There are relatively few flying monsters in Monster Hunter Rise, and the Rathalos is definitely the one that spends most of its time in the air.
Although it isn't as important in Rise as it was in the other games, it remains an important waypoint to learn how to deal with flying monsters and elder dragons.
Main Stats
- Difficulty: 5 stars
- Areas: Shrine Ruins, Lava Caverns
- Monster Afflictions: Fireblight, Poison, Mighty Roar
- Elemental Weaknesses: Dragon, Thunder
- Elemental resistances: Fire
- Weakness to Afflictions: Thunderblight
- Resistance to Afflictions: Poison, Blast
Getting Ready
- Weapon Type: Thunder or Dragon Damage, Ranged Weapon
- Talents: Fire Resistance
- Special Consumables: Flash Bomb, Herb Remedy
- Dangos: Fire Resistance
The Flash Bombs will really make your life easier in this fight, as the Rathalos loves to fly. Throwing them correctly in the direction of the monster will make it fall to the ground, which is always a good opportunity to attack it. You can buy them directly from Rondine with special rare items.
The poisonous attacks of the Rathalos are sometimes difficult to dodge, and if combined with the Fire Scourge, your life may melt away. Bring Antidotes, you'll need them.
Fight against the Rathalos
The Rathalos is a very different fight than any you have encountered before since it will spend a lot of its time in the air. Fast weapons and ranged weapons will have much less difficulty hitting it.
When it is in the air, the Rathalos will spit fireballs, use a fire breath in a wide arc or a line, and use its air charge. This is a formidable attack and not so easy to avoid, as it will then kick the hunter, which hurts a lot and applies a dangerous poison. It is therefore vital to have Antidotes on hand when facing a Rathalos.
Fire damage can be greatly reduced by equipping the right gems and eating the right dangos. By having enough fire resistance, fire-based attacks will do much less damage. When in flight, the easiest way to hit the Rathalos is to attack its tail or jump with the Wirebug.
To force the Rathalos to crash, you can either inflict heavy damage or use state alterations. Stunning effects will also cause it to drop, allowing you to attack it easily. Using these elements by preparing titm or exploiting tit environment will greatly facilitate tit hunt.
When on the ground, the Rathalos likes to rotate 360 degrees and sweep the area with its tail. It also likes to charge and trample hunters. It is, therefore, better to be behind it to attack its tail and legs.
Attacking the head of the Rathalos is extremely dangerous, as one of its favorite techniques is to let out a howl that will stun you for several seconds, before spitting a fireball. it always uses this combo after being stunned or crashing to the ground.
Its head is also its weak point, so you can inflict heavy damage if you control your positioning and timing well. You can attack its chest and back to inflict moderate damage.
The tail of the Rathalos can be cut off, this has the advantage of reducing the affected area when it rotates on itself, but it does not represent a huge advantage in combat. It is still advisable to do so since it is, in any case, one of its main weaknesses.
