Once you reach the endgame of after completing the main story. These, in turn, require you to defeat rare and difficult monsters, which you'll have to find via unusual methods. Suffice it to say that Artian Weapons are very difficult to come by.

But the tradeoff is that Artian Weapons are highly customizable. Unlike most Monster Hunter Wilds weapons, you have a unique opportunity to affect your weapon's element and damage. Artian Weapons aren't exactly locked to the same kind of upgrade tree as other types, but must be crafted by an entirely different method. If you're struggling to understand how Artian Weapons work, what you'll need to craft them, and which ones you should focus on first, we've got you covered.

How To Hunt Tempered Monsters

Unlocking Tempered Monsters & Artian Weapons

Once you've finished the main story (and a few postgame quests) in Monster Hunter Wilds, you'll be granted a quest called "Wyvern Spark and Rose Thorns," in which you have to hunt two monsters at once: a Guardian Fulgur Anjanath, and a Lala Barina. During the hunt, you may notice that the Scoutflies leading you to your target are suddenly blue, where they're usually green. Shortly thereafter, you'll discover that the Anjanath you've been sent to hunt is a rare Tempered variant.

Tempered monsters are basically bigger, beefier, tougher variants of normal species, as you'll quickly learn. Defeat the Anjanath, then come back for the Lala Barina, and head back to camp. Gemma will flag you down, and explain that, with the rarer parts afforded you by hunting Tempered monsters, she can craft more powerful Artian Weapons.

Hunting Tempered Monsters

From here on out, Tempered monsters will appear randomly throughout the world. Look for them on your map; you'll know you've found one when the scoutflies leading to it turn blue instead of green. You may encounter Tempered varieties of species you've already fought, or entirely new ones, but either way, they're a force to be reckoned with.

Tempered Monsters can be recognized by their metallic sheen. They have more HP and deal more damage than their non-Tempered cousins. As a result, you'll want to be amply prepared whenever you decide to take one on. Make sure you've eaten a meal and still have the bonuses active. See if it's possible to upgrade your armor at all. Restock any consumables you're running low on. And, perhaps most importantly, consult the target monster's entry in your Field Guide, if possible, and take note of their weak points.

Hunting Tempered monsters will also reward you with Hunter Symbols.

To make things easier, you can also search for SOS Flare quests with the Tempered monsters filter via the quest board. This will automatically show you in-progress quests to hunt Tempered monsters, which you can then instantly, saving you the trouble of having to find one yourself.

How To Craft Artian Weapons

Obtaining Weapon Shards

Each time you defeat a Tempered Monster, you'll receive a random assortment of Weapon Shards. These are a unique class of materials, and can only be used to forge Artian Weapons. Weapon Shard drops appear to be completely random, and come in three different Rarities, ranging from 5 to 7. You'll need three Weapon Shards of the same Rarity to make one Artian Weapon; if you don't have three of the correct type and the same Rarity, you'll have to keep grinding until you do.

Weapon Shard Types & Artian Weapon Formulas

Here's where things get really interesting: each Weapon Shard also fits into one of four types, which are Blade, Tube, Disc, and Device. In a similar vein, each Artian Weapon is composed of three different parts, and different weapon types require different combinations of weapon shards. For example, the Great Sword, with its long sharp edge, requires two Blade-type Weapon Shards, and one Tube for its handle. that the three parts you combine to make your Artian Weapon will also need to be of the same Rarity.

The table below shows you exactly what kinds of Weapon Shards you'll need to craft each Artian Weapon type. You can craft Artian Weapons by speaking to Gemma in any Base Camp or Village, and choosing the "Forge Artian Weapons" option from her menu - they don't appear under the ordinary trees.

While you're browsing options in the Smithy's shop, Weapon Shard components you have will appear in white text, while those you don't appear grayed out. This is an easy way to see what kind of Artian Weapons are available to you at any given moment.

Artian Weapon Elements

In addition to the Rarity and type, you'll also want to consider the elements of your Weapon Shards. Yes, each Weapon Shard has an inherent element, and the combination you choose when crafting affects the element of your Artian Weapon. If you combine two or more Shards of the same element, the resulting Artian Weapon will deal that kind of elemental damage. If you combine three of all different types, the result will be non-elemental.

Ultimately, there's nothing wrong with elemental versus non-elemental Artian Weapons. However, it's important to be mindful of the potential element of your output when crafting, as certain elements may give you penalties against some monsters, and bonuses against others. Just consider what you'd rather have in that specific moment, and make sure you read the fine print carefully before crafting.

Reinforcing & Dismantling Artian Weapons

Once you've got an Artian Weapon, you can also upgrade it using a variety of different materials. These upgrade materials are rewarded as part of your Festival Shares, so check with Nata periodically to ensure you have a steady stream of upgrades coming in. You can also Smelt monster materials at the Smelting Foundry in Azuz to exchange low-value upgrade materials for rarer ones.

Each time you reinforce an Artian Weapon, you'll receive a random increase to its stats. Unfortunately, there's no way to influence the results; some players just save scum until they get what they want.

In addition, if you're unhappy with your Artian Weapon entirely, you can choose to dismantle it at Gemma's smithy to get additional upgrade materials. This can be useful if you really desperately need to craft a new weapon with a different elemental affinity, but in general, I don't recommend doing it too often. Artian Weapons are expensive, and this can be a waste of money.

If you want to engage with Wilds' endgame, you'll have to get the hang of Artian Weapons pretty fast. While it can be daunting at first, it's a pretty simple process, and can lead to some of the best possible equipment in Monster Hunter Wilds.