If you’ve spent the last few runs bashing your head against low-tier monster hunts trying to upgrade your first dual blades or bow, you’ve probably already run into the Monster Hunter Wilds sharp fang roadblock. I spent three straight hunts targeting the wrong small monsters before I realized I was looking for drops from a very specific mid-sized beast that only spawns in two regions of the map. This guide breaks down every step of farming this material, what it’s used for, and how to cut your farming time in half so you can get back to taking on bigger threats.
What Monsters Drop Monster Hunter Wilds Sharp Fang?
First off, stop wasting time killing every tiny lizard you see running across the savanna. Sharp fang only drops from adult Fanged Thrashers, the wolf-sized fanged wyverns that roam the Scorched Steppe and Misty Wetlands regions. Juvenile versions of the same monster only drop regular fang, which is worth half as much and won’t count for the recipes you’re trying to unlock. I made this mistake my first three runs, so trust me when I say you want to target the ones with the darker grey fur and visible broken fangs sticking out of their snouts.
You don’t have to capture them to get the drop, but capturing does boost your chance of getting two per hunt instead of one. You can also get a bonus sharp fang as an end-of-hunt reward if you break both of the monster’s front fangs during combat. There are also a few rare spawns in the northern caves of the Frosted Peaks, but those only show up during blizzard weather, so it’s not worth waiting around for them unless you’re already farming other ice region materials.
Efficient Sharp Fang Farming Routes
You can farm 6 to 8 sharp fangs per hour if you stick to a consistent route, instead of wandering the map looking for random spawns. I tested 7 different routes over 10 hours of playtime, and the one below is by far the most consistent for both casual and speed-focused players:
- Start at the Scorched Steppe southern camp, and run west along the riverbank to find 3 guaranteed Fanged Thrasher spawns
- Fast travel to the Misty Wetlands central camp, and clear the two packs of Fanged Thrashers near the giant fallen log
- Fast travel back to the Scorched Steppe southern camp, and all spawns will have respawned after 8 minutes of real time
Don’t forget to eat a Lucky Cat dango before you start your farming run, as it increases all monster drop rates by 15% for 20 minutes. I also recommend bringing a wide-range weapon like a long sword or charge blade so you can take out entire packs of Fanged Thrashers in 2 to 3 hits, instead of wasting time fighting them one by one. If you’re playing with a friend, split up to cover both regions at the same time, and you can easily double your drop rate per run. Just make sure you both pick up the loot from every kill, since drops are instanced for each player.
Best Uses for Sharp Fang in Early and Mid-Game Builds
Sharp fang is one of the most versatile early to mid-game materials, and you’ll need at least 12 of them if you want to unlock the most popular builds for the first 20 hours of play. The most common use is for upgrading raw damage dual blades and bow coatings, both of which are meta picks for players who prefer fast, high-dps playstyles. The +15 raw damage boost you get from the sharp fang dual blade upgrade lasts until you hit hunter rank 6, so it’s well worth the farming time if you main that weapon type.
You can also use it to craft the Thrasher Mail armor set, which gives +20 to attack and +15 to stun resistance, perfect for players who still struggle with being knocked out by large monster roars. It’s not worth selling sharp fang even if you think you have extra, because you’ll need 4 more to unlock the tier 3 upgrade for your hunting tool once you hit hunter rank 4. I made the mistake of selling 6 extra sharp fangs early on for quick zenny, and I had to spend an hour re-farming them when I unlocked the upgraded wirebug tool a few hours later. If you’re playing a slower weapon like greatsword or gunlance, you can skip crafting the dual blades, but you’ll still need at least 4 sharp fangs to upgrade your first charm slot.
Common Sharp Fang Farming Mistakes to Avoid
Even if you follow the route above, you might be slowing yourself down with small mistakes that add up over time. The first mistake I see most new players make is killing Fanged Thrashers while they’re running away from a larger monster. If a Fanged Thrasher is in combat with another monster, their drop rate falls by 30%, so wait until the fight is over or lure them away before you attack. Never use explosives or large AOE attacks that break the monster’s head, because that can destroy the sharp fang before you can loot it. Stick to body or tail hits to make sure you don’t ruin the material you’re farming.
Another common mistake is ignoring the optional subquests that reward sharp fang. Many of the early subquests from the village chef ask you to kill 5 Fanged Thrashers, and they reward 2 sharp fangs on top of whatever you loot from the monsters themselves, so it’s worth picking those up before you start your farming run. You don’t have to complete the subquests in one run, they carry over even if you fast travel or log out for the day. The last mistake is skipping research level 3 for Fanged Thrashers. Once you hit that research threshold, you’ll get a pop-up on your map every time a pack spawns near you, so you won’t have to waste time searching for them. That’s a small quality of life upgrade that cuts 10 to 15 seconds off each loop of your farming route.
Farming materials doesn’t have to be the most tedious part of Monster Hunter Wilds, as long as you know exactly what to target and what routes to take. The Monster Hunter Wilds sharp fang is a deceptively important material that powers some of the best early-game builds, so taking 30 minutes to farm a stack of 15 early on will save you a lot of frustration later when you’re trying to upgrade your gear to take on the first elder dragon hunts. If you’re still struggling to get drops, try switching to a lower rank hunt, as low-rank Fanged Thrashers have the same drop rate as high-rank ones, and they’re much faster to kill.