Introduction
Monster Hunter Now is a real-time game that utilizes GPS technology and was released by the same company, Niantic, which also developed the popular game Pokémon GO on 14 September 2023. Players engage in the hunt for monsters in the real world while on the move by exploring nearby locations, such as walking, hiking, but refraining from driving or traveling via high-speed rail. Knowing that it is a joint effort by Capcom means we can expect polished gameplay that matches the original Monster Hunter series in every way. The MHN website reported that the game had reached a milestone of ten million downloads on October 19, 2023.
Background
A friend introduced me to the Monster Hunter games on Wii in 2010 when I had a first-generation Nintendo Wii console. It was a challenging game without my usual keyboard/mouse controls, and because I kept dying, it did not hold my attention for long. That led me to the PC version of Monster Hunter World and later the Iceborne expansion, which I quit shortly after finishing the main story quests. The monsters hit harder, and I felt like I wasted time fighting them for more than 30 minutes only to die and not get any rewards. Last week, I was on my way to work when I noticed two commuters playing a monster hunter-like game on their mobile, tapping the screen frantically. I was curious, and I learned that it is Monster Hunter Now, which is ranked #2 in the role-playing game category on iOS.
Elements to Focus Early Game
Which element should I focus on in the beginning? The following is a list of the monsters I killed and their elemental weaknesses at HR 28. Summary of weakness: Poison is 4, Fire is 4, Water is 3, Thunder is 1.
- Great Jagras Medal – 51/500 | Weakness: Fire, Poison
- Pukei-Pukei Medal – 36/50 | Weakness: Thunder
- Kulu-Ya-Ku Medal – 30/50 | Weakness: Water
- Barroth Medal – 20/50 | Weakness: Fire, Poison
- Great Girros Medal – 15/50 | Weakness: Water
- Tobi-Kadachi Medal – 7/50 | Weakness: Water, Poison
- Paolumu Medal – 5/50 | Weakness: Fire
- Rathian Medal – 1/50 | Weakness: Fire, Poison
We should have 1 poison, 1 water, and 1 non-elemental weapons in the early stages of the game. Optional, a thunder weapon if you like to be the perfect hunter. Currently, there is no fire weapon to forge, at least in my current HR state. The non-element weapon is for Pukei-Pukei and Paolumu encounters.
Equipment Grade Rarity
- Grade 1 – strategize a good mix of Grade 1 and 2 for start to early mid-game, solo is easy and fast weapon upgrade progress
- Grade 2 – strategize a good mix of Grade 1 and 2 for start to early mid-game, solo is easy and fast weapon upgrade progress
- Grade 3 – requires material from uncommon difficulty (3 ★★★ up) monsters, solo is possible, but weapon upgrade progress will be much slower than Grade 1 and 2.
- Grade 4 – requires material from rare high difficulty (4 ★★★★ up) monsters and solo can be challenging
- Grade 5 – requires material from super-rare high difficulty (5 ★★★★★ up) monsters and solo for veteran players only!
Weapon Table @HR 34
Each element is connected to a specific equipment skill, like Water to Health Boost and Poison to Sneak Attack which is irregularless of the weapon type, if you sort the table by elements. If you Google online, you can find many weapons tier lists, but even the latest lists will have different “S” category recommendations of weapon types.
Early ~HR 28, Mid ~HR 30. Last Updated 1-Nov-2023| Weapon | Name | Affinity % | Element | Equipment Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sword & Shield | Hunter's Knife 1 | 0 | None | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Sword & Shield | Jagras Edge 1 | 0 | Water | Health Boost - Lv.1 (Grade 4) |
| Sword & Shield | Blooming Knife 1 | 0 | Poison | Sneak Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Sword & Shield | Carapace Edge 1 | 0 | None | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Sword & Shield | Girros Knife 1 | 0 | Paralysis | Sneak Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Sword & Shield | Thunder Edge 1 | 0 | Thunder | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Sword & Shield | Lumu Knife 1 | 0 | None | Divine Blessing - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Sword & Shield | Aqua Messer 1 | 0 | Water | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Sword & Shield | Blazing Edge 1 | 0 | Fire | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Sword & Shield | Princess Rapier 1 | 0 | Poison | Health Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Great Sword | Buster Sword 1 | 0 | None | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Great Sword | Jagras Blade 1 | 0 | Water | Health Boost - Lv.1 (Grade 4) |
| Great Sword | Blooming Blade 1 | 0 | Poison | Sneak - Lv.1 (Grade 8) |
| Great Sword | Carapace Buster 1 | 0 | None | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Great Sword | Girros Blade 1 | 0 | Paralysis | Sneak Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Great Sword | Thunder Blade 1 | 0 | Thunder | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Great Sword | Aqua Slasher 1 | 0 | Water | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Great Sword | Flammenzahn 1 | 0 | Fire | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Long Sword | Iron Katana 1 | 0 | None | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Long Sword | First Dance 1 | 5 | None | Fortify - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Long Sword | Pulsar Shotel 1 | 0 | Thunder | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Long Sword | Jyura Shotel 1 | 0 | Water | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Long Sword | Blazing Shotel 1 | 0 | Fire | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Long Sword | Wyvern Blade "Leaf" 1 | 0 | Poison | Health Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Hammer | Iron Hammer 1 | 0 | None | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Hammer | Kulu Beak 1 | 5 | None | Fortify - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Hammer | Blooming Hammer 1 | 0 | Poison | Sneak Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Hammer | Carapace Sledge 1 | 0 | None | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Hammer | Girros Hammer 1 | 0 | Paralysis | Sneak Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Hammer | Thunder Hammer 1 | 0 | Thunder | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Hammer | Aqua Hammer 1 | 0 | Water | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Hammer | Blazing Hammer 1 | 0 | Fire | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Hammer | Diablos Sledge 1 | 0 | None | Heroics - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Light Bowgun | Chain Blitz 1 | 0 | None | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Light Bowgun | Jagras Blitz 1 | 0 | Water | Health Boost - Lv.1 (Grade 4) |
| Light Bowgun | Carapace Rifle 1 | 0 | None | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Light Bowgun | Thunder Blitz 1 | 0 | Thunder | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Light Bowgun | Lumu Blitz 1 | 0 | None | Divine Blessing - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Light Bowgun | Madness Rifle 1 | 0 | Water | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Light Bowgun | Blazing Rifle 1 | 0 | Fire | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Bow | Iron Bow 1 | 0 | None | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Bow | Kulu Arrow 1 | 5 | None | Fortify - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Bow | Blooming Arch 1 | 0 | Poison | Sneak Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Bow | Pulsar Bow 1 | 0 | Thunder | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Bow | Aqua Arrow 1 | 0 | Water | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Bow | Blazing Bow 1 | 0 | Fire | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
| Bow | Princess Arrow 1 | 0 | Poison | Health Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Bow | Diablos Bow 1 | 0 | None | Heroics - Lv. 1 (Grade 8) |
Best Weapons Loadout Guide
Since the MHN weapon handling is easier than the real MHW, I wanted to play at least 3 of the 6 types of weapons and learn how they work. As the tier lists do not provide comparable ‘S’ category weapons, I consulted the official Monster Hunter Now weapon webpage to review the fighting animation. I narrowed down the options to sword & shield, hammer, and light bowgun, which are considered to encompass all elemental attacks. I tried to forge one weapon type from each monster. This way, I can level up and overgrade quickly without having to compete for the same materials.
| Weapon Type | Name | Element | Equipment Skill | Monster Materials |
| Sword & Shield (consider swap) Bow | Blooming Knife 1 (consider swap) Blooming Arch 1 | Poison | Sneak Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 8) | Pukei-Pukei |
| Light Bowgun | Jagras Blitz 1 | Water | Health Boost – Lv.1 (Grade 4) | Great Jagras |
| Great Sword | Carapace Buster 1 | None | Defense Boost – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Barroth |
| Sword & Shield (or) Light Bowgun (mid-game) | Lumu Knife 1 (or) Lumu Blitz 1 | None | Divine Blessing – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Paolumu |
| Long Sword (mid-game) | Pulsar Shotel 1 | Thunder | Evade Extender – Lv. 1 (Grade 8) | Tobi-Kadachi |
| Hammer (mid-game) | Girros Hammer 1 | Paralysis | Sneak Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 8) | Great Girros |
Armor Table @HR 34
Initially, I was using the default pieces of leather armor until one of the story quests required forging the Kulu Headpiece 1. I started to look at the equipment skills, but at the beginning of the game, only four sets of armor are available: Leather, Jagras, Kulu, and Pukei. When I passed about HR 20, other sets included Barroth, Girros, and Kadachi. I began to strategize what pieces of armor I should equip to fight more efficiently.
Early ~HR 28, Mid ~HR 30. Last Updated 1-Nov-2023| Part | Name | Equipment Skill 1 | Equipment Skill 2 | Early/ Mid Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helm | Leather Headgear 1 | Critical Eye - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Ice Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Leather Mail 1 | Attack Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Fire Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early | |
| Vambraces | Leather Gloves 1 | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Thunder Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Coil | Leather Belt 1 | Health Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Water Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Greaves | Leather Trousers 1 | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Paralysis Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Helm | Jagras Helm 1 | Firm Foothold - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Jagras Mail 1 | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | ||
| Vambraces | Jagras Vambraces 1 | Firm Foothold - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Water Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Coil | Jagras Coil 1 | Fortify - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Rising Tide - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Greaves | Jagras Greaves 1 | Water Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Helm | Kulu Headpiece 1 | Lock on - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Critical Eye - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Kulu Mail 1 | Guts - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | ||
| Vambraces | Kulu Vambraces 1 | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Critical Eye - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Coil | Kulu Coil 1 | Last Stand - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Greaves | Kulu Greaves 1 | Critical Eye - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Helm | Pukei Hood 1 | Focus - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Health Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Pukei Mail 1 | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Focus - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early | |
| Vambraces | Pukei Vambraces 1 | Poison Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Coil | Pukei Coil 1 | Poison Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Greaves | Pukei Greaves 1 | Health Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Helm | Barroth Helm 1 | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Offensive Guard - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Barroth Mail 1 | Offensive Guard - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | ||
| Vambraces | Barroth Vambraces 1 | Guard - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Coil | Barroth Coil 1 | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Guard - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Greaves | Barroth Greaves 1 | Recoil Down - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Defense Boost - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Helm | Girros Helm 1 | Paralysis Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early | |
| Girros Mail 1 | Paralysis Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Sneak Attack - Lv.1 (Grade 6) | Early | |
| Vambraces | Girros Vambraces 1 | Sneak Attack - Lv.1 (Grade 2) | Earplugs - Lv.1 (Grade 6) | Early |
| Coil | Girros Coil 1 | Paralysis Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Earplugs - Lv.1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Greaves | Girros Greaves 1 | Paralysis Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Helm | Kadachi Helm 1 | Reload Speed - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Artful Dodger - Lv.1 (Grade 6) | Early |
| Kadachi Mail 1 | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Thunder Attack - Lv.1 (Grade 4) | Early | |
| Vambraces | Kadachi Vambraces 1 | Evade Extender - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Artful Dodger - Lv.1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Coil | Kadachi Coil 1 | Thunder Attack - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Early | |
| Greaves | Kadachi Greaves 1 | Artful Dodger - Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Thunder Resistance - Lv. 1 (Grade 4) | Early |
| Helm | Lumu Hat 1 | Concentration - Lv. 1 | Windproof - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Lumu Mail 1 | Recoil Down - Lv. 1 | Mid | ||
| Vambraces | Lumu Vambraces 1 | Concentration - Lv. 1 | Divine Blessing - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Coil | Lumu Coil 1 | Divine Blessing - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Greaves | Lumu Greaves 1 | Windproof - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Helm | Jyura Helm 1 | Water Resistance - Lv. 1 | Last Stand - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Jyura Mail 1 | Water Attack - Lv. 1 | Last Stand - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Vambraces | Jyura Vambraces 1 | Water Attack - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Coil | Jyura Coil 1 | Water Resistance - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Greaves | Jyura Greaves 1 | Focus - Lv. 1 | Last Stand - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Helm | Anja Helm 1 | Fire Attack - Lv. 2 | Fire Resistance - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Anja Mail 1 | Special Boost - Lv. 1 | Mid | ||
| Vambraces | Anja Vambraces 1 | Fire Attack - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Coil | Anja Coil 1 | Fire Resistance - Lv. 1 | Special Boost - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Greaves | Anja Greaves 1 | Peak Performance - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Helm | Rathian Helm 1 | Health Boost - Lv. 2 | Poison Attack - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Rathian Mail 1 | Poison Attack - Lv. 1 | Mid | ||
| Vambraces | Rathian Vambraces 1 | Lock On - Lv. 1 | Burst - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Coil | Rathian Coil 1 | Poison Resistance - Lv. 1 | Burst - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Greaves | Rathian Greaves 1 | Health Boost - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Helm | Diablos Helm 1 | Heroics - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Diablos Mail 1 | Slugger - Lv. 1 | Heroics - Lv. 1 | Mid | |
| Vambraces | Diablos Vambraces 1 | Heroics - Lv. 2 | Partbreaker - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Coil | Diablos Coil 1 | Partbreaker - Lv. 1 | Offensive Guard - Lv. 1 | Mid |
| Greaves | Diablos Greaves 1 | Slugger - Lv. 2 | Partbreaker - Lv. 1 | Mid |
Best Armors Loadout Guide
I decided to wear the same outfit for all my hunts and not use the loadout feature in the game because I want to just switch to the right counter element weapon before a hunt starts. Nevertheless, it may be necessary to have different loadouts when hunting monsters with four or more stars difficulty. My preferred generic loadout would entail having all Elemental types of damage in addition to Critical Eye, and utilizing armor pieces that possess two equipment skills instead of one. Equipment skills:
| Armor | Set Name | Equipment Skill 1 | Equipment Skill 2 |
| Helm | Kulu Headpiece 1 | Lock on – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Critical Eye – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Kadachi Mail 1 | Evade Extender – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Thunder Attack – Lv.1 (Grade 4) | |
| Vambraces | Pukei Vambraces 1 (or) Jagras Vambraces 1 | Poison Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) Firm Foothold – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Poison Resistance – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) Water Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Coil | Girros Coil 1 | Paralysis Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Earplugs – Lv.1 (Grade 4) |
| Greaves | Kadachi Greaves 1 (or) Barroth Greaves 1 (blowgun user) | Artful Dodger – Lv.1 (Grade 2) Recoil Down – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Thunder Resistance – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) Defense Boost – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Mail (until can forge Kadachi Mail 1) | Leather Mail 1 | Attack Boost – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) | Fire Resistance – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) |
| Greaves (until can forge Kadachi Greaves 1) | Kulu Greaves 1 | Critical Eye – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) |
- Poison Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 2) or Water Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 4)
- Paralysis Attack – Lv. 1 (Grade 2)
- Thunder Attack – Lv.1 (Grade 4)
- Critical Eye – Lv. 1 (Grade 4)
- Lock on – Lv. 1 (Grade 2)
- Artful Dodger – Lv.1 (Grade 2) or Recoil Down – Lv. 1 (Grade 2)
- Evade Extender – Lv. 1 (Grade 2)
- Earplugs – Lv.1 (Grade 4)
- Poison Resistance – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) or Firm Foothold – Lv. 1 (Grade 2)
- Thunder Resistance – Lv. 1 (Grade 4) or Defense Boost – Lv. 1 (Grade 4)
Conclusion
After playing Monster Hunter Now, I regained my interest and returned to play MHW Iceborne to try some heavy (HBG) and light (LBG) bowgun builds. Atlas, I’m lacking the necessary supplies to craft either weapons or armor, so I resorted to plowing through the fields with my hammer. You can join the hunt to fight Paolumu or Rathian after HR 25, which allows you to forge new weapons (purple rarity) and amour (blue and purple rarity) but these monsters don’t appear on my map presently (HR 28). Finally, be careful where you are walking when playing MHN. I almost stepped on a upward moving elevator while trying to go down!
