________________________________________________________________________________ 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 __ ___ __ __ __ __ / |/ /___ ____ _____/ /____ _____ / / / /_ ______ / /____ _____ / /|_/ / __ \/ __ \/ ___/ __/ _ \/ ___/ / /_/ / / / / __ \/ __/ _ \/ ___/ / / / / /_/ / / / (__ ) /_/ __/ / / __ / /_/ / / / / /_/ __/ / /_/ /_/\____/_/ /_/____/\__/\___/_/ /_/ /_/\__,_/_/ /_/\__/\___/_/ ____ __ __ __ _____ __ / __ \____ _____/ /_____ _/ /_ / /__ |__ /_________/ / / /_/ / __ \/ ___/ __/ __ `/ __ \/ / _ \ /_ / / INTRODUCTION / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ Note: This is my first guide, so go easy on me! Any help, tips, criticism (the good kind) and info, email me at Shadowspazz14@hotmail.com Also, I am using TeamHGG's English Patch for all the name translations. Go to TeamHGG.blogspot.com to download it, and check it frequently, as they usually update their patches. THIS GUIDE First and foremost, I want to express that I do not consider myself an 'expert' a 'pro', 'guru', 'genius', 'freak' of Monster Hunter. I simply want to share my knowledge to everyone else that plays this game, and also create a place where others who also want to help out could contribute their information, to compile everything you would need to know to enjoy the game. That being said, I will rely alot on contributors as I don't know everything, therefore any help would be appreciated. Credit will be given where possible, as I don't want to take the credit for what others have done. Also, I won't be providing translations and the like, because it is a lot of effort, where you can simply google it and I'm sure you can find some good ones. THE GAME I haven't been playing the game long enough to give you a history lesson, but I can try. Monster Hunter was first released by Capcom in Japan in March 2004, followed by a western release during September that same year. While the Japanese release was successful, but the western release was largely unpopular. Monster Hunter G, an improved version of the first game was sold only to Japan due to the poor sales of the western Monster Hunter, but the PSP port of the game, Monster Hunter Freedom, was much more successful, and from there, Monster Hunter's popularity began to increase. THE GOALS OF THIS GUIDE Monster Hunter is known for its extreme learning curve and insane difficulty. As a normal human armed with armor and weapons, you have to fight against towering beasts and ferocious monsters. Easy? Far from it. One hit from a monster could cost you half your health, and killing a monster is gonna take more than a couple hits. The average time it takes to kill a monster is around 15-20 minutes So let me ask you, would you be able to dodge every attack a monster throws at you for almost 20 minutes straight? Probably not, and well, neither can I, but that is one of the main things that separate this game from others, you can't just charge in and trade hits with your enemy and hope that you'll come out alive, it's impossible. I repeat, IMPOSSIBLE. You better learn to read you're target's attacks, movements, patterns and openings, and dodge, block, evade or attack accordingly. If you can't do that, you won't survive this game. Luckily, You have this guide, so you... can cope somehow. Seriously, this game is one of the hardest games to learn. This guide can't give you step by step instructions, or hold your hand throughout the game, but rather, I can teach you basic tips and help you to learn how to hunt and survive in the world of Monster Hunter. Not every person would play this game the same, and as such, I can't give you a straight path to follow, but I can help you to improve you gaming style, so that you can enjoy this game fully. THE AUTHOR Boring subject. Next. __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / VERSION HISTORY / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ Might as well put this in. Ver 0.25 - Partially completed, includes changes from MHFU, weapon and armor basics, information on the village and the elder monsters Aoashira, Great Jaggi, Froggi, Baggi, Qurupeco, Barroth, Royal Ludroth, Urukususu and Rathian. Ver 0.50 - Confirmed a lot of things I wasn't sure of, changed the weapon stats and added secondary weaknesses to monsters instead of elemental resistance. Added monster info for Hapurubokka and Gigginox. Not as much monster info, since I realized I had many errors/missing information (Thanks to contributors for finding them!) __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / CONTRIBUTORS / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ I thought I should put this at the start so people might actually read this. Very big thanks to these guys, as without them, this guide would not be possible (Or would be possible, but extremely misleading/wrong ;D) mazereon - Help with a LOT of stuff, such as weapon mechanics, changes and some help on what information is put into monster/weapon guides. Draewon - Help with a lot of weapon information. __ / /^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| ____/ /====================================================================> / / TABLE OF CONTENTS / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ Like most other guides, use CTRL+F or the find function on the browser and type in the number and letter to find it easily. Alternatively, exercise your finger and use the mouse wheel ;D [0] Introduction [1A] E-mailing me [2A] FAQ [3A] Changes from Unite [4] Basics [4A] Yukumo Village - Places [4B] Yukumo Village - People/Shops [4C] Hunting Basics - Controls [4D] Hunting Basics - Items [4E] Hunting Basics - Combinations [5] Equipment [5A] Weapons - Shield and Sword [5B] Weapons - Dual Swords [5C] Weapons - Great Sword [5D] Weapons - Long Sword [5E] Weapons - Hammer [5F] Weapons - Hunting Horn [5G] Weapons - Lance [5H] Weapons - Gunlance [5I] Weapons - Switch Axe [5J] Weapons - Light Bowgun [5K] Weapons - Heavy Bowgun [5L] Weapons - Bow [5M] Armor [6] How to Hunt [6A] Step by Step [6B] Tips and Tricks [7] Walkthrough [7A] Aoashira [7B] Greath Jaggi/Froggi/Baggi [7C] Qurupeco [7D] Barroth [7E] Royal Ludroth [7F] Urukususu [7G] Rathian [7H] Hapurubokka [7I] Gigginox [8] To do list [9] Special Thanks [10] Hosting __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [1A] E-MAILING ME / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ -No, you cannot ask me questions. If it isn't in the guide, obviously I don't know. Just kidding. But please don't ask unless it is absolutely necessary. -Obviously, if it isn't about Monster Hunter, DON'T EMAIL ME -Please put in the subject something like 'Monster Hunter FAQ Question/Info' -Contributors are extremely welcome, one person's opinions/knowledge can't possibly cover everything in the game. Please add an alias or something to refer to you as, or you won't be credited, and I'll call you 'anonymous' -Constructive criticism is OK as long as it is actually helpful, not ranting -Obviously, DON'T SEND ME JUNK MAIL/SPAM __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [2A] FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS/FAQ / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ Q: How hard is this game? A: Very hard. But with time, and by reading this guide, hopefully you can cope with the steep learning curve Q:Do I need to play any of the previous games to understand this? A:No, this game has little to no story, so no need to play previous games Q:What weapon should I use/Which is best? A:There is no 'one best weapon' as each of them are good in their own way. You simply have to choose which one suits your play style best Q:Capture or kill? A:Usually, capturing gives you better/more materials, however this is not always the case, however, I prefer capturing as it finishes the hunt straight away, and USUALLY gives more. Q:What are the ranks, and where should I get missions from A:Elder - Easiest missions, only for singleplayer Guild Hall - Harder missions, made for multiplayer, but can be done alone, separated by Hi and Low ranks Low Rank - HR1-3 Same as Elder, but stronger monsters Hi Rank - HR4-6 Stronger monsters, and supply items are delivered later, not at the start __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [3A] CHANGES FROM PORTABLE 2ND/FREEDOM UNITE / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ No doubt some of you readers have played one of the previous games, and most likely, it's MHP2G/MHFU (Also, most likely you would've skipped the intro) Here are some changes from the previous game (Not Tri, since I haven't played that) |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPON MECHANICS=- |--| |--| |--| |-------------------------------| SHIELD AND SWORD Hasn't really changed that much, but I'm not much of an SnS user, so I wouldn't really notice. Any SnS users, feel free to email me with info! -A new shield bash attack that does KO impact damage DUAL SWORDS The basic combo has been changed, and a form of spirit bar has been added -When in demonization mode, the dodge is no longer a roll, but a quick dash/side step -Pressing O in normal mode does a quick horizontal slash, pressing it again does the spinning slash attack -The demon dance finisher can no longer be shortened by rolling, making it slightly less useful and more risky to use -The spirit bar is filled by attack monsters while demonized -When the bar is full, you gain increased attack (Unconfirmed) and the dash/ sidestep even when out of demonization mode. Also, you can do the last few hits of the Demon dance by pressing /\ and O during a combo. -Using dash/sidestep out of demonization mode reduces the bar slightly (Same with using /\+O during a combo) LONG SWORD Again, not my main weapon, so I can't say much, anyone with info email me please -After completing a spirit combo, the spirit bar is given a coloured outline and the sword glows, this can be done a few times, each one giving you more damage each time -The blade glows white first, then yellow, and finally red, after which the blade returns to normal and the process starts again -White lasts for five minutes, Yellow three and Red one, Thanks to mazereon for this piece on information. GREAT SWORD Not used to the weapon, yadda yadda, email me with info please! -After the overhead attack, pressing /\ does a kind of slap attack with the side of the blade, which does impact damage. -After the slap attack, pressing and holding /\ again while pushing the analog forward does another form of charge attack. This does slightly more damage, but you can't combo any other attacks after using it (Thanks to mazereon again for confirming this) HAMMER Same as before, not proficient with this, so need help with details -Most attacks can be linked into a charge, and the second level charge is now an uppercut rather than the two hit move from Unite (Again, thanks to mazereon) HUNTING HORN You must be getting annoyed of this, but yeah... need help with this too. -Recital mode can now be entered during an attack -A better explanation is given by mazereon: Instead of having to stop to play notes, as you attack you build up notes in your recital gauge. At any point you can stop attacking and enter recital mode with R, and it’ll play all the songs you’ve stored up on screen. You can still use recital normally. LANCE Okay, now we're getting somewhere. -/\+O no longer does a charge attack, but instead, does a sweep of the lance, useful for hitting multiple monsters in front of you, moving monsters or for general pimp-slapping references -Lance now has a counter attack, by pressing O while guarding, you charge your lance while blocking, and if you get hit, you immediately do an upward stab, if not, the you do a more powerful looking upward stab after a few seconds (Yes, this charge is stronger, thanks mazereon!) -Charging at the enemy can still be done by blocking, then pressing /\+O -Can now do a quick hop forward while blocking, which drains stamina. (While going forward, you still continue to block, so you move forward and block any attacks at you, thanks to mazereon again) GUNLANCE Tried it a bit, but this info is far from complete, once again, any help would be appreciated -Can be reloaded after shelling by pressing O after each shot -The /\ /\ /\ combo now ends by slamming the lance on the ground, and by pressing O, you can fire off all the shells in the lance SWITCH AXE An entirely new weapon from 2ndG/Unite that debuted in Tri. Obviously, no need to mention changes from Unite LIGHT BOWGUN I'm not much of a gunner, but I'm pretty sure they haven't been changed much -Uses backhops and sidesteps, but you can still roll by using the analog stick (Thanks to mazereon for this) -LBG and HBG have new ammo, Cutter S and Exhaust S HEAVY BOWGUN Same as above, not a gunner. -You can kneel down and choose one ammo type, and fire these at an enemy (the amount of ammo stored during this is much higher than normal capacity) BOW I don't use it, but my brother does, so I know a few changes to it -A new 'arrow rain' attack, which shoots an arrows into the sky, making them fall down at a targeted area. -New coating, exhaust coating |-------------------------------| |--| -=HUNTING=- |--| |--| |--| |-------------------------------| THE VILLAGE -A felyne blacksmith, to provide your felynes with equipment. To create these, scraps must be used, not raw materials. -Hotsprings and drinks replace the old felyne chef for giving you stat boosts -The farm now has activites that use your felynes to gather (similar to bug tree and bomb mining) and you can also send felynes out on their own quests like Trenya DURING THE QUEST -Monsters will eventually run out of stamina and be tired, usually shown as them drooling. During this, they are slower, more likely to taunt and often fail to do their attacks or fall over after them. To cure this, they often leave to find food, such as honey, rocks, trees or smaller monsters. -You are given an extra pouch only during the quest, totaling 4 pages of items instead of the usual 3. Items in this pouch are returned to your box afterwards I believe (Confirmed, thanks mazereon) -Nyan Jirou, a felyne with a cape and eyepatch will be at the camp. You can give him items to take back to your home during the quest. This can only be done once per quest though, as when he leaves, he won't return -A symbol will pop up if you can gather or carve something where you are. Also, you don't have to equip pickaxes or bugnets anymore, as you can press O when you can gather MONSTERS -A lot has changed, so I will cover them individually when I get to it -Monsters not included from Unite include: All the 1st-2nd gen Elder Dragons Dromes and Prey Yian Kut-ku, Garuga, Hypnoc, Gypceros, Monoblos, Basarios, Gravios __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [4] BASICS / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ |-------------------------------| |--| -=YUKUMO VILLAGE=- |--| |--| [4A] PLACES |--| |-------------------------------| Yukumo is your home in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. I could explain in detail what you can find, or you can just google it on your own you lazy bastards... Just kidding, here's a helpful labelled image I made http://img87.imageshack.us/i/yukumovillage.jpg/ I'll explain each one in more detail PLACES GUILD HALL This is where you can get your multiplayer quests, upgrade your hotsprings and do drink quests. By going into the hotsprings when you've upgraded them, you can get bonus health/stamina before every mission, and drinks give you those extra little skills that give you more atk, def and other useful perks. HOME You can save your game by sleeping on the bed, change equipment and items on the itembox on the left, configure felyne comrade stuff on the board, check the drawer behind the bed to change hairstyles, clothes, facial hair, view the gallery, change piggies clothes or read info magazines. You can get to the guild hall quickly using the entrance near the felyne board TRAINING SCHOOL Do training quests to learn how to use weapons and learn hunting basics. Also, you can participate in group training, which is basically a form of arena challenge where you are given specific equipment sets and must battle monsters. YUKUMO FARM You can gather basic materials here. Talk to the guy standing next to the boiling egg (By the way, press [] on the egg to get a hotspring egg after missions) and he can upgrade the farm using Yukumo Points (More on that later) There is a mining spot in the far end where the crack is, and you can talk to the felyne standing near the field rows to plant crops. There is a bug catcher past the field, which gathers insects, and by talking to the felyne next to it, you can change the incense (which changes which bugs it attracts, must be upgraded first) or add honey/pollen to attract more bugs. To the left, there is a pier where you can throw a net in and catch a number of fish. The farm can be upgraded to have more features. |-------------------------------| |--| -=YUKUMO VILLAGE=- |--| |--| [4B] PEOPLE |--| |-------------------------------| ELDER The village elder gives you quests. As her quests are the easiest ones available I suggest doing them first (If not, the guild hall is more challenging, then again, if you could do that from the start, why are you here?) FELYNE GRANNY She sells you felyne companions that join you in quests. The first two are free, and I recommend you buy them straight away, so that they can level up faster, and for novice hunters, it's extremely helpful to give the monsters more than one target to attack. TRAVELLING PEDDLER He sells things that might not normally be sold at the general store, and usually at a cheaper price. The catch is, his wares change after every mission, so there is only a chance that you will find what you need. GENERAL STORE Buy basic items for quests from her. Things like potions, whetstones and pickaxes. Also, monster info, combination books and other goods can be sold when you are far enough in the game EQUIPMENT STORE While useful in the beggining, its usefulness only last for the early quests. Here, you can buy weapons and armor for slightly higher prices than at the blacksmith. The difference is that you don't need materials, so no need to go to great lengths to make armor. Thing is, the equipment sold here is mainly starter equipment, so eventually, you will have to turn to the blacksmith to make your gear. BLACKSMITH For most of the game, this is where you will get your equipment. Bring him money and materials and he will make you weapons and armor. FELYNE BLACKSMITH This is where you can buy gear for your felyne comrades. Equipment here is made from 'scraps'. Scraps are made when you create a piece of equipment from the blacksmith, so your felyne can get stronger along with you, but if you want, you can also convert materials to scraps here. |-------------------------------| |--| -=HUNTING BASICS=- |--| |--| [4C] CONTROLS |--| |-------------------------------| BASIC CONTROLS /\ - Attack O - Attack (While unsheathed) or Gather/actions (Sheathed) X - Dodge/Roll/Step [] - Sheathe weapon, use items Directional Buttons - Control Camera, Aim (For Ranged) L - Choose items, with [] and O buttons R - Sprint (Sheathed) Guard/Aim and other weapon functions Select - Kick Start - Open Menu |-------------------------------| |--| -=HUNTING BASICS=- |--| |--| [4D] ITEMS |--| |-------------------------------| Basic items you should know about include: Potion - Bought from general store, heals you when used during a quest Steak - Cooked from raw meat using BBQ Spits, increases stamina Pickaxe/Bugnet - Bought from general store, used to mine or catch bugs Whetstone - Bought from general store or can be mined, used to sharpen melee weapons Psychoserum - Used to show monster locations on the map for a few seconds Thrown items - These have various uses. See Basic Combinations for information on how to make them Paintball: Use it to track monster locations on the map once hit Sonic Bomb: Used against certain monsters weak against loud noises, usually underground monsters Flash Bomb: Blinds most monsters when thrown in front of them, causing them to be unable to target anyone during attacks, and to taunt more often Dung Bomb: Use to stop monsters when they have pinned you or a friend Tranq Bomb: Used to capture monsters Poison Smoke Bomb: Poisons monsters, usually used against insects to kill them without destroying the body. Traps - Trap a monster for a few seconds, giving you valuable time to land a few hits or to capture them once weakened. Only two types of traps are available. Some monsters are immune, or more susceptible to a certain type of trap than another. |-------------------------------| |--| -=HUNTING BASICS=- |--| |--| [4E] COMBINATIONS |--| |-------------------------------| To combine, use the start menu, and choose 2 items to combine. Here are some useful combinations you should remember Potion = Herb+Blue Mushroom Mega Potion = Potion+Honey Paintball = Paintberry+Sap Plant Tranquilizer = Sleep Herb+Parashroom Bomb Material = Sap Plant+Stone Sonic Bomb = Screamer+Gunpowder Flash Bomb = Flashbug+Bomb Material Dung Bomb = Dung+Bomb Material Tranq Bomb = Tranquilizer+Bomb Material Poison Bomb = Toadstool+Bomb Material __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [5] EQUIPMENT / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ |-------------------------------| |--| -=EQUIPMENT=- |--| |--| WEAPONS |--| |-------------------------------| Like I mentioned before, there isn't a weapon that is better or worse than others. All weapons are effective, and they all have their pros and cons. The key is to find one that fits your playing style. I am not adding all of the available combos and controls, as first, I don't know all of them, and second, I find that it is easier if you experiment to learn how each attack chains to another, and what each weapon is capable of. I should mention however, that some weapons are more effective on certain monsters than others. |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5A] SHIELD AND SWORD - SNS |--| |-------------------------------| The Shield and Sword, commonly abbreviated to SnS is one of the most balanced weapons. It has great mobility, the ability to defend, however, it does not deal as much damage as the other weapons. Basics - /\ normal attack, can be chained for combos O strong attack, less hits in the combo, can be used to finish /\ combo R Block R+[] Use item Damage - Decent Mobility - Fast (Can run normally with weapon out) Defense - Decent (Most attacks still cause you to slide back when blocking) Difficulty - Very Noob Friendly Tips and Tricks -Using a sword, you rarely have to sheathe your weapon, as you can use an item by holding block, then pressing [] -Use the jumping strike /\+O to close the distance between you and the enemy, and chain combos from it when possible -You can guard straight away from unsheathed by pressing /\+O+R1 |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5B] DUAL SWORDS - DS |--| |-------------------------------| Similar to the SnS, these weapons have great mobility, however, since the shield is replaced by a sword, this weapon focuses more on offense and less on defense. Thus, you must learn to survive on dodging and mobility, but with practice, you can deal very large amounts of damage. Basics - /\ normal slash, can be chained to a combo O horizontal slash, second press does a vertical spinning slash R Demonize, gain extra attack power, and dash/sidestep with X /\+O while demonized to do Demon Dance, a powerful combo, but leaves you open for attacks. Damage - High (Low damage per hit, but very, very fast attack speed Mobility - Fast (While you can run like the SnS, the forward lunge isn't as effective as the jumping strike) Defense - Low (No blocks, however, with practice, dashing and sidestepping can be pretty helpful) Difficulty - Average (If you know how to dodge, you can deal heavy damage) Tips and Tricks - Using the basic /\,/\,/\->O,O combo when demonized almost always fills the bar completely -When the gauge is full, you do a dash when not demonized instead of a roll. -Demon dance doesn't increase the gauge as much as other attacks during demonization -Don't get too carried away. Land a few hits when possible, and evade. No need to get hit just to finish a combo -Demonization sucks up a lot of stamina, but if you fill the spirit gauge, you can fight almost as effectively since you can still dash and sidestep -While rolling can cure fireblight when done repeatedly, dashing cannot (Although for some weird reason, dashing in water can) -Using O,O with the gauge active does the double spin, which uses up the gauge -Also, pressing /\+O during a combo with the gauge activated does the last few hits of the demon dance, which also uses up the gauge -During demonization mode, you won't get knocked back by wind -You can do an infinite combo by pressing /\ after a O attack, doing the forward lunge, which can be continued by another /\, and linked to a regular combo. The shortest way to do the infinite is O,/\,/\,O,/\,/\,O etc. (Thanks to Draewon for this) -Mega/Power juice duration is shortened if you use demonization -Dodging then attacking (X,/\) does an upward slash, which can be linked to normal attacks |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5C] GREAT SWORD - GS |--| |-------------------------------| The great sword has a very high damage output, but at the cost of mobility, however, its charged attacks can stagger many monsters with just one hit. Mastering the GS will take a lot of skill and patience, as you must learn to predict monster movements to be able to land hits with this slow weapon. If you succeed, the GS has a very high damage output and can stagger monsters easily. Basics - /\ Overhead attack, hold to charge O Horizontal attack /\+O Upward Slash R Block Damage - High (Takes a lot of effort and time to know when to strike) Mobility - Slow (You can only do a slow walk when the sword is out) Defense - Decent (Can block with the sword, but reduces sharpness.) Difficulty - Hard (Must learn to read monster movements and predict where and how to strike) Tips and Tricks -In this game, charging the sword to the max won't do the most damage, instead, you must time it to release the charge when the blade flashes (Thanks to Draewon for this) -You can do a slap kind of attack by pressing /\ after the overhead attack, which does impact damage, and following that, by moving the analog stick and holding /\ you can do a second charge attack -You can also kick, then do the slap attack (Thanks to Draewon for this) -You can do block while still sheathed by pressing /\+O+R1 -What part of the sword hits the monster actually affects the damage done. The middle part of the blade deals the most damage, and the hilt and tip do less. -Press select with the weapon out to do a kick. This might seem useless, but you can use it to keep weaker minions away, giving you time to attack |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5D] LONGSWORD - LS |--| |-------------------------------| A bit more faster than the GS, this weapon is known for its fluid combos, and its ability to cancel out combos and dodge by doing the 'fade slash' Basics - /\ Vertical slash O Frontal Stab /\+O Fade Slash (Does a horizontal slash while jumping backwards) R Spirit combo, can be chained and linked to other attacks to lengthen. Damage - High Mobility - Decent (can walk faster than GS and roll) Defense - Low (Cannot block, but can still roll and do fade slash to evade) Difficulty - Average (Combos should be learned, as it has more combos than DS, must also know how to evade properly) Tips and Tricks -After completing the basic spirit combo (R,R,R,R) your sword will glow, and get increased power. This can be repeated to increase power even more than before. -The sword glows white after the first combo, then yellow, and finally red. The red gauge is the final one, and once the gauge runs out, it goes back one level, so red will go back to yellow, yellow to white and white to normal. -When the spirit gauge is full, your weapons will no longer bounce off monsters. |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5E] HAMMER |--| |-------------------------------| While the hammer might look like a heavy weapon, the mobility and attack speed will surprise you. One of the most effective weapons for KO'ing a monster, with perfect strikes, you can stagger and stun even the mightiest of monsters, leaving them open for an onslaught of attacks. Basics - /\ Overhead smash, /\ x 3 does the triple pound combo and then the golfswing O Horizontal smash, quicker and shorter than overhead R Charge, has multiple uses, see below Damage - High Mobility - High (can run while unsheathed, roll and charge while moving) Defensse - Low (Cannot block, but KO'ing monsters can give you safer openings for attacks) Difficulty - Hard (Must learn to time charge attacks and hit certain enemy parts to be effective) Tips and Tricks -Charge attacks are the most useful, but also complicated for hammer users. -Pressing R or releasing before the first flash does a simple sideways strike -After the second flash, an upward smash is performed -The final charge does a powerful overhead attack -Using the final charge while moving makes the hunter spin around while swinging the hammer, doing damage. Pressing /\ will stop the spin with an attack. Pushing /\ On the final (4th) spin, the hunter will do a powerful 'Golf Swing' which does the most (I think?) damage out of all the hammer attacks -Hitting a monster on the head can KO them if done enough, (There is a slight flash during the hit when you do an attack on the head) attacks on other parts of the enemy do fatigue damage -You can chain the last two hits of the /\ combo from any other attacks -Thanks to mazereon for this: Golfswing and uppercut do more KO damage than the superpound, and the golfswing does more damage than the superpound as well. -And thanks to Draewon for this: You can now charge after a triple pound combo, or use it to roll immediately after, which is faster than normally rolling after a triple pound |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5F] HUNTING HORN - HH |--| |-------------------------------| While significantly weaker than a hammer, it can still KO monsters. However, its main use is not just attacking, but its recital mode, which can give buffs to yourself and teammates, imitate items like demondrugs, sonic bombs and psychoserum. With proper use, the hunting horn becomes a versatile weapon Basics - Okay, I'm not going to bother pretending to know what I'm talking about here. Hunting Horn is complicated to learn. But the sheet music for it is on the table behind the table. For all other references, I suggest looking at this Hunting Horn guide by Holywoodchuck. http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/991479-monster-hunter-portable-3rd/faqs/61468 Damage - Low (Makes up for it by being a great support weapon, and able to give yourself buffs as well Mobility - High (Same as hammer) Defense - Low (Same as hammer) Difficulty - ? (Never attempted to use it, as it seemed complicated) Tips and Tricks -Read Holywoodchuck's guide. I'm sure he knows more than me. |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5G] LANCE |--| |-------------------------------| The lance is a very good weapon if used correctly. Most people dismiss it when they see its attacks, as it doesn't look as powerful/cool as the other weapons. Wrong. Despite the large shield, the lance has a very good damage output, and great blocking AND evasive abilities. Give it time, and this could be the weapon for you. Basics - /\ Forward stab O Upward stab /\+O Sweep/Pimp slap with lance (Good for crowds of enemies, or hoes) R Block R+/\+O Charge R+O Counter Damage - Average-High Mobility - Poor (Slow walk, but you can use the backhop or charge to move) Defense - Very High (Has the best guarding ability, and can chain backhops and sidesteps) Difficulty - Average (While easy to learn to use, it takes more time to master the timing of dodges, blocks, counters and attacks) Tips and Tricks -Lances have a special trait in that it change between impact AND cutting damage depending on where you hit, the damage would change based on that areas' weakness. This means you can also break shells AND cut tails -You can do the charge/joust by pressing SELECT. (Thanks to Draewon for this) -A maximum of 3 stabs can be done, and both O and /\ attacks can be chained. By dodging, you can restart the combo. This is the most basic way to continually do damage to your opponent -When hit during the counter animation, if possible, you do an upward stab instantly, which can then be chained to more attacks like a normal combo -Use charge to close the distance between you or the monster. Pressing /\ or O while charging ends with a forward thrust, which does the most damage out of all the lance attacks -There are two main ways to use the lance, Dodging and Guarding. You don't have to use just one method, you can use a mixture of the two as it is up to you to learn and develop your own fighting style. These are just basic guidelines on how to use the lance. -DODGE METHOD -While harder to learn, if you can master dodging, you can chain your attacks more efficiently, thus dealing more damage -Use X to backhop, or X+left or X+right to sidestep. -Up to 3 dodges can be chained together to cover more distance -Dodging can be used to shorten the attack animation, and extend combos -With proper timing (and with the help of the Evade armor skill, more on those later) you can jump through some quick monster attacks, like tail whips or claw strikes -GUARD METHOD -Guarding is much easier, but generally takes longer (Not all of the time, just most of the time) -That big shield can soak up lots of damage, (Even more with the Guard+ skill) granted, you need stamina to block well, so keep that in mind -With the Guard+ skill, you take less damage and get knocked back less by the more powerful attacks -You can also get the Guard Inc skill, which allows you to block every attack in the game -Use the counter (R+O) when you see an incoming monster attack. This is more effective than regular block as you can instantly attack and continue the combo, the downside is if you don't time it properly, you are left vulnerable for a few seconds -While guarding, you can press /\ to do a quick but weak attack and instantly guard again. Useful for getting a few hits in during the small gaps between monster attacks -While guarding, you can also press forward+/\ to do a quick step forward. During this, you can still block, but you use stamina to do the step, and you can press /\ again to do a shield bash, then you can link this to a forward stab -While moving around slowly while guarding, you actually regain stamina normally unlike when standing still, where stamina recovery stops |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5H] GUNLANCE - GL |--| |-------------------------------| Gunlances have their similarities to normal lances, but their playing style is somewhat different. Relying more on shelling and longer combos than defense, GL users also have access to a powerful explosive attack, 'Wyvern's Fire' which takes a long time to prepare and reload, but deals tremendous damage. Basics - /\ Forward Stab (Can be chained up to 3 times) O Fire Shell (Can be done after almost any attack) /\+O Upward Stab R+O Reload R+/\+O Wyvern's Fire Damage - Average-High Mobility - Poor (Same speed as lance, but can't chain backhops/dodges) Defense - High (Great guarding ability, but lance skills are more defensive) Difficulty - Average (Similar to lance, easy to pick up, but harder to master) Tips and Tricks -You can use the shells after almost every stab attack -You can now charge your shells by holding O, or pressing it with the R button, which does increased damage (Thanks to Draewon for this) -You have infinite shells, and can reload as much as you want -A new feature in MHP3, you can now reload instantly by pressing O after shelling -Wyvern's fire does not have a long range, and does an explosion about 5 feet, but is more effective when done up close -You can often tell if the GL is still cooling down from Wyvern's Fire, as a part of it usually opens up to allow it to cool, and you can see a red hot area near the tip of the barrel -You can do a form of charged shell attack by pressing R while firing -Taken from the Monster Hunter Wiki, Damage is approximate to: 3 Stabs = 1 Shell 4 Shells = Wyvern's Fire -Shelling dulls your weapon quickly, make sure you have a lot of whetstones -At the 3rd front stab attack or pressing /\ after the instant reload, you slam the lance downwards, where you can press O to fire off all remaining shells, or /\+O to fire off the Wyvern's Fire |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5I] SWITCH AXE - SA |--| |-------------------------------| A relatively new weapon, and an extremely versatile one, The weapon has two forms, axe and sword. The axe form is similar to a Long Sword, with a long reach while the sword form is comparable to a faster version of the Great Sword. Basics (Axe Mode)- /\ Overhead slash O Horizontal slash /\+O Upward Slash, press O continously for infinite combo R Sword mode (Or Reload) Basics (Sword Mode) -/\ Vertical slash O Backward slash /\+O Forward thrust, keep tapping /\ to do discharge attack Damage - High 8/10 Mobility - Decent 6/10 (Axe) Low 2/10 (Sword) Defense - Low 4/10 (Can't block, but can still roll) Difficulty - Average 7/10 (Still kinda slow, but you can use faster attacks than GS) Tips and Tricks -Each SA has a different Coating. This affects the sword mode, meaning power coating increases damage even more in sword mode, while poison coating can only poison monsters using sword mode -The discharge attack releases an explosion at the tip of the blade, which deals about 60% of the weapon's raw damage. Also, different coatings change the looks of the explosion, but don't change the type of damage done (Thanks to mazereon for correcting this) -During the discharge, you can hold down the analog stick to do a quicker discharge -To change forms during a combo, you can use analog+/\,R (Axe->Sword) or O,R (Sword->Axe) -You can do the infinite slash combo by pressing /\+O, then /\ repeatedly. -Axe mode has more mobility, while sword mode has more damage. Switch between the two, even during combos, depending on the situation -Sword mode has a limited amount of attacks, shown by the gauge under the stamina gauge, using the axe mode refills this gauge. When the gauge is below half, R button reloads the gauge. -Dodging, then attacking (X,/\) does a large upward slash |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5J] LIGHT BOWGUN - LBG |--| |-------------------------------| There are 2 Bowgun types, light and heavy. The light bowgun offers more mobility and speed, and utilizes more elemental/support bullets. Basics - /\ Reload O Fire L+/\ or L+X change ammo R Hold to aim while moving, directional buttons to move crosshairs, Tap R to enter first person, where you cannot move, but use analog to aim Damage - Decent 5/10 Mobility - High 8/10 (Can run with weapon out, and backhop) Defense - Low 4/10 (Can do a backhop, but no other defensive capabilities) Difficulty - Average 5/10 (The easiest to use out of the ranged weapons) Tips and Tricks -I'm not a Bowgun user, so check out mazereon's guide, it's pretty useful, and even includes guides on specific monsters. http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/991479-monster-hunter-portable-3rd/faqs/61634 |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5K] HEAVY BOWGUN - HBG |--| |-------------------------------| The heavy bowgun is harder to use, but it supports stronger raw damage ammo, such as crag, pellet and pierce. Basics - /\ Reload O Fire L+/\ or L+X change ammo R Hold to aim while moving, directional buttons to move crosshairs, Tap R to enter first person, where you cannot move, but use analog to aim /\+O to kneel down, more on this later Damage - High 7/10 Mobility - Low 4/10 Defense - Low 4/10 (Can be attached with a shield though) Difficulty - High 7/10 (Since it is slower to move and sheathe, you must be careful as you can get hit alot if you don't know what you're doing) Tips and Tricks -Once again I am not a Bowgun user, so check out mazereon's guide http://www.gamefaqs.com/psp/991479-monster-hunter-portable-3rd/faqs/61634 |-------------------------------| |--| -=WEAPONS=- |--| |--| [5L] BOW |--| |-------------------------------| A ranged weapon choice for the more skilled/patient hunter, the bow doesn't rely on ammo types, but rather on charge types. From pierce to scatter shots, each one has a different way to efficiently use. Basics - /\ Fire, hold down to charge the shot O Melee (Can be used as a 2 hit combo) O during the final charge fires the Arrow Rain R Aim /\+O Apply Coating Damage - High 7/10 Mobility - High 7/10 (Able to run, roll and backhop) Defense - Low 3/10 (No guarding capabilities) Difficulty - High 7/10 (Must learn to aim the different arrow types, and unable to block) Tips and Tricks -Use coatings to give your arrows status effects, or increased power -Charging consumes stamina, so be mindful of your current stamina while firing -There are three different arrow types, and each bow has different ones and different charge levels for each -Rapid arrows fire vertically, with higher levels, more arrows are fired with a slightly lower trajectory than the first -Scatter shots fire horizontally, with extra arrows being fired to the sides -Pierce arrows only fire one arrow, but the arrow can pass through a monster and hit continously, with more hits possible at higher levels -Arrow Rain can be performed by pressing O during the final charge, and it does impact damage in the area it lands in -There are three different types of arrow rain, shown on the descriptions for each bow: Focused/Concentrated - Does KO damage, and lands in a small area on the ground, with a moderate amount of arrows. Spread - Has a wider area, with more arrows, but less damage per arrow Blast/Explosive - Fires a single arrow, which pierces through targets and explodes when it hits the ground (Thanks to mazereon for the information on arrow rain) -An arrow does more damage when it hits during its upward trajectory. If it has already begun to fall, it will do reduced damage. |-------------------------------| |--| -=EQUIPMENT=- |--| |--| [5M] ARMOR |--| |-------------------------------| Armors in this game doesn't just increase the amount of damage you can take, but also, they can give you armor skills. These are helpful little perks, and can range from increased damage, gaining critical hits, better dodging, blocking or even to reduce stamina loss. In fact, when I go to get new armor the first thing I check is how good it looks... and then I check the armor skills it provides. (Okay I recommend you check the armor skills first, then defense, then looks) The overall defense isn't as important as the armor skills in my opinion. Of course, you might be a bit confused as to how these armor skills work, so... I'll provide an example for you using the default Yukumo Armor. YUKUMO HAT Expert + 2 Protection + 2 Whim + 2 YUKUMO SHIRT Expert + 1 Protection + 2 Whim + 2 YUKUMO ARMBAND Expert + 1 Protection + 2 Whim + 2 YUKUMO SASH Expert + 1 Protection + 2 Whim + 2 YUKUMO SKIRT Expert + 2 Protection + 2 Whim + 2 Okay, as you can see from this, the Yukumo armor set gives to 3 different skills Expert, Protection and Whim. In order to activate a skill, the total number of points must add up to 10 or more, some can be improved if it goes up to 15 or 20 You can check the skill tree using the start menu and going to status. Now, lets see how these skills add up Protection - 2+2+2+2+2 = 10 This skill is activated, and since it has only one level, there is no need to improve it Whim - 2+2+2+2+2 = 10 This skill is also activated, but if you check the status screen, you can see it has 2 levels, meaning it can be improved Expert - 2+1+1+1+2 = 7 This means that there isn't enough to activate this skill Alright, so now you have two activated skills. But what about the expert skill? What's the point of having an uncompleted skill? This is where decorations come in handy. You might not have access to this at first, but I'll explain this anyway. If you go to the blacksmith, and create the 'Expert Jewel' you can equip it to any piece of equipment that has slots (You can check this on the armor's description page, maximum of 3 slots each piece) By adding decorations to armor, you increase the amount of skill points that armor provides by the amount shown on the decoration. Thus, by creating 3 Expert jewels and equipping them onto the shirt, armband and sash, you gain another 3 Expert points, therefore giving you 10, and completing the skill. Now you have 3 skills Reckless Abandon +1 (Expert) Divine Protection (Protection) Spirit's Whim (Whim) Also, a new addition to MHP3 is the use of charms. These can be equipped separately from your basic armor, and can provide you with a few extra skill points based on the charm, handy for improving current skills, or even adding new skills. While two of those skills can be improved, it is impossible with your current armor set (unless you have weapons and/or a charm with adequate slots/skills) therefore, if you want new skills, you're going to need to buy a new armor set. I'm not going to list all the skills here, but you can check this page from the Monster Hunter Wiki for more information on specific skills. http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/Armor_Skill_List_(MHP3) __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [6] HOW TO HUNT - BASICS / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ Alright, now that I've bored you with all the specifics on your equipment, items and whatnot, it's time (finally) to explain the main point of the game. Hunting. I will only explain the basic hunt for one (1) large boss monster, not multiple minion slaying quests, as they are fairly simple. First I'll explain how missions work. To obtain quests, talk to the village elder or one of the girls in the guild hall. To be able to obtain quests at first, you will have to talk to most of the people with yellow speech bubbles, and enter the training school (No need to actually train there, but at least go in) When obtaining a quest, the main information you need to know is shown on the first page: What monster(s) you are hunting, how much the reward is, and how much the contract fee is (what you pay to begin the quest, but if you succeed, then you get double the contract fee back.) There are 3 main quest types: Gathering is where you must find the required items and bring them back to the red box, or freely gather whatever materials you want at your own leisure, but you must put the paw pass ticket in the red box to finish the quest Slaying involves hunting down multiple weaker minion type monsters. These aren't as common as hunting quests, although some may still have larger monsters roaming around Hunting quests make up the bulk of the quests. You must either kill or capture the target monster, and these are usually the large boss-type monsters. Also, another form of hunting quest, the Extended or Marathon quests are ones in which you hunt multiple monsters consecutively, and most carved/gathered items in the quest become support items like rations and potions. |-------------------------------| |--| -=HOW TO HUNT=- |--| |--| [6A] STEP BY STEP |--| |-------------------------------| BASICS Step 1 - Locate the monster You have to find the monster first... obvious huh? Alright start looking, run around the map for a few minutes, maybe backtrack incase you missed it, or look at the ground, find its prints and tracks and slowly follow it and... nah I'm kidding. Lucky for you, there's this awesome drink called 'Psychoserum' and by drinking it, you can see the monster on your map for a few seconds. Handy huh? If you have the Detect or Autotracker armor skill, congrats, you skip this step Step 2 - Throw a Paintball at them .... Throw a Paintball at them. Good job, now they show up on your map until the paint runs out, at which point, repeat this step Step 3 - Fight Now that you can safely track the monster if it leaves, it's time to actually fight the monster. Good luck. Step 4 - Capturing If it begins to show signs that it is weak (Limping for most monsters) you can decide to capture it. The safest way is to follow it to its sleeping area, or when possible, to simply use a trap on it, followed by throwing 2 tranq bombs. On the other hand, if you want to kill it, then skip this step. Step 5 - Materials Good job, You have finished the hunt. If you killed the monster, walk over its body and press O to carve it to get materials off it. This can be done multiple times on a monster. If you captured it, you will automatically receive more rewards after the quest. Step 6 - Making Stuff Grats. You now have materials. Use these to create your armor and weapons, so that you can take on bigger and badder monsters. |-------------------------------| |--| -=HOW TO HUNT=- |--| |--| [6B] TIPS AND TRICKS |--| |-------------------------------| Obviously, that SEEMS easy when written like that, but step 3 is a lot harder in practice. A LOT harder. To make it easier for you, check the individual monster tips further in the guide, but also, following these basic guidelines could help 1. Don't get greedy/Don't be a hero/Don't be an idiot You are fighting giant monsters that can kill you easily in just a few strikes. Therefore, it isn't the best idea to just run in and start whacking them and trading hits with them. Chances are, they will win. Get a few hits on them when there's a chance, but the most important thing is not to get hit too much. You save much more time when you don't have to get knocked 10 feet away, get up, heal, attack, get knocked away and so on. 2. Rage mode changes the way the monster fights, learn to adapt When a monster has been damaged enough, it enters rage mode. This is usually shown when the monster roars (although not always) and is usually visible as froth, steam or fire coming out of their mouth (Once again, not always). An enraged monster is faster, stronger, and is more aggressive. They usually use different attacks more often during rage mode, usually the aggresive/offensive type. Change your own tactics during rage mode, as you will most likely have to defend and evade more often, and the gaps between attacks are shorter. On the positive side, some monsters have lowered defence values during rage mode (Thanks to mazereon for that last part) 3. Use items, they exist to make this easier Monster hitting you too much? Use a flash bomb/sonic bomb to stop their attacks even for just a few seconds. Moving around too fast? Use a trap to stall them, and then proceed to whack the daylights out of them. Need to deal a large amount of damage? Set up Barrel Bombs and/or traps. Other items can also help, like demondrugs/powerseeds which give more attack, armorskin/armorseeds for defense, nutrients for max health and so on. 4. Patience Obviously, if you're not a gaming prodigy (Well, in this game even if you are) you won't be able to breeze through every hunt in this game. Some monsters take a few tries before you can understand its movements and find some blind spots in its attacks. 5. The Weak point is not always the best point While weak points are usually the best place to attack to deal damage, most monsters can defend their weak points well, and by that I mean they can kick the crap out of you if you try to hit them in their weak point. Most monsters are weak on the head, yet their attacks are mostly aimed at the front. Try to find a compromise between hitting the weak point and hitting the blind spots 6. Bring Felynes They might not do that much damage, and they might take a little extra effort to train and equip, they can give many benefits, such as healing you, curing your poison, giving you attack/defense boosts, setting traps and most importantly, they give the monsters something else to attack other than you, meaning you can catch a break from all the constant dodging and blocking to heal or attack. 7. Experiment with equipment sets. While you might think your current armor is good, there might be something else out there that fits your playstyle more. Try out different sets to find the one that is perfect for you (Man, I sound like an advertisement) Same applies for weapons, while you might like your current one, you should try to experiment with other weapons that are more suited to your playstyle, especially if you are failing a lot of quests 8. Break monster parts Breaking monster parts gives you more rewards, and cutting off the tail allows you to carve it, giving you extra materials, and sometimes materials can only be obtained from the tails 9. Use the Hotsprings and Drinks They help you relax. No seriously, when you upgrade your hotsprings, they can provide a good health and stamina boost, and the drinks give you helpful extra skills, kinda like having an extra armor set (without the defense) 10. When in doubt, PANIC DIVE! If you are in the same area as a large monster, and are running the opposite direction, you can press X while unsheathed to do the panic dive. During this dive, you cannot be hit, and pass monster attacks. Careful though, as after the dive, you will be open to attacks while you try to stand up. This is best done as a last resort, or if you are unable to dodge some specific monster attacks, as you will be invulnerable for a second. 11. Don't give up Seriously, as cliche as that sounds, don't give up. It's not the end if you fail a few times, but eventually you'll get there, as you will gradually get better. This game isn't one where you can pick it up and master it in a day, so keep going at it, and eventually, you'll beat that monster. Good luck! (And if anyone else has any useful, general tips they would like to provide for this section, don't hesitate to send it in!) __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [7] HOW TO HUNT - WALKTHROUGH / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ I won't be listing the quests out, as I wanted to get this guide out as soon as possible, so that contributors can help out earlier in making this as well. For now, you are gonna have to deal with guides on the specific monsters. Hey, it's better than the other way around isn't it? All right fine, I'll at least give you this, a link to the Monster Hunter Wiki quest list. See? Was that so hard? I'm sure you could've googled that faster than you could've read the rest of this paragraph right? *Sigh* whatever, you lazy bastards http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/MHP3rd:_Village_Quests I'll create most monster descriptions/guides in a similar format: |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |============NAME============| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Description, containing possible corny/lame attempts at humor Main Element - If it uses elements, it's here, same with status ailments Elemental Weakness - What element(s) it is weakest to Secondary Weakness - The next element it is weak to Weak Spot - Part(s) where you can do the most damage, for impact and/or cutting Blind Spot - Not necessarily the weakest point, but the area where it is safest to attack Breakable Parts - Parts you can break, and if necessary, what damage type is necessary Other notes - Quick notes like how to trap, susceptible bombs and other stuff _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Description of its attacks. Maybe some diagrams in later versions, but right now it's not very likely ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ Summarizing the main info so you can read it easily, and also fitting in any extra information that perhaps I couldn't put into the other sections. * STAR QUESTS Fairly straight forward set of quests. If you can't fight off the basic minions, I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to try harder than that. That, or consider an easier game. The one that some of you might have trouble on is the AOASHIRA, the urgent quest (and also appears on the Royal Honey quest, but you can just run away from that one if you like) |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |========[7A]AOASHIRA========| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| If I could compare this monster to something, it would be an angry, large blue bear on steroids. Main Element - None Elemental Weakness - Fire Secondary Weakness - Ice Weak Spot - Head Blind Spot - Back Breakable Parts - Arms Other notes - As the first monster this guy shouldn't be too hard, just remember that not getting hit is more important than landing some of your own. _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Aoashira has basic, physical attacks. Most attacks are from its powerful front claws and usually target in front of him. Claw swipe - Does a basic swipe in front of him with the front paws. This attack is sometimes repeated up to 4 times. After each swipe, Aoashira will turn up to around 90 degrees to aim at you, so avoid by simply moving around him, or by backing away. Lunge - Aoashira goes on all fours and runs at the hunter. Can be avoided by moving to the sides or staying behind him Double swipe - Aoashira raises his arms, and lunges forward slashing with both claws Pin - Aoashira can pin you down, usually after hitting you with the lunge. When pinned, he can steal honey from you and do damage. Escape by rotating the analog and/or spamming buttons. Alternatively, if you have a dung bomb, you can use it to break out quickly ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ As a sort of entry-level monster, Aoashira shouldn't pose too much of a problem. This fight should be much easier than the first 'large monster' (Other than the dromes) of MHFU, Yian Kut-ku, which almost made me give up monster hunter. This guy however, is fairly easy, and has much more blind spots. Simply move around him, and try to position yourself behind to attack (Unless you're feeling brave, in which case feel free to try and do damage to the head, as long as you aren't getting hit too much) ================================================================================ ** STAR QUESTS This level, again, does not have many large monster fights. The bulldrome should be fairly easy, as you just need to dodge/block the charge, retaliate during the pause, and then repeat. The Great Jaggi however, might be a bit of a fight, so I might as well cover it, along with the other large raptor monsters in one go. |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |[7B]GREAT JAGGI/FROGGI/BAGGI| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| These guys are like the Drome equivalent of the raptors in MHP3. Except that they are actually stronger, and can pose a bit of a threat to the unwary hunter. I'm putting them all into one category, as they share similar attacks, except for one or two varieties in each one. Main Element - None (Jaggi) Poison (Froggi) Sleep (Baggi) Elemental Weakness - Fire (Jaggi&Baggi) Ice (Froggi) Secondary Weakness - ? Weak Spot - Head Blind Spot - Back (Not really blind spot, but least likely to get hit here) Breakable Parts - Frills/Neck/Crest (Basically, the front area) Other notes - They all are very similar, except that the spitting attacks are different depending on their element _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ SHARED Frontal Bite - Lunges forward and bites, sometimes used twice in a row Tail Whip - Learn to hate this move, as almost all tailed monsters use this to catch hunters trying to hide behind them. The raptor version has them do a 180 jumping spin, always done twice, meaning they face the same direction again. Tackle - Jumps towards the hunter, turning sideways and quickly tackling with their side. This is one of the hardest to dodge, as it does this fairly quickly and has a decent range FROGGI Poison Attack - The Froggi spits out a poison cloud, which travels forwards at a slow rate. beware though, this lasts for a while, so while you might dodge it, be careful not to run into it straight after. Use antidote to cure poison BAGGI Sleep Attack - The Baggi spits a small blob, which tires you out, disabling your ability to fight or run, and if you don't get hit or drink an energy drink, you fall asleep. ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ Shouldn't be too hard of a challenge, however, since most of their attacks can hit anywhere, you can't rely on a blind spot, instead, wait for gaps between the attacks, strike, and quickly move/defend again. ================================================================================ The urgent quest is the first large wyvern you encounter, the Qurupeco. Prepare yourself, this fight is going to be a bit different than what you're used to. |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |========[7C]QURUPECO========| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| MHFU veterans might be a bit sad that the cute (Well, I think so anyway) Yian Kut-ku is not in the game, but to replace it, is an even weirder looking, but way more badass (Again, I think so anyway...) bird wyvern. This monster uses fire as well, but instead of spitting out fire, it uses the flint stones on its wings to create small explosions while jumping at the hunter. This wyvern also has the unique ability to mimic monster noises, and call in backup, ranging from small Jaggi, Great Jaggi and occasionally even Aoashira (I don't think you have to worry about that the first fight though) Main Element - Fire (Can inflict Fireblight, which damages over time) Elemental Weakness - Ice Secondary Weakness - Water Weak Spot - Head, then the throat/neck area Blind Spot - Directly underneath Breakable Parts - Beak, Wing(Flints) Other notes - To make a large monster it calls leave straight away, throw a dung bomb at them, unless you feel like a badass, in which case, go ahead, fight two monsters at the same time... I dare ya. Fireblight can be cured by repeatedly rolling, or rolling into water. _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Calls - The Qurupeco has two different calls to attract different monster sizes: Small monsters - Raises his head and mimic the sound Large monsters - Sweeps his head around while mimicking the sound Along with those, it is also able to do a few different calls to aid its fellow monsters, increasing attack or defense, or healing them Grounded attacks Tail Whip - Similar to the raptor one, Qurupeco jumps and spins 180 degrees two times, and ends up facing the same direction Peck - Runs forward and pecks at the hunter repeatedly Tackle - Sprints at the hunter and tries to tackle them. Usually dives to the ground at the end, so use this time to attack if you can Spit - Spits out 3 globs which lowers your fire resistance Flint sparks - Starts by hitting wings together twice, then starts jumping at the hunter while smacking the flints together, creating explosions up to 3 times Fly backwards - Flies backwards, creating a gust of wind, pushing you back a bit Backward Sparks - Jumps backwards while using the flints, creating an explosion at his initial location Flying attacks Aerial Swoop - Occassionally, Qurupeco hovers above the ground, and can swoop down at the hunter Aerial Bite - Can also do a quick bite downwards while flying Aerial Spit - Same as the normal spit, but in air ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ Staying directly underneath, between the legs is the safest area to attack. Most attacks can be avoided from here. The only thing to watch out for, is the spark attacks, but you can see it preparing the forward one, so you just have to be wary of its backward spark attack. It usually, prepares the tail whip by doing a short turn, then jumping, so you can have ample time to roll or block. Aim for the legs to knock him down, or just keep aiming at the throat/face if you can reach it. ================================================================================ Hopefully that hunt went well for you, because now we can get to ***Star Quests which is where it gets interesting *** STAR QUESTS The main monsters you will encounter here are the Barroth, Great Froggi, Royal Ludroth and Urukususu. The Great Froggi was already mentioned previously, so we are left with 3 monsters in this section, plus the urgent quest First off, we'll start with the brute wyvern, Barroth |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |========[7D]BARROTH=========| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| The Barroth resembles a more 'dinosaur-like' wyvern, with short arms instead of wings. Barroth has an extremely hard shell on its head, and relies mainly on physical attacks, but also, it can cover itself with mud, and shake it off to hit hunters, covering them in mud and rendering them unable to move properly. Main Element - None (But can inflict 'Muddy' Status) Elemental Weakness - Water (On Muddy areas) Fire (When mud has been broken off) Secondary Weakness - ? Weak Spot - Chest/Front limbs Blind Spot - Near hindlegs Breakable Parts - Head, Muddy parts, Tail(Can be cut off) Other notes - To get rid off Muddy effect, use thawing agent. He can get more mud on when broken by rolling around in the muddy areas (Area 3) _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Mud Spray - The Barroth shakes its body, throwing blobs of mud around. If hit, you get encased in the mud, and cannot attack, use items (except thawing agent) and sprint. Depending on the amount of mud on its body, the size of the area where the mud hits changes Headbutt - Heaabutts the ground, which also launches some mud similar to above Side heabutt - Swings its head around to hit nearby hunters Tail Whip - Same as usual tail whips, this can be avoided by going between the legs more easily though Charge - Lowers his head and charges at the hunter ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ Avoid standing in front of the Barroth, as it uses its head for many attacks. By standing near the legs and attacking from there, you can easily move around him and evade/block most attacks, the only attacks you should be careful of are the tail whips and the mud spray. ================================================================================ Next up is the leviathan, the Royal Ludroth |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |=====[7E]ROYAL LUDROTH======| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| The Royal Ludroth is a large reptile-like monster. It has a large yellow mane made up of a sponge-like substance, which absorbs water and allows it to store water to keep it hydrated and able to use water attacks. the Royal Ludroth uses a mixture of water attacks and physical attacks, and can be a bit difficult at first Main Element - Water (Can inflict Waterblight, which slows stamina recovery) Elemental Weakness - Fire Secondary Weakness - Ice/Thunder Weak Spot - Mane/Sponge (Cutting) Head (Impact) Blind Spot - Side, near the mane, or the hind legs Breakable Parts - Sponge, Head, Tail (Can be cut off) Other notes - Waterblight can be cured with a cure seed. _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Lunge - Jumps forward, clawing at the hunter. This can hit you even if you are underneath when he begins to jump, so avoid by sticking to the sides/behind him Tail Whip - Tail whips for leviathans are slightly different. They will first curl up, then straighten out, whipping their tail out. Avoid by backing away, or move to the opposite side where the tail won't swing Water bomb - Spits out a large blob of water, which sometimes stays on the ground bubbling up. Inflicts waterblight. Another version of this attack includes a 3 bomb attack in front of it, and to the sides Roll - Rolls sideways, aiming at the hunter to knock them away. This usually has decent range, and can sometimes turn, so beware of this attack Tackle - Bumps the hunter with its side, another quick attack, so beware if you choose to aim from the side Swipe - Swipes in front of him with his claws. Avoid by staying away from the front Body Slam - Rises up and drops down, doing damage and splashing water, causing waterblight Water Bomb Sprint - Charges at the hunter, repeatedly spitting water out to the sides. Best to keep your distance during this, but follow from behind so you can strike when he finishes ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ The Royal Ludroth has a few more ranged and elemental attacks than the Barroth, and can attack the sides more effectively, so make sure you stay alert and watch out for any attacks that can catch you off-guard. Stay around the sides or even behind him to be safe, but aim for the head/mane if you want to deal more damage ================================================================================ And finally, you must also hunt the Pelagus Urukususu |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |========[7F]URUKUSUSU=======| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Urukususu is somewhat similar to the Aoashira, but looks like a giant rabbit. He is faster, and can slide on the ice to evade and attack hunters. He can throw ice blocks at the hunter from afar, or slide in to close the distance. Beware if you use some of the slower weapon types, you're going to have to move around if you want to have any chance at attacking this monster Main Element - Ice (Can cause Snowman, which is similar to muddy) Elemental Weakness - Fire Secondary Weakness - Thunder Weak Spot - Head (?) Blind Spot - Side, or Back Breakable Parts - Ears, Stomach Other notes - Snowman can also be cured with Thawing Agent. Susceptible to sonic bombs, unless in rage mode _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Sliding Charge - Jumps forward, sliding on the ice on its stomach. Avoid by moving to the sides. Has a pause at the end of the slide, so attack straight after Swipe - Urukususu has swipe attacks similar to Aoashira. Avoid in a similar way Iceblock - Grabs ice from the ground and hurls it at the hunter, which inflicts snowman status Back hop - Jumps back, hitting any hunters behind it Spinning Slide - Crouches, then drifts around in a semi circle, or a full circle during rage. This attack is very quick, and hard to avoid. Stay back, or attempt to go to the middle of the circle to avoid. ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ This speedy rabbit is going to be a tough fight if you can't move fast enough. Attacking from behind is the safest option, but be careful, as it can still do a backhop, and you might get hit if it does a 360 slide. If you have trouble with its speed, wait until it finishes a slide, as it usually has a pause after, for both the forward, and the spinning slides. ================================================================================ And the urgent for this ranking is an old school monster, the Rathian. Veterans, don't assume this will be the same fight however, cause the Rathian's got some new moves and different fighting style. |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |========[7G]RATHIAN=========| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| The first flying wyvern you will fight, the Rathian is a dengerous monster, and has many powerful attacks, both ranged and close up. Better be prepared for this one, this fight isn't going to be a cakewalk Main Element - Fire (Can inflict Fireblight) Can also Poison Elemental Weakness - Dragon Secondary Weakness - Thunder Weak Spot - Head Blind Spot - Underneath, between the legs or beside the legs Breakable Parts - Face, Wings, Tail (Can be cut off) Other notes - Flash bombs are pretty effective on the Rathian. _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Fireball - Breathes out a ball of fire that travels quickly in a straight line. also has a different version of this, which fires 3 fireballs in front. After the fireball attacks, there is a slight pause which you can use to attack the face directly Firestorm - Starts out like a fireball, but instead of a single projectile, a few explosions are set off consecutively in a large area in front of it Bite - Bites in front of it. Also has a small pause, leaving the head open to attack Tail Whip - Similar to wyvern tail whips, it turns 180 degrees to hit with the tail, twice. If using a GS, you can prepare a charge at the position where its head was at first Backflip - Does a backflip, whipping its tail upwards, doing massive damage and poisoning. Tackle - Sprints at the hunter, when it reaches the hunter, it can stop to bite, flip or turn. Alternatively, it can dive at the end of the run Hover - The Rathian can fly upwards and hover, creating a gust of wind when it takes off or lands. Swoop - Can fly forwards, damaging any hunters in its path. Usually lands after this Claw strike - While flying, it can fly at the hunter with its claws, and can pin them down with this attack ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ While staying underneath can keep you safe from most attacks, you must beware of backflips, and must be ready to dodge straight away. If attacking from the side of the legs, beware of the tail whip. Never stand in front of it too long, as the tackle attack can be done almost instantly, with little warning. If it does any fireball attacks, this is your cue to attack the head while it is open. Don't get too greedy however, do a hit and run unless you cause it to flinch, in which case attack a few more times. ================================================================================ I'm sure if you can defeat the Rathian, you've got a good handle on things by now, and you should, because things are only gonna get harder, now that you're up to the next rank: **** STAR QUESTS Monsters on this rank are stronger than before, and include the Hapurubokka, Gigginox and Rangurotora. We'll begin with the desert leviathan, Hapurubokka |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |=======[7H]HAPURUBOKKA======| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| The Hapurubokka is similar to the Gobul in Monster Hunter Tri. This guy stays under the sand most of the time, and partially surfaces to attack using its large mouth, or by using powerful wind blasts to create sand storms Main Element - None, can inflict waterblight using its sand attacks though Elemental Weakness - Ice Secondary Weakness - Thunder Weak Spot - Inside the mouth Blind Spot - Sides/Back Breakable Parts - Gills, Foreleg, Uvula (Inside the mouth) Other notes - Pitfall traps won't work (I assume), you can use sonic bombs to startle it during its wind tunnel attack, or use it as a decoy when it is underground, causing it to attack where it explodes. You can use large barrel bombs by putting it on its path, and making it eat it when it runs at you. This will cause it to be stunned, and during this, pressing O while sheathed will let you try to fish it out of the ground, leaving it vulnerable for a few seconds. _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Rising Bite - From underneath the sand, Hapuru can jump upwards and bite you, this has a lot of damage, but you can see this coming, as small sand geysers will usually pop out before this, and right before he rises, the sand below you will start to move Diving Bite - Dives underneath, and shortly dives out while biting. Frontal Bite - Bites directly in front of him, can usually be done up to three times Side Bite - Bites to the side, no need to explain this Running Bite - After diving and surfacing, Hapuru will chase after the hunter with its mouth open, and end with a lunging bite. This can be repeated multiple times, and if you put a barrel bomb in its path, it will eat it and explode shortly after, stunning him and allowing you to fish him out of the ground for more hits. Wind Tunnel (Quick) - Sucks in sand and blasts it out directly in front for a short duration Wind Tunnel (Turning) - Sucks in sand and blasts it out, and slowly turns his head towards you, up to around 90 degrees. Wind Exhaust - Expels a gust of sand from its gills, doing damage behind him (All wind attacks cause waterblight) ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ Remember to bring large barrel bombs, as they can help greatly when it starts to do the running bite. Stay away from its front at all times, but beware if it does the wind exhaust, as it is used to keep hunters away from its back, so try to aim closer to the sides instead of the back/front. If it dives into the sand, the best thing to do is to sheathe your weapon and start running, so you can be prepared to do a panic dive. ================================================================================ The next monster is similar to the previous games' Khezu, the Gigginox, |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |========[7I]GIGGINOX========| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Yes, just like the Khezu, this monster is extremely creepy and kinda weird. Honestly, I get second thoughts on approaching it based on just how it looks, but when you see its dangerous attacks, you might back away too. Main Element - Poison Elemental Weakness - Fire Secondary Weakness - Water Weak Spot - Stomach (Cutting) Head (Impact), Take note though, during rage mode, the defense values of the head and tail switch. Blind Spot - Side Breakable Parts - Face, Stomach, Tail (Broken, not cut) Other notes - Bring lots of antidote, this monster uses poison, A LOT. It can escape pitfall traps, so use shock traps. _________________ <===| ATTACKS |===> \_________________/ Poison Spit - Spits out a blob of poison Ceiling Spit - From a hanging position, fires 3 blobs of poison Body Slam - Rises up and falls down, doing damage Poison Slam - Same as body slam, but while emitting poison Ceiling Slam - Jumps from a hanging position at the ceiling Poison Jump - Lowers his body, then floats upwards while leaving an explosion of poison. This attack is dangerous, as it can be sudden, and cannot be blocked, often catching hunters during their attacks. Leap - Jumps at the hunter, doing damage Flip - Jumps over the hunter while flipping, facing them from behind Charge - Runs at the hunter, followed by a bite or two Stretching Swipe - Stretches its head or tail, depending on position and swipes at the hunter in a large arc Poison bomb - From its tail, it lays a poison blob, which explodes shortly Lay Egg - Lays an egg, which continously spawns Giggi, small baby Gigginox which jump and bite the hunter, doing damage until they are removed by rolling a few times ~~~~~~(SUMMARY)~~~~~~ Be careful at all times when attacking this monster, it has many attacks that damage in an area around it, cutting off your combos. It can attack from both the head AND tail, so beware if you're thinking the back is a blind spot. If it clings to the wall/ceiling, sheathe your weapon unless it's ranged (And you've got the balls) because it can jump at you out of nowhere, and fire off poison repeatedly from up there. Good luck, and remember, ANTIDOTES! ================================================================================ __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [8] TO DO LIST / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ Here's some things I hope to do in the upcoming versions. Mostly, I'm putting this on so that anyone that can help out with these can send in info (hopefully) -More info for weapon types that I'm not 100% good at -More detailed monster info, including tips for specific weapons and playstyles -More monsters... obviously -A quest list, and possibly guides on individual quests if necessary -Recommended armor types, ones useful for general use and for specific weapons -If someone can do some awesome ascii logo or title, it would be awesome, and greatly appreciated. I just got this title off some random generator, but one that would suit Monster Hunter would be great. And much more, but I can't think of it right now. PLEASE HELP ME! I can't possibly complete this guide without other people's tips opinions and information. I'm only human, I can't master everything in this game __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [9] SPECIAL THANKS TO / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ My sources, including: -Gamefaqs -Monster Hunter Wiki -MHF3.com, another wiki on Wetpaint -Reign of the Rathalos Mazereon and Draewon, for helping out with a lot of the things I was unsure of, and providing me with a lot of information. Darksun45230, for making an awesome guide that helped me get started on MHFU, Most of the layout on this guide was from his one, and his guide inspired me to also write my own Capcom, for making an awesome game like Monster Hunter and many more My boredom, which caused me to start writing this guide __ / / ____/ /====================================================================> / / [10] HOSTING ON OTHER SITES / --/ /____________________________________________________________________/ /_/ I don't particularly care if you want to host this guide on your site, as long as: -You give credit where it's due -You email me first -You don't try to pass it off as your own work -You give me money... just kidding Monster Hunter and all the related stuff belong to Capcom... etc... Thanks for reading!