High-Rank and Tempered Monsters

Learn how to unlock and hunt High-Rank and Tempered Monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds. Discover their rewards, strengths, and how they differ from low-rank variants.

Alright, so you've made it through the early parts of Monster Hunter Wilds, and now you're ready to take on some real challenges! We're talking about High-Rank and Tempered monsters. Think of these guys as the souped-up versions of the monsters you've been fighting. They hit harder, have more health, and drop better stuff, which is exactly what you need to craft some seriously powerful gear.

The biggest thing to know is that once you complete chapter 3 and hit chapter 4, pretty much everything you run into in the Forbidden Lands will be a high-rank variant. If you see a hunt rated ★4 or higher, you're in high-rank territory. If you really want to fight those weaker, low-rank versions again (everything from chapters 1-3), you'll need to go back and replay optional quests through Alma. Those will all be ★3 or lower.

Monster Rank Breakdown

To give you a clearer picture, here’s a look at which monsters are available in which rank:

High-Rank Monster Rewards

So, why bother hunting these tougher versions? For starters, high-rank monsters drop a whole bunch of new materials that you won't get from their low-rank counterparts. This is crucial for crafting better weapons and armor. Think of it like getting a Rompopolo Hide+ instead of just a Rompopolo Hide – it’s a significant upgrade. Plus, since you'll be encountering these monsters after decorations start to unlock, they have a chance to drop those valuable gems too. Just remember, their loot pools are pretty separate; you won't get low-rank materials from a high-rank hunt, and vice versa.

Unlocking and Hunting Tempered Monsters

Tempered monsters are the next step up – they're even tougher variants of high-rank monsters. To start facing them, you'll need to complete the main quest called Thundering Flowers. This is a ★5 hunt where you'll face both a Guardian Fulgur Anjanath and a Tempered Lala Barina. Once you clear that, high-rank versions of most monsters will unlock as tempered variants.

Tempered monsters usually don't drop entirely new materials, but they give you more Hunter Rank points and Zenny, and their ★ difficulty rating is higher. The really unique thing they drop are weapon shards. These are super important because they're used to craft the [Artian Weapons]. These weapons are special because they offer more customization options than your standard gear.

You'll be able to spot tempered monsters easily – they've got this cool purple aura around them, and the blue scoutflies will lead you right to them. Pretty much any high-rank monster can have a tempered version. The absolute toughest enemy in the base game? That's the Tempered Arkveld, a ★8 hunt. Good luck with that one!