the Flight Jewel to buff your aerial attacks.
Most jewels are gotten as you complete your quests. However, you can also craft them when you visit Elder Melder in either Astera or Seliana.
1 Balance Aggression with Defence
Iceborne is not a walk in the park, even for seasoned Monster Hunter: World players. To take down the challenging monsters, it is mandatory to learn new tactics and moves. The best way to start is by being aggressive early on, when the hunts start to get tough. As the fights become more challenging, defending becomes more difficult.
So, finding a balance is crucial. Playing more aggressively is vital if you want to defeat elder dragons, and the game can become frustrating if you’re just dodging and defending most of the time.
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