When a new turn-based RPG comes out, especially one like Pokemon, there is one question on the minds of players: what's the fastest, most efficient way to level up? There is unfortunately no way to cheat the system. Players inevitably find a way through glitches or methods the developers never thought of.
While there is nothing too unique in the leveling system of in Capcom's Monster Hunter Stories 2, there are plenty of solid traditional ways to level up. These are the tricks to help players level up quickly early on in the adventure. As a quick suggestion, make sure to save manually as much as possible to be safe.
Updated December 31, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia: The Monster Hunter series continues to rage on thanks to some robust gameplay and vast, rich locales to get lost in. The renowned Monster Hunter Rise looks to keep its momentum going with the upcoming PC release and included updates—along with the anticipated Sunbreak Expansion.
Yet, this overlooked spin-off has quietly crept under the radar as an appealing RPG in its own right. With its charming, colorful aesthetic and Pokemon-esque monster training, Monster Hunter Stories 2 remains a unique draw—and surprisingly detailed when it comes to progression. While leveling all the unique Monsties can feel like a chore at times, there are thankfully a number of ways to level them up fast and effectively.
Prep Work At The Prayer Pot
Before heading into battle, there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, there is an odd smiling pot, known as the Prayer Pot, that is usually placed at the beginning of towns. Players can pray at these statues in order to gain temporary boosts. For example, players can increase how much experience they get in battle. This is called a Training Prayer.
Besides praying, players can also offer up charms. These items can be gained from quests, chests, or found randomly on the world map or dungeons. These act the same as prayers but their potency is better. For example, one simple Training Charm can increase experience gained by 10% for thirty minutes.
These boosts can be stacked as well, with one charm activated alongside one prayer. The more charms fed to this pot, the more it will level up. This increases the value of prayer potency and also unlocks new prayers. This seemingly takes the place of eating before missions in the main games in the series, like Monster Hunter Rise.
Faster Battles And Faster Travel
There are a few simple yet effective tricks to pick up the pace when it comes to progression and travel, which naturally leads to quicker level grinding. The first is to utilize fast travel often. This can be done most effectively by venturing out and coming across the various Catavan Stands, which are shown on the map as three-toed cat paws. Players can pull up a list of each Catavan Stand that's been found for easy access, and to pinpoint which ones need to still be found.
Players can also opt to speed up animations during a battle. While subtle, this saves time in the long run. Battles take up a large part of the game, and despite being flashy, a number of Monstie attacks can be lengthy. This can be cut back a great deal by simply dialing up the default speed from 1x to 2 or even 3x.
Finally, the game offers the nifty feature of performing "Quick Finishes" against monsters that are 10 levels below the player. This will be indicated by a Quick Finish icon in the battle menu, with is executed by pressing the trigger buttons. While the yield will be small, it still makes for some quick XP, which adds up over time.
Monstie Expeditions
Eventually, players will get the ability to utilize "Monstie Expeditions" at the Stables. This nifty feature allows players to send idle Monsites on their own sidequests without any action from the player. During these excursions, players can accumulate XP as well as get materials.
When setting the conditions, be sure to select EXP Enthusiast to maximize the XP that the player can bring in. After sending them off, players can conveniently take care of other tasks, and check back at the Stables to view the progress of the Monsties. When a message from Navirou comes up, this means the expedition has been completed, and players can reap the rewards.
Farm Elder's Lair
This technique is only possible late in the game, but can be quite useful for those who have already beaten the game and are looking for more fun ways to progress. This stretch of lush, hostile land is unlocked after completing the main game, and is rife with tough quests and plenty of high-rank creatures.
Players can clash with various Elder Dragons and unique Deviant Monsters in the Elder's Lair. These include beasts like Thunderlord Zinogre and Dreadqueen Rathian. As one might imagine, this is an ideal place for farming and grinding, as it yields tons of awesome goodies and ample XP.
Fight Monsters Often And Effectively
The main way players will level up in Monster Hunter Stories 2 is through some good old fashion turn-based RPG battles. Fight monsters and gain experience. It’s as simple as that. Along with using charms and praying before battle, the training abilities will also help increase the amount of experience gained.
However, there are other things to be aware of in battle that will help level up characters and Monsties besides experience points. Like in most Capcom games or other entries in the Monster Hunter series, there are letter grades. This is calculated through points, the amount of which is based on performance. The more points someone gets in battle, the better their score will be.
It's ideal to strive for "A" and "S" ranks when finishing battles, as these will yield more XP and more rewards. Getting an S Rank requires 500 battle points, while A is 350-499. These higher ranks can be achieved in a number of ways. These include:
- Defeating the monster in fewer turns
- Making use of the "rock-paper-scissors" combat advantages (Technical beats Speed, Speed beats Power, Power beats Technical)
- Attacking when atop a monstie
- Winning head-to-head matches
- Using special and kinship attacks
- Taking off a monster part, like a tail
Upgrading Gear
Forging new gear or upgrading existing pieces works basically the same as in other entries in the series. Fight monsters to collect their materials, then use them to create or upgrade gear. It’s actually easier in this game because of how many materials monsters drop. And at the same time, materials found in the open world can also be used for certain gear.
Fighting a monster is also a faster process in Monster Hunter Stories 2 compared to an entry like Rise. An encounter in that game can last twenty minutes or more on just one monster. Literally leveling up characters and Monsties is important, but the equipment gathering is almost more valuable in the process of increasing power. Players should strive for collecting as many materials as possible and frequently checking back at the smithies to upgrade existing gear and craft new, stronger varieties.
Upgrading Monsties
Unlike the Pokemon games that use Poke Balls to capture creatures, Monster Hunter Stories 2 uses monster eggs. Players run into dungeons, grab eggs, and then bring them back to town Stables. The same type of monster egg can produce different stats on Monsties. One hatched Bulldrome can be different from another Bulldrome.
Monsties level up just like the main character and the other humanoid companions. They can’t equip weapons or armor though. Don’t fret, though, there is a way to upgrade them. It takes a while to unlock this method, about six to eight hours, but it is called the Rite of Channeling.
The system works like a tic-tac-toe board of "Gene Slots," which can have Skills attached to them for bonuses and buffs. These Skills can be inherited from other Monsties and mixed and matched. Choose a Monstie to inherit a skill from another monster, then the latter will be sacrificed. This means that even duplicate eggs are worthwhile, so don’t get rid of them before this function is unlocked.
These Skills yield greater bonuses and powers when the same elements and patterns (blank, Power, Technical, Speed) are lined up in the Gene Slot. As a side note: it's also a good ideal to afix the more powerful Genes to rarer, stronger monsties. Be sure to visit the Stable often to continue enhancing monsties through the various active and passive skills. Utilizing this feature can make a major different during battle, and lead to quicker, cleaner wins.
Questing As Much As Possible
Quests are not that deep or complicated in Monster Hunter Stories 2. Players can take on as many as they want from the town quest boards and finish them at their leisure. These are mostly simple fetch or kill quests. If enough quests are taken on at once, there's a good chance players will knock some out while playing through the main campaign without even knowing it.
Certain quests can be redone as well. Redoing quests in Monster Hunter Stories 2 can be a great way to earn experience with ease as well as getting cash fast. Cash, or Zenny in the Capcom tradition, is not earned through battling on the world map. Finding chests, selling loot, or completing quests is pretty much the only way to earn money. Since Zenny is necessary for upgrading and forging, quests are very important, so grab every one that pops up.
As a side note: there's a nifty trick for players looking to quickly level up their low-level Monsties related to the Quest Board. Build up a list of finished quests that are ready to turn in. Swap out the party with low-level monsties, and visit the Quest Board. Finally, turn in all of the quests at once, as this should give large amounts of XP and quick level-ups.