Monster Weapon Weaknesses

This is an ongoing project I want to work on (till I get tired), please feel free to contribute, and I will add your weapon/strategy to the list.

These are mainly common knowledge amongst MH Veterans, and they are by no means an absolute list. If you play best with a particular weapon, your best runs might be with those weapons, however, if you try these combinations out, you will notice it will feel considerably easier than other combinations.

Jaggy/Baggy/Wroggy: These are overall easy regardless of what weapon you choose, but the weapon that seems to make them breeze by is the HBG or BG in spread. Just point and shoot in their general direction, and most shots go straight to its head. Even when they call out their friends, the spread shots get them too, making it an extremely easy run, regardless of rank. A close second would be the hammer weapons, only because you hit a wide area with many of its attacks.

Ceadeus (and subspecies): Most know this one already, but in case you didn't: A Pierce Heavy Bow gun makes this big guy a cake walk. Bring enough materials to continue making shells just in case.

"All Raths:" - A gun run n slash strategy against all rathalos, and rathien species is incredibly effective against these. A GS with critical draw or punishing draw and rapid sheath makes these creatures a walk in the park. But as in most hunts, if you get greedy, you will most likely get hurt.

Barroth & Diablos (and subs): The lance and Gunlance just completely obliterate these monsters since it removes the fear of their charge, or dig attacks, and leaves them completely open to punishment. Want a quick diablos run? Just wait by a wall shielding, and go to town once its stuck. Avoid breaking his horn early on. Barroths will always end their charge, right after they are at your position, so a quick 180 + Lance Charge, will put you next to them for easy damage.

Gigginox and Sub: Earplugs plus a ranged weapon makes this one of the easiest monsters to solo. It takes so much time to turn, plus it telegraphs all its moves, giving a ranged player ample time to get out of its way. If you ever get hit, you must have gotten too greedy, and attacked through one of its prep motions.

Nargacuga and subs: This is mainly an evasion fight + melee weapon. Almost any close ranged weapon will do. While its head is its weakest spot, it should be fought to its sides, and a simple dodge/sidestep whenever it telegraphs one of its moves. If you fight it at range, or attempt to get greedy in its face, you will get hurt.

Nibblesnarf: Slime fight, pure and simple. Nibblesnarf will ALWAYS get stuck and the sand, and can get fished out on any slime or barrel explosion, even when it's enraged. While underground, it can also be spooked with a properly timed sonic bomb, but this will not work when it's enraged. BG & HBG crag or Cluster shots will not make him come out, and they apply slime too slowly compared to any other weapon.

Zinogre & Subs: A Pellet BG or HGB, with evade and pellet up can make this wolf cry for mommy (Thanks E&Troy). Just make sure to keep a few hops away from Zinogre, and let him prance around while you chip away at his life.

**Open for suggestions and additions, or retractions depending on the feedback.**

I've found that using the Grongigas hammer against the Nibblesnarf was the easiest win I've ever had against it. I tried it, and I was fishing it out pretty much the whole quest. It never really had a chance to attack.

If you are with a group of people using the Kelbi Bow, doing the triple Gigginox quest is one of the easiest quests out there. Those monster will die in about 30 seconds without having a chance to move.

A good Pellet set and a good Pellet HBG works will on the Zinogre/Stygian Zinogre.

Pierce HBG plus a good pierce set (With Evade Extender) works well on Lagiacrus/subspecies/Deviljho/Anything that's long basically.

E&Troy wrote:

I've found that using the Grongigas hammer against the Nibblesnarf was the easiest win I've ever had against it. I tried it, and I was fishing it out pretty much the whole quest. It never really had a chance to attack.

If you are with a group of people using the Kelbi Bow, doing the triple Gigginox quest is one of the easiest quests out there. Those monster will die in about 30 seconds without having a chance to move.

A good Pellet set and a good Pellet HBG works will on the Zinogre/Stygian Zinogre.

Pierce HBG plus a good pierce set (With Evade Extender) works well on Lagiacrus/subspecies/Deviljho/Anything that's long basically.

Yep yep, but let me guess... Grongigas with "Awakened", meaning, with slime vs the Nibbles. It's good confirmation of what is stated in the list. Same thing with the bow vs Gigginox, Thanks for confirming.

Going to add Pellet vs Zinogre... I can see how that can be great, since Zinogre's love to just waltz around, and their biggest move is ... pretty much standing there and taking it from pellet shots.

I have tried Pierce vs Jho, but he has some nasty ranged attacks that can pretty much one shot a ranged player. Can you expand on how HBG works against those monsters like Lagi's and Jho's without it being detrimental to the hunter?

Thanks again.

Yeah, Grongigas with Awaken.

When I used Pierce against the Deviljho, I didn't have evade extender, but it would definitively be a handy skill to have. The Deviljho's dragon breath attack isn't hard to avoid if you just roll away as soon as you see it coming (I'm not so sure about the Savage Deviljho, however). And it's other ranged attack isn't hard to evade either, just roll to the side as soon as he starts scooping up the ground and launching it towards you.

As for the Lagiacrus, if you're fighting it underwater, you can use the same stuff you'd use for the Ceadeus HBG speedruns and you can kill it really fast that way. It would be hard to crouch fire without a group though, so I'd recommend using whatever HBG you use (I use the Eclipse Gambit, plus a set with Critical Eye +3, Challenger +2, Pierce Up) without the limiter so that way you get extra attack. And I'd probably try to get evade extender in my set somewhere.

Plesioth + subspecies and the Gobul are also very good pierce targets. Just last night, my two brothers and I were using our Pierce sets + crouching fire against the triple Plesioth quest (G rank). The third PLesioth died in a little over ten seconds.

Lance > Any underwater monster

In my personal experience, I've found the SA is pretty effortless to use against the Raths, and Jho to an extent

Dual Swords (Slime or Fire) turn the Lagriacus into sashimi.
Same for Plessy and the Peco Bow series.

Bows on Niblesnarf sort of work too, but it gets turned into a battle of attrition.

Mr Stark wrote:

Dual Swords (Slime or Fire) turn the Lagriacus into sashimi.
Same for Plessy and the Peco Bow series.

Bows on Niblesnarf sort of work too, but it gets turned into a battle of attrition.

Dual Swords vs Lagi? Interesting. How do you manage the body shocks? Are you able to quickly get out of an attack and move? Or is there another "trick" to handling Lagi? Also... does the strategy work both in and out of water?

I will have to try this myself.

Sephastus wrote:

Dual Swords vs Lagi? Interesting. How do you manage the body shocks? Are you able to quickly get out of an attack and move? Or is there another "trick" to handling Lagi? Also... does the strategy work both in and out of water?

I will have to try this myself.

With duals on Lagi, or on pretty much any monster, the key word is "positioning". If you think Lagi's gonna start shocking soon, move towards the tip of the head or the tail with a sidestep or two. Or just get a Thunder-resistant/stun-proof armor - I'm currently running Jaggi S.

I find it works best IN water, oddly. Mostly because chopping away at his chest is less punishable than you'd think. With my Brachy Dual Swords, good Defense and speccing into Scavenger, you don't really need strategy. Hack away at the head/chest/legs with (arch)Demon mode, dodge forwards against the hipcheck and 180 bite/tailwhip, ignore any Thunderblight because you can't get stunned anyway. Besides, chances are you won't even hit 100 Stamina.
Just mind your current Stamina and learn to avoid attacks without Stamina, which is essential for Duals.

Outside water, Lagi can actually punish you a bit more, as his attacks aren't as easy to dodge. It mostly boils down to attacking him from the sides to avoid getting slammed.

Also, having a False Felyne Shakalaka and/or one or both with Slime Attack is a huge help, because unless the Lagi's angry, between you and your Shakas you'll just stun-lock the poor Lagriacus.