MONSTER HUNTER RISE Guide: Hunting

Go on a hunt wherever you want, whenever you want in MONSTER HUNTER RISE, out now on Nintendo Switch! Freely explore sweeping landscapes inspired by ancient Japan, slay ferocious wild monsters solo or co‑operatively with friends, and forge powerful weapons and armour from your spoils in this sprawling action RPG.

You can discover more on the basics and the controls in our guide here, but if you’re looking for tips on defeating monsters, you’re in the right place!

Check out the video created by IGN below for some really useful tips on hunting monsters and read on for more advise, so you can be ready for the battles ahead!

Eat some grub

You can’t hunt on an empty stomach! Well, you can but it’s not advisable. Having a meal from the Canteen in Kamura Village is a great easy way to give yourself an advantage on a hunt. These meals are called Dango, and you prepare them using three items that give you different buffs for the hunt ahead. Eating a Dango can increase your health, strength, boost your stamina, and can even make you resistant to some elements.

Left for the hunt without swinging by the canteen? You can also cook during a quest using your handy BBQ Spit!

Manage your inventory

Keeping on top of your inventory is important as you can’t carry everything around with you all the time. You’ll need to make sure you’re dropping off things you don’t need in the Item Box found in Your Room in Kamura Village so you can free up space for the things you do need on the next hunt.

When you start a quest you’ll be at the Camp, where you’ll find a Tent and a Supply Box. Make sure you visit the Supply Box before you embark on the hunt so you can grab useful items from the guild!

Gear and equipment

Speaking of the camp, you can use the tent to change your gear and weapons. As you progress you’ll need to improve your equipment so you’ll be more ready to take on fiercer monsters. Some weapons will be more useful than others depending on the monster you face. You can check the Hunter’s Notes in the menu to give you some useful info about the monsters.

Find the monster

When you begin a Quest, large monsters are shown on your map as question marks. Once you engage with them in battle their identity will be revealed on the map. You can toggle which monster you are tracking by pressing the Right Stick.

Defeat the monster

This is it! You’ve found the monster and it’s time to dance! Every monster has a different method of attacking so the best advice is to observe them as much as you can. Keep an eye on their movements and patterns. Watch for when they leave an opening for you to attack. When they do leave themselves open it’s time to head in on the offensive. Don’t overdo it though, if you do nothing but attack, the monster will rebuff you and send you flying! Evading and blocking is just as important as attacking!

A monster’s head is typically a dangerous area as it can do a lot of damage to you with it, but you can also serve them a lot of damage by attacking the head! Keep this in mind when the monster is toppled over as you can get some hits in on the head without them attacking. Just be sure to get out of there before it starts gnashing again!

There are a few things that can help you in the heat of battle. Items are certainly your friend, whether it’s a Potion to keep your health up or a Barrel Bomb to lob at the beast! Your Whetstone is important too, as it keeps your weapon sharp. If your weapon gets too dull it will not only do less damage but could bounce off the monster’s hide and leave you vulnerable to attack!

Your buddies are also very useful in battle! Palamutes can attack while you’re not riding them and Palicos can offer support by keeping you in tip-top shape, boosting your stats and even healing. They’ll also gather nearby items while you’re busy tracking prey.

During the hunt you may start to notice that the monster is looking a little worse for wear. They may start limping or try to make an escape! If they do make a run for it be sure to use your Palamute to give chase and finish it off!

If your health gauge fully depletes you’ll faint and be carted off to camp. Don’t be disheartened, just dust yourself off, top up your Item Pouch and head back out to duel once more!

Once the monster has been downed, bask in the glory of your accomplishments! Be sure to carve the monster before leaving as you can get valuable resources that will help you in improving your equipment, preparing you for the next hunt!

Capture the monster

Capturing a monster still counts as completing a Quest, and doing so is a great way to earn more rewards at the end of a hunt. To capture a monster, you will first need to prepare Pitfall Traps or Shock Traps as well Tranq Bombs. When you have found the monster, you must inflict enough damage to cause it to limp and retreat to its den. You’ll see a Blue Skull appear next to the monster's icon in the top right of the screen, this means it’s possible to capture it! In the monster's den, it lies battered and bruised, trying to recover – this is your opportunity to set your trap! Once trapped, throw your Tranq Bombs at the monster to send it to sleep and the capture is complete!

As mentioned, different weapons have various advantages and disadvantages. Discover more about the weapons available in MONSTER HUNTER RISE in our weapons guide.