Creatures come in all shapes and sizes in Monster Hunter Rise. Whether it’s the adorable brewhare that enhances the potency of items, or the flagship monster Magnamalo, whose purple blasts can end a hunt before it even gets started, the diversity of wildlife in the game is at times overwhelming. Knowing where to find a particular monster and how to take it down is a key component of success in Monster Hunter Rise, but with so many, it’s important to know where to look and what to do when found.

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The Great Izuchi is an early game monster. Definitely more threatening than the small monsters that roam the map, but nothing compared to the mighty Almudron. However, if players walk into a battle with a Great Izuchi without understanding where it likes to make its home, and what it’s capable of doing, then they will never be able to take their first big step into the larger world of monster hunting.

Finding and Defeating Great Izuchi in Monster Hunter Rise

Screenshot from the Monster Hunter Rise trailer

It’s valuable to know that Great Izuchis only hang out around the Shrine Ruins and the Frost Islands. They prefer drier, forested areas, but have been known to drift into shallow waters. It’s important for a hunter to pay attention to the monster icons on their map. That way they can track the movements of their prey and close in on it quickly.

As an early game monster, Great Izuchis are susceptible to a number of different status conditions. They’re most vulnerable to Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, and Exhaust. But a weapon that has high stun capabilities or the Blast element will work wonders as well. Really, the only thing that the Great Izuchi has any real defense against are blights, though even then, it can be somewhat weak to Thunderblight.

Great Izuchis travel around in packs. Where one wanders, two smaller Izuchis are bound to follow. And they all attack in perfect unison, which makes battling them extra dangerous. If a hunter isn’t careful, they could line up for a hit on the big monster, only to be side-swiped by one of its small lackeys. It also has a gnarly hook attached to the end of its whiplike tail, which it’s not afraid to use. One attack has the Great Izuchi spinning around almost like a top, slicing anything it comes in contact with. For its other major attack, the wyvern jumps and flips end over end, covering a huge amount of ground. When it slams down, it slices its tail into the ground, and any hunter unfortunate enough to be in the way will take a lot of damage.

Monster Hunter Rise lives and dies by the quality of the creatures it lets hunters interact with, and does a great job of introducing players to the types of encounters they can expect in the form of the Great Izuchi. It’s a tough fight, but not impossible. Patience, timing, and practice are key to taking one down.

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Monster Hunter Rise is available on the Nintendo Switch.