Monster Hunter Discussion - any installment

[DerpDaBerp]

Please note:

I'd like to open this thread up to discussion of any and all iterations of the Monster Hunter franchise.

While I'm far too lazy to edit the whole OP, I will change the title.

A ****ing epic trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGUDlfKRdM

So one of my major goals for this thread, besides wanting to interest new players, will be to give people who will be going online a place to find teammates with whom they can associate (even if only slightly) via being part of this community here. And while I'm sure there will be or is a very similar type of forum dedicated to MH3 which will surely be more useful than this jury-rigged thread, I would like to (once April 20th rolls around) allow any member who got their "hunting license" to feel free to post their hunter name and ID# here so I can make a list of willing online players looking for more party members.
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Since most people here probably don't know much about it, here's some general info:

Monster Hunter is a series of games whose genre is essentially tactical hack-and-slash. One starts off small--inexperienced but determined. Through various missions presented to you, you're asked to help out npc's who are in need of a hunter's skills. Some quests have you finding rare items, retrieving dangerous ones, but most imporantly, slaying monsters (via the justification of things like "Stop them from terrorizing our village/herds!" or "This beast attacked our caravan, help us!"
One of the major appeals of this game is the development of your character. Not only can you customize (to an extent) your appearance but you're given an enormous amount of options from what kind of hunter type you want to be. There are many different weapons (each with their own varieties) as well as armor you can make, and all by making use of the monsters you slay (think of it as respectfully not letting any of the monsters go to waste ). All of which you'll be able to apply online with 3 other people, not to mention split screen.

I. It was originally intended to be a PS3 title but due to high production costs, they "took a step down" to the Wii.

II. A new dimension of battle and exploration is possible via underwater potential! One can attack and move normally and ascend and descend with corresponding camera movement up or down.

III. While hours of fun can be had offline, much more content can be delved into online allowing 4-player co-op, which:
--A. Is free. There are no online subscription fees.
--B. Supports Wii Speak, which I imagine will make fighting as a team MUCH more smooth.
--C. Doesn't use Wii friend codes but is rather hosted by Capcom. You'll get your own code and can make your own name, either of which allow players online to find you.

(While it may only be trivia):
-MH3 is Japan's best selling third-party Wii game.
-Weekly Famitsu, a major Japanese videogame magazine, has given MH3 a 40/40, a score that's only been given 12 other times since 1998 (make of that what you will as others on their list are kinda questionable ). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famitsu
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So as to interest potential players:

The Sword and Shield. A basic style. Popular for its flexibility in adapting to many different situations and for its high maneuverability.

Sword and Shield
Alright, first off I’d like to dispel myths that the SnS is a weak weapon. In the hands of a decent player the SnS is great, status or damage wise. The best thing about the SnS is it’s fast attack speed, comboability, and mobility. You can use items with your sword drawn by holding R and pressing A.
Now, the most effective and least disruptive way to play the SnS in my highly qualified opinion, is summed up simply: Attack and evade. What you want to do is keep attacking at all times. You need to keep on the monster and constantly be applying damage or status. To help this out, Evade+1/2 is HIGHLY recommended. You most likely won’t get a full combo on a monster (especially when it’s in rage mode) so you get in a few hits, roll to avoid the attack, and keep attacking. This is the SnS’s fastest and best playstyle.
Tips: The final hit of both the X combo and the shield bash send people flying. Try not to use these moves. Instead, cancel your X combo right before the shield attack (3rd hit when doing the standing combo) into the standing A combo (release the L control stick and press A 2x) then press Start. This is the SnS’s best combo. Also, as a general, do not run up behind people and attack the same spot as them, as this could cause tripping, thus reducing the teams overall damage output (this rule applies to every weapon)
Recommended skills:
-Evade +1/2: this is essential for the SnS’s speed.
-Element/status attack up: Depending on if you’re using a status or elemental weapon.
-Razor sharp/speed sharpening: with a weapon that attacks as much as the SnS does, you’re going to need something that helps maintain sharpness because the SnS eats whetstones for breakfast.
-Sharpness +1: Best skill in the game. Enough said.

*** I see a lot of SnSers going around with Guard+1/2. Let me clarify something right now. Rolling comes out noticeably faster than guarding after an attack. The only time you should even think about the possibility of guarding is if you aren’t attacking at the moment or have just rolled and there is till the threat of getting hit. There is no need to invest precious skill points in such a useless skill. ***

Recommended Armor sets:
-Lagiacrus (not Lagiacrus+): Comes with razor sharp AND elemental attack up with enough slots to gem in at least evasion+1 with a decent charm. One of the best SnS sets IMO. The only reason I say not Lagi+ is because it comes with “Awaken”, something you won’t be needing with SnS.

-Barioth/Barioth+: Both come with evasion+2 with slots to get speed sharpening with a decent talisman. Also a very good SnS set.

The Great Sword. Possesses the greastest destructive power and the longest reach out of all weapons, and can be used to block in place of a shield. The key is figuring out how to make up for its loss in speed.

Great Sword
Great swords are, well, great. They posses the highest damaging single blow attack in the game: The lv3 charged slash. The Great Sword is all about raw damage and sharpness, so you want to get the best great sword you can that has both high raw attack power and good sharpness.
The best way to play the great sword is to run up to the enemy (but not behind a teammate) and do an unsheath attack, roll away, sheath your weapon, and repeat. There are 2 ways to unsheath attack. One way is the simple, faster, overhead swing, the other is unsheathing directly into a charge attack (refer to the instruction manual). Unsheathing into the charge attack gives you access to your most powerful attack, but the overhead swing is faster. It’s your call, if you can predict the monster and land a lv3 charged attack, great.
Tips: The great sword is generally not considered a DPS weapon, but instead, a burst damage weapon. Therefore, you should not be going around spamming the infinite combo (overhead swing to sweeping swing). This combo can be disruptive to your teammates as the GS has wide and long range. On that note, try not to use the upswing. It is also extremely disruptive and people hate getting sent flying.
Recommended Skills:
-Sharpness +1: Best skill in the game. Enough said.
-Attack up Large: increases your raw attack power, which the GS is all about.
-Focus: Decreases charging time. This means you can dish out those lv3 charges faster.
-Critical Draw: Ensures that the draw attack will be a critical hit. This skill is great since the GS uses almost nothing but draw attacks.
-HG Earplugs: You are unaffected by all monsters roars. This is good especially when you have issues with monsters’ roars disrupting your charge. Also good for punishing a monsters roar.

Recommended Armor Sets
-Diablos/Diablos+: Comes with Crit Draw and is only 3 pieces, leaving you room to get another skill such as focus.
-Deviljho (Vangis): it comes with sharpness +1 AND attack up medium with enough slots to get attack up Large. It’s amazing.
-Ceadeus/Ceadeus+(Helios/Selene)- If you mix the two together you can get HG Earplugs and Sharpness+1 without blunt edge or demonic blessing.

Recommended weapons:
-Seiglinde/Seigmund: Great for low rank and the GS you should be making then.
-High Seiglinde: Great for High rank until you can make a better sword. Outclasses the High Seigmund as it has 2 slots and is available earlier.
-Anguish(P): Arguably THE best GS in the game. This is the GS you ultimately want to be aiming for.
Honorable mentions:
-Diablos Hornsword: Great raw and decent sharpness.
-Barroth Smasher: With sharpness+1 and crit draw, this wep is amazing.
-Crimsonwall: Amazing raw attack power, gives a defense boost, but has horrid sharpness even with sharpness+1.

The Hammer. A melee weapon that sacrifices defense to focus purely on offense. Charge up its power to unleash a variety of techniques that will send monsters to an early grave.

Hammer
When you pick up a hammer you pick up an immensely great weapon. This weapon can KO a monster if you smack its face a few times and deals exhaust damage, causing the monster to lose stamina more quickly. This means that monsters will most likely spend some more time standing around drooling like an idiot. Hammers have sky-high attack power, and while not as damaging as a GS, are probably more useful. Like the GS this weapon is also a burst damage weapon. That means that raw and sharpness are much more helpful than element.
The thing you want to go after with a hammer is the monsters head. In fact, there is no other place for the hammer to go. Hammers can’t cut tails, and are outclassed at tripping monsters legs by the Long Sword, Lance, and even the SnS. The hammer is a very predict and punish weapon. By this I mean, you want to predict when a monster will attack or turn around, space yourself so you don’t get hit by an attack, and punish with a superpound (lv3 charge attack when no direction on the L-stick is being pressed).
Tips: Generally, while hammers claim the head, some people still tend to attack the face. The hammer has a great deal of disruptive moves, so try to space yourself so you don’t hit any teammates. An alternative is to “accidentally” hit them with a superpound thus declaring your territory. Just be sure you say “sorry” afterwards. People will get it.
When a monster is stunned, paralyzed, or trapped you want to triple-pound, X combo, the head (continue to superpound monsters with tough heads like Uragaan, Barroth, and Diablos).
Recommended skills:
-See the Great Swords’ recommended skills.
-Evasion+1/2: Since hammers have no way to guard and are constantly in the “Danger Zone” of being near a monsters head, evasion is quite helpful.

Recommended armor sets:
-See GS sets.
-Barioth/Barioth+: Comes with evade+2, which is helpful. Regular Barioth comes with Marathon Runner, which lets you hold your superpounds longer.
-Dober: Also works well with GS. It comes with Crit Draw and has enough slots to gem in something like Evade+1 or Focus.

Recommended Weapons:
-War Mace/Gaiarch: These two weapons are great for low rank, both being easy to make and having decent attack.
-Iron Impact: This is the first hammer you want to make when you first hit High Rank. It’s attack is quite good and has 3 slots. Very customizable.
-Devils Crush (P): Arguably the best hammer in the game, although not exactly the best looking.
Honorable mentions:
-Jhen Mohran Hammer: A good hammer with good sharpness. A little hard to make, and outclassed by Iron Impact in terms of attack and slots. Still a good and cool hammer.
-Alatreon Metamorph: The runner-up hammer for best hammer in the game. If you want to trade raw power for looks and a little more sharpness, this is your guy. This hammer is my personal favorite.

The Lance. With the advantage of an impenetrable shield, strike your foe down with your long, deadly fang from afar.

Lance

Ah the lance. I’ve heard a lot of people say that using a lance is the game on easy mode. This weapon is considered the best DPS weapon in the game. Its attack speed rivals the SnS and it has higher attack power. The counter strike and short back hop lend to its ability to keep in close-range combat and keep dishing out that damage.
The lance has three styles of play: Guard Lancing, Counter Lancing, and Evade Lancing. Guard lancing is also known as “turtling” and is generally looked down upon. Basically what you do is block an attack, then punish with a few attacks of your own, and repeat. You can also use shield pokes and advances occasionally. Counter lancing outclasses guard lancing in terms of damage output. Counter lancing is highly aggressive, so what you do is keep attacking until you see an attack coming then counter it and continue to attack. Evade Lancing is similar to Counter lancing, except you dodge instead of counter. While these styles may seem similar, the best lancer uses a combination of these. Even if you don’t have Evade +1/2, there are still moves that are easily avoidable such as tail sweeps, although I would HIGHLY recommend that you have AT LEAST Guard+1 when lancing.
Tips: The lance isn’t a very disruptive weapon; in fact, the lance is the most disruptable weapon so watch out for other people or you may find yourself on the ground more than you attack. The lance does have one disruptive option that noobs generally think is good and tend to spam or use wrong. That move is the Lance Rush, where you charge across the map with your lance drawn bowling over everything in your way like a Rhenoplos. This move is very weak. It does about a 4th of your raw, and an 8th of your elemental or status damage. The only time this move should be used is when a weakened monster is limping away and at no other time. If you feel you have trouble keeping up with a monster do a few back hops towards them.

Recommended Skills:
-Evade+1/2: A great skill for the lance to have, especially if you favor Evade lancing or want to balance out your lance set.
-Guard +1/2: The pivotal skill of lancing. This boosts the lance’s countering power significantly, aiding the DPS.
-Sharpness+1: Best Skill in the game. Enough said.
-Element/status attack up: A good skill for DPSers.
-Razor Sharp/ Speed sharpening: Since the Lance is a DPS weapon, you may find yourself sharpening quite often.
-Evade Distance up: A good skill for positioning and keeping up with a monster. Not that great for actually evading, since without it you can stay at a monsters weak spot more easily.

Skills that may seem useful, but aren’t:
-(lol)Auto-guard: If you can’t time a shield properly you have some other issues that need to be worked out. This talisman is a waste when you could get something that is immensely more useful like Evade+1, Speed sharpening, Guard +1, etc.
-Guard Boost: This skill makes every attack in the game blockable. 90% of all attacks are blockable even without this skill. If you’re getting hit by an unblockable move, you’re positioning yourself wrong since all the unblockable attacks are quite obvious and easy to dodge or simply not get hit by.
-Constitution+1/2: This might seem appealing, and is actually not a bad skill. The fact is, stamina is pretty easily manageable and you should have issues with running out even if you turtle. Also, this skill is immensely outclassed by Mega Dash Juice and Dash Juice which are easily made with a little farming.

Recommended Armor Sets:
-Agnaktor/Agnaktor+: The best set for lancing. The regular armor is great for low rank until you can make the + armor. Agnaktor+ has enough slots to gem in Evade+2 with a decent charm or Evade+1 and Speed sharpening. Comes with Guard+2 and Razor Sharp.
-Lagiacrus: Comes with Elemantal Attack up and Razor sharp, which is great for DPS weapons. Also has enough slots to gem in Guard+1 or Evade+1.
-Gigginox/Gigginox+: Gives constitution+2. I know I said Constitution wasn’t worth it, but if you don’t want to farm for Mega Dash juice, this set comes with enough slots (on the + set) to get at least Evade+1 or Guard+1
-R. Ludroth/ R. Ludroth+: Same thing as Gigginox. A decent early lancing set.
-Barioth/Barioth+: Both sets come with Evade+2 with enough slots to get Guard+1. Decent lancing sets overall.

It's a very straightforward weapon, no pun intended.It isnt very mobile. Alot of your combat strategy will consist of knowing when to end your jab combo strings and dodge, only to begin again. Lances, next to other weapons, are not very strong, but they do have a unique ability that balances that out. No, I dont mean the speed at which you can attack, but that a lance's damage type is automatically set depending on where you attack a monster. If the tail is more weak to cutting damage, the lance will do cutting damage. If the head is weaker to impact damage, it will follow accordingly. That being said, just because it determines the best type of damage for you doesnt mean you dont need to be precise; it's literally a pointy stick, so pin-point where you want to hit.

Attack

You can strike horizontally and diagonally. The accuracy factor is a plus, since most higher-grade lances have high affinity (critical hits), and it makes it easier to not hit your teammates. It's also a minus since you may find yourself jabbing air/water sometimes, but that's just a matter of practice.

You also have a few other attacks, like the draw attack, the sweep, charge attack, the charge attack finisher, shield bash, shield poke, and the counter.
Draw attack is simple enough to understand. You whip out your weapon as you were running, and do a powerful stab in that direction. Any move with momentum behind it has a greater chance to topple a monster, so keep that in mind.

The sweep is a decent move to clear the area when there is too much going on (ex. Minions, annoying teammates). It's certainly not very strong, but it's obviously meant for multiple enemies. It's slow, but it hits just about everywhere but right behind you, so it definitely has its uses.

I love the charge attack, even though it's the weakest attack with a lance. The reason I use it so much is because it propels you faster that if you were running/swimming, it can be used to evade attack, it does consecutive hit damage when sharpness is green, takes 1 second to fully charge, and has a very powerful finish. More or less, a downed monster just eats up all the hits of a charge attack, or those that lie low to the ground like the Gobul, Lagiacrus, Barioth, and Angaktor. Grinding into tails and undersides makes the battle that much easier, and the multiple hits gives you more of a chance for your weapons' element to kick in. Dont be overzealous though, bc monsters have a better charge attack, and your teammates wont enjoy being bowled over.

When doing the charge attack, it takes about a second, then you flash red. Right after that, your finishing move, your strongest move, is at it's peak. Just press the attack button anytime during the charge to do the charge finisher. Nothing more to say about it except you need to be precise or you wasted the stamina and time.

Shield poke. It's very situational, and a little pointless in my opinion (puns). If you press the attack button while you arent moving with your shield up, you perform a little jab. Imagine the charge attack, but just one hit. You cannot evade after the move, you cannot start a combo string, you have to wait for your guard to come back up to use another move, it only hits one direction...you get the point. If you are going to drop your shield to jab, then do it properly.

Shield bash is not as pointless, but also situational. it's good for stunning small monsters, since it's always impact damage. It's mediocre strength, but good news is you can evade out of it, and it resets combo strings as well. The move shifts you forward quite a bit as well, so it's so of an offensive/evasive move.

The last kind of attack is the Counter. It can be charged up, but it's not easy to hit with. It brings the shield in front of you for either a short or long period of time, then thrust upward after it finishes charging, or if you get hit during that time. It's a great move, since it can block several hits during 1 attack, and it's as strong as the draw attack, but as I said, it's challenging to implement in the heat of battle. This is easier to do on the classic controller, even while in combo strings, so take advantage of it. It does take up stamina to Counter though, so be wary when you take the risk.

Defense

You couldn't have missed the giant shield. Lance is the best defense weapon in the game, but it's not good to rely on that strength. Your guard can be broken if you take too many big or small hits, especially with (advanced) rank monsters. It is crucial to always have a full or next to full stamina bar if you want to defend some heavy blows. Also know that all attacks cannot be guarded fully, or even guarded at all. Heavy hitters like Rathian, Gobul, and Uragaan can damage you slightly through your guard. Angaktor, you should never shield against the magma stream unless you'd like your armor to ignite, or if you have the Guard Up skill. It takes care of most physical attacks, but everytime you absorb a blow, it takes a considerable amount of stamina, even if it's a small bite. Shielding can also guard against roars, bright flashes, wind, tremors, and water currents, but as I said, dont depend on it always. Keep in mind that while you can quickly draw your weapon for an attack, you can also quickly get into defensive stance as well. Depending on your controls, it would be the dash + charge attack button to do this. It will save you plenty times if you do it right.

Evasion

It's as important as defense, albeit harder to perform. After any attack but the shield poke, you can backstep or side step dodge. You cant roll with a lance drawn, so get over it. To backstep in any direction you want, you want to pretend you are walking in the opposite direction, then backstep quickly. It's alot faster that walking or shuffling, and you get invincibility frames while you do it. Another way to "evade" rushing with your shield. Technically, if you get attacked while doing it, the monster will still hit your shield, but at least you didnt end up in the sweetspot area while you defended. Do not do this against a monster that does radial damage, like Uragaan. Your back will be exposed, and you are still a soft and fleshy human.

Useful things for Lancers:

Mega Dash Juice - It's a godsend to not have to worry about when your charge attack will run out, how much stamina will deplete if you shield ___ attack, or how many times you can backhop to get out of the way. It's worth it, especially in the +31 rank monsters, since their attacks can remove an entire full stamina bar.

Armor Skill: Guard Up - It's sort of a nice feeling to know that now you can guard any attack in the game, but it can be deceiving, especially with radial attacks and water currents.

Armor Skill: Guard +1/+2 - Decreases knockback and stamina loss when blocking.

Armor Skill: Evasion Up - Increases evasion distance, so those backhops are a bit more useful.

Armor Skill: Evasion +1/+2 - Extends the invulnerability period of a dodge.

Armor Skill: Constitution +1/+2 - Slows down stamina depletion when evading and blocking.

Armor Skill: Auto-Guard - Guards automatically, when possible. it's good since it gets everything you didn't see, and you can walk instead of shuffle, since the game will react for you.

When using the charge attack, try to run along the side of a monster's body or by the tail so you won't be punished.

Try to stab diagonally upwards more than horizontally to improve your accuracy.

1) You'll notice that after three consecutive hits with either horizontal or diagonal hit your character stops and there's lag time. You can evade in any direction to cut down on this lag time, or you can use your counter attack instantly after the 3rd strike in your combo. This is especially useful if you're attacking a downed monster or if a monster's doing a really laggy attack (like if it's swinging it's tail, then swinging it again to complete a full circle), so you can just press X/a, X/a, X/a, shield+a, x/a, x/a, shield+a, etc. timing it of course.

2) You lose a lot less stamina and take a lot less chip damage (the small damage you take when you block really powerful hits) if you guard advance (shield + forward + X) through an attack. Also this has the advantage of putting you closer to the monster and usually past the immediate danger zone of its attacks.

The Longsword. With beauty in its strength, this spirited blade slices through steel like paper. (Can raise its attack power by building up hits.)

The Switch Axe. New technology has brought forth a miraculous new weapon of phantasmogoric might. (That's right, phantasmogoric. Can transform from an axe to a sword with a limited supply of phials.)

The way Bowguns deal damage is actually rather complicated, so credit to VampireCosmonaut for this guide: http://www.gamefaqs.com/wii/943655-monster-hunter-tri/faqs/59704

Terminology
Range: There are certain standards by which types of ammo are most effective. The higher the range of your gun, the more those standards can be stretched so you can remain effective from a little farther away. Multiply your Frame's range by your Barrel's range and that's your gun's range.
Listen to the sound your round makes when it connects with a monster. If it sounds like a clank, you're too far away. If it lacks that satisfying smack, you're too close

Reload: Easy enough, the speed at which your gun can be reloaded.
Keep in mind, different levels of ammo take longer to reload. Reload speed is like a multiplier applied to your different ammo types.

Recoil: The amount of time between shots or before you can move. Low recoil is good.
Recoil is also effected by what type of ammo you're using. Shots that explode and shots that induce status effects have more lag afterwards than Normal S, for example.

Deviation: The accuracy of your gun. None is ideal.
The armorer's decorations are a great way to eliminate deviation, or if you have an armor that will give you precision skills.

Rapid Fire: In whatever menu displays your gun's available ammo, types that have a yellow square around them can be rapid fired. A rapid fired shot uses one round and shoots 3 times. Each individual hit is weaker than a normal hit but if all 3 connect, it's definitely stronger
Because you cannot move the crosshairs in the middle of releasing the 3 shots, make sure to know when the monster will be in one spot for at least those couple of seconds so as to make all shots connect.
Rapid fire clust/crag is waaaaaaaaaay too fun
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Types of Bowguns
Bowguns come in 3 different weights: light, medium and heavy. Most guns fall under the medium category. Weight, like any other weapon, determines your maneuverability when drawn.

Light guns (29 and under) allow you to run when drawn. They also provide the ability to immediately dodge to the side after firing.

Medium guns (30 to 70) also allow you to run when drawn. You can dodge roll after firing but the roll will take slightly longer to activate than the light gun's dodge.

Heavy guns (70 on) only allow you to walk when drawn. They don't have a special dodge after firing, but after the lag of a shot, you will still be able to roll to any side.
Like with Great Swords, the best heavy gunner will sheate and unsheathe judiciously
Why use heavy at all? Seems rather inconvenient. Well just as with the larger melee weapons, larger guns typically have more power behind them. Depending on what monster you're fighting, one weight will be more effective than another.
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Parts
Your bowguns consist of three parts:
Frame: This is the base of your gun. It's the only part that can be upgraded and thus attributes your gun with most of its attack power. This also becomes the base for your reload speed, recoil, deviation and range.
Some frames also fold. These frames take longer to draw and put back as well as inhibit your mobility when drawn. However, they have lower recoil and deviation than other guns.

Barrel: This is the second of the two parts that determine your overall attack power. The barrel is the main contributor to your range stat and your deviation stat. Some barrels have shields in front that will automatically block some attacks when faced in the right direction.

Stock: This part typically decreases recoil and speeds up reload speed. Some stocks provide boosts in defense.

All parts of the gun determine available ammo and clip sizes.
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Ammo
Normal S: Your basic ammo type. Normal is most effective from very close range. 1 is pretty much weak. 2 is stronger. 3 is actually between 1 and 2 as far as power but can ricochet, so you can hit a monster more than once with one round.
REMINDER: Your gunner armor is weaker than blademaster armor, so be much more cautious when close to the monster.

Pierce S: This ammo is not stopped on impact and therefore is capable of dealing damage through several of a monster's hurtboxes. The higher the level of this ammo, the more times it's able to hit. This type of ammo allows you to be farther away to deal the most possible damage. (see VampireCosmosaut's guide)
Try to aim your shot so it goes through the greatest length of the monster so as to get the most hits. I like to hit head to tail/tail>head.

Pellet S: It's like a shotgun, your ammo will spread and hit several parts of a monster. Higher lvl shots have more little hitboxes that fly out.
CAUTION: When firing at large monsters when you're on a team, your shot will make other players flinch if they're in your line of fire, which, with pellet shot, is rather large. USE WEAPON ETIQUETTE.
Pellet is a great minion killer as it can hit multiple targets at the same time.

Crag S: My favorite, a round that lodges itself in a monster and blows up. The intial hit does do damage, but the explosion is what makes it special. Higher lvls have stronger explosions.

Clust S: A shell that lodges into a monster and explodes into a rain of little bombs. 3 baby-bombs at lvl 1 and 1 more for each lvl up.
Obviously, make sure all baby-bombs hit the monster to be most effective. Try aiming at a high/centered point so the explosives that fall will land somewhere on the monster.
Because this ammo spreads downward, it's not very effective on smaller "boss" monsters. I'd say save it for things larger/wider than a royal ludroth

WyvernFire: This is essentially your power attack. It's a very close range (like, blademaster range) attack that deals high damage with a little start-up time.
Because of the start-up time, recoil and range, I'd save this for mashing when a monster is incapacitated

Sub S: A shot that's more effective in the water. Seems to be most effective at close range.

Recover S: Only useful online, it will heal teammates.
You do not have to be entirely precise with it. It will heal people within about a roll distance from the shot's line of fire.
^ IT CAN ALSO HEAL MONSTERS, which is exactly counter-productive. ONLY heal a teammate that's right next to a monster if you believe they'll die without it. Healing a monster a tiny bit is worth maintaining your reward.

Poison S: Can poison monsters. Not sure if it works on Gigginox. May require several shots. Fewer with higher lvls.

Para S: Can paralyze monsters. May require several shots. Fewer with higher lvls

Sleep S: Can put monsters to sleep. May require several shots. Fewer with higher lvls.
Particularly useful for trying to capture a monster that won't stop moving around/flying/going underground. Sleep to trap-setup is legit

Demon S: Only useful online, it raises attack power of your teammates.

Armor S: Only useful online, it raises defense of your teammates. (Blocks wind as well????)

Exhaust S: Drains monster stamina. Most effective when shot at the head. It basically stuns monsters.

Paint S: Projectile paintballs.

Tranq S: Projectile tranq bombs.

Flaming S: A round that deals fire damage.
Very effective against Jaggi/Great Jaggi, bugs, Ludroth/Royal Ludroth, Baggi/Great Baggi, (Gobul?), Gigginox, Lagiacrus, and Barioth........ wow, that's a lot.

Water S: A round that deals water damage. Can deal 3 penetrating hits.
Very effective against Qurupeco, Uragaan, and Agnaktor.

Freeze S: A round that deals freeze damage. Can deal 3 penetrating hits.
Very effective against Qurupeco, Barroth, Diablos, (Uragaan?), and Agnaktor. I also happen to know Jhen Mohran armor is very weak to freeze but idk how effective shooting Jhen Mohran would be...

Thunder S: A round that deals thunder damage. Can deal 3 penetrating hits.
Very effective against Gobul, Rathian, Rathalos, Barioth, and Ceadeus.

Dragon S: A round that deals dragon damage. Can deal 5 penetrating hits.
Very effective against Rathian, Lagiacrus, Rathalos, Uragaan, Ceadeus, and same deal with Jhen armor being weak against dragon.

Slicing S: A round that lodges into a monster and explodes in cutting damage. Pretty much only effective when used on tails.
Don't expect this ammo to suffice solely for cutting off tails. If you're fighting with like... 3 other hammer users, it probably won't work. It's essentially an aid for blademasters when trying to cut off the tail.
________________________________________
A Bit of Theory:
You're a gunner. You're far range, RELATIVE TO BLADEMASTERS! I say this because you can't see yourself as a sniper who rains **** down on a monster from so far away you can't hear them roar, you will not be effective. The positional advantage gunners have over blademasters is that they can be most effective out of the immediate range of most monsters' attacks, that's why gunner armor is weaker against physical things than against elemental long-distance things. Gunners are far range in that they don't have to be next to a monster to hurt it, but you can't expect to not be in the fray.

I see gunners as formidable teammates for several reasons:
1. They will probably be hit by monsters fewer times than any blademaster.
2. They're ammunition covers all aspects of battle: raw damage, elemental damage, recovery, status effects to monsters, status effects to teammates, cutting off tails, etc. (at least as many forms of ammo as their gun can shoot).
3. Your blademaster teammates have to recognize the patterns of monsters well enough to know when to exploit exposed areas of monsters. They have to know when it's safe to approach in order to deal damage. As a gunner at farther distance than blademasters, you have many more oppotunities to deal damage. Constant damage.

Your armor is weak to physical hits. This means if you see a monster face toward you (it shouldn't take long to recognize the movements that indicate certain attacks), PUT YOUR GUN AWAY AND RUN. This is the main reason why gunners are kinda ****ty in solo mode. Gunners are very good at punishing monsters' lack of attention towards them. Basically, avoid them when they focus on you and punish them all other times.

Most other tactics depend on what kind of ammo you're using.

In the process of building your gun, you have many things to consider, seeing as how you can mix and match different parts even if they're not made from any of the same materials.
A lot has to do with what types of ammo you want available. Some guns are built best for Pierce, some for Crag, some for certain status effects, some are good at covering most types of basic ammo. Try to know what it is you want to accomplish in a fight before making a combination. While every gunner should be expected to deal some damage to the monsters, consider what other ways you can help a team. Take a look again through the list of ammo and see if you want to specialize in frequent pierce ****, or a status inducer/healer, or any other method. The SnS may be considered versatile as far as melee weapons go, but the gunner can cover all areas.

Friendly tips:
If you see a monster about to rear it's head and roar, reload your gun before it gets the roar off. Your reload animation will be interrupted by covering your ears but when the animation ends, you'll have a full clip despite not having gone through the entire reload animation. (This does not apply for some monsters if you have the Earplugs skill and not to any monster if you have HG Earplugs).

If your gun has a shield, you should know that recoil immediately after a shot will nullify it. If a monster is coming right for you but you have a shield, you cannot shoot it mere frames before it gets to you, it will hit you. This means (if you read somewhere above) that if you're using exploding or status shots, your shield will be nullified even longer. Just be careful when you can tell a monster is focused on you.

The lighter the weight class of the gun, the more effective you'll be in defending yourself against faster monsters.

Having armor that amplifies the skills you like is very useful. That and smart decoration decisions can set you up with many useful skills that will make you even more effective.

Gunners that have average and higher recoil and are using large shots like crag/clust/status effect shots need to be even more careful with where they choose to stand to shoot.

I never use the quick aim (holding down the aim button). To get a good shot off you have to be standing still, so you might as well look through the scope and have zoom plus first-person POV.

(descriptive blurbs provided by Capcom's MH3 Player Guide)
___________________________________

A NOTE OF IMPORTANCE:
In online play, you're around other people. And while your attacks may not hurt them, they do indeed go through the animations of being hit. Mashing (the term I use (anyone else?) for when the team ***** a monster that has been disabled via traps or paralyizing etc.) is extremely hindered if a member has just launched 2 other players in the air. USE WEAPON ETIQUETTE:

Greatsword users: Please do not upswing when next to other players.

Sword and Shield users: Tbh, the range is small enough to where if someone gets hit by you, it's probably their fault.

Longsword users: Please keep in mind, your weapon has notable horizontal range and is very capable of stopping several players at once.

Lance users: Please make sure no one is already in your path when you begin to charge.

Hammer users: Please don't use your power attacks (Golf Swing and Mega Pound) or draw attack when right next to other players.

Switch Axe users: Same advice as Greatsword users I guess.

Bowgun users: Please do not use Pellet S if other players are anywhere on the screen. You are exempt when taking out lots of minions.

EVERYONE: If someone with a big weapon is already mashing a spot, let them use their power attacks, they got there first. Everyone is just as responsible for not getting in the way of larger attacks as they are for not using them haphazardly.

Thank you.


YOUR FELLOW SMASHER-HUNTERS

Name: DerpDB
ID#: -

Name: Bowserla
ID#: 4LZEMX

Name: LoBoBoBo
ID#: C7CG7J

Name: Insetick
ID#: -

Name: Zigsta
ID#: -

Name: SSB Fan
ID#: FQN8K2

Name: Jane
ID#: 6TNK16

Name: Masamune
ID#: 2J2TT6

Name: Wolfang
ID#: 28RHPJ

Name: Juwan
ID#: KKGKK3

Name: Hatter
ID#: QC73N2

Name: Rikana
ID#: -

Name: Arturo
ID#: 85C886

Name: coY
ID#: JPWYFX

Name: Giga
ID#: -

 

[Wolydarg]

I never even heard of the first two, but the trailers for it look kinda interesting. Seems like Shadow of Colossus with friends, more weapons, and snazzy armor. If this is true I might get it based on sheer awesomeness factor alone.

The cinematics for this game look really really insanely good. Actually the more stuff I watch the more I'm convinced I need to have this game. Reminds me on Guild Wars for some reason.

Kinda tempted to drop by a gamestop to see if they have the demo...

Also: http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/Pro...7&sourceID=FKSJxY2VJAk-GTkISEJCj6zYhd03KFzXcg
Has the game with a classic controller pro with 500 free wii points for $55, also kinda tempted...

::edit:: Just found out Capcom's going to be behind this. One of three companies I still don't hate. Woot! Now I'm really excited about this.

 

[DerpDaBerp]

Yup, Capcom ftw.

The first one was an unpopular PS2 title (fun as hell though), the 2nd was Japan only. Thankfully they're trying to get western gamers interested with great pre-order deals/demos.

Until Metroid: Other M comes out, it'll be the best looking game on the console, no doubt.

It may look like a Shadow of the Colossus environment, but the land is divided into numbered zones.

 

[finalark]

I wasn't a big fan of the PSP Monster Hunters, but this one kind of cought my interest. Mostly because of the Classic Conrtoller Pro that it comes bundles with. I don't know, I might actually like this one.

 

[liljp112]

the underwater caught my eye that seems interestin i hope it works out well

 

[Jane]

hahaha good job tommy. i was here in the light house precisely looking for a monster hunter thread

hopefully this thread will stay, and eventually this will be a place for hunters to get together and slay beasts! :D

wolydarg: think SotC, but MUCH more tactical, and instead of ending at 12 bosses, it goes on for a lonnnnnnnggggggggg time progressively getting harder until eventually you NEED a party to kill monsters. plus weapon/armor/item creation, plus WHO KNOWS what else they have in store for us!

omg cant wait :3

 

[DerpDaBerp]

I sure hope so. A smasher crew would be so legit.

And yeah, don't let the psp experience throw you, it's a console friendly game.

 

[BlackLightning90]

I hate the Qurupeco in the demo!

Anyway, can't wait to get the game on April 20.

 

[Jane]

i love 420.

 

[finalark]

And yeah, don't let the psp experience throw you, it's a console friendly game.

I don't know, my major problems with the game were the controls, camera (both of which I'd hope were better on consoles) and how **** repetitive the game is. I don't know, it might be better in mulitplayer.

 

[DerpDaBerp]

I hate the Qurupeco in the demo!

Anyway, can't wait to get the game on April 20.

For sure. It's happened once when it calls for help and a Rathian comes in to fight as well. Crazy times.

I don't know, my major problems with the game were the controls, camera (both of which I'd hope were better on consoles) and how **** repetitive the game is. I don't know, it might be better in mulitplayer.

The PSP lacks a joystick that consoles have. In configuration 'b.' the d-pad and right joystick move the camera (why I said it's usefullness is relatively less imo) while left joystick moves. Configuration 'c.' has the d-pad turn the camera which presents the not-insurmountable difficulty of turning the camera and attacking at the same time (a wild fight will have me shifting right hand positions frequently). And both have the left shoulder button center the camera in front (HUGELY useful).

tl;dr: there are 3 configurations, none too difficult, just choose what's best for you.

I can't comment on the PSP version as far as gameplay as I never played it but it's not hard to assume that Tri's huge variety of monsters and online play will keep it far from monotonous.

(I know I sound like an advertiser xp)



btw, I notice you're an Arizona player. What part?

 

[Jane]

and how **** repetitive the game is.

if you didnt like the repetitiveness of the psp games, then monster hunter might not be for you, cuz essentially, theyre all like that.

the meat and potatoes of monster hunter is the unique challenge that fighting each monster brings.
if you dont enjoy that, then yeah you probably wont like tri

 

[finalark]

btw, I notice you're an Arizona player. What part?

Tucson.

if you didnt like the repetitiveness of the psp games, then monster hunter might not be for you, cuz essentially, theyre all like that.

the meat and potatoes of monster hunter is the unique challenge that fighting each monster brings.
if you dont enjoy that, then yeah you probably wont like tri

We'll see, I only played one of the PSP titles for about an hour on my friend's save. I honestly am interested in the game at this point, though...

 

[DerpDaBerp]

Tucson

Wtf? I don't think I've ever seen you in tourney. There's one here this saturday though, you should go.

 

[Wolydarg]

Does anyone know how multiplayer works? I read somewhere about it being split screen for 2 players, but it looks like there can be parties of up to 4. Also read that there won't be any friend codes, so getting together should be a bit better.

And also, would I be able to get together with 3 friends ( and their wii's/TV (which is just typical stuff they'd bring to a tournament)) and lan it somehow?

 

[Jane]

its max 2 people on split screen

but online you can have up to four people in a party

and i dont know if you can play lan style

 

[nevershootme]

at least for the US release it's free wifi unlike japan so that's a perk....

as for psp controls u have the analog to move and d-pad to control the camera.

as for GC use, my friend owns the JP version and says not supported. but if u want a controller with almost GC feel (analogs position and whatnot), then use this: http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-113-49-en-15-hori-70-33zb-43-bs.html

 

[Turazrok]

I quite honestly can't wait. I think they have all new monsters except the rathalos though.

 

[DerpDaBerp]

News: There are no Wii friend codes involved in joining hunters online; Capcom is hosting it via their hunting license code thingy: http://www.capcom.com/monster/#/en/huntingLicense/

 

[Bwoodboy18]

Its about time they came out with the 3rd, I never played 2 but I did play 1 (I was godly at that game)

One day I went to log on and they turned off the online for it tis sad it was never got my Fatalis armor.

Monster Hunter Freedom was dumb but I don't know if it was wise to release it for the Wii.

 

[finalark]

Monster Hunter Freedom was dumb

I think that was actually the one that I played....

 

[Deleted member]

April 20th is my birthday and Monster Hunter Tri comes out on my birthday!

This is going to be amazing.

Might as well create my Monster Hunter license now, for this is sure awesomeness.

Yes, I am getting this on launch date.

If there was once third-party game that deserve to suceed on the Wii, it would be Monster Hunter Tri. I might make a blog about it.

 

[Bwoodboy18]

If there was once third-party game that deserve to suceed on the Wii, it would be Monster Hunter Tri. I might make a blog about it.

Unless the wi-fi FAILS like in SSBB

 

[Jane]

monster hunter tri is going to be the biggest selling non-nintendo game on the wii, amirite?

 

[DerpDaBerp]

April 20th is my birthday

0_0

Unless the wi-fi FAILS like in SSBB

It seems to be satifying the Japanese...

monster hunter tri is going to be the biggest selling non-nintendo game on the wii, amirite?

While its competition is slim, your words remain true :3

 

[DerpDaBerp]

So one of my major goals for this thread will be to give people who will be going online a place to find teammates with whom they can associate (even if only slightly) via being part of this community here. And while I'm sure there will be or is a very similar type of forum dedicated to MH3 which will surely be more useful than this jury-rigged thread, I would like to (once April 20th rolls around) allow any member who got their "hunting license" to feel free to post their hunter name and ID# here so I can make a list of willing online players looking for more party members.

 

[Deleted member]

Unless the wi-fi FAILS like in SSBB

The chances of that happening is very slim. I heard Tatsunko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars's online was pretty good for Nintendo Wi-Fi standards. Given that this does not run off the critically hated Nintendo's online system, I really doubt it's going to be an disater.

As a matter of fact, all matches I've played in Excitebots: Trick Racing have been flawless, proving that online play on Nintendo's online server can thrive.

monster hunter tri is going to be the biggest selling non-nintendo game on the wii, amirite?

It already is in Japan. The game has sold nearly one million copies there in Japan. If North American can achieve a similar amount, this could possibly be the Wii's best-selling third-arty title.

@DerpDaBerp: I haven't found any forums dedicated to Monster Hunter Tri. There is this, thought: http://monsterhunterfreedom2.com/blog/index.php?board=2.0

This is a forum dedicated to the Monster Hunter series.

 

[DerpDaBerp]

Upon further investigation, there's this as well :D
http://www.monsterhuntercommunity.com/



(Idk if it's against some interpretation of one of SWF's rules to promote a forum that might "steal" activity from SWF itself, but I'll leave this here until some official tells me I can't.)

 

[Jane]

**** da police!

 

[Quenk]

I'm looking forward to this game but I'm not sure if I want to get it as soon as it comes out since SMG2, S&P2 and Other M come out soon after it.

I checked an EBGames in Canada and they said that they hadn't heard anything about a Monster Hunter demo. Can anyone confirm that Gamestops in Canada carry them?

 

[metalmonstar]

It is unlikely that Monster Hunter will be the best selling non nintendo game for the wii. It is going to be tough to beat Sonic and Mario at the olympics and carnival games. My guess is the game will end up selling about as well as High School musical That is unless Nintendo and Capcom work together on a huge marketing blitz for the game and it someone appeals to a broader demographic. I still can't really see this game passing two million in sales.

I have been looking forward to this game and the classic controller pro for a long time. I can't wait to party up with 4 people online and take down huge dragons. Only downside I have seen so far from gameplay videos is that the fights take a long time.

 

[Deleted member]

@Metalmonster: Okay, at least the best selling core 3rd party exclusive on the Wii.

Given that Monster Hunter Tri is a success in both North America and Europe as well, I can see the game passing two million and even getting to three million.

People here may also want to read one of my blogs here, which I will be posting here later: http://www.capcom-unity.com/supersm...change_the_course_of_wiis_third-party_support

 

[Wolydarg]

So I signed up for the hunter license thing yesterday and still didn't get the email to confirm my registration... anyone else having this problem?

 

[Wiscus]

I cant wait for this one. I played the ps2 version briefly and I liked it.
I got owned in the demo but I really enjoyed the experience. Monster hunter ftw!

 

[Jane]

i reserved my copy and got my demo yesterday! and im gonna go hunt me some monsters right NOW :D

 

[DerpDaBerp]

It is unlikely that Monster Hunter will be the best selling non nintendo game for the wii. It is going to be tough to beat Sonic and Mario at the olympics...

Pretty sure a game with mario in it isn't non-nintendo lol.

But there is the very likely chance the U.S. won't be as hyped for this as Japan. America likes FPS too much

So I signed up for the hunter license thing yesterday and still didn't get the email to confirm my registration... anyone else having this problem?

There's a link to this site at the top of the hunting license page http://www.capcom-unity.com/

I do in fact remember not getting one first so I just went there^ and tried to log in, it told me I still needed to activate but they also have an option for if you haven't recieved one yet and can request another one. Just keep hitting that till it works.

Once you're activated, plug your capcom-unity username/password into the license pull-down on my big link in the OP and it'll apply it. BUT they'll slap your capcom-unity "first name" info into your license tag so what I did was edit my info and make the tag I wanted my first name then it automatically applies to your license.

 

[Wolydarg]

Ok, cool, signed up for capcom and everything, thanks.

finally went to gamestop and picked up the demo today. Really liking the long sword at the moment, will give it a few more hours before I make any more decisions on this.

 

[DerpDaBerp]

<3<3

The Longsword is my favorite as well.

Pretty sure I'll be reppin the Longsword, Hammer and a bowgun

 

[Wolydarg]

I've always been partial to ranged weapons in every game I've played, but the bowgun seems rather... bad from what I've seen in the demo. In a group with other hunters to take damage I can see it being more effective, but it's hard to manage ammo/aim/reload when there's a boss trying to destroy you. Light bowgun seemed to have worked out very well against the great jaggi though.

But I can't seem to beat Qurupeco, I tried it with the light bowgun and after running out of all the special bullets the timer ran out. I never died once, never wasted time, I hit shot after shot, and time ran out? I'm bad =[

Hammers are amazing haha, way too satisfying to connect hits with that thing. Great sword charge makes me feel like I'm playing Ike and waiting for someone to run into eruption. Switchaxe seems fun, too. Every weapon in the demo seems to be really fun (except lance... not getting a feel for that...), and I feel like I'll just be spending the time from now until 4.20 experimenting with all the weapons to see what happens. So excited for this game!

::edit:: Just beat Qurupeco with both the switchaxe and the long sword, this game is gonna be amazing if these are only the first two bosses

 

[Dodongo]

Just pre-ordered it with the CC bundle. The wiimote controls are meh, but everyone says it's a lot better with the classic controller.