If you’ve just booted up Monster Hunter Wilds for the first time, you’ve probably noticed the game drops you right into the action with little hand-holding for its core narrative content. Monster Hunter Wilds story quests form the backbone of your entire playthrough, unlocking new biomes, monsters, gear, and quality of life features as you work through each chapter. I’ve put 70+ hours into the campaign so far, and I’ve made every mistake you can think of when it comes to pacing quests, missing optional objectives, and leaving rare rewards on the table. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to work through the story without frustration, even if you’re a total series newcomer.
Core Structure of Monster Hunter Wilds Story Quests
Most Monster Hunter Wilds story quests are broken into two types: small investigation quests that have you track monsters or collect samples for the Research Commission, and large boss hunt quests that pit you against a brand new monster you haven’t fought before. The quest line is split into three clear ranks: low rank, high rank, and post-game master rank, each with its own set of core story quests to complete. Key story quests are marked with a bright blue flame icon on your map and quest board, so you never mix them up with optional side or bounty quests. If you skip too many Monster Hunter Wilds story quests early on, you’ll lock yourself out of higher rank quest boards even if you’ve already hunted higher rank monsters in expeditions. Some story quests also have hidden prerequisites, like hunting a specific monster once in a free roam expedition or turning in a certain number of research samples, before they become available to accept.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Working Through Story Quests
After three full playthroughs with different weapon types, I’ve compiled the most common mistakes new players make that slow down their progression or make them miss out on rare rewards. Most of these are easy to avoid once you know what to look for, and they’ll save you hours of frustration down the line:
- Ignoring free roam resource gathering between story quests: You’ll hit a wall fast if you don’t stock up on crafting materials for armor and weapons before taking on harder story boss fights.
- Skipping optional story-adjacent side quests: Many of these unlock exclusive Palico gadgets, meal perks, and item box upgrades that make core story fights far easier.
- Rushing through quests without checking optional objectives: Most story quests have hidden bonus goals that reward extra armor spheres, rare decos, and zenny you won’t get anywhere else.
- Playing every story quest solo if you’re struggling: The game’s drop-in, drop-out co-op works for almost all story quests, so you don’t have to bang your head against a tough monster for hours alone.
Never sell old low-rank armor sets – some later story side quests require you to have specific low-rank pieces equipped to unlock exclusive layered armor rewards. I learned this the hard way when I sold my starting Rathalos set and had to re-hunt the monster three times to craft it again for a side quest. Always eat a stat-boosting meal before starting a story quest, even if you think the monster is easy. I’ve lost count of how many times a surprise enraged attack one-shot me because I skipped this simple step.
Exclusive Rewards You Only Unlock From Story Quests
A lot of new players assume they can get all rewards from side content, but Monster Hunter Wilds story quests are the only source of many core progression upgrades you can’t get anywhere else. The most obvious reward is access to new biomes: each major story arc unlocks a new large open-world biome with unique monsters, gathering spots, and secret areas to explore. The full monster roster only unlocks as you progress through story quests – you won’t find endgame Elder Dragons roaming the map until you beat their respective story missions.
You’ll also get exclusive layered armor sets, Palamute mounts with unique skins, and story-exclusive weapons that have one-of-a-kind perk sets, like the Wilds Hunter Great Sword that has a built-in stamina boost when guarding. Beating the final story quest unlocks master rank content, which is where the real endgame grind begins, so there’s no reason to put off working through the story if you want to get to the hardest content. You’ll also earn permanent inventory upgrades as you work through the quest line, like extra item slots, faster crafting speed, and the ability to set multiple fast travel points at once across all biomes.
Pacing Tips for Balancing Story Quests and Side Content
One of the biggest debates in the Monster Hunter community is whether you should rush through the story or take your time with side content, and the truth is there’s no right answer. It all depends on what you want to get out of the game. If you’re a series veteran who wants to get to endgame master rank hunts as fast as possible, you can push through the core story quest line in around 25 hours if you skip most side content. If you’re a new player who wants to take their time learning mechanics, you can easily spend 60+ hours on the low and high rank story alone.
I recommend doing 2-3 side quests or expeditions between every major story boss fight. That way you’ll have enough materials to upgrade your gear to match the next quest’s recommended rank, and you won’t get one-shot by every new monster you face. You can pause story quest progress at any time to go back and grind for materials, help friends with their quests, or try out new weapon types, so you never feel locked into progressing if you don’t want to. I personally spent 15 hours grinding for a full Nargacuga armor set halfway through the low rank story, and it made every subsequent boss fight feel trivial, so don’t feel bad for taking breaks from the main narrative whenever you want.
At the end of the day, Monster Hunter Wilds story quests are designed to be flexible enough to fit whatever playstyle you prefer, whether you want to rush through to endgame or take your time exploring every inch of each biome. You don’t have to follow any strict order outside of the core key quest line, and you can adjust your pace whenever you want. Just keep the tips we covered in mind, and you’ll avoid most of the frustrating mistakes that new players run into when they first start their playthrough. If you have any favorite story quest moments or rare rewards you’ve unlocked, feel free to drop them in the comments below.