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Best Team Comps in Monster Hunter Outlanders
A team has 4 slots, and your Fated Adventurer takes one of them. Build the other three around the monster's weakness: one main damage dealer, one or two Adventurers who control or break parts, and a Support who heals or shields.
Free-to-play team
Built around the two Adventurers everyone gets for free: Fated Adventurer and Raya. The other two slots use SR Adventurers who join through the main story (not officially confirmed).
Madelyn joins in the Chapter 1 quest Shadow of Venom, and Ouyang Varen after the Jyuratodus quests (not officially confirmed). If they have not unlocked for you, fill those slots with Pyro or Luka (both officially free through first-season quests) or any SR you already pulled.
Teams by element
Fire burst (strongest at launch)
Midori deals the damage, Raya sets traps and suppresses, Ryunosuke heals, buffs and grants status immunity.
- Ryunosuke’s Ultimate raises the whole squad’s Fire damage and blocks ailments for 10 seconds, which lines up with Midori’s Fire burst.
- Raya’s Ultimate suppresses the monster while her Buddy lays pitfall traps, and suppression is exactly what triggers Midori’s follow-up slash.
- When Midori lands her Burst Skill, Ryunosuke’s Squadmate Skill heals the team, clears ailments and refills Ultimate energy.
Dragon pressure
Pyro and Keres stack Dragon damage, Arkaya’s big shields keep the team safer.
- Keres’s Ultimate plants a bone spike that makes the monster take more Dragon damage for 30 seconds, more at the spike itself.
- Pyro hits through attacks with Super Armor during his Ultimate, so he can stay on the spike without being knocked away.
- Arkaya’s Ultimate shields the squad and raises affinity for 30 seconds, buying time for Pyro’s long charges.
Thunder
Luka shoots from range, Luxheart dazes and opens weak spots, Arkaya shields.
- Luxheart’s Ultimate dazes and suppresses the monster, and suppression triggers Luka’s heavy follow-up shot.
- Luxheart deals 40% more Thunder damage while he has Heat, so both damage dealers share one element.
- Luka’s pierce damage is best on heads, wings and tails, which are easier to hit while the monster is dazed.
Water
Ranged damage on flying monsters from Pepper, with Madelyn healing.
- When the main Adventurer lands a Burst Skill, Madelyn’s Squadmate Skill gives the squad 25% more Water damage for 15 seconds.
- Pepper’s Ultimate paralyses and suppresses the monster, which sets up Ouyang Varen’s heavy follow-up hit.
- Madelyn’s Ultimate heals everyone in a large area and keeps healing for 10 seconds.
Ice
Rhodes stuns, the last two slots flex to the monster’s weakness.
- Rhodes’s Skating charged attacks deal 20% more Ice damage, and as a Hammer user he is the team’s source of stuns.
- Pepper’s Ultimate suppresses the monster, which triggers Rhodes’s heavy blunt follow-up.
- Madelyn keeps the team topped up while Rhodes looks for head access.
Safe first clear
- Fated Adventurer (Lance)
- Arkaya
- Madelyn
- any damage dealer
A defensive setup for learning a new monster: a Lance anchor, a shielder and a healer.
- Two layers of protection: Arkaya’s squad shield and Madelyn’s area heal over time.
- A Lance user can block attacks that would cart a lighter weapon, which gives you time to learn the monster’s moves.
Team lists are based on launch-day guides. Swap in whoever you own from the tier list in the same role.
The skill effects behind the “why it works” notes come from launch-week guides (not officially confirmed).
How Squadmate Skills chain together
Every Adventurer who is not the one you control acts as a squadmate, and each squadmate has a Squadmate Skill that fires automatically when something specific happens. Building a team around those triggers is the easiest way to get more out of the same four Adventurers. There are three kinds of trigger (not officially confirmed):
- When the main Adventurer lands a Burst Skill: Arkaya (squad shield and Ultimate energy), Ryunosuke (healing, ailment cleanse, Ultimate energy), Madelyn (Water damage up, Ultimate energy) and Haze (affinity up, Ultimate energy). These pay off most when the main Adventurer can land Burst Skills often.
- When the main Adventurer lands a successful react (a parry, counter or perfect guard): Raya (longer trap hold), Keres (Dragon part-break bonus), Pepper (the monster takes more damage from airborne attacks) and Luxheart (longer daze). Pair these with a main Adventurer who parries or counters a lot.
- When the monster is suppressed by the main Adventurer or any Ultimate: Midori, Pyro, Luka, Rhodes and Ouyang Varen add a heavy follow-up hit. Ultimates that suppress, such as Raya’s, Pepper’s and Luxheart’s, set these off.
A simple rule: put one or two squadmates whose trigger matches how your main Adventurer plays, and at least one Ultimate that suppresses so the follow-up hitters get to swing.
How to build your own team
- Match the element to the monster's weakness. That is why the Fated Adventurer is so valuable: it can switch weapons and elements (not officially confirmed).
- One Assault, one Disruptor, one Support is the safe default. Assault Adventurers deal damage, Disruptors control the monster and break parts, Supports heal, shield and buff.
- Arkaya fits almost every team. If you have her, she is rarely the wrong pick for the Support slot.
- Bring an SSR Buddy if you have one. Buddies add to Adventurer Power, which gates harder hunts.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these official sources on Oct 30, 2026. Where they cover something, the official information wins. Tiers and anything they do not cover come from our comparison of launch-week guides.