Monster Hunter: World item melding: how item melding works

Are the items being obtained through hunts and scavenging in Monster Hunter: World not good enough for you? Perhaps you didn't get that vital decoration you needed to complete your set? Item melding could very well be the answer to all your problems, though there is an element of risk associated with it. This guide will take you through how to unlock it and how item melding works.

Monster Hunter: World item melding guide

In order to prepare for the free update challenges that are still coming, check out our extensive Monster Hunter World guide to get up to speed with the basics, as well as all the more in-depth strategies for item crafting and individual monster fights.

If you are looking for specifically Monster Hunter World Iceborne guides, then we have created a separate guide hub for just expansion stuff. Head over to our Monster Hunter World Iceborne guide to make your start.

How to unlock item melding

In order to unlock item melding, you must get as far in the main story as venturing into the Rotten Vale. Once there, head on over to Astera and you'll see an elderly woman stirring a massive pot. Talk to her and you'll unlock the ability to combine items together to make new ones.

Upgrading the item melder

As you progress through the main campaign, more options for item melding will become open to you. What was once for making better versions of standard items as an alternative to crafting, can now make rare materials for use in crafting. When you beat Xeno'jiiva and thus the main campaign, you'll get the ability to perform the First Wyvern Ritual that allows you to turn decorations that you augment your gear with, into brand new ones.

Item melding in Monster Hunter: World

Firstly there's the option to meld items. These allow you to meld common items ores, plants, bones, and common materials, as well as a donation of research points, in order to make new items. These include Mega Potions, Tranq Bombs, and a fair few more. You can opt to make rarer items such as Mega Demondrug or Pitfall Traps using better quality and rarer items. Generally speaking, you're not going to need to do this as it's far easier to craft a lot of these items than meld them.

Ingredients are a whole other matter, as some require specific items to make. Plates and other rare materials that are not often found can be made by converting any Silver Wyvernian Prints that have been rewarded to you upon completing quests, while monster gems require Gold Wyvernian Prints. Both options also require a fixed research point donation, more on that in our Monster Hunter: World ecological research guide, so be sure to stock up on research points before spending away.

Next you have the option to meld decorations, which also requires that you have donations to meld to begin with. If there's a set of gems that you've gathered that you don't like, you can sink them into the pot to get one that you do want instead. Most grant 10 points towards your item, though some are worth more - for example the Attack Jewel 1 is more valuable in this instance than Thunder Res Jewel.

Finally there is the First Wyvernian Ritual, unlocked after completing the game for the first time. This works in much the same way, only a special item is also required to perform the ritual, such as the Streamstone Shard. You can then stick decorations in the pot and eventually churn out a new and upgraded one. Note that the game does save when this is used, so you can't reload saves if you don't like what you got. This is that whole risk vs. reward thing I mentioned earlier.

That's pretty much everything on item melding, but there are other guides on the various facilities within Monster Hunter: World. Quite a few have materials that are best farmed alongside other players. head over to our Monster Hunter: World PC multiplayer guide. You can also check out our Monster Hunter: World armour builds guide for how to create armour to put those lovely decorations in.