xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Shuma’s Guide to Monoblos xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------- Ver: 0.8 ---------- Version History: 0.1 - Base FAQ built 0.2 - Various Weapon strategies added 0.3 - Added FAQs 0.4 - Added reasons to hunt, rumours 0.5 - Fixed Spelling and Grammar, Hero sword info 0.6 - Added to lance/SnS strategy, added flash bomb info 0.7 - Updated minor errors. 0.8 - Updated some more minor errors Contents: -------------------------------------- Introduction (I) Why Hunt Monoblos? (Y) Great Sword Strategy (GSS) Lance Strategy (LS) Short Sword Strategy (SSS) Dual Sword Strategy (DSS) Hammer Strategy (HS) Bowgun Strategy (BS) Extra Equipment (EA) Rumours (R) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) --------------------------------------- Credit (CR) Contact Me (CM) Legal (L) --------------------------------------- ================================================================================ Introduction (I) ================================================================================ After seeing various posts on GameFAQS about how to defeat Monoblos, I decided this would be appropriate. Also being the "end boss" of offline mode makes it quite an important battle, that could benefit you by allowing you to make new armour and even upgrade existing weapons. Also upon defeating him for the first time you receive a hunters citation that is essential for upgrading the Hero Blade. I would recommend having a set of armour with at least 70 total defence before you do this quest. Okay, in my opinion you don't need to take any extra provisions on this quest apart from a bunch of potions/herbs and maybe a meat or two. Monoblos can be quite an easy kill if you are patient! *Please note this is also a guide to Diablos as they are almost identical.* ================================================================================ Why Hunt Monoblos? (Y) ================================================================================ *Monoblos has 4 body carves and 2 tail carves* Carves/Rewards: -Crimson Horn (If you break the horn off during the battle) -Monoblos Spine -Monoblos Shell -Blos Fang -Large Monster Bone -Blos Heart (Very small chance of obtaining one of these) Monoblos carves are needed for the following equipment. Weapons: -Dark Scythe -Finishing Hammer (Shortcut) -Crimson Lance -Crimson War Pike -Crimson Club -Monoblos Club -Master Blade -Thunder Tip (Shortcut) -Dual Diablo -Dual Diablo+ Armour: -Monoblos Helm/Cap -Monoblos Mail/Coat -Monoblos Vambraces/Guards Also defeating Monoblos will allow you to access the bonus missions in offline mode, presuming you have met the requirements. ================================================================================ Great Sword (GSS) ================================================================================ This is also the 'Main' strategy. When the quest starts eat your rations as usual then head to zone 4 and clear all the Genprey, or they will be a big nuisance later on. Afterwards head straight to zone 10 to meet Monoblos! The first time you fight him you will get a cool cinematic introducing him. After the cinematic, head straight for the ledge and climb up. You should have 1 Large Bomb and 2 Small Bombs from the supply chest, now to use them! Wait for him to ram the ledge and get his head stuck, place your large bomb, then detonate with small bomb as per usual. He should roar, then charge again. (While he is stuck, try to paint him). This time downswing his head, pretty much every weapon should ricochet off his tough head, but keep tapping attack and bouncing off his head till he pulls himself free from the wall. Simply keep letting him get stuck and smacking him till his horn breaks off (the valuable part of him). *Be careful when he charges, as he can sometimes still damage you - stand back* Once his horn has broken, he will either keep charging or move to zone 4. If he keeps charging, repeat what you have been doing, but don't fall off the ledge - and be more careful as he can no longer get stuck! Once he runs to zone 4, heal up, and be sure to sharpen your blade, as his tough head will probably have blunted it quite quickly. Now be careful; if you have painted him, make sure you stay out of the way, as he will try to ambush you. If you haven't marked him, run randomly and pray he doesn't get you! Alternatively, stand with your back to a wall and hold block; this way you know he can’t get you. Once he is up and ready for combat, he'll most likely begin charging you. Your focus is now on his tail; removing it will stop him tail swinging you as often. When he is about to charge, he will scrape the ground like a bull - run towards and to one side of him diagonally, this way he will most likely miss. Once he is past you, try to get a few hits on his tail, but make sure to get out of the way again before he attacks. Just repeat this pattern, dodging any attacks, and work on his tail until it flies off. When he is breathing smoke, avoid his attacks at all costs; his speed is doubled and his attack is doubled! Just focus on dodging until he is back to normal. Once you have removed his tail, time to move in for the kill! Try to get in between his legs, and swing away until he is about to attack or charge, then simply roll out of the way. During the fight he will most likely move to area 1; this isn't a problem. If he does, simply heal, sharpen, then follow and continue your attack. *In area 1, I like to avoid using the ledge, as the camera cannot get behind your hunter and the Vespoid keep stunning you* After a few rounds of careful dodging and pounding, he should inevitably meet his doom, and you’re free to enjoy a nice carving of his sorry behind. Then give yourself a pat on the back! ================================================================================ Lance (LS) ================================================================================ Using a Lance against Monoblos can be a very effective way to defeat him, and allows you to remove his valuable horn with ease. The strategy is much the same as using the Great Sword; however when using a lance you don't have the problem of it ricocheting off his head, so you can get more strikes in. As the battle gets started, focus on removing his horn first, simply upstab his face once or twice then dodge, if he is scraping the ground with his hind leg and roaring, that is an excellent moment to get in 4-6 upstabs. Also when using a lance try to focus on his stomach/chest area, and focus on staying in between his legs. This way you can avoid tail spins and continuously attack. Alternatively, if you find this difficult because of trample damage* try the following method: Concentrate on his wings and outside leg to trip him, this way you can constantly attack without being affected by trampling. Also to avoid tail attacks try to attack his right side so you can see the tail coming and block. Also a good moment to attack is just after he has charged; you can attack 2-3 times before he charges again, provided you block before he does. When you are using a lance, try to block mainly instead of trying to dodge him, as the lance doesn't allow you to roll; instead it lets you hop backwards and side step... ..which isn't very good for quick last minute dodges. When he goes underground, if you can’t put your weapon away and escape quickly enough, simply block. Better safe than sorry. ================================================================================ Short Sword (SSS) ================================================================================ The strategy is again almost identical to that of the Great Sword, but with a few exceptions: i) Removing his horn will be difficult, as a short sword takes longer to recover from a ricochet. ii) You can move around faster; use it to your advantage by moving to behind him as often as possible - this minimizes his chances of charging you. Try to work on his legs mainly to trip him, which will allow you to get many hits in before he recovers. Also, when using a short sword, removing the tail can be difficult due to the short sword’s short reach, so the best moment to do so is before his horn has been removed. Lure him into getting his horn trapped in a wall when his tail will be close to the ground, giving you a good chance to remove it. ================================================================================ Dual Swords (DS) ================================================================================ When using dual swords, you are benefited in many ways, but the main advantage you will have against Monoblos/Diablos is that taking his horn off should be easy. To remove his horn, simply wait on a ledge. He should burst out of the ground then stand for a moment with his head within your reach before charging. Now activate hyper mode (R1) and tap down to unleash a flurry of attacks on his horn. You will land all of your attacks as hyper mode prevents your swords from ricocheting off his tough hide. Once you have his horn, again focus on his legs. Be careful though not to use hyper mode too often as: i) It uses your stamina preventing you from sprinting away or rolling away from danger. ii) It leaves you wide open to attacks Also, when using dual swords, be sure to stay between his legs as you cannot block tail swings etc and be sure to mark him, otherwise you will have no way to prevent an ambush. ================================================================================ Hammers (HS) ================================================================================ A hammer can be a brutal weapon and can bring a Monoblos down with ease when used right. Now being similar in speed and power, the strategy for GS should be used, HOWEVER... with a few exceptions of course ;) When in the 'Breaking his horn' phase, you can use the hammer’s charged attacks to remove it quicker - and your hammer won’t ricochet either. When using a hammer you will have to be more cautious, as you are slow and have no block function. Try to get away from him as soon as he begins to dive and watch your radar to stay out of his way. ================================================================================ Bowgun Strategy (BS) ================================================================================ As a bowgun user, you will have the advantage of taking next to no damage, and have no worries breaking his horn. Whether Light or heavy bowgun the strategy remains the same. Beforehand, equip as many of all available ammo types as you can. First off, killing the Genprey in zone 4 is vital, as they can become a terrible nuisance when trying to gun Monoblos... so get them out of your way first. After the cinematic in zone 10, get on the ledge as quick as possible. Ledges are a gunner's safe haven, allowing you to unload round after round of ammunition into Monoblos without any fear of having to dodge his attacks. Now all you have to do is quite simple, shoot his face! Gun away at him until that precious horn breaks off. Clust shells and crags will get you there faster; also using Pellet S when he is close to the ledge can take his horn off quite quickly. Now when gunning in area 4 you will most likely spend a majority of your time dodging. When he enters sand, holster your gun and run. However, if you feel confident enough, simply side roll once or twice and you should avoid his attack, leaving you time to fire another few rounds into him. A personal favourite type of ammo of mine would be the Pierce shot, if fired correctly it can cause many hits and deal a fair amount of damage compared to a normal shot. When using Pierce, try to aim for his head straight on if possible: this will cause the bullet to go from his head, through his body to his tail, hitting numerous times along the way. When using clusts, try to hit his back just above his head: this will cause most of the bomblettes to hit his back for max damage. And, as a final note, I will state the obvious by saying, try to hit his head with every shot possible, as it will do more damage. ================================================================================ Extra Equipment (EA) ================================================================================ The following equipment can be used to speed up the fight: Sonic Bombs: Use on him when he is tunnelling underground. This will cause him to burst up and be trapped half-in/half-out of the ground, leaving him vulnerable to your attacks. The best moment to use these is just after he has tunnelled under ground, before he has a chance to move. Flash Bombs: These will confuse and blind him, leaving him open to attack. To use these effectively, throw them (and this is the important part) in front of his eyes so that he sees the flash, otherwise it will have no effect. Lg Bomb: Best used when he is trapped due to sonic bomb, or when he has in horn stuck in a wall. Sm Bomb: Use to detonate Large bombs. Screamer: Combine with Gunpowder to make Sonic Bomb. Gunpowder: Combine with Screamer to make Sonic Bomb. Fireherb: Combine with Nitroshroom to make Gunpowder. Nitroshroom: Combine with Fireherb to make Gunpowder. Large Barrel: Combine with Gunpowder to make Large Bomb. Small Barrel: Combine with Fire Herb to make Small Bomb. Bomb Material: Combine with Flashbug to make Flash bomb. Flashbug: Combine with Bomb Material to make Flash bomb. Sap Plant: Combine with Stone to make Bomb Material. Stone: Combine with Sap Plant to make Bomb Material. Note: *Pitfall traps do not work* ================================================================================ Rumours (R) ================================================================================ "You can get a Monoblos heart 100% if you split his chest open during the battle" Needless to say, this is a lie. Attempting to split his chest open will only leave you feeling rather silly afterwards. *If you have heard anymore rumours please contact me.* ================================================================================ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ================================================================================ Q: How do I break his horn? My weapon just bounces off it! A: This is normal, his horn is pretty tough. Just 'bounce' off it enough times and it will pop right off! Q: After I beat my Monoblos Urgent, I can’t do it again! A: After you beat it as an urgent it will appear as a 5* quest, randomly like all quests. ================================================================================ Credit (C) ================================================================================ Shuma (Me) Raya for his advice! Akoga for correcting a possibly embarrassing mistake! Veneficium for her various suggestions :D Sayling for fixing more errors :) I’d also like to thank...... Capcom for producing an amazing game ================================================================================ Contact Me (CM) ================================================================================ EMAIL: Mega_Frogger@Hotmail.com GAMEFAQS Name: Frogatron999111 Please only contact me if you have a valid question. ================================================================================ Legal Stuff (L) ================================================================================ You may not use this in your own guide unless you ask for permission and give credit and a link to it. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. You may not use this FAQ in any magazine article or CD based format. Doing anything to make money off this guide is also prohibited. Permitted sites: www.gamefaqs.com www.neoseeker.com www.supercheats.com Copyright (c) Peter Sinclair 2005-2006 (Mega_Frogger@Hotmail.com)