Monster Attacks

From Monster Hunter Wiki

All the monsters in the Monster Hunter series are unique and so they have very different attacks. However, there are some moves that are commonly shared among all monsters. Although they may vary with speed, effect, and damage, they are usually similar in appearance. Being able to recognize these moves can greatly lower your chances of getting hit in battle.

Contents 1 Charge 2 Projectile Shot 3 Tail Whip 4 Bite 5 Roar 6 Claw Swipe 7 Hip Check 8 Vulnerable Stance 9 Digging Attack 10 Radius Attack 11 Unguardable Attack

[edit] Charge

The monster will charge towards you. This attack is used by all monsters except the raptors. When a monster charges up close there is little time to jump out of the way, and when the monster charges from very far away it can have a slight homing effect. Most hunters will find diving the best strategy to evade the charge, as it puts considerable distance from you and the monster, and you are invulnerable while executing it. Note that the monster is not invulnerable while charging, and the attack can be halted if you cause the monster to stagger.

[edit] Projectile Shot

The monster will spit, breathe, or otherwise hurl some sort of projectile at you from afar. Wyverns usually shoot fireballs, while other monsters can spit poison like the Gypceros or the Iodrome. The Congalala will throw a pile of its dung at you with its tail, and the Tigrex or the Blangonga will shove giant snow/rocks at you. Like the charge, these attacks are more wisely handled by dodging rather than guarding, since multiple consecutive hits can drain your energy and most can simply be avoided. The Gravios' notorious "Hyper Beam" attack is one of the most damaging projectile shots.

[edit] Tail Whip

This is a move exclusive to wyverns. The monster will turn in a half-circle, whipping you with their giant tail. This move is always executed 2 times, and occasionally 4 or 6 times consecutively, and a hit from this attack will send you rolling. It should be noted that this attack can hit you even if you are standing under the monster, but this depends on the monster's size.

[edit] Bite

The monster bites at you. This attack is generally weak and has short range, making it easy to evade.

[edit] Roar

Most monsters have this move. When a monster becomes aware of your presence, or when you deal enough damage to anger a monster, they'll roar loudly, and with the latter will go into their rage mode. The Diablos, Monoblos, and Khezu roar as an attack, since theirs are particularly powerful. A roar attack forces the hunter to cringe for a few seconds, and if very close to a monster will knock the hunter back. Cringing from a roar often leaves a hunter vulnerable to attack, but the hunter's cringe time can be shortened by continuously rotating the analog nub or increasing the Hearing stat. Since roars are effective for a reasonable amount of time, guarding is the most effective strategy, but it is also possible to evade the attack if you are far away.

[edit] Claw Swipe

Used by Primatius, Carapaceons, Raptors, and the Elder Dragons. A powerful swipe that usually knocks you down. This move is short range and does medium damage.

[edit] Hip Check

Wyverns exclusively use this attack, and then only by the Blos and Piscine wyverns, Gravios, and Basarios. The monster turns to its side and sharply slams the hunter with its hip. This attack is a strong damage-dealer, and can be especialy hard to avoid when facing giants such as the Gravios or the Plesioth. Therefore, guarding would be a more effective option than diving.

[edit] Vulnerable Stance

While not technically an attack, it should be noted that the Tigrex and Akantor can damage you during their vulnerable stances. Most monsters will, at some point in battle, simply stand where they are, allowing the hunter to unleash free attacks on them, heal/enhance themselves, place a trap, etc. It is important to recognize these stances quickly, as they only yield seconds to the hunter. Raptors will appear to be completely motionless for a moment, while many wyverns will rake the ground with one foot and let out a growl. The Tigrex will roar and take two weak bites at the air, and Primatius such as the Congalala will sniff the air. There are many variations to vulnerable stances, so it is worth learning every one.

[edit] Digging Attack

The monster digs into the ground and resurfaces below you. This move deals strong damage, but in most cases the hunter can dodge it so long as he reacts to it in time. It is used by the Daimyo Hermitaur and Shogun Ceanataur, the Blangonga, the Cephalos, and the Blos wyverns. It should be noted that the Blos wyverns do not appear under the hunter immediately like all other diggers, but rather shoot towards where he was standing when the wyvern submerged. You can recognize this by the cloud of sand that moves with the wyvern, and if you throw a sonic bomb at them before they resurface the result will be identical to that of a pitfall trap. It can sometimes be difficult to anticipate this attack because the monster will occasionally resurface immediately, giving you the smallest amount of time to react. Therefore, running as far as possible from where the monster submerged would be a safe strategy.

[edit] Radius Attack

A few monsters have an attack that can hit any hunter around it within a radius. For example, the Khezu can charge its body with electricity, sending all hunters within close proximity flying backwards. The Fire Dragons fan explosive dust into the air around them, then ignite it with their fire breath; they can even extend the radius of this attack to hit ranged hunters. Gravios exhales fumes from its belly, which can poison, explode, or put the hunter to sleep. The Gypceros can blind all nearby creatures with a flash from its Lightcrystal. Many radius attacks can be guarded, but a few of them have to be avoided, so the safest option when anticipating a radius attack is to back off from the monster.

[edit] Unguardable Attack

This type of attack is only used by a select few monsters, and may fall under one of the other categories. These attacks are unstoppable: if they hit you you WILL get hurt, usually taking massive damage. Examples include the Gravios' hyperbeam, the Khezu's triple shock attack, and the White Fatalis' lightning. Your only reaction upon recognizing this attack should be to get out of the way, and fast. You should be able to evade an unguardable attack fairly easily by diving, but if you have your weapon out, you will have a higher chance of getting hit.