Between the numerous mechanics and awkward co-op system, Monster Hunter Wilds can be quite a confusing game. This is most evident when you’re looking at the stat page for a weapon and come across the term “Affinity.” What exactly is that supposed to do? While the term sounds strange and there isn’t much explanation for what it means in the game, understanding it is key for optimizing your hunts.
So what exactly is ‘Affinity’?
Unlike nearly every other usage of the term in video games, this doesn’t represent a friendly relationship between you and your weapons. In Monster Hunter Wilds, Affinity is merely the in-game term for Critical Hit rate. That means a weapon with a zero-percent Affinity will never land a critical hit. Conversely, a weapon with a 10-percent Affinity will have a one-in-ten chance of landing one. This is an important stat to know since triggering a Critical Hit will add on an additional 25-percent damage for the attack.
Things start to get a bit more unique when it comes to negative values. These essentially work in reverse; a weapon with a -10-percent Affinity will have a one-in-ten chance of dealing 25-percent less damage for an attack. You’ll commonly see this with weapons that have high base damage as a way of balancing them. Whether you want to take those odds in favor of higher base damage is entirely up to you. I find that it’s usually worth it, especially once you start changing things to boost your Affinity.
How to increase Affinity
The good news is that you can tweak these Affinity with the right set of skills. I recommend experimenting with different armor and talismans to increase your Affinity. Critical Eye is a great weapon skill that offers a simple Affinity increase up to 20-percent, but many other skills will increase it in response to specific situations. Another skill worth mentioning is Critical Boost, which can increase the damage dealt by your critical hits up to 40-percent.
Take note of the Frenzy status ailment as well, as it can mess with your Affinity stat. Naturally, curing yourself of the Frenzy status ailment is another way to increase your Affinity. This is a lot more situational since only specific late-game monsters can inflict Frenzy, but it’s useful to keep this in mind when deciding to hunt one down.
Monster Hunter Wilds offers a lot of freedom in build styles and how you use your hunter’s equipment, however, it might be worth investing in your weapon’s Affinity if you’ve got the skills to spare. Some extra damage will only work in your favor. For those new to the series and understandably struggling to get into the groove of the hunt, we can help with a handy set of starter tips to guide you through your hunts.
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