Monster Hunter Generations can feel like a brutal and opaque game to newcomers. Its many mechanics, systems, and layers of complexity often go underexplained—if they’re explained at all. But don’t worry. This beginner’s guide is designed specifically for first-time players, giving you the critical foundations to start hunting confidently, managing your gear, and navigating the early game’s systems. By the end, you’ll know how to prepare, fight, and grow stronger with each hunt.

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Understanding the Monster Hunter Loop

The core of Monster Hunter Generations revolves around a tight and rewarding gameplay loop. First, you prepare: eat a meal, stock up on items, and equip your best available gear. Then, you head into the field, gather useful resources, and—most of the time—battle a giant boss monster. After defeating it, you carve rare materials from its body, return home, and use those parts to craft new, more powerful weapons and armor. Then you do it all again. That’s the essence of the game.

But it’s not as simple as it sounds. The game begins by asking you to pick one of 14 weapon types. While you start with a sword and shield, you can switch to any weapon category from your home’s equipment box right away. Each weapon feels entirely unique, and mastering just one can take time. But let’s walk through your options.

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Weapons: A Quick Tour

Weapons range from the slow but devastating Great Sword and KO-focused Hammer to the high-speed Dual Blades and supportive Hunting Horn. Others, like the Insect Glaive, enable aerial combat and buffs via a bug companion, while Charge Blade and Switch Axe feature transformative modes for varied playstyles. Ranged weapons include the Bow and two bowguns, offering tactical distance fighting with modifiable ammo and coatings.

If you’re overwhelmed, consider starting with the Long Sword in Striker Style. It offers a forgiving, powerful kit with a simple combo loop (X, X, A, repeat) that builds your Spirit Gauge, which when full, unlocks Spirit Attacks (R). Keep that gauge in the red to enjoy a 20% damage boost and use Sakura Slash—a Hunter Art—to fast-track those boosts during battle.

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Styles and Hunter Arts: Customizing Your Combat

New to Generations are Hunting Styles and Hunter Arts. These two mechanics shape how you play. Styles limit or expand your weapon’s moveset while also determining how many Hunter Arts—powerful, charge-based abilities—you can bring into a mission.

• Guild Style gives you the full moveset and two Arts.
• Striker Style reduces moves but grants three Arts that charge fast.
• Aerial Style trades variety for mobility and mount potential.
• Adept Style rewards precision dodging and timing, ideal for experienced players.

With 14 weapons and four styles, that’s 56 unique playstyles to try.

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Prowler Mode: The Simplified Path to Mastery

Another option for newcomers is Prowler Mode. After recruiting Palicoes—your AI cat companions—you can take control of one and enter missions with specialized skills. Prowlers don’t use items, don’t require gathering tools, and have infinite stamina. They’re not just easy mode; they’re a completely viable way to experience the game with less prep and micromanagement.

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Crafting, Stats, and the Smithy

Unlike traditional RPGs, Monster Hunter doesn’t have character leveling. All your growth comes from gear. The Smithy is your go-to spot to craft and upgrade weapons and armor using monster parts and gathered materials. You’ll need to discover a resource before its related gear becomes visible in the crafting list.

Weapon stats include raw damage, elemental damage (if applicable), sharpness, affinity (critical hit rate), and decoration slots. Sharpness affects how much damage you deal and how likely attacks are to bounce off tougher monsters.

Armor is simpler: defense and armor skills. Skills activate at 10 points and improve at 15 or 20. Some armor carries negative skills, which activate debuffs at -10. Mixing gear and adding decorations lets you push skills to activation thresholds. Popular early game sets—like Jaggi, Kut-Ku, or Bullfango—offer attack boosts, helping you get to those valuable +10, +15, or even +20 breakpoints early.

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Quest Types and Progression

There are two major quest types:

• Village Quests are solo-focused and given from any of the four main towns.
• Hunter’s Hub Quests support multiplayer but can also be done solo.

Quests break into types:

• Hunt Quests: Kill or capture large monsters.
• Capture Quests: Require traps and tranquilizers—don’t kill the target.
• Slaying Quests: Eliminate small monsters.
• Gathering Quests: Find and deliver specific items.
• Prowler Quests: Require playing in Prowler Mode.

To progress to a new tier, you must complete specific “key quests” and then an urgent quest. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t tell you which are key quests, so using external guides can speed up your progress.

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Preparing for the Hunt: Your Routine

Two things you must do before every quest:

1. Eat at the Bistro – Meals provide health, stamina, and skills. Meals with a chef’s hat icon offer enhanced boosts and are dirt cheap—always eat before a mission.
2. Stock Your Items – At the item box, bring potions, mega potions, paintballs (for monster tracking), whetstones (for melee), and the tools you’ll need like pickaxes or bug nets. Register these as an item set for quick resupply later.

If you’re missing ingredients, combine them. Herbs and blue mushrooms make potions. Add honey to get mega potions. For better success rates in crafting, buy Combo Books from the market.

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Gathering and Using the Field Efficiently

Once in the field, go straight to the supply box for free items—you don’t keep these post-quest, so use them. Talk to the Veggie Elder if you spot them for an extra free item.

Gather everything. Herbs from tall plants, mushrooms in dark areas, bugs in shaded spots, fish, and especially ore from mining nodes. Early gear requires a wide range of materials. Smaller monsters also provide valuable crafting parts.

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Combat and Survival Tips

• Paintball Your Target: Boss monsters will flee mid-fight. Tag them early to keep track.
• Watch Your Health: Keep it above 50%. Monsters can chain hits, stun you, and cart you fast.
• Don’t Be Greedy: Attack only when it’s safe. Dodge and block with discipline.
• Mounting Monsters: Jump off ledges or use Aerial Style to trigger mounts. Press X to fill the mount gauge. If it turns red, press R to brace.
• Enraged Phase: Monsters get faster and more aggressive. Adapt your rhythm.
• Finish Strong: When a monster limps or pants, it’s almost dead. Be aggressive, but don’t forget to carve it after the kill. Also gather any broken parts on the ground before the quest ends.

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Final Thoughts: Starting Right Makes All the Difference

Monster Hunter Generations asks a lot of new players. It’s dense, relentless, and slow to open up. But once you understand its systems and embrace its preparation-heavy flow, it becomes deeply rewarding. Use this guide to navigate your first few hours, and you’ll soon be building powerful armor sets, mastering a weapon style, and joining the hunt with real confidence. There’s still more to learn, but you now have the foundation to begin.

Good luck out there, hunter!