Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - Capturing Guide

Details on capturing monsters in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, including an overview, comparison to slaying monsters, how to capture both large and small monsters, and the arena assignments.

Overview

Sometimes, you’ll run into quests that require you to capture monsters instead of slaying them. Capturing monsters is equally as important as slaying them.

Capture vs Killing

During your adventure, you’ll be tasked with capturing some monsters. The difference between hunting and capturing is the reward. By looking at the monster’s attack pattern, hunters can come up with tactics on how to defeat them and consequently be able to skin them more effectively for loot and rewards. For instance, if you’re in need of a precious item that is given through a capture quest, you’ll want to complete it instead of killing the target outright. That being said, hunters need to find the right balance between doing capture quests and hunts to craft gear efficiently.

How to Capture Large Monsters

All large monsters can be caught with the exception of elder dragons due to their uncontrollable power. When out to capture a target, you need to bring some traps. Focus on crafting either a shock or pitfall trap, then craft a couple of tranq bombs to round out your tools. Some quests are generous enough to provide you with supply crates at the camp, so you can bring less of these to conserve your resources.

When you’re ready to start, proceed to track down the monster. A great way to go about it is to maximize your Scout level. To do that, you need to have encountered all of the monster’s tracks and markings. Once you reach level 3, you can pinpoint the location of the monster on the minimap. Check the map every so often for a skull. If it appears, stop attacking the monster and prepare to capture it. You can tell when the monster is fit for capturing when limps as it retreats. Pursue the monster until you reach its hiding spot, then wait for it to sleep. Plant a shock trap to rouse it, then follow up by shooting its head with a pair of tranq bombs to successfully capture it.

Sometimes, certain monsters initially resist the shock trap and will require other traps. If you have the pitfall trap, you can use it in place of the shock one. Then, flank it with tranq bombs. Alternatively, if you bring more tranq bombs, you can use one to weaken it before planting the shock trap and, finally, shooting it with the tranq bombs two more times.

Other times, you’ll be caught in between a turf war. Fortunately, you can interrupt them by flinging a dung pod at the unwanted monster. This forces it to flee, leaving you alone with your target.

Unlock the Arena

Capturing monsters has its merits when seeking precious materials or even unlocking arena missions. These special assignments pit you against monsters in a confined spot lined with some ballistae and cannons. Focus on capturing each species once to unlock these arena assignments.

How to Capture other Monsters

Capturing small monsters is equally important to gain research points. When embarking on an expedition, you can make a pit-stop at some spots to reel in some fish. Look for a pond, then cast your hunter’s net to round them up. You can also reel them in when you go fishing with the fishing pole. You will need to bring multiple types of bait. The bait you use will depend on the type of fish you’re going after. You need special bait to capture certain fish that are hard to find. Using the same net, you can also capture other endemic life like birds.

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