Monster Hunter: World launched on January 28, 2018, for PS4 and Xbox One before landing on PCs in August. It’s over a year old now and it’s still being supported by updates to make the world a better experience by fixing bugs or adding new content. These additions, of course, have been absolutely free. They have included tie-ins to Street Fighter V, The Witcher 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, and so many others. It has kept this community alive and it’s about to get a lot crazier.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will be the first paid expansion for the game. That’s not bad considering, again, everything up to this point has been free. It’s also going to only be $40 even though Capcom has advertised this expansion as being as long as the original game. Regardless if that is true or not, it will debut on September 6. The core game recently launched on Xbox Game Pass and it has dropped down on other platforms to around $20.

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With the prices cut and the expansion on the way, there has never been a better time to jump in for the first time. Now, one of the biggest things one will be doing a lot of is capturing monsters. The game doesn’t do a great job of explaining everything about this process; so, for newcomers, here are some helpful tips that carry over to the rest of the game as well. Hope this helps and happy hunting!

8 Capture Vs. Destruction

Let’s first go over the differences between hunting down monsters and capturing them. Hunting is just another word for destroying them. It’s a very clear-cut way to victory, literally. Rewards are nice, but capturing a monster, even though it takes more work, is a lot more beneficial.

Some rewards can only be received by slaying monsters, but the majority of items a creature can have will be bestowed from a capture. The scientists back at home base gather a lot of data on live monsters, which will help out in the long run as well.

7 Hunt Together

While the game can be played solo, it’s not as fun alone. This applies to everything from hunting to capturing to just exploring the world. For capturing, it is nice to have someone with backup gear just in case your supplies run out, or if something is unfortunately left behind.

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Most quests can be tackled with up to four friends, although there are some limits. A lot of story quests have to be initially completed solo before they open up for multiplayer. And, don’t worry: Someone doesn’t need friends because random hunters are more than helpful. This community rocks!

6 Match Equipment To Monster

Speaking of supplies, it is important to match the hunter's gear to the target's weaknesses. Instead of giving an example in Monster Hunter: World, let’s talk about another monster game that is more recognizable: Pokémon. Squirtle, a water type Pokémon, is weak to electric attacks from say a Pikachu.

Creatures in this game have elemental weakness just like that. Prior to a hunt, talk to a scientist because they can give some helpful data on what will and won’t work. Of course, the more one fights a specific creature the more data will be archived. It’s a trial and error process at first.

5 The Environment Is Your Friend

Besides prepping one’s gear to take advantage of enemy weaknesses, players can and should make great use of the environment. For example, there are tree brambles that, if hit while a monster is close, can ensnare them. Hey, that’s a free trap!

They usually don’t hold as long as something crafted but, again, these are options. Before taking on a hunt, it is imperative that players explore each new section of the game in order to better understand the area. Just like in real life, it all comes back to research.

4 Break It Down

There is another analogy to Pokémon that will be helpful for fleshing out this piece. What do players have to do in those games in order to catch a Pokémon? They need to weaken it first. By depleting the target's HP, the creature finds it harder to resist being trapped in a Pokéball.

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Yes, putting it like that makes the universe seem really dark and grim, but that’s for another article to explore. Anyway, it works the same way albeit on a bigger scale in Monster Hunter: World. The one downside is that there is no HP bar.

3 Get Ready To Heal

One of the absolute most essential items to bring along in a hunt is healing items. Look, let’s get real here: Some events can take up to an hour to finally complete. These are stamina battles in both the game and in real life.

It takes a lot out of a person, so don’t forget to heal. Luckily, that is the one bar Capcom did decide to show off. Thankfully, the guesswork is left aside for this aspect of the game. Furthermore, always search for Honey or Herbs to refill the hunter's supply of healing items.

2 Trap And Bomb

Okay, this is the big one. There are absolutely two essential things one needs to bring on any hunt seeking to capture a monster: Traps and tranquilizer bombs. Once the beast has been reduced to a weakened state, the next step is to lay down a trap.

Once placed, and if trapped, throw a bomb, or two at its face. If the monster's HP has been sufficiently depleted, then it will immediately be caught after falling asleep. If two bombs don’t do it, then it’s time to start hacking away again.

1 Don’t Get Discouraged

This is almost as necessary as the traps and bombs. There is only so much a player can do to prepare themselves for a hunt. Fights take a long time and failing after all this research and battling can be discouraging.

However, just like in real life, take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. At the end of the day, this is just a game and playing with friends should be more than enough to make one happy. Enjoy it!

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