Monster Hunter Wilds Sandstar Guide – Where To Find the Sandstar and How To Capture It

If you're following Samin and Dareel's special research side missions in Monster Hunter Wilds, you will eventually run into Samin's Special Research Report side mission. This guide covers how you can capture the Sandstar, where to find it. when you can find it, what we used to catch it, and more. There will be no story spoilers in this guide. 

Monster Hunter Wilds Samin's Special Research Report side mission guide

Samin's Special Research Report is a side mission given to you by Samin who is in the tent in the Windward Plains main tent. To complete Samin's Special Research Report, you need to capture a Sandstar. This is quite hard, but preparing for it will dramatically reduce the difficulty in actually capturing the Sandstar. Catching the Sandstar results in you earning the "I caught a Shooting Star!" trophy or achievement as well.

Where is the Sandstar in Monster Hunter Wilds

The Sandstar is a little rat-like creature that appears at nighttime in the Windward Plains. It spawns near area 13. If you have the Oasis fast travel point from the Pop-up Camp, it will make things easier. From here you can look beyond into the plains as I show in my image (with the white outline) and try to spot the small glowing blue object near the rock. 

It is a rare spawn so you might need to fast travel a few times back out and into the Windward Plains at night. You could also rest until nighttime at the Oasis camp to make things easier for yourself.

How to capture the Sandstar in Monster Hunter Wilds

The Sandstar moves very fast. You likely will not be able to catch up with it while running. You will probably have trouble when trying to capture it while on your Seikret as well. The best way to capture the Sandstar is using Screamer Pods near it like you would use Flash Pods. Once you use Screamer Pods and fire near the Sandstar, it gets stunned. You can then quickly equip your capture net and capture it. This will earn you the trophy and achievement and let you complete Samin's quest.

How to unlock the I caught a Shooting Star trophy and achievement in Monster Hunter Wilds

You unlock this trophy by capturing the Sandstar and not actually finishing the side mission. The side mission rewards are separate.

How to get Screamer Pods in Monster Hunter Wilds

If you want to capture the Sandstar using the easier method that I recommend, go into the Windward Plains during the day and look for Baunos on the map. You can use your slinger on these small monsters to get Screamer Pods. 

Monster Hunter Wilds is now available worldwide on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). Check out all our Monster Hunter Wilds guides here.