Monster Hunter should take note of how Wild Hearts makes the most of their cards. The MH franchise has more locations and more complex monsters, but Wild Hearts can achieve the same with their “chapter” system.
Each chapter in Wild Hearts is divided into a number of maps, and players can choose which map they want to appear on. Each map has different resources, one of the most sought after is a large chunk of ore. So, let’s take a look at where to find these items in Wild Hearts, what they look like, and how best to get them.
What large chunks of ore look like and what they are
Wild Hearts has a tiered material system where each card has its own ecology. This means that each one has its own crafting materials, food, creatures, and kemonos to interact with.
In particular, there are two types of forging materials: a general set of “base” forging materials, and color-coded forging materials for a particular card. To view common forging materials, from smallest to rarest, there are:
- Main stones
- ores
- Large chunks of ore
- Ore chunks
- Spirit Stones
Materials for certain cards usually have two tiers: one is used in low-rank equipment (chapters 1 and 2), and the other is used in high-rank equipment (chapters 3 onwards). For example, Small Crystal Ore is found in red tokens around Harugasumi Path in Chapters 1 and 2, but Sakura Stone can be found in the same locations 100% of the time if the player is on Harugasumi Path in Chapter 3 or later.
Common smithing materials look slightly different than rare ones. Players will understand when they see them; they appear as long crystals of different colors on different maps (red is Harugasumi Street, yellow is Akikure Canyon, blue is Fuyufusagi Fort).
All these exposures have a “pool” of what the player will get when interacting with them – the only barrier is the current chapter. In chapters 1 and 2, the core or ore is all that can be obtained from them; but after chapter 3, large chunks of ore can be obtained from this pool.
The chapter-based mechanics are poorly explained in the game, which is why many players still don’t understand how it works. As for what large ore chunks are used for, they are usually used to upgrade weapons in the mid to late game. But there are also a few pieces of armor that require them.
How to get large chunks of ore
Now that players are familiar with the materials system in Hearts of the Wild, let’s see where in the game they can find large chunks of ore. In general, the locations where the tokens and crystal outlets appear remain the same on each map, so players can expect that each time they reload the map, they will follow the same route and encounter approximately the same number of interactive objects.
The presence of large ore chunks in caves and along rock ledges suggests that, like Sakura Stone, Demon Stone, and Golden Hematite, large chunks of ore can be found in caves and along rock ledges. In fact, although the area is almost entirely rock, there is the possibility of gios or outcrops. And since large chunks of ore are part of the “general” materials for forging, they can be collected on each map, and it all depends on which map players consider the best for mining the necessary materials.
Some players will enjoy running through the winding Buddha Caves in the upper left corner of Akikure Canyon, while others will prefer to find these interactive items while climbing Nanohana Hill and in the caves leading to the Big Cherry Clearing.
Two great ways to grow large chunks of ore
Wild Hearts has two methods for growing different types of crafting materials. One is the “luck” method, but requires much less work in return. The other method is more tedious, but also much more reliable.
Using the Tsukumo Ore Shrines
Tsukumo Ore Shrines are one of the best ways to get ore. They can be unlocked at the very beginning of the game and send Tsukumo to collect ore randomly from the map they are located on. Each of them can hold 5 materials at a time before they need to be emptied, and they usually refill every half an hour or an hour.
The only downside is that Tsukumo randomly collects ore, so players can only get Corestone, and there may be times when these shrines cause them to be buried in Sakura Stone.
The most efficient way to mine large chunks of ore is to place as many of these shrines as you can in the same campsite on each map, play and hunt as usual, and then check to enable/clear those shrines from time to time.
Using route-based collection
The second method is more tedious and involves determining the route to pass the map, passing many different minerals along the way. Luckily, the detailed map has a material filter for each region that shows little green dots indicating where food, crafting materials, and more spawn. Thus, players can use this map and their understanding of what usually spawns where (for example, green dots near rocks are forging materials) to plan ahead.
Once a mining route is planned, tested, and worth using, players simply load into the map, complete it, collect everything they can, and use either the specific hunt icon or the free hunt icon in another chapter to reset the map. They then dump all those minerals using the Tsukumo Shrines.
To be honest, players don’t even have to stick to one of these methods or the other; they can just use both of them. Place the Tsukumo Shrines first; plot routes to maximize gathering efficiency, then craft what you need using a Large Ore Chunk. Once you’ve crafted what you want using the Big Piece of Ore, decide whether to keep the extra items or sell them to the Crimson Treasure House for money.”
Wild Hearts is available now for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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