Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers Beginner Guide

Quick Answer: Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers is the point where beginners should slow down, upgrade their core gear, learn the loop, and finish key quests so the next chapter feels manageable instead of punishing.

What Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers Means for Beginners

Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers is where the game starts asking you to play more deliberately, not just swing harder. By this point, you should have enough experience with hunts, armor skills, item use, and monster openings to stop treating each quest like a scramble and start treating it like a plan. That shift is the whole beginner milestone.

A lot of new players hit this chapter and feel behind because their gear is already “good enough” to survive but not optimized enough to make hunts feel smooth. That is normal. Wilds, like the rest of the Monster Hunter series, rewards preparation more than raw reflexes. You are not supposed to brute-force every encounter with the same loadout you used at the start. Chapter 3 - 1 is a good time to pause and ask: Are you upgrading your weapon, are you using the right items, and do you actually understand what your current armor is helping you do?

This is also where the game’s pacing can trick beginners. Because Monster Hunter Wilds is a 2025 action role-playing game developed and published by Capcom Source, and it released worldwide for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S with cross-platform play on February 28, 2025 Source, it is built for a broad audience, but its systems still expect you to learn by doing. That means your best move in Chapter 3 - 1 is not to chase flashy builds immediately. It is to stabilize your foundation.

Here is the simplest beginner mindset for this point in the story:

• Keep one weapon type and learn it properly.
• Upgrade armor when a piece has clearly outgrown your current set.
• Carry a small, reliable item kit every hunt.
• Use the map and camps instead of trying to remember everything manually.
• Treat failed hunts as information, not as a wall.

If you do those five things, The Faithful Keepers becomes a confidence chapter rather than a difficulty spike.

First-Hour Checklist for Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers

Your first hour in Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers should be spent making your account, weapon, and item habits more stable, not just rushing the next cutscene. The goal is to leave that hour with a cleaner inventory, a more focused build direction, and a better understanding of what is slowing you down.

1) Check your weapon and commit to one main style

Pick one weapon you are comfortable using and resist the urge to swap constantly. If you are already using Great Sword, Long Sword, or Sword and Shield, stick with that choice through a few hunts. If you are still undecided, use this chapter to test only two or three options in real quests, such as:

• Great Sword for simple, heavy punish windows.
• Sword and Shield for flexibility and item-friendly play.
• Long Sword for counter timing and smoother combo flow.

The key is not which weapon is “best.” The key is having one weapon whose attack rhythm you understand well enough to recognize openings. Beginners waste a lot of time changing weapons every hour and never learning the timing for any of them.

2) Upgrade the armor pieces that solve real problems

Do not upgrade armor just because it looks new. Upgrade the pieces that directly solve the thing killing you most often. If you are getting clipped by chip damage, prioritize survivability. If you are running out of stamina or getting punished for long recovery animations, look for comfort skills that help you keep moving.

Examples of useful beginner armor priorities include:

• Extra survivability if you are fainting often.
• Stamina support if you dodge too much or use stamina-heavy weapons.
• Utility if you need better resource gathering or item uptime.

If you do not know what to improve, inspect the last two hunts you failed and ask why you fainted. The answer is usually “I got greedy,” “I ran out of healing,” or “my weapon was under-upgraded.”

3) Restock your basic hunt kit

Every beginner should keep a stable inventory before leaving base. Even if you do not know the full meta, you can still maintain a dependable set of essentials. Your kit should be built around healing, basic buffs, and emergency escape tools.

A practical starter kit often includes:

• Healing items.
• Max/stronger healing if available to you.
• Antidote or status cures when relevant.
• Rations or stamina support.
• Trap and capture materials if the mission allows capture play.

Do not overpack random novelty items you have not used yet. It is better to have a small kit you know how to deploy quickly than a crowded pouch full of things you forget about mid-hunt.

4) Visit the smithy and check upgrade paths

The smithy is one of the most important places to revisit during your first hour in Chapter 3 - 1. Many new players keep using an early weapon simply because they forgot it can be improved or because they assumed upgrades are too expensive. In Monster Hunter, weapon progression matters a lot. A small weapon upgrade can often do more for your hunt speed than a fancy strategy you have not practiced.

Look for:

• A clean upgrade path for your current weapon.
• Missing materials from hunts you can target next.
• Whether your armor set is now outdated compared to the monsters you are facing.

If the game offers a choice between pushing one weapon farther or spreading materials across several, favor the one you actually use.

5) Spend one hunt only on observation

Do one hunt where your goal is not to finish as fast as possible, but to notice behavior. Watch:

• Which attack the monster repeats after a roar or leap.
• Which animations give you a safe opening.
• How long it takes to recover after a charge or tail swing.
• Whether your healing timing is too late.

This is especially valuable in a chapter like The Faithful Keepers, where beginners can get stuck by trying to “play well” before they know what good looks like. Observation is a skill. Build it early.

6) Clear your menu habits

The first hour is also a good time to clean up the boring stuff. Set your item loadout, look at your shortcuts, and make sure your camera or control settings are not fighting you. If you keep fumbling the same menu input, fix it now. A smoother interface saves more time than most people realize.

If your first hour ends with a committed weapon, a restored item pouch, and a clearer understanding of one monster’s attack rhythm, you are doing Chapter 3 - 1 correctly.

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Resource Priority Order: What to Spend, Hoard, and Craft First

Your resource priority in Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers should favor consistency first, growth second, and experimentation last. Beginners often spend too early on niche items or save everything so aggressively that they stay underpowered. The right balance is to spend enough to stay effective while hoarding rare materials for upgrades that truly matter.

Priority table for early chapter resources

Priority	What to do with it	Why it matters	Beginner example
1	Spend on your main weapon upgrade	This gives the biggest direct power increase	Upgrading your favorite Long Sword before crafting a second weapon
2	Spend on core healing and survival items	Keeps you alive long enough to learn hunts	Restocking healing items before a difficult story quest
3	Spend on armor pieces that fix your weakness	Improves consistency, not just defense numbers	Choosing stamina comfort over a random niche bonus
4	Hoard rare monster parts	These often unlock stronger future upgrades	Keeping a rare drop for a better smithy path later
5	Craft utility items only when needed	Avoids wasting limited materials	Making antidotes only when the current region demands them

The biggest mistake beginners make is spending rare materials on too many directions at once. If you craft one weapon from each category and three mixed armor pieces “just to try them,” you often end up with a weak pile of half-finished progression. Instead, choose a main path and feed it first.

What to spend immediately

Spend early resources on things that remove friction. That means healing supplies, weapon upgrades, and one or two armor improvements that solve a current problem. If you keep failing because you cannot survive long enough to learn the monster, buy durability and comfort before anything fancy. If your hunts drag on because your weapon feels weak, invest directly in damage progression.

Good immediate uses include:

• Your main weapon line.
• Basic consumables you use every hunt.
• Armor pieces that reduce your biggest weakness.
• Fast travel and camp convenience if those systems are available in your current stage.

What to hoard

Hoard anything rare or difficult to replace until you know what your long-term weapon plan is. That includes unusual monster drops, special quest rewards, and upgrade materials that seem promising but are not immediately required.

A good rule for beginners:

• If it is rare and you are not sure what it upgrades, keep it.
• If it is common and helps you survive today, use it.
• If it is consumed often and easy to replace, do not stress too much about saving it.

What to craft first

Craft the things you will actually press in a hunt. It sounds obvious, but beginners often ignore this and keep materials in storage because they are waiting for the “right time.” The right time is usually your next tough quest.

Craft first:

• Healing and emergency items.
• Weapon upgrades that increase clear speed.
• One reliable armor set that supports your chosen weapon.
• Capture or trap tools if your quests reward them.

Do not chase perfect efficiency yet. Beginner efficiency is simply not running out of useful tools at the wrong time.

Common Newbie Mistakes and How to Fix Them

New players in Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers usually struggle for the same reasons: they overcommit, underprepare, or misread what the hunt is asking of them. The good news is that every common mistake has a straightforward fix.

1) Using too many weapons at once

Many beginners switch weapons every few hunts because they want to find their “main” quickly. The result is that they never build muscle memory with any of them.

Why it happens: Every weapon looks appealing, and early hunts are forgiving enough to make experimentation feel safe.
Fix: Pick one weapon for a full session and only learn one backup later. For example, stay with Sword and Shield for mobility, Great Sword for punish timing, or Long Sword for counter flow.

2) Ignoring armor upgrades until they are in trouble

Players often assume armor can wait until later because offense feels more exciting than defense.

Why it happens: Early damage numbers are more obvious than survival benefits.
Fix: Upgrade the pieces that prevent your most common deaths. If you keep getting one-tapped or forced to heal constantly, improve defense and comfort now.

3) Hoarding healing items “for later”

A lot of beginners die with a full item pouch because they do not want to “waste” healing.

Why it happens: They fear running out during a future, harder quest.
Fix: Use healing as soon as the fight starts slipping. A successful hunt with consumed items is better than a failed hunt with a full inventory.

4) Chasing the monster without learning its openings

New players frequently attack whenever they are close, even if the monster is still mid-animation or about to counterattack.

Why it happens: They think aggressive play means constant pressure.
Fix: Wait for clear openings such as recovery after a charge, tail spin, or roar. A few well-timed hits are more valuable than many unsafe ones.

5) Forgetting to restock before leaving camp

You may win one hunt and then enter the next with half a pouch and no recovery tools.

Why it happens: Players are eager to keep progressing and skip the boring prep.
Fix: Build a restock habit after every mission or major failure. If you use a consumable, replace it before the next quest.

6) Selling or using rare materials too early

Beginners sometimes convert parts into quick money or low-level crafts without checking future upgrade needs.

Why it happens: The item description looks minor, so they assume it will stay minor.
Fix: Hold onto rare drops until you know their weapon and armor value. If you are unsure, store them rather than selling them.

7) Focusing only on attack and ignoring comfort

Players often stack damage thinking it will solve everything.

Why it happens: Damage is easy to understand, and faster kills sound safer.
Fix: Add at least one comfort layer, such as stamina support, healing stability, or survivability, if your hunts are messy. Cleaner hunts beat risky damage racing.

Graduation Threshold: When You Are Out of the Beginner Phase

You are out of the beginner phase in Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers when you can prepare for a hunt, read monster patterns, and recover from mistakes without feeling lost. This is less about a specific story checkpoint and more about whether the game’s core loop has become familiar.

A practical graduation checklist looks like this:

• You know your main weapon’s basic combo flow without checking a guide every fight.
• You can recognize a monster’s dangerous animation before it connects.
• You restock your pouch automatically between hunts.
• You upgrade gear based on a need, not just because a new item appears.
• You can finish a hunt without burning through every healing item in panic.
• You understand whether a failure came from gear, execution, or preparation.

If you can say yes to most of those, you are no longer a raw beginner. You are now at the “learning player” stage, which is a much healthier place to be. At that point, the game stops feeling like a series of surprises and starts feeling like a set of systems you can work with.

Another way to judge readiness is to compare your hunts before and after a session. At the beginner stage, a bad hunt usually feels random. At the next stage, a bad hunt feels explainable. Maybe you overextended after a topple, maybe you forgot your healing kit, maybe your weapon path is behind. That ability to diagnose your own mistakes is the real sign that you have graduated.

If Chapter 3 - 1 still feels punishing, that does not mean you are failing the game. It usually means one of three things:

• Your weapon choice is still changing too often.
• Your gear path is underdeveloped.
• You have not yet built the habit of observing before attacking.

The moment those stop being issues, you are ready for the next phase of the game.

Pro Tips for Smoother Hunts

These advanced beginner tips help more than raw aggression in Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 3 - 1 The Faithful Keepers, especially when you are fighting a monster for the first time or recovering from a rough run.

Tip 1. Heal after a safe move, not after a panic hit

If the monster has just finished a long attack, that is your window to heal. Do not wait until you are at critical health and then try to heal in front of the monster’s face. For example, after a charge, a recovery roar, or a whiffed tail sweep, create distance first and heal second.

Tip 2. Keep your camera aimed at the threat, not your combo

If you lose sight of the monster, you are usually about to get clipped by something simple. In fights against large, mobile targets, it is often better to shorten your combo and keep the camera stable than to greed one extra hit and lose awareness.

Tip 3. Attack the opening you can repeat, not the opening you hope for

Beginners often wait for the “perfect” punish. A better habit is to learn the repeatable punish. If a monster consistently leaves itself open after the same leap or slam, use that instead of chasing rarer opportunities.

Tip 4. Treat item use as part of combat, not a chore

The best Monster Hunter players do not see item use as a break from fighting. They see it as part of the fight. If a status effect appears, cure it immediately. If the fight is long, refresh your resources before you are empty. If a trap can secure damage or a capture, use it when the setup is clean.

Tip 5. Upgrade one comfort slot before chasing a second damage option

If your set offers a choice between another damage skill and a comfort improvement, the comfort often wins for beginners. One safer hunt with fewer mistakes usually beats a slightly faster hunt that ends in a faint.

Tip 6. Use the first cart as information

If you faint once, do not mentally reset the whole quest as a failure. Ask what specifically caused it. Was it a burst attack, a status effect, or a greedy follow-up? That single answer often tells you exactly what to change next time.

Tip 7. Save your “big punish” for after monster commitment

If your weapon has a slow, powerful attack, save it for moments when the monster has clearly committed to an animation. Great Sword-style play, for example, becomes much easier when you wait for a charge or recovery instead of trying to force the hit.

Related Guides

• related guide — Monster Hunter Wilds weapon tier guide for beginners choosing a main
• Monster Hunter Wilds Beginner Guide — Best early-game armor builds in Monster Hunter Wilds
• related guide — Monster Hunter Wilds story walkthrough for Chapter 3
• monster hunter proud tips — Beginner item loadout and crafting guide
• related guide — How to read monster openings in Monster Hunter Wilds

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Hunter_Wilds
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Hunter_Wilds

See also

• Monster Hunter Wilds No More Mister Ice Guy 8/19 8/26 Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Chemicus Nocturnus 4/22 5/6 Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Things Doesn't Tell You - Tips
• Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 2 - 2 An Unforeseen Storm Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 2 - 3 A Desolate Destination Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Beginner Guide: Where to Focus First
• Monster Hunter Wilds Peak Nerscylla 5/20 5/27 Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Stalking Supper 3/4 3/11 Beginner Guide
• Monster Hunter Wilds Chapter 1 - 2 Back to Camp Beginner Guide