Here Are the 5 Hardest Monsters in Monster Hunter Rise (After 2.0 Update)

Not all monsters are created equal in Monster Hunter Rise. While every single one will present a challenge of sorts, most can be bested with the right build and mastery of your weapon. Some monsters however, some are an absolute nightmare to take on. In this Monster Hunter Rise Hardest Monsters guide we'll list the five hardest monsters currently available in the game after the recent 2.0 update. Let's take a look.

Read More: MH Rise Review

What Are the Hardest Monsters in MH Rise?

I've just reached Hunter Rank 85 in Monster Hunter Rise having fought every monster in the game, some literally dozens of times. And while I've learned most of them to a point where they offer little challenge at all, there are still a handful that make me shake in my boots every time I face them. Here are the 5 hardest monsters in Monster Hunter Rise:

1. Teostra
2. Nargacuga
3. Chameleos
4. Apex Rathalos
5. Rajang

1.Teostra

First up on this list is the Elder Dragon Teostra. It's gotten to the point where I will only fight this monster solo, given how often quests fail when playing with randoms. This is usually down to Teostra's explosion attack, it's common to see multiple faints once it's triggered. The burn status it can apply to you hits unusually hard too, forcing you to prioritise healing before moving in for another attack. It even has a beam attack like Rajang, and offers very few windows for attack. It'll be a few more fights yet before I feel comfortable with Teostra, for now check out our guide on beating Teostra in MH Rise.

2. Nargacuga

When Monster Hunter Rise launched, Narga sets dominated the meta. This meant fighting Nargacuga over and over again, and boy was it a hard time. This bat-like monster has always been known for it's speed, pouncing around like a cheetah and hitting fast and hard. It's somehow even faster in Rise, and it's easy to get greedy with attacks. Counters are the way to go here, but it's still easy to get taken by surprise by a quick tail attack or jump. I found Narga to be the first real wall in Rise, forcing me to properly learn its attack patterns and rely on precise counter timings to win. Here's some tips on defeating it.

3. Chameleos

Chameleos was added as part of the April update, and has been besting players ever since. The main problem with fighting Chameleos is its poison attacks. Not only will it poison you up close but can actually blow poison clouds towards you, making it difficult to stay healthy. The poison chips away at your health faster than you'd expect, and if you don't focus on healing you'll get carted pretty quickly. Then there's the little wrinkle of its invisibility. In Rise, Chameleos can completely disappear, making it difficult to prevent against surprise attacks. You'll have to fight this monster multiple times before you learn how to dodge these stealth attacks, making Chameleos a seriously tricky fight indeed. Head here for some extra tips on defeating it.

4. Apex Rathalos

Currently, you can only fight Apex Rathalos in Rampage quests, which is probably for the best given what an absolute menace it is. Its first move upon arriving in the arena is setting off huge energy blasts that will destroy most of the turrets and items you've placed in the front of your defences. After that, you will need to be constantly firing at it to keep it at bay. It's lucky that you can faint as many times as you like in this quest, as you'll often see party members falling to Apex Rathalos' blast attacks. It's challenging enough in Rampage mode so I genuinely shiver at the thought of fighting it out in the wild, without my precious canons and powerups to help me.

5. Rajang

This spot was originally reserved for Magnamalo, then I did a quest where I had to fight a Rajang, Bazelgeuse and a Mangamalo one after the other. Rajang was easily the most difficult of the three, mostly due to just how aggressive it is. Rajang will dart around giving you very few windows to attack. It'll also shoot lightning from its mouth, and in its enraged mode its arms glow red and will deflect normal attacks, the bane of blade users everywhere. Rajang hits extremely hard, and is one of the fastest monsters in the game. That paired with its ability to stun you and even grab you in for a ground slam attack, Rajang is easily one of the toughest fights in Monster Hunter Rise. Head to our Monster Hunter Rise Rajang guide for more tips on beating Rajang.

Those are the 5 hardest monsters to beat in Monster Hunter Rise. We'll update this page after update 3.0 releases. In the meantime be sure to check out our guide on farming Lazurite Jewels.