How To Beat Gold Rathian In Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak released its first major update full of surprises, new missions and challenges. In a game as difficult as this, you can always find new enemies to face in battle, and as you hone your hunting skills, the latest update introduces four new monsters to the roster.
One of the four monsters introduced in this update is Gold Rathian, who is making a comeback after his last appearance in Monster Hunter Iceborne. This rare variant of Rathian displays acrobatic and quick moves, some even superior to Rathian’s, with a golden plating and spewing high-temperature flames ready to crush you. Here’s everything you need to know.
Gold Rathian – strengths and weaknesses
- Weak spots – leg, tail
- Persistent points – back, head
- Elemental/Disease Weakness – Water, Thunder
- Elemental/Disease Resistance – Poison, Stun, Blast
- Best Weapon Damage – Gunshot Damage
Surprisingly, Gold Rathian is weaker to gunfire damage, which is pretty unusual but handy given how hard her melee moves hit. That being said, the difference in damage isn’t that dramatic compared to Slash and Club weapons, and given the speed at which she moves, you might have a better time with Blademaster weapons than trying to line your shots at her. On the elemental side, she’s weak to Water and Thunder, especially the latter, so weapons like the Zinogre or Almudron lines might come in handy, but don’t get your hopes up for status builds as they counter both Blast, Stun, and poison.
Best gear for fighting Gold Rathian
Recommended weapons and armor
- weapons – Oppressor’s Rift, Mud Shredders, Avidya Scythe (or any Nargacuga weapon)
- armor – Seething Bazelgeuse, angry Rajang
Given that Golden Rathian is weak to shooting and thunder damage, in the Oppressor’s Rift, Zinogre’s light bowgun, you have an extremely effective tool that allows you to use thunder-piercing bullets that can be immensely useful against this particular monster. If that doesn’t convince you, you can opt for the other weakness and wield the Almudron Dual Blades, the Mud Shredders, with purple sharpness and a huge amount of elemental damage. And while these blades could serve you perfectly in combat, anything high affinity is highly recommended if you prefer to abandon the elemental approach altogether, of which the Nargacuga weapons are the prime example.
On the armor side, anything with high fire resistance should do. The Pride (Seething Bazelgeuse) and Grand Divine Ire (Furious Rajang) sets are some of the best set options for this, but also remember to use decorations that give you immunity to poison and stun or you’ll have an annoying time in battle.
Gold Rathian – Combat collapse and moves
Think of Gold Rathian as a faster, spicier twist on the familiar monster. Her moves are quick and more acrobatic than the normal version when enraged, so maneuvers like her poisonous tail swipe now feature alternate versions, one with a spiraling movement and another mixed with a lunge. Likewise, the usual chain of fireballs will also introduce new variants, one where she launches a larger fireball followed by a blue flame AoE attack, and another similar one where she flees and launches a massive blue fireball. Needless to say, they both hit very, very hard.
The general idea in this fight is to avoid being attacked or hit by her venomous tail swipe, so always try to stay on her sides and otherwise reposition as quickly as possible. Her flaming attacks are usually pretty avoidable, but don’t get too comfortable because she’s fast and her AoE attacks will surprise you at the least expected moment. In short, keep the offense on her flanks and keep your distance carefully when you see her mouth light up with blue flames.
Gold Rathian – drops and materials
Gold Rathian drops the following items after breaking parts or defeating in battle:
- Gold Rathian Shards
- Golden Rathian Cortex
- Gold Rathian Weave
- Golden Rathian Surspike
- advice shine
- Rathian Ruby
- Rathian Mantle