How to Capture (Not Kill) in ‘Monster Hunter World’

Jeremy Ray
Games Xbox
Games Xbox PlayStation PC Gaming

Monster Hunter World is about hunting monsters. While most people interpret that as “kill” monsters, a hunting quest will also accept capturing them alive. In fact, some quests require it.

At first, you might see capturing as harder that killing. The conditions have to be just right. But in some fights, the ability to capture can be a godsend. If you’ve already fainted twice and you’re out of items, going the full ten rounds might be less appealing. Better to capture and be done with it.

Capturing monsters alive lets the Commission do more useful research on it, and you’ll be better rewarded. However, you’ll have to go without carving bonuses. If you need something in the “rewards” category from a monster and can do without the “carves,” then capturing is the way to go.

Traps and Tranqs

Here’s what you’ll need to trap monsters.

  1. Either a shock trap or pitfall trap. Shock Traps are made with Trap Tools and Thunderbugs. Pitfall Traps are made with Trap Tools and Nets — which themselves are made out of Spider Webs and Ivy.
  2. Some kind of tranquiliser. This can be done with tranq bombs, or with some kind of tranq ammo. You can make tranq bombs out of Sleep Herbs and Parashrooms.

You may have noticed the traps require Trap Tools, which you don’t have access to in your inventory unless you’ve done the first capture quest. This isn’t made very clear in Monster Hunter World. After you start the quest to capture a Kulu-Ya-Ku, there will be two Trap Tools in your supply box. Use these for crafting later, and the shock trap for the mission at hand.

If for some reason you get in a tight spot and can’t craft any of these items, there’s a merchant in the research station of the 3rd Fleet that can sell them to you. Later, the Elder Melder can make them for you.

Becoming the Trap Master

There’s a one-two combo of Traps and Tranqs you’ll need to master, but first the monster needs to be weak.

We go through a few different signs that the monster is weak in the video, but these are less reliable. I’ve had a monster limping, drooling, flatlining with skulls coming from it on the minimap, and still it refused to be trapped.

The most sure-fire way is to make sure the monster has gone to sleep in its nest. This has the added benefit of it being nice and still for you to place the trap under.

Barroth capture trap Monster Hunter World
Barroth no likey electricity

Make sure the trap and Tranq Bombs are ready in your item wheel, because you don’t want to be fiddling around in the small window to tranquilise it. Place the trap under it, then hit it with some Tranq Bombs close to its head. Usually two is enough.

You’ll only have around twenty seconds before the mission ends after that, so keep that in mind if there was anything you wanted to loot or mine in the area. Monster Hunter World assumes you’ll want to go straight back, since there’s no carving to be done.

Hopefully that helps you get your first capture. Happy hunting!

Jeremy Ray
Decade-long games critic and esports aficionado. Started in competitive Counter-Strike, then moved into broadcast, online, print and interpretative pantomime. You merely adopted the lag. I was born in it.