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[image_alt]Comprehensive Monster Hunter Outlanders Buddy guide detailing types, upgrades, and team strategies[/image_alt]
Hunters, are you ready to build a stronger team and take down the toughest monsters in Monster Hunter Outlanders? Your Buddies can deal heavy damage, distract fierce enemies, heal your squad, and boost your Adventurers!
Choosing the right companion makes every hunt much easier. This ultimate Monster Hunter Outlanders Buddy guide covers the three unique Buddy types, how to get free companions, essential upgrade tips, and the best team strategies!
What Are Buddies in Monster Hunter Outlanders?
Buddies are loyal companions that support your Adventurers during intense combat, exploration, and item gathering. Each companion type fills a distinct role, ranging from direct damage dealers and crowd controllers to vital healers and support buffers.
Choosing a Buddy that synergizes with your team strategy transforms difficult hunts into smooth victories. Check out the handy comparison table below to see every Buddy class at a glance!
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| Buddy Type | Class | Main Specialty | Recommended Adventurers |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Palico
|
Assault | Weapon skills, damage, and aggro support | Pyro, Midori, Luka, Ouyang Varen |
|
Rutaco
|
Disruptor | Tools, Radiantite structures, and enemy control | Keres, Raya, Pepper |
|
Trillan
|
Support | Healing, buffs, and team assistance | Arkaya, Madelyn |
Palico – Assault Buddy
Palicos are iconic, familiar companions for veteran Monster Hunter fans. They specialize in weapon skills and handy items, helping deal damage while drawing monster aggro away from your hunter.
This makes them a phenomenal fit for aggressive team compositions that require additional offensive support. They pair brilliantly with Assault Adventurers like Pyro, Midori, Luka, and Ouyang Varen.
PRO-TIP: Choose a Palico when you want maximum offensive support and extra openings to land devastating heavy attacks.
Rutaco – Disruptor Buddy
Rutacos are clever, monkey-like creatures native to the lands of Aesoland. They utilize specialized tools and Radiantite materials to build structures that control and disrupt aggressive enemies.
Pairing a Rutaco with Disruptor Adventurers such as Keres, Raya, or Pepper strengthens an enemy control strategy. Instead of relying purely on brute-force damage, you gain incredible tactical utility to interrupt monster attacks.
PRO-TIP: Rutacos are ideal for players who prefer battlefield control, tactical enemy disruption, and high combat utility.
Trillan – Support Buddy
Trillans are majestic feathered creatures resembling owls or eagles, also native to Aesoland. They use their resonant voices to provide healing pulses, powerful combat buffs, and vital team assistance.
They work exceptionally well alongside Support Adventurers like Arkaya and Madelyn. If your team deals plenty of damage but struggles with survivability during boss fights, a Trillan keeps everyone alive.
PRO-TIP: Bring a Trillan when your primary goal is securing reliable healing, status buffs, and superior team survivability.
Monster Hunter Outlanders Buddy Progression and Training
Developing your Buddies is crucial as you advance through Monster Hunter Outlanders and face progressively stronger threats. Leveling, ascension, skill training, and equipment crafting all determine their combat effectiveness.
1. Level Up Your Main Buddies
Start by prioritizing levels for the specific Buddies you use most frequently. Increasing their levels scales their stats, ensuring they keep pace with aggressive monster encounters.
Buddy progression features distinct level caps that require ascension items to break past. Pay close attention to required upgrade materials and quest icons to locate optimal farming spots quickly.
2. Ascend Buddies After Reaching Their Level Cap
Once a Buddy hits its current level cap, ascension unlocks further growth potential. This system ties directly into broader game progression requirements, including the acquisition of Proof of Mastery.
Proof of Mastery is shared with Adventurer progression and vital story advancement. Focus your rare resources only on your core team companions rather than spreading upgrade materials too thin across every unlocked pet.
3. Improve Buddy Skills Through Training
Buddy training lets you enhance active abilities and maximize passive combat benefits. Different specialized skills provide unique tactical advantages on the hunt:
- Passive Bombs: Deal percentage-based elemental damage over time to monsters.
- Barrage Cannons: Deliver sustained ranged firepower during heated skirmishes.
- Inspiration Buffs: Boost Adventurer attack power when monsters suffer from status abnormalities or staggered states.
- Affinity Boosts: Increase critical hit chances for your main weapons.
PRO-TIP: Align your skill training with your core weapon style. Damage-focused builds benefit from offensive skills, while utility setups prefer supportive buffs.
4. Craft Buddy Armor and Gear
Buddies can equip crafted armor sets to greatly improve their physical defense and survivability. Gather monster carves and scrap materials to forge defensive gear for tougher encounters.
However, prioritize your own hunter equipment during early-game progression. Upgrading your main weapon and armor set bonuses yields higher returns than dumping early resources into companion gear.
Once your main hunter equipment is solid, channel surplus monster materials into your Buddies. This preparation is mandatory when facing master-rank beasts and Elder Dragons where monster hits deal lethal damage.
Best Tips for Choosing and Using Buddies
Mastering your companions requires more than picking high-tier skills. You must evaluate your Adventurer roster, weapon mechanics, and target monster weaknesses to succeed.
1. Choose Buddies That Fill Your Team’s Missing Roles
A well-balanced combat team easily adapts to shifting encounter mechanics. Assess your active squad and select companions that cover your weaknesses:
- Need More Damage? Recommended Companion: Palico for high offensive pressure.
- Need Better Control? Recommended Companion: Rutaco for structured enemy disruption.
- Need Healing & Buffs? Recommended Companion: Trillan for essential team survivability.
2. Take Advantage of Buddy and Adventurer Synergies
Companion pairings grant passive combat bonuses. Your Fated Adventurer’s unique Buddy skill grants specific buffs based on your equipped companion, while heroes like Ryunosuke boost overall companion efficiency.
- Check Class Synergies: Match your Buddy class with your active Adventurer combat style.
- Review Companion Passives: Look for traits that directly enhance your primary weapon damage.
- Test Combinations: Experiment with different pairings before locking in your final hunt squad.
3. Use Buddy Aggro to Create Attack Opportunities
Certain Buddies actively draw monster attention away from your hunter. This creates safe windows to execute long-animation weapons like the Great Sword or Heavy Bowgun.
- Wait for Openings: Let your companion draw the monster’s attention before committing to slow charged attacks.
- Watch Monster Telltales: Never assume you are completely safe just because the monster is looking away momentarily.
- Capitalize on Distractions: Reposition quickly during aggro shifts to land flawless critical strikes.
4. Adjust Your Buddy Based on the Hunt
Different monster species demand specialized team configurations. Some hunts require overwhelming offensive pressure, whereas others mandate heavy crowd control and healing support.
If you find yourself carting repeatedly in long boss battles, swap in a Trillan for healing. If a monster has massive health pools that drain the timer, switch to a Palico for extra DPS.
5. Coordinate Buddy Roles During Co-op Hunts
Multiplayer co-op hunts support up to four players in a single session, making role coordination mandatory. Avoid stacking identical companion classes with your squadmates.
- Distribute Team Roles: Balance Assault damage dealers, Disruptor controllers, and Support healers across the party.
- Cover Group Weaknesses: Pick companions that supply missing buffs your teammates lack.
- Adapt to Target Beasts: Tailor your companion choices to counter specific Elder Dragon mechanics.
Conclusion
By understanding Buddy classes, leveling your main companions, training core skills, and coordinating roles, you are ready to conquer the hardest challenges in Monster Hunter Outlanders! Experiment with different team combinations, equip gear suited to your playstyle, and build your ultimate hunting squad today!
[tags]Monster Hunter Outlanders, Mobile Gaming, Action RPG, Capcom, Strategy Guide, Buddy System, Gaming Guides[/tags]
