There are plenty of monsters that actively try to stalk you and pounce with blinding speed in Monster Hunter Rise. Although, none of them are as fast and fierce as the Nargacuga. Here’s everything you need to know about the Pouncing Shadow.

Nargacuga

Literally the fastest monster in the game, Nargacuga’s speed and agility is a fright to behold. With its jet black fur and terrifying red eyes, this wyvern can make you rage quit the game because of its difficulty. Hunters, both new and old, can testify just how much of a challenge this monster is. If you’re unprepared, it can instantly knock you out and send you carting back to camp. 

This monster makes up for its lack of elemental affinity by being extremely nimble, swift, and just plain dexterous that it can be very hard to hit especially if you’re using sluggish weapons. In terms of its attack pattern, Nargacuga will mostly try to pounce at you, hit you with its tail, or try to shoot its tail spikes at you. At some point in the battle, Nargacuga will enter an enraged state that is indicated by the glowing red eyes. Once enraged, this monster will become twice as fast and twice as deadly. All the trouble you’ll go through to beat this monster is worth it though, as most weapons crafted with the materials from the Nargacuga are considered some of the best in the game. So how will you beat this monster?

Weaknesses

Nargacuga is a strong monster, but it is not without weakness. Looking at the damage chart under its Physiology, ammos deal the least amount of damage. Cutting and blunt weapons is the way to go when fighting against Nargacuga. In terms of elemental damage, Thunder is the most effective and deals the most amount of damage. Fire comes in second and can be a good alternative as well. Water is ineffective against this monster so don’t bother trying to use Water element weapons against it. 

As for ailments, Thunderblight and Blast are the most effective against Nargacuga. If you have weapons that can inflict these ailments, then by all means go ahead and use them. Nargacuga is actually susceptible to every ailment, having no resistance against any of them. 

Best Weapons to Use

All weapon damage types should be effective against the Nargacuga. When in doubt, just go with whichever neutral weapon you prefer with the highest amount of raw damage. But if we were to make a personal recommendation, we would strongly suggest using the Dual Blades. Nargacuga is a very fast monster so how would you counter a very fast monster? With very fast weapons of course. Dual Blades give you some pretty insane mobility that will easily help you keep up with Nargacuga and be nimble enough to dodge its lethal attacks. It also opens up a lot of combos that can dish out very good damage against the monster. The Dual Blades also offer great choices of Thunder element weapons which the Nargacuga is weak to. Both the Khezu Daggers and the Kadachi Twinblades are excellent options that will be super effective against Nargacuga.

Useful Tips

1. You should always be on the move. When fighting a monster as quick as the Nargacuga, you should always be moving around to make easy side steps and dodges whenever it lunges at you. 
2. Although the best spot to hit the Nargacuga is at its head, you should try to avoid being directly in front of it. This is because this monster has a biting attack that can deal a significant amount of damage against you.
3. Pitfall Traps are ineffective against Nargacuga unless it is enraged. This is pretty handy since entering the enraged state is a good indicator that the monster is ripe for the capture. You can opt to capture the Nargacuga instead of killing it, saving you time and yielding a bit more rewards. 

So there you have it! That’s everything you need to know on how you can beat Nargacuga in Monster Hunter Rise. Be sure to check back with us again for more awesome guides on your favorite video games. Have fun!