It is one of the oldest debates in the Monster Hunter community — should you capture or carve? Does it affect the loot you will get? And are titles tied to kills only? With Monster Hunter Wilds, it is time to set the record straight and clear up a few widespread misconceptions that have been ongoing since Monster Hunter World.
The Myth: Different Reward Pools for Capturing and Carving
A lot of hunters believe that capturing and carving a monster pulls from entirely different loot pools, with some materials supposedly exclusive to one method. This was true in older Monster Hunter games before World, but in Monster Hunter Wilds, just like in World, both capturing and carving pull from the same pool of items. This means that you are not missing out on special drops by choosing one method over the other.
The original Reddit thread offers an in-depth look into this topic:
What About Number of Rewards?
In Monster Hunter Wilds, both carving and capturing give you the same number of rewards: 3 carve or capture slots by default — unless you boost it through food buffs or other modifiers.
So the choice between capture and carve comes down to strategy:
- Capturing ends the fight sooner and can be safer, especially if you are low on resources or want to avoid a long-lasting battle.
- Carving gives you a chance to fight until the end and potentially break a few extra parts.
Titles and Hunt Counts: Kills vs. Captures
Another common misconception is that titles in Monster Hunter Wilds require you to kill monsters rather than capture them. The truth is, both kills and captures count toward your total hunts for a monster.
If your Hunter Notes show “21 Hunted” and “10 Captured,” it means you have killed 11 and captured 10 — but both contribute equally to unlocking hunting titles.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, there is no big advantage to carving over capturing in terms of loot pools or hunt progression. You won’t miss out on rare drops because you chose one method over the other. The difference comes down to whether you have a food buff, want a quicker hunt, or need to target certain monster parts.
