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Monster Hunter World Iceborne guideWelcome to Hoarfrost Reach

Welcome to Hoarfrost Reach

Monster Hunter World’s first big expansion takes hunters to the rather chilly land of Hoarfrost Reach. The new stuff isn’t just limited to what you discover in the frozen tundra, as Iceborne includes new monsters to hunt in familiar and new locations, as well as new techniques and Master Rank equipment. There’s a ton more besides this and we’ll be going through as much as we can.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne guide

OurMonster Hunter World Iceborne guidewill go over the new features of the latest expansion, when you can play it, and how to start Monster Hunter World Iceborne.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne guide contents

Monster Hunter World Iceborne

Monster Hunter World Iceborne PC release dates and times

The Monster Hunter World Iceborne PC release date isJanuary 9th, 2020and will be released at the same time globallyfrom 17:00 UTC.It’s worth noting that this time means that some regions won’t see the game launch until January 10th. The expansion is not a free update and requiresMonster Hunter: Worldto run.

monster hunter world iceborne start point

How to start Monster Hunter World Iceborne

Rather helpfully, Capcom provided a checklist for players to stand the best chance at getting up to speed in aFacebook post. However, you can also have a look at ourMonster Hunter World guidehub for a plethora of guides to help you catch up.You’ll need to have completed the main Monster Hunter: World campaign to begin Monster Hunter World Iceborne.

After you’ve completed Monster Hunter: World, look to the right as you enter Astera and you’ll see a Feisty Fiver to speak to. Make sure you are prepared with armour to protect from ice-based attacks and weapons that have either fire or blast properties. Trust me, it’ll save you some hassle in the long run.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne

What’s new in Monster Hunter World Iceborne?

Monster Hunter World Iceborne introduces a lot of new features besides a plethora of new fauna and new varieties of previously existing fauna to hunt down for their parts.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne master rank gear

Master Rank

A brand new rank for loot and gear is being introduced in Monster Hunter World Iceborne. This will apply not only to the brand new monsters that are debuting in the expansion, but also to every single monster that was introduced in Monster Hunter: World. This includes all the monsters that came as part of the free updates. This also means thatnew tiers of equipment are possible for all weapon and armor types. Decorations are also expanded slightly, in that pendants can now be applied to weapons. You can check out the rather extensive list of armor in the new expansion in ourMonster Hunter World Iceborne armorguide, while the new weapons are in our refreshedMonster Hunter World Iceborne weaponsguide.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne clutch claw

Slinger changes and the Clutch Claw

In a slight change to how slingers work, you can now fire off your slinger while your weapons are drawn. Slinger ammo was always a bit cumbersome to fire in the base game, so being able to fire a shot at any time makes it more convenient. This requirement change only applies to slingers however, as you’ll still need to put your weapon away to use other items like healing potions.

The Clutch Claw is new to the Iceborne expansion and will allow you to latch onto certain parts of your enemies. This can be useful for targeting specific hard-to-reach body parts that you are aiming to break, as well as chipping off any armour that may be forming around the monster.

This is not the same as jumping onto enemies manually, as the attacks with the Clutch Claw for every weapon are unique. When using the Clutch Claw, make sure that you keep an eye on your draining stamina as you can fall off.An attacking monster can also deal damage to you while you’re on board, so do jump off it it’s looking a bit dangerous.

Rideable creatures

To ride animals, approach the smaller creatures and walk around them until the prompt appears.Animals are useful for item gatheringas they will, at times, stop to dig up items. Here you can press the button prompt to unearth some extra treasure such as Adamant Seeds.

There are considerable downsides though. Your attack options while mounted are limited to your slinger though and you can’t manipulate the movement of the mounted animal, so if a hungry Anjanath is bounding up behind the Popo with its teeth bared, disembark quickly.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne chef

Hoarfrost Reach and Seliana

With the brand new region comes a new hub area called Seliana. It largely has the same facilities as Astera, though it has a new head-chef in the canteen anda brand new facility called the Steamworkswhere correctly guessing the randomised sequences rewards you with lots of items. Your personal room can be customised to a greater extent as well.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne guides

Finally, here are some other guides you may be interested in for Monster Hunter World Iceborne:

Monster Hunter World guide-Our guide hub for Monster Hunter World, including the basics, weapon and armour trees, and boss guides.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne armor- All the armor recipes and the best Monster Hunter World Iceborne builds.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne weapons-All the weapons in Iceborne and the recipes for each one.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne boss guide- A collection of boss guides for Monster Hunter World Iceborne, detailing strategies, weaknesses, and loot tables for each.