An Investigation is a Field Survey you save for later. Pick a monster on the map, choose Save as Investigation, and you can replay that exact hunt up to three times from the Quest Counter. Tempered monsters unlock after the Chapter 4 assignment Thundering Flowers.
Sooner or later every hunter runs into the same moment: you spot a huge Rey Dau, or a Tempered monster with a juicy reward list, and you don’t have time for it right now. That’s what Investigations are for. They’re the backbone of farming in Wilds, and once you get the hang of them you’ll have a list of hand-picked hunts waiting for every play session.
Field Surveys vs Investigations
A Field Survey is a hunt you start on the spot against a large monster out in the open world. You can kick one off by selecting the monster’s icon on the map, or simply by hitting a monster hard enough while you’re out exploring.
An Investigation is a Field Survey you’ve saved for later. It keeps the same monster, the same size, the same conditions and the same reward list, which is exactly why crown hunters live on them.
How to save an Investigation
There are two ways, and both cost Guild Points:
- From the map. Select a monster’s icon and choose Save as Investigation.
- After the hunt. Finished a Field Survey you’d like to repeat? You can still save it afterwards from your Field Survey History.
When you want to play one, go to the Quest Counter through Alma and pick it from your saved Investigations.
Check the reward list before you save. Rewards are rolled at random and shown up front, so you know exactly what you’re farming for before you spend a single Guild Point.
The rules
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| 3 attempts | Each saved Investigation can be accepted three times, then it disappears. |
| 50 slots | You can keep up to 50 Investigations saved at once. |
| Difficulty | A monster’s strength is shown as stars (✦) on the quest. Tougher means better rewards. |
| Rewards | Random, shown before you accept. Harder ones can include rare materials and decorations. |
Patch notes worth knowing. Title Update 1 raised Guild Point rewards from Investigations by 10%, and a failed departure (a connection error, say) no longer uses up an attempt. Title Update 4 gave multi-target quests a longer minimum time limit, adjusted existing saved Investigations to match, and added a sort by attempts left at the Quest Counter.
Tempered monsters
Tempered monsters are tougher versions of monsters you already know, rated higher than their normal High Rank selves. They first show up in the Chapter 4 assignment Thundering Flowers (★5, HR 20), where you face Guardian Fulgur Anjanath and a Tempered Lala Barina. Clearing it unlocks Tempered Investigations and Artian weapons in one go.
The reason to chase them is simple: Tempered hunts drop the parts you need for Artian weapons, the best weapons you can build for most of the endgame.
- Since Title Update 2, Tempered monsters can also appear in herds.
- Tempered Mizutsune, Lagiacrus and Seregios appear from HR 41 once you’ve cleared that monster’s own extra mission.
9★ Tempered monsters (HR 100+)
Ver.1.021 raised the ceiling. From HR 100, Tempered Rey Dau, Uth Duna, Nu Udra, Jin Dahaad, Gore Magala, Arkveld, Mizutsune, Lagiacrus and Seregios can turn up in the field as ★9 quests. These are the hunts that can drop the Glowing Stone, which turns into a talisman with random skills when the quest ends. Our talisman guide covers what to do with them.
Later updates added more: Lagiacrus joined the Wounded Hollow at HR 100+ in Title Update 3, and Title Update 4 brought a ★9 Tempered Rathalos to the Scarlet Forest and Oilwell Basin.
Ver.1.041: if you deal heavy damage to a large monster that isn’t your current target, it’s now more likely to become a target in a later Field Survey. Handy when the monster you actually want keeps wandering into someone else’s hunt.
A word on Frenzied monsters
You’ll also meet monsters infected by Gore Magala’s Frenzy. They’re faster and more aggressive, but they have noticeably less health, so the fights are short and sharp. Don’t let the extra aggression scare you off.
Building a crown collection? Investigations are the way to do it, because a saved hunt keeps its monster’s size. See our crown guide.