Check out this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (MHW) guide on affinity (critical chance) explained! Learn more how to boost your weapons' affinity, crit chance, & more!!!
Table of Contents
Currently Updating ICEBORNE Info!
| MHW: ICEBORNE Feature Articles | |
|---|---|
 Staring MR - Tips | MR Break Guide |
| All Monster List | Recommended MR Build |
What Is Affinity?
Weapon's Stat That Influences Critical Chance
A weapon's affinity stat is basically its critical chance. This determines the probability of your weapon doing critical hits to a monster, creating more damage to bring it down.
Higher Affinity Increases Weapon's Offensive Power
When your weapon's affinity rate is positive, this can increase your weapon's offensive power. A higher affinity stat means a higher chance of your weapon doing critical hits. This applies to raw physical damage and does not affect your elemental damage.
Negative Affinity Has Damage Penalty On Weapon
A negative affinity rate not only lowers your chances of critical hits but it also adds a damage penalty to your weapon's attack power. This lowers your weapon's DPS, making it harder for you to deal heavy damage to a monster.
No Special Change When Affinity Is 100%
If your affinity rate is at 100%, this means you'll do critical hits with every single attack. However, there is no known effect for weapon affinity stats that go above 100% so it's best to keep your affinity at 100% when building your weapons & gear.
How To Raise Your Affinity Stat
Equip Skill: Weakness Exploit
The Most Effective In All Crit Boosting Skills
With Weakness Exploit, attacks that hit a monster's weak spot will have increased affinity. This increases the damage you deal to a monster's weak spot, allowing you to break parts and defeat the monster more easily.
Weakness Exploit Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Attacks that hit weak spots have 15% increased affinity. |
| 2 | Attacks that hit weak spots have 30% increased affinity. |
| 3 | Attacks that hit weak spots have 50% increased affinity. |
Equip Skill: Attack Boost
Raises Affinity At Level 4 & Higher
This skill not only increases your attack power but at Level 4, it increases your affinity rate at 5%. Take note, though, that this percentage does not increase further even if you have a higher level of Attack Boost.
Attack Boost Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | +3 Attack Power |
| 2 | +6 Attack Power |
| 3 | +9 Attack Power |
| 4 | +12 Attack and +5% Affinity |
| 5 | +15 Attack and +5% Affinity |
| 6 | +18 Attack and +5% Affinity |
| 7 | +21 Attack and +5% Affinity |
Equip Skill: Critical Eye
The Most Simple Way To Increase Affinity
Using Critical Eye is one of the most basic ways to increase your affinity. This can be leveled up to 7 and the max percentage of affinity increase is 30%.
Critical Eye Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | +3% Affinity |
| 2 | +6% Affinity |
| 3 | +10% Affinity |
| 4 | +15% Affinity |
| 5 | +20% Affinity |
| 6 | +25% Affinity |
| 7 | +30% Affinity |
Equip Skill: Maximum Might
Perfect For Weapons That Don't Use Stamina
This skill increases your affinity stat when your stamina is full. It is a very effective skill to have for Hunters who prefer using weapons that don't consume stamina.
Maximum Might Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | While active, increases Affinity by 10% |
| 2 | While active, increases Affinity by 20% |
| 3 | While active, increases Affinity by 30% |
Equip Skill: Latent Power
Powerful Skill But Hard To Activate
This skill activates only when you've been fighting a monster for more than 5 minutes or have taken enough damage. However, this lasts for 90 seconds and also decreases the rate of your stamina consumption.
Latent Power Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10% increased affinity and 10% reduced stamina depletion |
| 2 | 20% increased affinity and 10% reduced stamina depletion |
| 3 | 30% increased affinity and 30% reduced stamina depletion |
| 4 | 40% increased affinity and 30% reduced stamina depletion |
| 5 | 50% increased affinity and 50% reduced stamina depletion |
Equip Skill: Agitator
Increases Affinity & Attack When Monster Is Enraged
When a monster is enraged, this skill activates and increases your affinity stat & attack power. Since monsters are enraged several times in battle & sometimes have weaker defense when enraged, this is a useful skill to have.
Agitator Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | While active, grants Attack +4 and increases Affinity by 3% |
| 2 | While active, grants Attack +8 and increases Affinity by 6% |
| 3 | While active, grants Attack +12 and increases Affinity by 9% |
| 4 | While active, grants Attack +16 and increases Affinity by 12% |
| 5 | While active, grants Attack +20 and increases Affinity by 15% |
Equip Skill: Critical Draw
Requires Special Technique & Equipment
This skill increases the percentage of your affinity at your first draw attack. Using this skill requires special techniques and equipment such as great swords and bow to be effective.
Critical Draw Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Draw attack affinity +30% |
| 2 | Draw attack affinity +60% |
| 3 | Draw attack affinity +100% |
Equip Skill: Affinity Sliding
This skill increases your affinity stat after you slide down a slope. The effect will last 15 seconds and requires a slope to activate. Since there are not many slopes in several areas, it's not a very effective skill to equip.
Affinity Sliding Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | +30% Affinity for 15 seconds after sliding. |
Lay Down The Affinity Booster
Using the Affinity Booster in the field will increase your affinity rate, as long as you stay within the smoke's vicinity. It is highly recommended to use for Hunters that are looking to increase their affinity in the midst of battle.
Duration & Cooldown Of Affinity Booster
| Duration | 60 seconds |
|---|---|
| Cooldown | 180 seconds |
Affinity Augmentations For Equipment
In Monster Hunter World, you can augment your equipment to increase specific stats and affinity rate is one of them. To augment your gear with more affinity, you'll need to go to the Workshop & have the necessary materials.
How Effective Is Critical Boost Skill
Increases Damage Of Critical Hits
The Critical Boost skill increases the damage dealt by your critical hits. Instead of the normal 125% damage, it'll be increased to 130% and more, depending on the skill's level.
Critical Boost Levels & Effects
| Lvl | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Increases damage dealt by critical hits to 130% (125% base + 5%) |
| 2 | Increases damage dealt by critical hits to 135% (125% base + 10%) |
| 3 | Increases damage dealt by critical hits to 140% (125% base + 15%) |
Valuable Skill When Raised To Level 3
There isn't a significant change from 125% increase to 130% or 140%. However, if your affinity rate is high and you're able to land more critical hits, then this skill becomes very powerful & highly recommended at Level 3.
