In Monster Hunter Wilds, your trusty Palico companion can be your greatest ally or your quiet spectator-ready to leap into battle by your side or patiently wait in standby mode while you face monsters solo. Whether you crave the full support of your feline friend or prefer the challenge of going it alone, mastering how to deploy or put your Palico on standby is key to tailoring your hunt experience across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Palicos are the adorable, bipedal cat companions of the Monster Hunter series. In Monster Hunter Wilds, you get to design a Palico that accompanies your hunter throughout their journeys (which you can change appearance later if you prefer) and is pretty much always by your side – unless you don’t want it to join you on quests.
This guide will explain how Palico deployment works and show you how to deploy and put your Palico in standby in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Palico deploy versus standby differences
In Monster Hunter Wilds, the key difference between deploying and putting your Palico on standby lies in whether your feline companion accompanies you on quests. When deployed, your Palico joins you in hunts and combat, providing support such as healing, attacking monsters, and placing bombs. However, setting your Palico to standby means it stays back at camp and does not participate in battles, allowing you to face monsters alone for a more challenging or focused experience. Palicos still gain experience even when on standby, but they won’t assist during quests. This option is especially favored by players who want to avoid Palico pulling monster aggro or those seeking a solo challenge, such as speedrunners. Deployment status can be changed anytime at camp via the Palico Menu.
Palicos are adorable cat-like NPC allies who support solo and duo hunters during monster fights.
Monster Hunter Wilds allows you to set the deployment status of your Palico and control whether or not your Palico joins you on quests and other assignments in the game.
If you set its deployment status to “standby,” your Palico will not join you on quests like monster fights. It will still gain experience from quests and assignments, even though it doesn’t join the fight. As to why you might want to select “standby”, perhaps you prefer to fight solo and want to aggro the monsters entirely on you, or prefer a greater solo challenge.
If you set its deployment status to “deploy,” it will join you as you undertake quests and other assignments – essentially acting like a co-op partner. Note that if you have a co-op party with more than two hunters, everyone’s Palicos will be automatically undeployed until the end of the quest.
How to deploy or standby your Palico in Monster Hunter Wilds
In Monster Hunter Wilds, you can easily deploy or put your Palico on standby through the Palico Deployment Status menu found inside any tent at a camp. To do this, enter your tent, navigate to the Palico Menu, and select “Palico Deployment Status.” From there, choose “Deploy” to have your Palico accompany you on quests, assisting in combat and providing support actions like healing and distracting monsters. Alternatively, select “Standby” to leave your Palico at camp, which is useful if you want a more challenging solo experience without Palico assistance. Note that in multiplayer with three or more players, Palicos are automatically set to standby during quests.
To change the deployment status of your Palico in Monster Hunter Wilds, start by going to any tent and walking inside it. Once there, tab over to the “Palico Menu” and select the option that says, “Palico Deployment Status.” From there, you can choose if you want to deploy your Palico (and take it on hunts) or put it on standby to stop it from joining you.
How can I make my Palico assist me more effectively in tough battles
To make your Palico assist more effectively in tough battles in Monster Hunter Wilds, focus on these key strategies:
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Equip your Palico with sleep or paralysis weapons to inflict status effects on monsters, creating openings for you to attack safely.
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Choose the right Palico Support Type based on your playstyle: Healer for healing and status recovery, Assist for setting traps and buffs, or Fighter for direct damage support. Healer Palicoes are especially valuable for sustaining you in difficult fights.
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Utilize Secret Support Moves available at the Buddy Piazza, such as the Lottery Box which can trigger powerful attacks like Kittenator that deal heavy damage and knock monsters down, giving you critical moments to strike.
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Level up your Palico fully and equip it with good gear to maximize its combat effectiveness.
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Consider synergy among multiple Palicos if you have them, as certain combinations of Palico fortes can unlock powerful team buffs and abilities, such as enhanced defense or mounting attacks.
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Prioritize skills and equipment that increase your Palico’s survivability to keep it active longer in battle, which ensures continuous support.
By tailoring your Palico’s role, gear, and moveset to complement your hunting style and the challenges you face, you can significantly boost its effectiveness in tough encounters.
What secret support moves can I equip to maximize my Palico’s help in battles
To maximize your Palico’s help in battles in Monster Hunter Wilds (and similarly in Monster Hunter Rise), equipping Secret Support Moves is crucial. These powerful moves significantly enhance your Palico’s combat effectiveness beyond standard support abilities. Key Secret Support Moves include:
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Lottery Box: This move randomly triggers one of several powerful effects, including the coveted Kittenator attack, which deals 300 damage and knocks down monsters, providing critical openings during fights.
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Healing Clover Bat: Summons bats that scatter healing powder automatically after you’ve inflicted enough damage on a monster, offering sustained healing support during tough battles.
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Ameowzing Mist: Sets a trap balloon that detonates with elemental damage against large monsters, adding extra offensive utility.
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Felyn Fireworks: Deploys a massive firework that explodes after a short delay, dealing significant damage.
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Felyn Powered-Up: Temporarily boosts Buddy Support Moves and Palamute gear, enhancing overall team performance.
These Secret Support Moves can be set for each Palico at the Buddy Piazza in Elgado Outpost before hunts, as they cannot be changed mid-hunt. To unlock these moves, you typically need to complete specific Master Rank quests with Palicos of each support type.
Choosing the right Secret Support Move based on your playstyle and the challenges you face can dramatically improve your Palico’s contribution, making your hunts more manageable and strategic. The Lottery Box is often recommended as a first choice due to its chance to trigger the powerful Kittenator attack.
