NieR: Automata offers a diverse arsenal of weapons, upgradeable multiple times to extend their usefulness throughout the game. Weapon upgrades, performed at the Resistance Camp, require various resources, including the less common Beast Hides. This guide details how to acquire and efficiently farm them.
Obtaining Beast Hides
Beast Hides are dropped by wildlife like moose and boar, randomly spawning in specific map areas. These animals are easily identified on the mini-map by their white icons (in contrast to the black icons of machines). They tend to avoid players and robots.
Moose and boar are found exclusively in the game's ruined city and forest zones. Their reaction to player attacks depends on the level difference: lower-level animals may flee, while higher-level ones might attack or become aggressive even with close proximity. Wildlife boasts substantial health, making early-game encounters with similarly leveled or higher-level animals challenging.
Using Animal Bait can lure wildlife, simplifying the hunting process.
Farming Beast Hides
Since wildlife doesn't respawn continuously during the main story, acquiring Beast Hides requires proactive hunting during exploration. Respawn mechanics for wildlife mirror those of machines:
- Fast traveling resets all enemies and wildlife.
- Traveling a sufficient distance triggers respawns in previously visited areas.
- Story progression can also cause respawns.
There's no dedicated farming method for Beast Hides. Consistently eliminating encountered wildlife in forest and city ruin areas generally provides sufficient hides. The drop rate is favorable, ensuring you'll rarely need excessive quantities beyond your current weapon loadout.