Recruitment and training, Palico's function during hunting, Palico's equipment Monster Hunter Generations Guide

Last update: 05 September 2016

Another important aspect of gameplay in MHGen are the cat companions called Palico. Those creatures were always the mascot of Monster Hunter franchise and started to be a part of the player's team since the release of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. The basic role of Palico is to accompany the player during quest completion and they are immensely helpful in single player. Their presence compensates to some extent the lack of companions and cooperation, both of which are important elements of gameplay and one of the reasons for the franchise's popularity. Even though Palico are nowhere near as effective as real players in a team, they can still be immensely helpful. They can heal your wounds, help you recover from paralyzing effects of some of the monster's attacks, lay traps and so on.

Recruitment and training

To receive your first feline companion you must head to Palico's Ranch and speak with Meowstress, a character responsible for searching and recruiting cat companions. Here you can either recruit one of the Palico shown on the list, or ask Meowstress to find you a cat that suits your needs. The simple act of having a cat companion won't cost you anything, although the recruitment involves a one-time payment. The amount you have to pay for a companion is associated with the level of the cat. Additionally, you can fire the cats that you don't need anymore (which will sadden them).

Palico (in contrast to the player) acquire levels of experience when they are taken with you on a hunt, send on a farm or special cat quests, or by training the. By training them in the Palico Dojo you can influence their stats and the special abilities that they will have access to during combat. What is more, the cats differ not only in terms of levels, stats and abilities but also their character. Their character has a direct influence on their behavior during hunt - some will aggressively attack larger monsters, others will focus on the smaller foes and some will prefer to collect minerals and heal your character with their melodies.

Palico's function during hunting

While on the battlefield, Palico will always stick close to your character and assist you in attacking enemies. When you will be near mineral collection areas they will often rush to those places to acquire them. When your health will start decreasing or an enemy will poison, paralyze or put your character into sleep, Palico (provided that they have the necessary ability) will try to help you - from the previously mentioned healing melodies to a simple kick in the butt that will help you get up. The type of help you can count on during a hunt depends on the type of cat you've recruited and how you've trained them. Because of that you should understand the topic and constantly develop your cats.

Palico's Equipment

Palico cannot be permanently eliminated from combat during a hunt, but similarly to the player they have their own health bar - if this one is emptied, the cat will bury itself under the ground for some time to regenerate itself (yes, cats in Monster Hunter are also diggers). To increase their effectiveness in combat and their chances of survival you can, and you should, equip them with better equipment. Palico can only be equipped with a helmet, chest armor and weapon. You can visit the Palico armory in a village to create new elements of attire for your cat companions. The cat smith works similarly to the normal one - he needs crafting materials to create stuff, although in this case you must supply the smith with "scraps". In order to gather those, you can transform normal crafting ingredients at the Palico smith. Another source of crafting materials are special Palico quests, described below.