Monster Hunter Now is a mobile version of Capcom's popular action RPG series made by the developers of Pokemon GO, Niantic. Although this version of the franchise is more bite-sized and beginner-friendly, there's still a lot to figure out for those who may be a first-time monster hunter. There are several things the game doesn't explain super well, so these Monster Hunter Now tips and tricks should help struggling players out.
You Have to Play With a Sword and Shield at First
The biggest question that Monster Hunter Now players seem to have while playing is, "When can you get new weapon types?" The thing is, players will start off with a Sword and Shield, and that's the only weapon they will have access to until they reach Chapter 2. The Great Sword will unlock first, and once players finish the chapter, they will gain access to the other four weapon types: Long Sword, Light Bowgun, Hammer, and the Bow.
Share Your Referral Code
Potions and Paintballs are very important items to have a lot of in Monster Hunter Now. Players can hoard a bunch of them if other players use their referral code upon starting the mobile game. Players can find their code if they click on their character at the bottom-left of the screen and then press the 'View' button. If the person that uses the code gets to Hunter Rank 6, both players will get 3 Paintballs, 5 Potions, and 300Zenny.
You Can Zoom Out
It can be hard to see what's happening in battles sometimes, but players should know that they can zoom out by pinching two fingers together to get a better view of the action.
Don't Upgrade and Craft Everything
Because some materials can be super rare, players need to make sure they don't go upgrade crazy without first sticking to a particular weapon or armor set. To check out the Equipment Skills, click on any weapon or armor piece and read it carefully. Choose a different one if you feel the skill isn't needed for your playstyle. These skills, once unlocked through upgrades, will become crucial in the late-game to take down powerful monsters. Zenny can also come and go, so try not to spend it all in one place.
Prioritize Quests and use Paintballs the Right Way
Players can use the pink Paintballs from the Shop to manually mark monsters found while playing. Some people might wonder why this is needed, but it's a game-changer for some quests. For example, if one of the quests asks players to kill a particular monster, the Paintball can be used to save other monsters for later, so their deaths can be counted for a different quest. Essentially, unless the killing of a large monster is needed for a main quest or special quest, try and use a Paintball to stock up.
Dodge at the Last Second
When encountering a large monster, wait for the monster to turn red and until the last millisecond to dodge. Performing it correctly will result in a little slo-mo animation, and players can perform a counter-attack soon after. Remember that you can also move backward and forward to avoid attacks or move closer to the monster for an attack.
Break Parts
By gaining the lock-on skill with the Kulu Headpiece armor, players can lock on to specific body parts of a monster. This isn't needed to break parts but can make things easier for hunters. Either way, breaking a monster's part will yield more monster part rewards at the end of each hunt, so always experiment with different weapons and parts of a monster's body to see which parts can be broken and what happens. Blunt weapons like the Great Sword and the Hammer are fantastic at breaking heads and arms. And sharper weapons like the Long Sword can potentially cut off a monster's tail.
Special Skills
Special Skills are powerful moves that can really turn the tide of a hunt. Make sure to activate the Special Skills right before a monster lands an attack --players can't get hurt while using these abilities, so go all out.
Monster and Resource Respawns
We don't know the exact timing, but it seems monsters and resources will respawn every three or four hours.
Fight the Small Monsters
Not only will fighting the small monsters increase players' Special Skill gauge, but it'll also give them some crafting materials that might come in handy. They take no effort to defeat, so don't be afraid to grind.
Monster Hunter Now is available for free on mobile devices.