Take a shot of vodka every time you read "Tempered Elder Dragon" lmao (it's alot)

it's 3am while im making this, im tired, there's probably mistakes...

Ok all memes aside and possible spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't progressed through the full game yet:

Doing Tempered Elder Dragon Investigations is debateably the true endgame, between that, increasing your HR, and of course fashion.

The main reward for doing these specific investigations is definitely worth it, however it's acquiring these investigations in the first place that can be the real pain in the butt for some people.

But once you do get a tempered elder dragon investigation then you have a chance to be rewarded with some of the best end-game loot in the game:
Sullied (Warrior) Streamstones & Shining (Hero) Streamstones.

This loot will then unlock Augments for your weapons and Armor.

If you want to quickly read more in-detail about what Augments are then IGN has a decent explanation in the link below, this steam guide however is to help you get the knowledge/resources you need to unlock them:
http://uk.ign.com/wikis/monster-hunter-world/Augmentation

The issue that many people face is that your best chance at getting these Streamstones is through completing Threat level 3 Tempered Elder Dragon Investigations. (You can also get them from threat level 2 tempered monsters, but the drop chances are obviously lower.)
Not because the fight itself is tough, but the real problem is the fact that you can only get these investigations through other tempered elder dragons so if you don't have any of those investigations already then finding more can be a pain.

Sure, you could just join someones SOS and go fight some that way and rely on other people, but that wont get you your own investigations which is the point of this guide.

Luckily for you there are 2 decent methods to farm for the elusive Tempered Elder Dragon Tracks to unlock more investigations

You'll need 2 things:

• This - A hunter rank of minimum 49 to unlock this quest: (For 1st Farming Method Only)
  
• That - The Ghillie Mantle (not actually necessary but really handy if you don't want to fight anything and just want to farm tracks). If you're HR49 then you've definitely unlocked this and there's basically no reason not to bring it anyway because it's useful in both farming methods ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  

This is the first official encounter you'll get in the games "Story Mode" where you'll fight your first Tempered Elder Dragon - A Kirin.


More importantly, this is the first mission you'll unlock where a Tempered Elder Dragon is guaranteed to appear for you to farm investigations from.
All further optional/freely repeatable Tempered Elder Dragon quests (linked below) are only unlocked once you've hunted through some investigations already which is what you're here to unlock.

• A Summons from Below[monsterhunterworld.wiki.fextralife.com]
  
• The Sapphire Star's Guidance[monsterhunterworld.wiki.fextralife.com]

Since you can only get these investigations from picking up tracks, this means that this mission is your first decent easy chance at farming them before you complete the assignment and can't access it any more.

Most people just power there way through this mission without thinking much about the investigations.

- Instead of rushing in and beating the Tempered Kirin to a bloody pulp, equip your Ghillie Mantle
- As you should know by now, monsters regularly move around and make tracks
- So with your Ghillie Mantle worn, just follow it around picking up as many of his tempered tracks as you can
- Remember to either leave yourself enough time to kill it and finish the quest when you're satisfied you've gotten enough Tempered tracks/investigations
- Or heck don't even bother killing it... just follow it for an hour, pick up some tracks, start fighting it and breaking parts e.g. it's horn (because part breaking can also reward investigations), leave the mission*, come back and repeat to get a buttload of tracks/investigations.

*P.S.A:
I stated you could leave the mission and replay it, what i mean is that the game offers you two options:
Abandon Quest
- The quest is considered a failure and you will be sent back to Astera as if you never started it in the first place.
- All the consumables you used will be returned to you.
- You'll lose any loot/rewards from gatherings/minings/other monster carves
Return from Quest
- The mission will be a "half success" and you'll return to the hub world like usual. The quest won't be officially completed and you'll have to restart it.
- All consumables are lost as if you completed a hunt like normal.
- You'll keep any loot/rewards from gatherings/minings/other monster carves

Ideally since you're just farming this quest repeatedly for tracks, you won't be engaging the Kirin and therefore won't use/sacrifice any of your consumables and you'll probably also use gathering/mining spots. So if you want to keep the extra loot you've picked up, then choose "Return from Quest". If you've used any decent consumables because you started to fight the Kirin and want them back, then pick "Abandon Quest".
In a nutshell, since you're not fighting the Kirin/not using consumables, I advise you choose to "Return from Quest" to at least keep any extra materials you gather.

But Keep in mind that you will still have to beat this quest eventually to continue to progress and increase your HR since it's at 49 until you beat this assignment

I'd use screenshots but clearly i can't replay this mission because i've done it already...
but do you really need me to show you how to simply follow a monster and pick up it's tracks? no. didn't think so.

If you're anything like me, then you probably also rushed the Kirin quest and maybe you don't have any tempered elder dragon investigations as a result.

Well, luckily for us, if you don't fancy responding to SOS flares forever and want to be able to host your own investigations, then don't worry because we've got Expeditions.

"But those are pointless and frustrating, tempered elder dragons don't even show up on expeditions so how am i meant to farm their tracks for investigations?!"

Calm down son, despite the game's flaws, the devs knew this might happen and planned for it:
There's at least one guaranteed Elder Dragon Track that will spawn per-level for you to go pick up!

The next sections will show the one (minimum) guaranteed spawn for a tempered elder dragon track.
In the future I may add more sections for the tempered tracks of non-elder dragons in case you want to farm those since they also spawn in set areas depending on the monster you want to hunt. (if you want to save me time and send me screenshots for me to update the guide with then please yes do that, we're all helping each other here)

• Expedition to Ancient Forest
  
• Find Track
  
• Expedition to Wild Wastlands
  
• Find Track
  
• Expedition to Coral Highlands
  
• Find Track
  
• Expedition to Rotten Vale
  
• Find Track
  
• Expedition to Elder's Recess
  
• Find Track(s)
  
• ????
  
• Profit!!!!!

I hope for your sake that your PC can load each level fast because you're going to be getting very acquainted with it

The tracks of a Tempered Kushala Daora are guaranteed to spawn here:

The tracks of a Tempered Teostra are guaranteed to spawn here:

The tracks of a Tempered Kirin are guaranteed to spawn here:

The tracks of a Tempered Vaal Hazak are guaranteed to spawn here:

The tracks of a Tempered Kushala Daora are guaranteed to spawn here:



The tracks of a Tempered Teostra are guaranteed to spawn here:



The tracks of a Tempered Nergigante have a chance to spawn here:
(Haven't seen it myself but apparently others have... Might not be true...)
After a few more expeditions they finally spawned! so these tracks are just a rare thing..

So you're a lazy degenerate eh?

I don't approve of this but it's still a thing you could do... so do it to your friends and not random players

• Join a random player's SOS for a Tempered Elder Dragon
  
• They'll likely be fighting, but you won't help
  
• Just pick up tracks instead

You scumbag, for the love of god people use SOS for help, not to have you join and then they're forced to fight a difficulty adjusted monster without any assistance...

If you're gonna join an SOS then at least help, you'll get it done/have your rewards faster anyway, there's no reason no to.

When all is said and done, you'll have found yourself some Tempered Tracks on an expedition, hunted an angery Elder Dragon:


and then if you won, then congrats, because if you're lucky then here's what you're looking out for in the rewards:

Take this new shiny stone to the smithy and you'll be able to start unlocking your Augments!


Final Notes:

• Just because you've unlocked an investigation and you're ready to hunt doesn't mean you should forget about tracks! Before you start fighting, follow behind it for a while (same advice as with the Kirin) and pick up even more tracks! Never stop collecting tempered tracks
  
• Remember not to be too close while following, or else tracks don't appear! you have to hang back a bit because the game will think you're closing in to begin a fight instead!

Feel free to add me so we can swap guild cards and hunt, i'm not the best but at least i know what i'm doing