Monster Hunter World: Best Loot Locations

Monster Hunter World (MHW) unfurls a vast terrain of untamed wilderness and perilous locales, teeming with gargantuan beasts and rare treasures. Tackling these formidable creatures is no small feat, but the rewards reaped are often worth the risk, offering powerful gear and valuable resources for those brave enough to face the game’s challenges. This guide is your compass to navigating the treasure trove of loot that lies scattered across the New World, ensuring you know where to look, what to hunt, and how to maximize your gains.

Understanding Loot#

Before diving into the prime loot locations, it’s crucial to grasp the mechanics underpinning the game’s loot system. Monster Hunter World operates on a tiered loot system, where the rarity and quality of your spoils are determined by several factors, including the monster you defeat, the location of the hunt, and the quests or investigations you undertake. Understanding these can significantly increase your efficiency in harvesting the best gear and resources.

Loot in MHW can be broadly categorized into monster parts, gathered resources, and rewards from quests and investigations. Monster parts are obtained by defeating monsters, with different parts dropping depending on where and how you damage the beast. Gathered resources are found throughout the world, in plants, ores, and endemic life. Quest and investigation rewards are granted upon completion of these tasks and often include a mix of monster parts and gathered resources, with a higher chance for rare items.

Loot Locations#

The New World in MHW is divided into several distinct ecosystems, each home to unique monsters and resources. Knowing the best spots for specific loot can save you hours of aimless wandering.

Ancient Forest#

Great for: Herbivores like Aptonoths for easy meat gathering, and early-game monsters such as Great Jagras.
Tips: Check the canopy for Honey and rare Birds. Engaging with flying monsters like Rathalos can yield high-quality materials.

Wildspire Waste#

Great for: Mining outcrops and Bonepiles. Barroth and Diablos offer valuable materials for crafting.
Tips: The central desert area is rich in ores; make sure to bring Cool Drinks to combat the heat.

Coral Highlands#

Great for: Coral Bone and other unique crafting materials. Legiana, the zone’s apex predator, drops high-tier loot.
Tips: Use the air currents to reach high-altitude nests and rare gathering spots.

Rotten Vale#

Great for: Scavenging rare monster materials from carcasses and Odogaron sightings.
Tips: Bring antidotes for the toxic environment, and utilize the Effluvial resistance gear.

Elder’s Recess#

Great for: High-tier loot from Elder Dragons and rare minerals.
Tips: Focus on breaking parts from Elder Dragons like Nergigante for the best rewards.

Loot Strategies#

Maximizing your loot haul requires not just knowing where to hunt but how. Here are some strategies to ensure you’re extracting every ounce of value from your hunts:

Target Investigations: These offer much better rewards than standard quests. Focus on ones with silver and gold reward boxes for the chance at rarer loot.
Part Breaking: Concentrating attacks on specific monster parts increases the chance of them breaking, yielding additional rewards.
Capture vs. Kill: Capturing monsters often provides more (and sometimes better) rewards than killing them. Make sure to study your quarry to know when it’s vulnerable.
Utilize the Botanical Research Center: Cultivating resources like Honey, which is essential for crafting Mega Potions, can save you time gathering in the field.

Rare Loot#

Certain items in MHW are exceedingly rare and are required for crafting top-tier weapons and armor. These include gems and plates, which have notoriously low drop rates. Here are some locations and strategies for snagging these elusive treasures:

Gold Investigations: Target investigations with gold reward boxes specifically. These have a higher chance of yielding rare items.
Elder Dragon Hunts: Elder Dragons like Teostra and Kushala Daora have a higher chance of dropping rare loot, making them prime targets for farming.
Tail Carving: Whenever possible, sever the tail of a monster. The tail often has a separate loot table, with a chance for rare drops.

Advanced Loot Tactics#

For the seasoned hunter aiming to optimize their loot pursuit, consider these advanced tactics:

Plunderblade: Equip your Palico with the Plunderblade, which it can use to knock extra materials off monsters. This is a great way to supplement your loot haul.
Lucky Vouchers: Use these before embarking on hunts with high-value targets to guarantee at least one rare drop.
Meal Bonuses: Certain meals can give you a “Felyne Lucky Cat” or similar bonuses, increasing your reward at the end of a hunt.
Geologist Skill: In certain locations, the Geologist skill allows you to gather extra times from nodes, increasing your resource haul significantly.

Monster Hunter World presents a complex and rewarding loot system, offering diligent hunters the chance to craft powerful gear and become the New World’s top predator. Whether you’re after the best crafting materials or hunting for those elusive rare drops, understanding where to look, what strategies to employ, and how to optimize your efforts will elevate your hunting expeditions to legendary status.

Pursuing loot in MHW is as much about preparation and strategy as it is about skill in combat. Armed with the knowledge of where to find the best loot and how to effectively gather it, you’re well on your way to crafting the perfect gear to take on even the most fearsome beasts the New World has to offer. Whether you’re a solo hunter or part of a dedicated squad, the thrill of the hunt and the promise of treasure drive you ever forward, deeper into the untamed wilds, where glory and danger walk hand in hand.