Doing well in battle is more than just having the right moves and great strategy. It’s also about preparation. Specifically, preparing for the enemy you’re about to confront. However, you can’t get ready for a battle if you don’t know what’s available to you and how to use it to your advantage.
Here’s what you need to know before going into a ferocious fight.
Battle Pouch
One of the most important tools you have for combatting an enemy is your Battle Pouch. This contains the items that heal, protect, restore, increase, entrap, provide insight, allow escape, offer advantage, and track.
These items can be found in the wild, created with the help of a recipe, obtained as rewards for completing Subquests and Story quests, or bought outright from a Merchant (or Melynx, Inc.).
You’re allowed 10 items in your pouch at a time. With this limit it’s crucial to know what type of enemy you’re about to go against so that you can choose wisely. You can determine this in a few different ways:
- Experience fighting a monster (so you can see what his attacks do)
- Observing the area that you’re in (i.e. Snow/icy landscape of Darj Snowfields)
- Taking advice from townspeople/ Hunters/Riders on how best to attack & items that are good to use
As you progress through the game, you’ll gain access to better and better items. As you do, it’s important to reassess what you’re carrying with you into battle and make sure you always have the best items for the job.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Early on you’ll have an item called an aloe leaf that, when used, has a POSSIBILITY of curing a burn. Later, when you gain access to a burn ointment (which cures a burn every time), you’ll want to add this new item to your pouch as a replacement for the aloe leaf that’s no longer of use.
Multiple Battle Pouch Sets
If you don’t want to have to change out the major items in your battle pouch every time you enter a new area, then you can set-up multiple Battle Pouch Sets. You’re allowed up to 40. The sets are simple to set-up and can be named something to help you remember what each is for. When you want to change out the set you’re currently accessing, simply go into Battle Pouch on the Camp Menu and “register” the one you want to use with two clicks of the A button.
Paintballs
You’re advised in the game to use a paintball to mark a monster so that, if he runs away (retreats) during a battle, you can easily track him to his Monster Den and finish him off. However, in my experience, this isn’t necessarily needed. Anytime a monster has run away, I’ve had no problem finding his Monster Den, which is usually just a few feet away from where the fight occurred. (The den will have an Egg/Nest on top).
On the flip side, you may paintball a monster to make him flee on purpose, hoping if you steal an egg from his den, it’ll hatch into one of his species. But, again, this isn’t really necessary if you visit the Monster Dens in a region as you find them. Plus, the more Monster Dens you visit, the more chances you’ll have to find some great inventory items and fight a wide range of monsters for earning EXP.
Binoculars
Binoculars can be used when confronting a monster to highlight his strengths and weaknesses. It also shows your opponent’s tendency (speed, technical, power). Since this item is limited, I’d suggest only using it when going against a really big enemy for the first time.
Smoke Bombs
If you get yourself into a fight only to realize that it’s beyond your abilities, then you may choose to run away. However, doing so isn’t always that simple. There is a FLEE button on the game, but this doesn’t always do the trick. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re stuck in a fight you can’t win, you can use a Smoke Bomb to create a thick, white puff of smoke, blinding the enemy to you and your Monstie, while you make your escape.(See our video on Instagram)
Hot Mist & Cold Mist
Even though each player may define “essential” items differently, two must-haves for everyone are the Hot Mists and Cold Mists.
Hot Mists prevent frostbite when in the icy areas of Darj Snowfields. Cold Mists keep you cool as a cucumber, preventing overheat in the lava filled Dovan Mines. This is important because both conditions can prevent you from being able to strike when it’s your turn in a fight.
Another item that I’ll give an “honorable mention” to is the Vital Essence. It may not be a first choice for everyone, but personally, I feel an extra heart comes in handy in long, arduous fights.
Monstie Team
Another crucial element to success in battle is your Monstie team. You can take 5 of them into the field. Who’s in your party will be based on the skillset required to maneuver around the area you’re heading into as well as the types of attacks you’ll encounter from enemies.
Like with your Battle Pouch, you’ll want to constantly reassess your Monstie team each time you have an excellent hatch.
When you add a newbie to the team, you’ll have to get him “up to speed” with the other members, level wise. The best way to do this is by having your team participate in as many battles as possible. The good news is that you don’t actually have to put your new, low level, buddy in the fight. He gains EXP just by being on the team.
About mid-way through the game, you’ll acquire the ability to send your Monsties on Expeditions. Once available, this is a great option for leveling up your new battling ally very quickly.
Rite of Channeling
The Rite of Channeling allows you to take the genes of one Monstie and transfer them to another. When this ability becomes accessible, you’ll no longer have to re-evaluate your Monstie team every time you hatch. (You can just update your team when you obtain extremely rare Monsties).
Instead, you can hang onto your favorite teammates and give them abilities that make them much more diverse.
FOR EXAMPLE:
I gave my Lagombi, who’s an ice creature, a Fireball gene from a Yian Kut-Ku. Afterward, he had the ability to breathe fire. This ability alone allowed me to continue to use my Lagombi in battles against opponents beyond those found in the Darj Snowfields (where he originated).
The one thing to remember when using this process is that the Monstie you take a gene(s) from will disappear from your Stable, permanently.
Growing Your Monstie
Besides giving your Monstie new genes, you can get him battle ready, faster by making him grow.
You can level up your Monstie the traditional way through fighting/ regular gameplay. However, if you’re close to, let’s say level 30 for instance, (which is a good level for taking down a Pink Rathian), then you might want to hurry up the process of getting that Monstie’s EXP increased. Because, (just like in Pokémon Go), the amount of EXP required to achieve the next level, increases exponentially the higher you go.
There are several different types of foods you can feed your Monstie such as Stone-Roasted Fish, Tonguemato Salad, and Dragon Noodles. Some raise his EXP by a little and others by a lot.
Here’s a few examples of the foods I own currently to give you an idea of how much the EXP can be increased.
Stone-Roasted Fish – 1200 EXP points (great amount)
Rock Salt Tuna – 500 EXP points (moderate amount)
Tonguemato Salad – 400 EXP points (moderate amount)
Shroom & Larva – 150 EXP points (moderate amount)
Dragon noodles – 50 EXP points (small amount)
Raw Meat Sushi – 100 EXP points (small amount)
All of these items can be obtained through regular gameplay (exploration/subquests) or by combining ingredients with the help of a recipe.
Armor, Weapons, & Accessories
Having the right armor and weaponry is key to defending yourself against the enemy. As you progress through the game, you’ll have multiple opportunities to buy armor and weapons which are better than what you’re currently using. It’s a good idea to check this area every now and then to see what’s available. These items are accessed at the Armory & Smith.
Buying
Buying is straight forward. You simply pay the Smith the amount of zenny it costs for the item you want to purchase.
Selling
As you continue to improve your armor and weapons, you may decide to get rid of the ones you’ll no longer use. You can sell these for a nice amount of zenny that can then be used for new stuff. Even the basic Rider outfit is worth 625z.
The Smith will also buy accessories like Talismans as well as any items you have in your inventory. The rarer items like Charms, Paw Pass Tickets, Channeling Gems, and Nutrients bring the most money. You’ll just have to decide if they’re worth more to you as items to use or as items to exchange for zenny.
Upgrading
Each time you purchase armor or weapons, they’re set at level 1. Of course, the higher the level, the longer you can withstand hits from the enemy and the better your attacks will be. This means that you want to upgrade your armor and weaponry whenever you can. Each will require a certain amount of materials as well as zenny.
Forge Quests
Unique weapon sets and armor can be attained through Forge Quests. These are similar to subquests but with these, the player is required to turn in a certain amount of bone, scale, webbing and other related materials that can only be acquired through battling a specific monster.
These extraordinary pieces are especially effective when paired in a fight with the Monstie from which they originate. Doing this creates a synergy effect which results in less Kinship being lost when you order your Monstie in battle.
Not only will you need materials for the Smith to fashion these incredible items, you’ll also need a lot of zenny. Each will cost 3000z or more. (You’ll also need even more zenny when you’re ready to upgrade).
Unfortunately, the Forge Quests are not accessible from the beginning of the game. But, this gives you time to earn some major zenny before they appear.
Talismans
Talismans are accessories that can be put to use from the Equipment option in the main menu. You will add many of them to your accessory list throughout the game. Unfortunately, you can only use 1 at a time.
This makes it hard to choose because they’re all quite useful. Personally, I find myself giving a lot of commands to my Monstie in battle, so I like the Order (S) & Defense (S) Talisman. This reduces the amount of Kinship lost when you give an order and increases your defense just a bit.
You can choose the one that suits you best. Like with a Battle Pouch, you may want to check your list every so often to see what’s new and make sure there’s not a more beneficial Talisman available than the one you’re currently using.
Prayer Pots
Prayer Pots can be used for many different purposes such as getting better pricing when buying from Merchants or increasing the chances of finding a rare egg in a Monster Den. They can also be used to give you a nice boost in battle.
When you want to use a Prayer Pot, simply walk up to it. You’ll be given 2 choices; Prayer and Offering.
Offerings allow you to equip the Charms you have in your inventory. Some will increase your attack in battle, others your defense. The Training Charm will increase the EXP you gain in a fight (which is nice for leveling up). Whichever Charm you choose, you’ll have to use quickly because each is only active for 30 minutes.
When you Pray, you’re basically paying zenny in exchange for something that can help you, usually increased EXP and attack damage. The only exception is the option of “Just Pray.” With this, you pay no zenny and sometimes receive a small gift (i.e. 3 herbs), sometimes not.
Just like with the Offerings, Prayers have a time limit, although here, it varies depending on how much zenny you spend (100z, 1000z, 10000z).
Although the battling system in MHS is very different from previous games, it’s still quite challenging. But, with a bit of preparation and experience, you too can fight like a pro!
(Feature Pic Source: IGN.com)
