Monster Hunter Now Accessories: Lockpins and Refining

Monster Hunter Now plans to add accessories on November 12. The first is the Now Keyring, which grants Defense +30 when forged. You add its random sub-effects later through refinement, so you can use the basic keyring before chasing a particular combination.

The resource to watch is the Lockpin. It protects a chosen sub-effect during a refinement attempt, and the game consumes another pin if you protect that slot again on the next attempt. Keep that recurring cost in mind before repeatedly protecting a good roll.

Forge the keyring after the pre-season story

The developer announcement says accessories unlock after completing the pre-season story. They sit alongside weapons and armor and can be forged through the equipment menu. If you are still finishing those introductory quests, that is the stated prerequisite to work toward before the planned update.

Each accessory has a fixed main effect that activates as soon as you forge it. For the Now Keyring, that effect is Defense +30. The announcement starts with one accessory type and says more are planned, so there is no published catalogue of future combinations to build a shopping list around yet.

The official Wave 2 announcement previously introduced accessories as part of the season's plans. The November developer letter supplies the more specific release date and refinement rules:

Keep the keyring's fixed benefit separate from possible random effects. Forging gives you the main effect immediately. It does not guarantee a particular weapon bonus or a finished set of additional stats.

Refinement changes the sub-effects together

Accessories can support up to three sub-effects, although the developer says some accessories may not support them. A newly forged accessory starts without any. Refining with the required materials adds or changes those bonuses.

The named material is Proofs of Conviction, obtained by slaying 10-star monsters. A refinement randomly changes all three sub-effects. You can view the result and either apply the new set or keep your existing one, so compare the whole result before accepting it.

That choice matters when only part of a roll suits your loadout. A higher-looking stat in one slot may come with losing a useful effect elsewhere. Decide which bonuses you actually use before spending materials repeatedly, rather than treating every new result as progress.

The announcement does not publish a complete probability table or a universal best combination. It cannot establish how many attempts a desired roll will take. Wait for the full effect list before deciding which rolls to pursue for your weapon.

Lockpins protect slots for one attempt

Use a Lockpin before refining to protect a sub-effect you want to keep. The protected effect stays unchanged while the other slots can change. The cost applies to each protected slot on each attempt, so protecting two slots requires two pins for that refinement.

For example, protecting one slot through three refinement attempts consumes three Lockpins. Protecting two slots through those same three attempts consumes six. Those are examples of the published per-slot rule, not a quoted price for acquiring pins or a prediction of how many rerolls you will need.

Before confirming another attempt, check both your selected protections and your remaining materials. Keeping an effect after one refinement does not mean the game will preserve it automatically forever. The developer specifically says to use another Lockpin if you want that slot protected again.

Use launch quests before planning a farming route

The Accessory Acquisition Quest runs from November 12 at 00:00 UTC through December 16 at 23:59 UTC. It supplies the Now Keyring's forging materials, along with Proofs of Conviction and Lockpins. The update date is subject to change, so check the in-game notice when it arrives.

Ten-star monsters also appear in certain Hunt-a-thons once your field monster strength reaches eight stars or higher. Field access to ten-star monsters comes through completing the relevant Step-Up Quests. The monster-strength help page explains that progression system; simply unlocking accessories does not mean your field has reached ten-star difficulty.

The season's official trailer introduces the field-strength adjustment among its earlier features. It provides background to that progression route, rather than demonstrating accessory refinement:

If your equipment is not ready for ten-star hunts, start with the acquisition quests and read their actual tasks before committing to a farming plan. Our Monster Hunter Now Halloween guide covers a separate event and token currency. Its exchange items should not be confused with the new refinement materials.

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