Monster Hunter World Plunderers Blade: how to get the Plunderblade, the best Palico Gadget for farming loot

While you're sure to spend a lot of your time in Monster Hunter World worrying about your hunter's gear such as your choice of weapon and which the best armor is for any given occasion, there is another side to gear in the new world: Palico Gear and Palico Gadgets. These make a difference to your feline friend in battle, and one of the most useful is the Plunderblade - an amazing little palico gadget that will seriously help you out with the loot and drop grind for items.

We've already produced a number of pages all about how to farm for some of Monster Hunter World's best items in order to help craft some of those absolutely vital gear upgrades for ensuring your survival against even the most brutal of monsters - but in almost all of those instances, equipping your Palico with the Plunder Blade (also known as the Plunderer's Blade) before you head out there will make a huge difference and make those difficult drops more likely. 

After the links to our other loot-gathering guides, we'll explain exactly how to get the Plunderblade and how it works once you've got it...

With the Plunderblade equipped, now try to grab some of this loot in Monster Hunter World:

• Guide Hub: Tips, Tricks & More for Beginners and Experienced Hunters alike
• Finding Ancient Bone, Boulder Bone, Coral Bone & Warped Bone
• Monster Hardbone & Monster Bone Plus - where to grab these vital drops
• Where to find the Aqua Sac, Electro Sac, Flame Sac, Frost Sac, Poison Sac, Paralysis Sac and Sleep Sac
• Where to find Sinister Cloth for the Death Stench armor set
• Where to get the Majestic Horn

How to get the Plunderer's Blade / Plunderblade Palico Gadget for farming 

The Plunderblade is pretty easy to get - you just need to pick up and complete the right quests in order to gain access to it. The process of getting your hands on it are as follows, step-by-step:

• Gain access to the Rotten Vale biome of Monster Hunter World - this is done easily enough, by progressing the main story. You'll get access after the quest 'Into the Bowels of the Vale'. If you need help navigating the area, be sure to hit up our guide on clearing Rotten Vale's poison gas.
• Before we start, keep in mind that we'll need some Raw Meat. Be sure to bring some with you - you can get it by killing smaller monsters.
• In the Rotten Vale, head to area 13 on your map and chat to the Lynian Researcher. Keep in mind that this NPC can actually be in different places, but they most often crop up in Area 13 - if they're not there, try again a little later, or fast travel to reload the map again. If he doesn't appear at all, ensure he's not hanging out in a previous area of the game waiting for you to fulfill his request.
• Once you've talked to the researcher, you'll want to wait around this area - area 13 - for a little while. If you wait around this zone, an Odogaron Monster will drag a Legiana carcass into the room. At this point you can either battle and kill the Odogaron or simply remain hidden (the Ghillie Mantle is useful for this).
• Once the Odogaron is gone one way or another, hang around this area. You can leave and come back, too - but the point is that eventually a 'Plunderer' Grimalkyne cat will show up to investigate the Legiana Corpse. When that happens, run over to the feline - it'll flee.
• Now, use your scoutflies to track the Plunderer Grimalkye - this little guy holds the Plunder blade! Find it - it'll keep running from you, however. You may have encountered other Grimalkye in other maps, and if so you'll be familiar with them.
• To stop the running away, make a peace offering: the raw meat. When the Grimalkye hides from you after being tracked, drop the meat on the floor.
• The Plunderer Grimalkye will now come out to eat the offered meat, and it'll give you the Plunderblade in return. Done!

The Plunderblade gets its name from the Plunder Grimalkye, of course - and Plunder's Blade is pretty useful, as we're about to explain...

Why the Plunderer's Blade is so good, and how it works

Like any other Palico Gadget, the Plunderblade acts as a replacement for your Palico's gadget. At the start of the game your Palico will be using the Vigorwasp Spray Palico Gadget, which heals you, but the Plunder Blade lives up to its name - it's a blade that makes your Palico cut parts off monsters every so often during a fight. In many instances the best loot from many monsters can only be grabbed if you knock it directly off them - loot that comes from parts such as horns, tails and so on.

The Plunder Blade is useful in two ways - if you're specifically farming for loot, it helps you, obviously. If you're on a regular hunt, you can focus on the kill and there's a chance the Plunderblade might net you some bonus loot on top. It's also especially useful when you're working to capture monsters, as the Palico will aim to cut off parts while you're working towards trapping the beast in question.

Basically, it's a great gadget for your Palico. Get it. Use it.