Dealing a massive critical hit can change the outcome of a fight. In this guide, I will go over what Affinity is and how to improve it in Monster Hunter Now.
Dealing critical hits can allow players to turn the tables on any battle, but how are players supposed to deal those critical hits?
Those familiar with the Monster Hunter franchise will already know about Affinity, but for the newcomers that were drawn in by Monster Hunter Now. As a refresher, for everyone let’s go over everything you will need to know about Affinity.
If you want to be prepared even before starting the game, check out our guide on all the Referral Codes working in September 2023 for Monster Hunter Now.
What Is affinity in Monster Hunter Now
Affinity is the game’s equivalent to Critical Chance, or how likely the weapon is to land a critical attack on the monsters.
In the main series, each weapon has an Affinity stat where the chance to perform extra damage is displayed as a percentage. If your weapon has a negative value for Affinity, then this will determine how likely you are to deliver a weak attack.
A critical hit will deal 25% bonus damage, whereas a weak attack due to negative Affinity will deal 25% less damage. Affinity does not apply to Elemental Damage but only to the raw damage of the weapon.
The easiest way to raise Affinity is by first getting a weapon that already has positive Affinity, and then equipping certain Armor Skills that raise affinity as well.
- Critical Eye: Increases base Affinity
- Weakness Exploit: Increases Affinity when hitting a monster’s weak points
Monster Hunter Now: Weapons and Armor that Change Affinity
Some weapons have a base affinity of 0% while others have a higher base affinity or even negative affinity.
I will list all the weapons that have a different affinity than the base one below:
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Grade 1 Affinity | Grade 2 Affinity | Grade 3 Affinity | Grade 4 Affinity | Grade 5 Affinity |
| Kulu Arrow | Bow | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 15% |
| Archer’s Dance | Bow | 20% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 30% |
| Galebender | Bow | -30% | -30% | -30% | -30% | -30% |
| Kulu Beak | Hammer | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 15% |
| Crushing Beak | Hammer | 20% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 30% |
| Chaos Shatterer | Hammer | -30% | -30% | -30% | -30% | -30% |
| First Dance | Long Sword | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 15% |
| Last Dance | Long Sword | 20% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 30% |
There are also Armor equipment skills that affect Affinity, and I will list below all the different pieces and the Grades they unlock them in.
| Armor Piece | Skills | Grade Unlocked/Upgraded |
| Leather Headgear | Critical Eye Lv.1 | Unlocked at Grade 2 |
| Kulu Headpiece | Critical Eye Lv.1 | Unlocked at Grade 4 |
| Kulu Vambraces | Critical Eye Lv.1 | Unlocked at Grade 4 |
| Kulu Greaves | Critical Eye Lv.1 | Unlocked at Grade 2 Upgraded at Grade 6 |
| Rathalos Mail | Weakness Exploit Lv.1 | Unlocked by Default Upgraded at Grade 6 |
| Rathalos Greaves | Weakness Exploit Lv.1 | Unlocked at Grade 6 |
These are all the available options for players to affect their Affinity, while in the future as the game updates even more there could be even more options, or abilities that can change things.
Final Thoughts
Affinity is a subtle mechanic that players can use to their advantage when they play the game. It is easy to build around and allows for many useable builds that don’t work around the element system.
If you want to improve while playing the game, check out our guide on all the tips and tricks to play better for Monster Hunter Now.
With all the information about affinity broken down, and explained for Monster Hunter Now, you are ready to make new builds. Share your thoughts in the comments down below if this guide helped you understand the game’s mechanics better.
With thousands of hours played on Nintendo systems since the original Gameboy, Nikiforos is happy to share his endless passion for Nintendo franchises and everything he can get his hands on.
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