Arena Quests

Like the video game, at its core, Monster Hunter World: The Board Game is a campaign game.

We’ve already trekked through the Ancient Forest in these journals and gotten a good idea of how a campaign unfolds.

Over multiple sessions, you’ll face tougher monsters, upgrading your equipment as you go.

Still, it isn’t always possible to play multiple sessions.

What if you don’t have time to embark on a full campaign, but still want to play a one-off monster battle?

Good news: that’s what arena quests are for!

From the journal of Jamie Perkins, Lead Developer

Arena quests let you hunt any monster, at any difficulty level, using any hunters, right away!

To play an arena quest, turn to the arena quest section in the quest book for the monster you want to hunt.

For the Rathalos arena quest, for example, you’d look in the Ancient Forest quest book.

At first glance, arena quests look similar to standard quests, but there are a few differences:

You may remember 'investigation quests' from previous journals. That's because arena quests match the monster difficulty levels you'll face in the campaign: assigned, investigation, and tempered investigation.

(For a reminder on monster difficulty/quest levels, check out the Rathalos journal.)

Just like standard quests, assigned quests feature a minimap (showing you how to set up the board) and a time limit.

However, the time limits are shorter for arena quests than they are for standard quests.

That’s because arena quests totally skip the gathering phase. Just like in the video game, if you’re playing an arena quest, you’ll jump straight into battle.

Of course, you can’t be expected to take on a tough arena quest using only starting equipment. That’s where recommended loadouts come in.

In a table, you’ll find recommended loadouts for each hunter based on the arena quest level you’ve chosen. Simply equip your hunters as listed and dive headfirst into the fight!

Depending on the number of hunters in your party, you’ll also see a recommended amount of potions and Palicoes (if any) to take along.

These recommendations are designed to give you a genuine challenge where you have a real chance of success.

You’re absolutely capable of defeating the monster, at any number of players and with any combination of hunters — but the monster is absolutely capable of defeating you, too.

So, don’t head into arena quests expecting an easy victory!