Woah there! Don’t just go jumping into the quest! You have to prepare, and this guide will make you the best-prepared hunter on the planet. Preparations are half the battle in Monster Hunter, so let’s get started.

You probably couldn’t be less surprised that there are items in Monster Hunter, and that they will help you out in your quest. Technically speaking, most of the items are not necessary for gameplay. But you’ll soon find that being able to heal is more or less mandatory, and that items such as bombs can shave a noticeable amount of time off your kill time.

There are an incredible amount of items in this game, and you shouldn’t truck them with you all at once. Rather, you’ll want to make sure you customize your item set for each battle. Some monsters, such as flying monsters, are incredibly vulnerable to Flash Bombs , which will blind them and send them crashing down. Other monsters, particularly monsters that like to burrow, have sensitive hearing and will be immobilized by a well-timed Sonic Bomb. And still others have horns that can be broken with a well-placed Barrel Bomb. The list is endless!

Items can be acquired by either gathering during a quest, purchasing at the market (some items are exclusive to this place), and by combining those items you find into new items. The vast majority of items you’ll find useful will have to be combined. The 1* quest, A Winning Combination , will teach you this soon enough.

Just for you, here’s a list of items you should always have prepared to pack, and how to combine to obtain them!

The following items are very specialized, but if used correctly, will prove to be incredibly potent.