Monster Hunter Rise: Rampage Guide And Tips To Succeed

In addition to standard hunting and capture quests, Monster Hunter Rise introduces a new type of mission called Rampages. These quests crop up periodically and blend horde and tower defense elements, tasking you with defending your fort against several waves of rampaging monsters. They can also be among the game's most frustrating objectives, and while you can generally avoid most of them, you'll occasionally need to complete a Rampage to jump up to the next Hunter Rank. If you're having trouble, here's an overview of Rampage quests and some tips to help you clear them.

Rampage Quest Overview

Unlike standard quests, which send you off to different locales, Rampages all occur within Kamura Village's stronghold. The overarching goal of these quests is to defend the fort's final gate by driving back the invading monsters.

To help you defend the gate, you can place various installations around the stronghold. These fall into one of several categories. There are mountable installations such as ballistas and cannons; these can be manned by players and can fire different types of projectiles to repel monsters. There are also some "automatic" installations such as bamboo bombs; place these on the ground, and they'll detonate when a monster comes in contact with them, dealing severe damage.

There are also a couple of special "limited" installations. These typically take the form of characters from Kamura Village, such as Fugen the Elder, and they can only be activated once, so you'll need to deploy them strategically during the mission.

At the beginning of a Rampage, you'll only have a handful of installations at your disposal. As you repel monsters, however, you'll gradually level up your fort, which in turn will unlock additional installations that you can place around the stronghold. The game will also present a list of sub-assignments to complete during the Rampage. Work on clearing these and you'll level up your fort more quickly, as well as earn some extra rewards once the mission is completed.

Rampage Quest Tips

Squad Up With Friends

If possible, tackle the Rampage with other players. While these quests can be completed solo, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding if you team up with two or three other hunters. Since you'll frequently need to move between installations as monsters start flooding the stronghold, having a few extra sets of hands to assist you will make controlling the hordes much more manageable.

Keep An Eye On Monsters' Icons

Each monster that invades the stronghold will have an icon above its head denoting its attack pattern, so it's important to keep an eye on these icons and target the monsters accordingly. Monsters with a blue icon are known as gate crashers, and they're among the biggest threats you'll face. These monsters will focus strictly on trying to destroy the stronghold's gate, so it's imperative to drive them off before they can inflict too much damage.

On the other hand, monsters with red icons are called stalkers; these foes will focus on attacking players. While you won't need to worry about stalkers damaging the gate, they'll prove to be a nuisance, especially if you are playing the Rampage solo. Targeters--monsters with a green icon above their heads--are similarly troublesome. These monsters typically fly and fire projectile attacks at players operating installations, so try to knock them out of the air with a headshot as soon as they appear.

Finally, there are Apex monsters. These foes are the "boss" of the Rampage and will be more powerful than the other monsters you face, so you'll need to deal with them as quickly as you can.

Equip Rampage Skills

Upon completing Rampage Quests, you'll earn Rampage Skills, which you can use to ramp up the power of your weapons. The various skills include ones that boost your attack, defense, and more. Make sure to shift out your Rampage Skills depending on the Rampage Quest you're taking on, as it'll be sure to help you in the long run. These skills also apply to standard hunts, so it's always smart to have Rampage Skills equipped and cycled at all times.

Save Your Limited Installations

As previously mentioned, you'll unlock a handful of "limited" installations during the course of the Rampage, and these can only be deployed once, so you'll need to think carefully before setting them up. For the warriors of Kamura, such as Fugen the Elder, your best bet is to wait until things get dicey before deploying them. These characters typically attack monsters on sight, so it's better to hold off installing them until the stronghold is already overrun, rather than placing them between Rampage waves.

Another helpful limited installation is the Dragonbait. This decoy will lure monsters toward it, so it's a good idea to install it near the stronghold's Dragonator during the final wave and unleash that powerful weapon when monsters have swarmed the Dragonbait.

Complete The Sub-Assignments

On top of your overarching goal of defending the stronghold's gate, each Rampage presents a checklist of optional sub-assignments to complete. You don't need to clear any of these sub-assignments to finish the Rampage, but it's a good idea to try to. Not only will completing sub-assignments help level up your stronghold, giving you access to a wider array of installations to deploy, but it will also improve your Rampage grade, which in turn will net you more rewards at the end of the mission.

The Counter Signal

One of the most important installations around the stronghold is the Counter Gong. Hitting this during the Rampage will activate the Counter Signal, which will temporarily boost your attack power. However, this boost only affects your weapons; installations like the ballista and cannon won't receive the buff, so when you activate the Counter Signal, you'll need to head down onto the ground and engage monsters face-to-face. As such, it's a good idea to save the Counter Signal until late in the Rampage, such as when the Apex monster appears, and use its strength boost to deal some serious damage.

We've got several other guides to help you become a better Monster Hunter, including tips on how to kill every monster in the game and a weapon explainer. You can find more of our Monster Hunter Rise guides below.