Hunting

Beginner to Advanced Hunting Guide

This compilation guide outlines the complete progression path for the Hunting Life Skill, covering initial workshop setup, matchlock crafting, early-to-mid level progression spots, fast travel strategies, essential consumable buffs, and advanced Land of the Morning Light (Sangcheul / Bamboo Valley) hunting mechanics.

1. Initial Setup: Workshop & Worker Node Allocation

To begin producing matchlocks independently without relying solely on Central Market listings, establish a designated Tool Workshop and hire a dedicated worker.

Setup Instructions

  1. Choose a Major Town: Cities such as Glish (or Heidel/Velia) provide accessible Tool Workshops.
  2. Rent a Tool Workshop: Open the City Map node, invest Contribution Points (CP) in a residential property, and convert/upgrade it to a Tool Workshop (Level 1+). To craft the best matchlocks a Level 4 Tool Workshop is required, Glish is a popular choice for this.
  3. Hire a Worker:
    • Speak to the Work Supervisor NPC (e.g., Bach in Glish).
    • Hire a worker (Goblins are preferred for faster crafting speed). However crafting can always be force finished with silver/pearls.

2. Matchlock Progression & Required Materials

Matchlocks unlock progressively based on your character's Hunting Life Skill Level. Upgrade them sequentially to increase damage, accuracy, and reload efficiency.

Material Requirements Matrix

Matchlock TierRequired Hunting LevelKey Crafting Ingot / TimberAdditional Ingot / Materials
Beginner MatchlockBeginner Lv. 1+Brass IngotBronze Ingot, Log / Softwood
Apprentice MatchlockApprentice Lv. 1+Bronze IngotSteel, Timber
Skilled MatchlockSkilled Lv. 1+Steel IngotPlatinum Ingot
Professional MatchlockProfessional Lv. 1+Platinum IngotGold Ingot, Trace Materials
Artisan MatchlockArtisan Lv. 10+Gold / Master IngotSupreme Materials

Pro-Tip (Market Shortcut): While crafting via your Tool Workshop is cost-effective, high-tier matchlocks (such as +10 Artisan Matchlock) are frequently available on the Central Market. Purchasing one directly saves significant time.

Matchlock Enhancement

  • Enhance matchlocks using Black Stones via the Black Spirit interface (/).
  • Maximum standard safe enhancement level is +10.
  • Durability Repair: Use Memory Fragments or identical base matchlocks at any Blacksmith to restore maximum durability after failed enhancements or usage.

3. Fast Travel Strategy: The Magnus Network

Hunting grounds are distributed across distant regions. Minimizing travel time between your base and hunting spots is crucial for efficiency.

  • Abyssal Veins (Abyss One: The Magnus): Complete The Magnus questline early to unlock direct teleportation wells between major cities (e.g., Heidel, Calpheon, O'dyllita).
  • Local Teleportation: Jump into the nearest Magnus well to bypass long manual horse journeys when transitioning between your Tool Workshop, Central Market, and hunting fields.

4. Early & Mid-Game Progression Spots

Primary Spot: O'dyllita / Rhino Grounds (Narcion Area)

  • Location: South/East region near Narcion (O'dyllita).
  • Target Mobs (Beginner to Skilled): Verdure Buck, Verdure Doe and Shadow Wolves.
  • Target Mobs (Artisan 10+ with High Matchlock): Shadow Wolves, Wild Gazelles and Rhinos.

Leveling Roadmap

  1. Phase 1 (Beginner to Skilled): Equip a Beginner/Apprentice Matchlock and farm Verdure Buck, Verdure Doe near Narcion. They have low HP pools and allow rapid Hunting EXP accumulation.
  2. Phase 2 (Skilled to Artisan 10): Upgrade to a Skilled or Professional Matchlock. Transition to hunting Shadow Wolves and Rhinos to increase overall EXP rate per kill.
  3. Phase 3 (Artisan 10+ End-Game Base): Equip an Artisan Matchlock (+10). You can now clear high-tier Grass Rhinos and Boss-type Mobs for massive yield profits, including Caphras Stones, Sharp Black Crystal Shards, Custom Furniture, and Meat/Hide.

5. Essential Buffs & Consumables

Hunting damage and attack speeds do not depend on standard class AP/AAP. Instead, matchlock reload speed, critical hit chance, and special attack extra damage are influenced by specific food/elixir buffs.

Mandatory Food Buff

  • Exquisite Cron Meal: Non-negotiable for Hunting.
    • Grants Attack Speed +8%, Movement Speed +8%, Critical Hit Damage +8% and Back Attack Extra Damage +5%.

Recommended Elixirs & Extra Buffs

  1. Perfume of Swiftness / Elixir of Flowing Time: Increases Movement Speed and Life EXP.
  2. Life Spirit Stone / Treant Tear: Grants extra Life EXP and Gathering/Hunting speed bonuses.
  3. Destruction Spirit Stone: Grants +% Attack Speed if extra Life EXP from Life Spirit/Alchemy Stone isn't needed.
  4. Hunting Clothes: Equip Loggia Hunting Clothes or Robeau Hunter's Clothes or Manos Hunting Clothes to boost Hunting Mastery and overall item drop rate from butchering hunted game as well as to increase DP to withstand Hunting mobs attacks.

6. Advanced Spot: Land of the Morning Light (Sangcheul / Bamboo Valley)

Once you reach high-tier Hunting levels and possess an upgraded matchlock, you can transition to the premier end-game hunting region in Sangcheul / Bamboo Valley.

Prerequisites & Instant Spot Entry

  1. Main Questline: Fully complete the Land of the Morning Light - Sangcheul / Tale of the Imoogi main storyline quests.
  2. Boss Shrine Shortcut (Instant Teleport):
    • Open the Black Shrine Interface (ESC Menu -> Black Shrine).
    • Select Imoogi and click Enter / Start Match.
    • As soon as the loading screen finishes and the cutscene/instance initializes, press ESC and Cancel / Exit Match.
    • Result: The system places your character directly into the Bamboo Valley / Sangcheul Hunting Zone without requiring manual travel or horse rides across the continent.

7. Matchlock Sniper & Active Aiming Mechanics

Hunting in Land of the Morning Light uses an active scope aiming mechanic that rewards precise timing over standard point-and-shoot methods.

Aiming Step-by-Step

  1. Scope View: Press Right Click with your matchlock equipped to enter scope mode.
  2. Charging the Bar: Hold Left Click. An active timing bar will begin filling under your reticle.
  3. The Gold Zone (Perfect Shot): Release Left Click exactly when the bar reaches the Yellow / Gold indicator.
    • Result: Triggers a Perfect Shot / Critical Shot, dealing massive single-target damage and usually one-shotting the target.

Target Behaviors

  • Wild Boars: Highly resilient (often take 2–3 shots depending on mastery/weapon). A perfect headshot can kill them instantly. Boars charge directly at you, but their attacks do not interrupt your matchlock aiming state.
  • Bears: Slower movement, but their attacks and roars can interrupt your shot charging state if they hit you before you fire. However, they possess lower HP pools than Boars and die faster.

8. Mastery Scaling & Yield Breakdown

A common misconception among players is that high-end Land of the Morning Light hunting requires maximum end-game mastery gear.

  • Mastery Threshold Test: Testing yields between ~1,300 Mastery (basic gear / no accessories) and ~2,200 to 3,000 Mastery Cap shows negligible differences in core drop quantities.
  • Core Drop Yields (Per Kill):
    • Caphras Stones: ~3 to 6+
    • Sharp / Hard / Concentrated Black Crystals: 1 to 4+
    • Sangcheul / Breath of Morning Materials: High drop consistency across all mastery tiers.
  • Conclusion: Beginner/Intermediate players with ~1,300 Mastery can farm the spot at near-peak financial efficiency without investing billions in high-tier Manos/Preonne gear.

9. Profit Avenues & Mythical Horse (Tier 9/10) Progression

Hunting in Bamboo Valley produces high-value regional drops that fuel both direct silver gains and end-game horse awakenings.

Key Drops & Profit Streams

  1. Breath of Morning (Sangcheul): Essential crafting component used to produce high-tier Life Skill gear, accessories, and specialized elixirs.
  2. Mythical Horse Awakening Materials (Tier 9 / Dream Horses):
    • Drops from this zone provide the required materials for Mythical Arduanatt / Mythical Horse Awakening attempts.
    • Silver Potential: Crafting and selling full attempt materials on the market or selling completed horses yields up to 50 Billion Silver (50B+) per completed Tier 9/10 progression milestone.
  3. Furniture & Stuffed Heads: Drops rare Stuffed Wild Boar Heads and Stuffed Bear Heads, which grant potent AP/Mastery buffs when placed in player housing or sold on the Central Market.

Thanks to @Philipp for corrections, content improvements and contributions