Palico Guide (All Quests and Abilities)

Playing solo or in a group of two? In Monster Hunter Wilds, your custom Palico companion will always be by your side. Palicoes are feline companions who have formed a pact with hunters to aid them in battle, standing by you even against the most formidable monsters.

Beyond just attacking, Palicoes provide invaluable support—they can heal you, cleanse ailments, set traps, and even revive you once per hunt.

You can also craft specialized armor and weapons for them at the smithy using materials from defeated monsters, adding an extra layer of customization and endgame fashion.

This guide is written by DerekTheMage.

When hanging out at one of the base camp locations after completing Chapter 4, your Palico will start to ask for help with missions to upgrade some of its abilities.

Knowing which missions to take on so you can upgrade your Palico's abilities will be crucial in maximizing their ability to support you.

#1 Healing Help

• Capture a Vigorwasp

The first mission your Palico will ask for your assistance in is very simple, you must capture a Vigorwasp with the Net hunting tool.

After completing this mission you will be rewarded with 10 Mega Potion and unlocking the ability Attract Vigorwasps, allowing your Palico to call a Vigorwasp to a location nearby so it can be used when needed.

#2 Flash Course

• Capture Fireflies

This mission has you going to capture Flashflies with the Net for your Palico, they can be found on any map in many Zones where large monsters are seen.

After completion you will be rewarded with 10 Flash Pods and unlocking the ability Flashfly cage, it allows your Palico to place down a captured Flashfly ready for you to use at the right moment!

#3 Purrfect Plunder

• Hunt Guardian Ebony Odogaron

This is the first hunting mission they will assign you. It will have you hunt a Guardian Ebony Odogaron. They are weak to Water Damage, so using a Water Weapon will make the mission go as smoothly as possible.

Beware of the Bleeding condition - it applies on hit and it should be countered with an Immunizer. Once the fight is over, you will be rewarded with 5 Nourishing Extracts and unlocking the ability Plunderang, your Palico uses its Plunderang to steal items from monsters during hunts.

#4 Rath-From-Above, Go!

• Hunt a Quematrice

This hunting mission will put you up against a Quematrice so Nulberry will be a good item to bring to help get rid of all the Fireblight. They are also very weak to Water Damage, making a Water Weapon the way to complete this hunt the fastest.

Once beaten you will receive a reward of 10 Large Barrel Bombs, and by unlocking the ability Rath-from-Above, your Palico climbs in a flying machine and attacks the monster with a small cannon.

#5 A Gutsy Move

• Capture a Large Vigorwasm

This mission is unlocked after beating Chapter 6 in the main story. It has you seeking out and capturing a Large Vigorwasp with the Net tool, they can be found in Zones 10 and 13 of the Windward Plains. Once completed you will be rewarded with 5 Max Potions, 10 Mega Barrel Bombs, and unlocking the ability Vigorwasp Revival.

This is by far the most powerful ability as it will revive you from the dead once per hour, it can save you from failing a difficult hunt or help you learn which attacks to avoid at all costs!

Note that every Palico ability has a universal cooldown system: After using an ability, your Palico must wait one minute before using another, unless stated otherwise.

Healing & Support Abilities

Vigorwasp Delivery

• Sends a Vigorwasp to heal you when your health is low.
• Upgraded: Heals more and can send multiple in succession.
• Cooldown: 5 minutes

Purewasp Delivery

• Sends a Purewasp to cleanse blights and abnormal statuses.
• Upgraded: Can send up to two Purewasps.
• Cooldown: 5 minutes

Attract Vigorwasps

• Calls a Vigorwasp to a location near the monster for hunters to use.
• Upgraded: Attracts a Giant Vigorwasp, providing significantly more healing.
• Cooldown: 8 minutes

Vigorwasp Revival

• Revives you if you faint, once per hour.
• Upgraded: Restores more health upon revival.
• Cooldown: 1 hour

Buffing Abilities

Sporenet: Song o’ Power

• Plays a song that increases the attack power of nearby hunters.
• Upgraded: Extends duration and increases buff effectiveness.
• Cooldown: 8 minutes

Sporenet: Song o’ Purrtection

• Plays a song that boosts defense for nearby hunters.
• Upgraded: Extends duration and increases buff effectiveness.
• Cooldown: 8 minutes

Combat & Utility Abilities

Provoke

• Draws the monster's attention with a special shield.
• Upgraded: Increases taunt duration and adds a counterattack.
• Cooldown: 6 minutes

Place Paracorn

• Deploys a shock trap near the monster.
• Upgraded: Reduces cooldown.
• Cooldown: 6 minutes

Let-’Er-RRRip

• Fires thorn ammo from a mini ballista, potentially wounding the monster.
• Upgraded: Increases duration.
• Cooldown: 6 minutes

Flashfly Cage

• Deploys a Flashfly Cage, allowing hunters to trigger a flash explosion to stun monsters.
• Upgraded: Reduces cooldown.
• Cooldown: 4.5 minutes

Special Abilities

Rath-from-Above

• Takes flight and provides cover fire with a small cannon.
• Upgraded: Plunges at the monster before the ability ends, dealing heavy damage.
• Cooldown: 1 hour

Plunderang

• Allows your Palico to steal materials from monsters for extra rewards.
• Upgraded: Increases the amount of loot plundered.
• Cooldown: None

Palicoes aren’t just valuable in combat—they also provide essential support while exploring. When you're out gathering resources, your Palico will assist by collecting materials, saving you time and effort.

For example, if you approach an ore node, your Palico will mine a piece for you, allowing you to simply walk up and collect the rest without having to go through the full mining animation.

Additionally, Palicoes will sometimes scout ahead and mark useful gathering spots, alerting you to rare resources or hidden items. They may even bring back small bonuses like Herb, Mushrooms, or insects to help keep your inventory stocked for the battles ahead.

Whether in combat or out in the wild, your Palico is always working to make your hunt more efficient!