You've finally made it to High Rank in the Forbidden Lands. The monsters are bigger, the stakes are higher, and suddenly you realize you’re out of Honey. Again. It's the classic Monster Hunter cycle. You want to focus on hunting that Tempered Arkveld, but you’re stuck picking flowers and catching bugs like some kind of medieval florist. Honestly, it’s a vibe-killer.
Luckily, Capcom added a system that basically automates the boring stuff. Monster Hunter Wilds material retrieval is that passive farming mechanic you probably remember from the botanical research in World or the Argosy in Rise, but it's much more localized this time around. You aren't just managing a menu from a hub; you're actually hiring the locals of the Windward Plains, the Scarlet Forest, and the Oilwell Basin to do your dirty work.
If you haven't unlocked Nata's one-stop shop yet, you're doing way too much manual labor.
How Material Retrieval Actually Works
The system is pretty straightforward once it’s running. You assign specific "gatherers" to find materials while you're out swinging an oversized slab of iron at a dragon. Each gatherer has a three-star rating next to the items they can find. If an item has three stars, they’ll bring back heaps of it. One star? You’re lucky to get a handful.
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The real game-changer is Nata. Early on, you might find yourself trekking to specific villages like Kunafa or Azuz just to check on your loot. Don't do that. Once you’ve progressed far enough into High Rank and helped out the individual gatherers, Nata—who usually hangs out right by your tent at any Base Camp—acts as the liaison. You talk to him, and he grabs everything from every region at once.
Unlocking the Full Team
You can't just walk up and ask people to forage for you. They need to trust you first. Usually, this involves a "Tempered" monster hunt, which is the game's way of making sure you're actually ready for the High Rank grind.
- Rysher (The Keeper's Vigil): You’ll need to clear "The Struggle to Survive." It’s a double hunt: Tempered Xu Wu and a Tempered Odogaron.
- Murtabak (Windsong Village): Complete "Continuing Conflict" against a Tempered Rathian and Quematrice.
- Apar (Iceshard Cliffs): This one is a bit of a pain. You have to hunt a Tempered Hirabami and a Blangonga in the "Echoing From the Cliffs" quest.
- Plumpeach (Scarlet Forest): My personal favorite name. Complete "Fur Damagings are Dislikeworthy" (yes, that's the real name) by hunting a Tempered Lala Barina and a Congalala.
- Sabar (Oilwell Basin): Clear "Troublemakers" featuring a Tempered Gravios and an Ajarakan.
Most people get stuck because they forget to talk to the NPCs in the villages after hitting High Rank. If you see a yellow exclamation mark over someone's head in Kunafa or Azuz, go talk to them. It’s almost certainly a material retrieval unlock.
Managing the Seasons and Weather
Wilds is obsessed with its weather cycles. The "Inclemency" phases aren't just there to make the map look scary; they actually change what your gatherers find. If there’s a massive sandstorm in the Windward Plains, Murtabak might find rarer ores or specific desert flora that doesn't show up during the "Plenty" phase.
You can actually spend Guild Points to force a weather change if you’re desperate, but honestly? It’s rarely worth it. Just go hunt something else and wait for the cycle to turn. Time moves when you’re on a quest or when you rest at your tent. Resting is the "pro-strat" if you just want to refresh the retrieval boxes quickly.
The Field Pouch Secret
While we're talking about gathering, let’s clear up the confusion about the Field Pouch. This is separate from your main Item Pouch. Everything you carve or your Palico picks up goes here. When you return to a Pop-up Camp or Base Camp, the Field Pouch auto-empties into your storage.
I’ve seen hunters stop mid-hunt because they think their inventory is full. Check your Field Pouch! You probably have way more room than you think. Also, the Seikret Pouch carries your supply items (the blue box stuff). You can move items between these on the fly, so use that bird as a mobile locker.
Maximizing Your Haul
If you want the rare stuff—like Sinister Cloth for the Death Stench armor or specific cooking ingredients—you need to look for the "Rare Find" notifications. Occasionally, Nata will mention a gatherer found something unusual. These are usually tied to how many stars the gatherer has for that category.
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Don't ignore the Item Traders either. People like Ren in The Keeper’s Vigil or Kilama in Kunafa will trade mundane items for rare monster parts or specialized materials. It’s a great way to dump the 999 Iron Ore you have sitting in your box.
Getting Your Materials Efficiently
- Prioritize the essentials: Keep one gatherer on Honey and another on Godbugs/Bitterbugs. You will burn through Mega Potions and Lifepowders faster than you think in the endgame.
- Check Nata after every hunt: It sounds tedious, but the boxes fill up fast. If they're full, the gatherers stop working.
- Capture, don't kill: If you're farming monster-specific materials to supplement your passive gathering, capturing is almost always better. It gives more rewards for the time spent, and your Palico usually snags an extra material or two during the capture process.
- Use the Seikret auto-gather: While riding, you can use the Slinger to grab items from a distance. If you're moving between zones, just spam the gather button. Your Seikret will pick up things while sprinting, and the Hook Slinger lets you snag plants from cliffsides without dismounting.
The material retrieval system is basically the backbone of your endgame economy. Once you have all five NPCs unlocked and funneling through Nata, you can stop worrying about the small stuff and focus on what the game is actually about: hitting giant monsters with even gianter weapons.
Next Steps for Your Hunt
- Check your Quest Board: Look for any High Rank quests labeled with a speech bubble icon. These are the NPC requests that unlock your gatherers.
- Visit Nata: Head to any Base Camp and see if the "Material Retrieval" option is available. If it’s greyed out, you haven't finished the introductory quest in the Windward Plains yet.
- Set your targets: Assign your first gatherer to Honey or Herbs immediately to build up a surplus of healing supplies before you hit the more difficult Tempered investigations.