Monster Hunter: World just received a major upgrade via its Iceborne expansion. No doubt, hunters from all around the world are itching to dive headfirst into the mounds of snow that smother Hoarfrost Reach. But looking before you leap is a good way to get yourself triple-carted, especially against the new challenges Iceborne brings.
That's where this article comes in; our goal is to help both veteran hunters and inexperienced players prepare for Iceborne. We only wish that we had a comprehensive guide before we started playing ourselves. Hopefully, we help others experience a much smoother transition into Iceborne.
10 The Iceproof Mantle Is Invaluable
This sort of sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? But, in fairness, most of the mantles you can get in MHW aren't necessary items - meaning there are plenty of players who've yet to attain them all. However, even Capcom recommends that players grab the Iceproof Mantle before starting Iceborne - and when the devs make suggestions, it's usually best not to take their hints lightly.
Thankfully, the process to craft the Iceproff Mantle is super easy! Simply complete the 'Armory R&D: Weatherizing' quest by turning in 3 Paolumu Pelts + and 1 Paolumu Wing. Trust us, you don't want to catch Iceblight in Hoarfrost Reach.
9 As Well As The Temporal Mantle
Unlike the Iceproof Mantle, getting the Temporal Mantle won't be a cakewalk. First off, you need an HR of 16 or more - which is probably the easiest part of this questline. Next, you'll need to complete 'The Blazing Sun,' 'Pandora's Arena,' and 'No Remorse, No Surrender' quests.
We hope you like Teostra and Lunastra because you'll be battling these annoying Elder Dragons a lot! Oh, we forgot to mention that you have to complete 'The Food Chain Dominator' to unlock 'The Blazing Sun' - which means you must defeat Deviljho to stand a chance! Should you complete these insane tasks, you'll get one of the best mantles in the game.
8 Augmented Weapons Are A Must
Instinctively, hunters always upgrade their weapons when we get the chance; it doesn't matter how much the process will cost or how rare the required materials are - we live for the experience of pushing our gear to the next level. That's why hunting for Streamstones can be such a drag - you have to slaughter countless Tempered Monsters with no guarantee of attaining the gem you need.
Still, we recommend that you augment at least one of your weapons - specifically, we suggest taking the Health Regen upgrade. Do you want our best advice for farming Streamstones? Stock up on Tempered Legiana Investigations and capture them while you have Capture Master and Legiana's Favor equipped.
7 Same Goes For High-Rank Armor Sets
Of course, what good is it to obsess over the quality of your weapons only to neglect your armor? Shortly before Iceborne's release, Capcom also suggested players fully upgrade at least one set of High-Rank armor.
Thankfully, hunters will have a much easier time accomplishing this task - just be sure to stock up on the appropriate materials, plenty of cores, and tons of coin. If you're looking for a solid offensive set, we recommend building the Bone Alpha or Beta sets ASAP. Conversely, both of the Diablos sets offer some of the best defensives options in High-Rank.
6 We Can Use The Slinger With Any Weapon Drawn
Often, the best additions to games are tangible - upping the numbers is great and all, but it's also nice when expansions drastically improve the base game's formula. Capcom seems to agree, as they've overhauled MHW's Slinger device. Now, hunters can use the Slinger while any weapon's drawn!
Combine this feature with the new Clutch Claw, and hunters become twice as evasive as ever before! Don't worry Sword 7 Shield users, your weapon hasn't been rendered obsolete just yet.
5 All 14 Weapons Have New Combos
Thanks in large part to one of the other drastic ways Iceborne improves MHW's formula. As of Update 10.11 for PS4 (and Update 10.1.0.1 for Xbox One,) all of the 14 weapons in MHW have new moves and combos!
The Long Sword can fill its Spirit Guage much faster while the Dual Blades can hit crits more frequently. Honestly, we could devote an entire article to Iceborne's weapon changes - just know that every weapon benefits from this new update. Also, Sword & Shield is the only weapon that can enter Slinger Burst mode while aiming - so take that S&S haters!
4 We Can Also Deck Them Out With Pendants
Well, cosmetics are tangible upgrades in a sense - after all, a huge aspect of hunting is collecting trophies. With Iceborne, MHW players can now deck out their weapons with pendants - cute little decorations that look like something you'd stick on a keychain (or keyblade.)
Pendants don't come easy, however - you have to complete Master Rank quests and reach Iceborne's endgame to get them. Then again, if we wanted an easy experience, we wouldn't be playing Monster Hunter.
3 You Must Be HR16 To Access Master Rank
In laymen's terms, you have to complete the base game before you can access Hoarfrost Reach. To help players reach this end, Capcom added the Guardian Set to the game.
If you purchased Iceborne, but aren't HR16 yet, you can use this OP gear set to smash through MHW vanilla. That being said, you'll still have to venture off the beaten path to get the more valuable mantles and specialized tools available.
2 Don't Rely On That Guardian Set Too Much
As fun as stomping out most of MHW's base-game monsters might be, you can't lean on the Guardian Set forever. When maxed out, the set only offers 82 points of defense and two decoration slots that don't exceed level one.
Sooner or later, you'll need to craft a formidable armor set and create a build that compliments your playstyle. That means you'll have to still spend hours farming for gems like the rest of us! The Guardian set merely makes this process easier -- for a relatively short time.
1 Multiplayer Scaling Is Much More Refined
By the end of the day, MHW is a multiplayer game at its core. If you've ever struggled to take out a monster by yourself, that's because the game likely intended for multiple hunters to take on that beast.
With Iceborne, co-op becomes much easier and streamlined; the game dynamically adjusts the difficulty of the fight to the number of players present. There's even a special option for two-player groups which should co-op fell effortless.