Monster Hunter Wilds Support Hunters Guide

Hunting Alone Without Actually Being Alone

Monster Hunter Wilds is the most solo-friendly game the series has put out, and Support Hunters are a big reason why. Instead of firing an SOS flare and hoping a real player shows up, you can fill your quest with capable AI hunters who pull aggro, deal damage, and patch you up when things go sideways. You stay offline if you want, and you still get a full party.

This guide covers what they are, how to switch them on, who you can bring, and the one trade-off you should know about before you rely on them.

What Support Hunters Are

Support Hunters are NPC hunters you can call in for help on any quest. They only show up if you choose to let them, so you are never stuck with company you did not ask for. Each one comes from a different unit in the Forbidden Lands Expedition Team, and several have real ties to the story.

They are not the same thing as Hunting Assistants like Gemma or Werner, who you lure monsters toward for a single trap or trick. Support Hunters actually join your hunt as party members and fight the whole quest alongside you.

How to Enable Them

Setting them up takes a few seconds at the Quest Counter:

1. Open the Settings menu at the Quest Counter
2. Set Multiplayer Settings to either “Other Players & Support Hunters” or “Only Support Hunters”
3. Set Max Members to 2 or more (if it is set to 1, Support Hunters cannot join)

If you pick “Other Players & Support Hunters” while online, Support Hunters fill the slots until a real player tries to join the quest, at which point they make room. If you want a guaranteed AI-only run with no chance of a stranger dropping in, choose “Only Support Hunters” or just play offline with the default setting. They can also join Free Challenge Quests, which is handy for grinding those without coordinating a party.

You can change a quest’s multiplayer settings before you start it, so you are free to go solo on one hunt and bring backup on the next.

The Named Support Hunters

Free Title Update 3 added the option to select exactly which Support Hunter joins you, so it is worth knowing the roster and what each one brings. Every hunter has a weapon of choice and a support style:

• Olivia (hammer) - Creates openings by stunning, trapping, and blinding the monster while dealing high damage.
• Rosso (heavy bowgun) - Steady ranged damage, swapping ammo types to fit the situation.
• Alessa (lance) - The defensive anchor. Guards against attacks and heals you and your allies often.
• Mina (sword and shield) - Flexible support, mixing stuns and traps with healing.
• Kai (hunting horn) - Wide offensive and defensive buffs through his songs.
• Griffin (great sword) - Reach and high attack power, excels at breaking parts.
• Nightmist (light bowgun) - Strong in close combat while actively healing and supporting allies.

Two more are tied to seasonal events:

• Fabius (lance) - Potent offense and defense built on precise counters. Available only during the Festival of Accord: Dreamspell.
• Nadia (light bowgun) - The “Sharpeyes” Ace Hunter. Steady long-range damage with strong evasion. Available only during the Festival of Accord: Lumenhymn.

If you want a partner who keeps you alive, Alessa is the pick. If you want the monster dead faster and parts broken for materials, Griffin pulls his weight. Knowing this matters more than it sounds, because the right AI can carry you through a fight you would otherwise have to grind solo. Speaking of which, our solo hunting guide covers the rest of the single-player toolkit.

The Catch: Monster Health Scaling

Here is the part to keep in mind. Monster health in Wilds scales with the number of hunters in the quest, and Support Hunters count toward that total. The numbers:

• 2 hunters: 1.6x monster health
• 3 hunters: 2x monster health
• 4 hunters: 2.4x monster health

So a full party of you plus three Support Hunters means the monster has roughly two and a half times the health it would have solo. The fight runs longer. The upside is that the AI soaks aggro, so you spend more time attacking and less time dodging, and they will throw a Lifepowder your way when your health dips. For most players that is a fair trade, but if you are speedrunning or hunting something you can already shred, a smaller party finishes faster.

A common middle ground is bringing one Support Hunter. You get a damage and heal buddy at only 1.6x health, which usually still works out faster than going fully solo against a tough target.

When to Use Them

Bring Support Hunters when:

• You are stuck on a wall and need aggro relief and healing
• You want to break parts you keep missing solo, like with Griffin on great sword
• You are clearing event or challenge quests and just want them done

Skip them when:

• You can already kill the monster comfortably and want a quicker run
• You are practicing a fight and want the monster’s real, unscaled timings

If you are deep in the grind, pairing Support Hunters with the right gear makes the difference. The decoration farming guide and Timeworn Charms farming guide help you sharpen your own build so you carry your weight in the party. And once you have your endgame loadout sorted, the Arch-Tempered guide is where Support Hunters earn their keep against the toughest fights before Ascendance lands.