Unlock the secrets to forging superior gear in Wild Hearts by tracking elusive Pointed Scales from canyon lizards and Crustaceous Moss from isle crabs.
Two armor and upgrade materials you’ll be looking for early in the game are Pointed Scales and Crustaceous Moss. Our Wild Hearts Pointed Scales and Crustaceous Moss guide will tell you how and where to find them, and give a couple tips for how to find similar small Kemono materials across Azuma.
Why you’ll need Pointed Scales and Crustaceous Moss in Wild Hearts
Pointed Scales let players upgrade their edged weapons to the next tier after defeating the first Ragetail Harugasu, while Crustaceous Moss allows crafting of the Ocean Wave armor set on Natsukodachi Isle. Both materials drop from specific small Kemono-Nightshade or Shardshower Monitors for the scales, Grassghoul Decapods for the moss-making them gatekeepers for early progression. Players gather them through combat or petting to push forward with better gear against tougher beasts.
After you kill your first Sapscourge in Harugasami Way during chapter one, “Azuma, Land of the East,” you’ll open up the upgrade path to turn an Edgestone weapon into an Intoxicating Birch weapon. You’ll have the various Sapscourge parts, but you won’t pick up any of the Pointed Scales you need for a while.
You’ll be able to make the beach-themed Ocean Wave armor set once you reach Natsukodachi Isle (The Spirit Isle) in the second half of chapter one. You won’t need giant Kemono parts for it, but you will need some Crustaceous Moss.
Where to find Pointed Scales and Crustaceous Moss in Wild Hearts
Pointed Scales drop from Nightshade Monitors in Akikure Canyon caves and Shardshower Monitors in Fuyufusagi Fort. Crustaceous Moss comes from Grassghoul Decapods on Natsukodachi Isle, obtained by petting them or defeating them near the first camp and Ironside Beach. Check the Cyclopedia for specific drop icons to confirm pet or slay yields on small Kemono.
Some crafting materials, like Mirrorstone and Lightstone, can be collected just by exploring the new regions you unlock. Other materials come from either killing or petting small Kemono.
Just like the ores, small Kemono vary between regions. So finding Pointed Scales and Crustaceous Moss depends on what region of Azura you’re in.
Crustaceous Moss comes from Grassghoul Decapods that you’ll encounter in the latter half of chapter one when you get to Natsukodachi Isle (The Spirit Isle). You’ll get Crustaceous Moss every time you pet them, or some of the time when you kill (slay) them.
Natsukodachi Isle (The Spirit Isle) is also where you’ll find Snapspine Wisps that drop Snapspine Cotton when you kill them. You’ll need that for the Ocean Wave Momohiki leg armor. They’re found in a narrow canyon on the east side of the island.
Pointed Scales are dropped by Nightshade Monitors or Shardshower Monitors when you kill them. You’ll find Nightshade Monitors in Akikure Canyon that unlocks at the beginning of chapter two, “Ancient Technology.” Shardshower Monitors show up in Fuyufusagi Fort that unlocks in the second half of chapter two.
Small Kemono: to pet or to slay?
Small Kemono can either be harmless fluffballs or dangerous nuisances, depending on their temperament and surroundings. Some are worth sparing, as they drop useful materials like Pointed Scales and Crustaceous Moss when petted. Others must be defeated to obtain rarer crafting items. Knowing which species to befriend or fight saves time and resources, especially when farming for upgrades across different regions.
Depending on how closely you paid attention in the tutorial, you might not have noticed that you have two options for interacting with small Kemono.
If you approach a small Kemono while crouching and remaining unnoticed, you’ll get the option to pet them by hitting L2. “Unnoticed” here just means, basically, not sprinting straight at their face – there’s a lot of wiggle room in their awareness of you.
Petting and slaying the small Kemono drop different materials – kind of like how attacking different parts of the giant Kemono drop different stuff. You can see what you’ll get in your Cyclopedia under the Small Kemono tab. In the upper right, the material next to the sword icon is what you’ll get for slaying (killing) them, and the material next to the hand is what you’ll get for sneaking up and petting them.
How to farm Pointed Scales efficiently from Monitors
Efficiently farming Pointed Scales from Monitors in Wild Hearts involves targeting Shardshower and Nightshade Monitors in Chapter 2 areas like Fuyufusagi Fort and Akikure Canyon, where killing them reliably drops the scales on PC, PlayStation, or Xbox.
Prime Farming Spot
Head to Fuyufusagi Fort’s Derelict Castle (northwest near Permafrost Lake). Climb to the second floor’s Gloomy Tower room-an icy open area often spawning 3 Shardshower Monitors at the far end. Set up camp at the nearby Ancient Tree Well for quick respawns via fast travel.
Secondary Spot
In Akikure Canyon (early Chapter 2), target Nightshade Monitors in northern caves or Last Bastion Ruins. They drop Pointed Scales when actively hunting prey (not Lizard Bloom); test spots and kill selectively.
Optimization Steps
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Filter your map (bottom left) for Small Kemono icons after exploring-hover to confirm Monitor types.
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Slay with basic attacks (no petting, as it yields other loot).
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Reload via camp or chapter switch to Chapter 2 if in later chapters, avoiding Sharp Scale swaps.
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Check Cyclopedia for drop confirmation (sword icon under slaying). Repeat cycles yield 3+ scales per run.
Best weapons and strategies to kill Nightshade Monitors quickly
Nightshade Monitors in Wild Hearts are fast, agile small Kemono resembling lizards, dropped for Pointed Scales when killed in Akikure Canyon caves.
Recommended Weapons
Karuma (Single Blade) excels due to its speed and mobility, matching the Monitors’ quick dodges-use light combos and Aerial Finish for rapid kills.
Worm Blade is ideal for crowd control if multiples spawn, with its extending strikes hitting elusive targets efficiently.
Avoid slow weapons like Maul early on; prioritize agility over raw power.
Quick-Kill Strategies
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Approach Aggressively: Sprint into caves (northern Akikure), dodge their dash attacks by sidestepping, then chain 2-3 light attacks into a heavy finisher-each kill takes 10-15 seconds.
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Thread Optimization: Equip Glidingwind or Spring to close gaps instantly; Spring lets you leap and slam for bonus damage on landing.
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Respawn Loop: Fast travel from Last Bastion Ruins camp, kill 2-3 Monitors, return to camp to reset spawns-yields 3-6 scales per minute.
Repeat in confirmed hunting states (not eating) for 100% drops; map filter reveals exact spots post-exploration.
