How to get Novacrystal in Monster Hunter Wilds

You'll need a Novacrystal in Monster Hunter Wilds for a few different later-game weapon upgrades—most notably, the final weapon of the Ore tree and the second Rey Dau weapon. If you're running a pure physical damage build or like playing with thunder, this is one to look out for.

As with many other materials, Novacrystal isn't available until you reach High Rank. Once there you have a couple of different options for how you get it, including hunting a specific monster that only appears at the higher difficulty. That said, here's how to get Novacrystal in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds Novacrystal location

There are two different ways to get Novacrystal in Monster Hunter Wilds:

• Harvest mining outcrops in the Ruins of Wyveria in High Rank
• Break a Gypceros's head or destroy its wounds during High Rank hunts

The first way is pretty simple. You'll arrive in High Rank after you complete the main story and fight a Yian Kut-Ku, then you just need to head to the Ruins of Wyveria and harvest mining outcrops. There's one near the entrance to Sild, as well as two lower down in area 5, and another two in area 8.

Since this is a rare drop—your hunter will do that little animation where they examine a shiny rock if you get one—you're not guaranteed to get it from these nodes straight away. If not, wait for them to reset or rest in your tent for 300 Guild Points and change the time to refresh them all.

The second way to get a Novacrystal is—weirdly—if you break a Gypceros's head or any of its wounds during a fight with it. Smashing its skull gives a 30% chance of receiving one, while every wound you destroy is a much smaller 12% chance. To be entirely honest, you're better off mining with those odds, especially as the only time you'll have to fight a Gypceros is in the Beware the Gypceros quest in Kunafa.

That said, this does unlock villager Material Gathering in this region so you may as well hunt one, break some parts, and see if you get lucky.