Monster Hunter Rise provides you with a variety of tools to aid you on your hunts, but some of the most invaluable assets are your buddies–the game’s term for your Palamute and Palico companions. Not only can buddies accompany you on quests, lending their support as you battle monsters, but they can also be sent off on their own separate missions, gathering additional resources for you. Here’s everything you need to know about recruiting and utilizing buddies in Monster Hunter Rise.
Buddy Overview
As previously mentioned, there are two types of buddies in Monster Hunter Rise: the dog-like Palamutes and cat-like Palicoes. You’ll begin the game by creating one of each, with additional buddies available for hire as you progress through the adventure. You can bring two buddies along with you on solo quests (or one buddy if you’re playing with other players), and each type has distinct attributes and abilities that make them helpful in different ways.
Palamutes are generally better attackers than Palicoes and will lend a paw in the heat of battle, but they’re most helpful when it comes to traversal. You can ride your Palamute at any point during a quest for an extra bit of speed. Your Palamute won’t lose any stamina while running, letting you cover ground much more quickly than you could on foot–a huge boon considering how large the game’s maps can be. Not only that, but your Palamute will also sprint vertically up climbable walls, allowing you to reach elevated areas in a fraction of the time it would normally take.
Palicoes, on the other hand, are more support-oriented. Each Palico falls in one of five different specialties; some, for instance, will use healing abilities to help you recover health or cure status ailments during a hunt, while others will focus on gathering materials or laying traps. Here’s a quick overview of all five different Palico specialties:
- Healer: Uses skills to help you recover health
- Assist: Sets traps
- Fight: Specializes in combat
- Bombardier: Can handle and use bombs
- Gathering: Focuses on collecting quality materials
How To Recruit More Buddies
Although you can only bring up to two buddies with you on quests at a time, you can recruit many more additional companions in the Buddy Plaza, which is located just across the bridge in the eastern part of Kamura Village. To add a new buddy to your roster, speak to Iori the Buddy Handler and he’ll present you with two main options: Hire and Scout a Buddy.
Choose Hire, and the game will bring up a list of different pre-made Palicoes and Palamutes that you can recruit for a small fee. Iori will have a different list of buddies after each quest you complete, so it’s a good idea to check back regularly and see which companions are available for hire. Scout a Buddy, meanwhile, effectively lets you create a new companion. You can search for Palamutes and Palicoes with very specific attributes, making this the better option if you’re after buddies with a certain appearance and abilities. Iori also allows you to rename any buddies you’ve recruited or dismiss ones that you no longer need at any time (though you won’t be refunded any money you spent recruiting them).
Meowcenaries And The Argosy
Spare buddies can be sent on missions through the Meowcenaries. You’ll unlock the ability to take on Meowcenary quests after you hit Village Hunter Rank 3. Once the Meowcenaries are open for business, speak to Felyne Chief Kogarashi to see a list of gathering routes, each of which will yield different types of materials. For a small fee of Kamura Points, you can select up to four buddies to deploy along one of these routes, and they’ll bring back a handful of materials after each quest you complete.
The Argosy is similar. Speak to Rondine in the Buddy Plaza, and you’ll have the option to send a buddy off to barter for items, periodically bringing additional materials back for you. You’ll initially only be able to send one buddy at a time on these trade requests, but later in the story, you’ll be able to clear small side quests to unlock additional Argosy submarines. Materials are always handy to have in Monster Hunter, so you’ll want to make sure you leave buddies with the Meowcenaries and the Argosy regularly to maximize your haul.
Buddy Dojo
Buddies you bring along with you will level up as you complete quests, but you can also quickly level up spare companions at the Buddy Dojo. Speak to Shirubei the Felyne in the Buddy Plaza, and you’ll be able to leave up to six buddies at the dojo for training. Each training session will last as long as one quest, so you can drop some spare companions off here and have them level up while you go about completing missions.
Buddy Gear
Like your hunter, buddies can be outfitted with their own gear and weapons, and it’s important to regularly update their loadouts as you work through the game and get your hands on better crafting materials. Buddy equipment is forged by Buddy Smithy Kisaki, whose stall is located right next to Hammon’s near the center of Kamura Village. Each companion can sport two pieces of armor and one weapon, and the game will display what materials you need to craft each piece of gear. Although your buddies can’t really faint during a quest (at worst, they’ll be temporarily incapacited), it’s a good idea to forge new equipment for them as you increase your Hunter Rank to ensure they’re as helpful as possible.
Monster Hunter Rise is now available on Nintendo Switch, with a set to follow sometime in 2022. If you’re just getting started, be sure to check out our other Monster Hunter Rise guides, including some beginner tips, how to set up multiplayer sessions, and how to kill every monster.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
