Monster Hunter Rise: Rampage guide

New to Monster Hunter Rise are Rampage Quests. These new Rampage Quests are special quests that require hunters to fight off waves of monsters using various types of Weapon Installations (think of it like a tower defense game). Rampages are important to finishing the story of Monster Hunter Rise, as well as grinding for those very important materials when crafting Talismans.

Rampages are more than meets the eye, and if you want to maximize your rewards, you're going to want to prepare accordingly — so man your weapons, secure the gates, and get ready to fight off waves of angry monsters. Here's everything you need to know about Rampages in Monster Hunter Rise.

What are Rampages?

Rampages are tower defense-like quests where you and three other hunters (if you're doing multiplayer) work together to defend Kamura Village from waves of monsters. These quests are much different than your typical hunts, as they all take place in the Stronghold. The Stronghold is where you'll prepare installations and fight the monsters.

Rampages are broken into waves, each one increasing in difficulty. To complete a Rampage, hunters must not allow the monsters to destroy the final gate into Kamura Village. To stop the monsters, hunters will need more than just their weapons. In Rampages, there are different weapon installations that hunters can make use of. They are:

Manned Installations

Ballistae installations that are quick-moving, quick shooting long range weapons with high accuracy. They're best suited for fast-moving foes or for targeting specific body parts, though they may not be the best choice against monsters with thick hides.

Cannons fire shells in an arc that explode on impact, causing AOE damage in the process. They're good for clearing out groups of enemies and for targeting enemies at medium range. The downside to the cannon's power is that it's also incredibly fragile.

Machine Cannons are essentially Gatling guns that deal quick, continual damage and are best for close-range assaults or targeting individual targets. The effectiveness also depends on a target's hide thickness.

Automatic Installations

You can also install the same installations and have them manned by an NPC. They all fire at a fixed range and will be removed automatically once they're out of ammo.

Defender Ballistae will fire Defender Wyvernblast which sticks to foes and explode when struck by hunters or other Installations if your Stronghold level is high enough.

Defender Ballistae will fire Defender Thunder Ammo, which cast Thunderblight on monsters if your Stronghold level is high enough.

The Wyvernfire Artillery automatically fires in a straight line, torching everything in its path. Its aim and ammo type can be changed once mounted. Choose between an Incendiary Round, which explodes into a fireball upon impact, or a Column of Flame, which pierces through monsters.

Bamboo Bombs are bombs that explode automatically once a monster has come near. They can't be set up on higher platforms.

Limited Installations

Only a certain number of these Installations can be set up during a Rampage Quest.

Dragonbait is an Installation that attracts nearby monsters. Perfect for keeping monsters away from doors and for setting monsters up for huge attacks

Dragon Bait Warriors are more resilient versions of Dragonbait, and can take more damage.

Occasionally, you'll have the opportunity to summon one of the Warriors of Kamura, like Shrine Maidens Minoto and Hinoa, Yomigi the Chef, and even Fugen the Elder himself.

Other helpful hunting Installations

You'll find a couple of extra installations already built into the Stronghold. These are extremely powerful but come with an incredibly long cool-down.

Counter Gongs activate the Counter Signal that rallies hunters and raises their attack exponentially. When you hear the gong, draw your weapon and attack directly for tons of damage. The Gong's ability to raise attack increases with the Stronghold's level, so use it when Apex Monster appears. Counter Signals, which offer the same effect as the Counter Gong, happen throughout the Rampage and last longer than the Counter Gongs effect.

Dragonators are large, heavy-duty Installations that fire a massive lance, doing damage to any monster caught in its path.

Another heavy-duty installation, players can take control of the giant mortar to deliver a power shot. Make sure you use this on Apex Monsters.

Power Kilns help shorten the reloading time of heavy-duty installations. Vital to a successful defense.

Monster Types

Different Monster Types appear throughout the Rampage. You can tell the type by the icon over their head.

Stalkers focus on attacking hunters. They are marked by a red icon.

Targeters use ranged attacks to hit hunters. They are marked with a green icon.

Gate Crashers focus on destroying gates. They are marked with a blue icon.

Special monsters are marked with a pink icon and are different than any of the other monsters. Watch out for these!

Rampage Hordes

The groups of monsters attacking are called Hordes. Within the horde, you'll encounter monsters that are different than your average beast.

Ruffians are larger and tougher than the normal monsters that strike. Knock them out quickly to improve your Stronghold level.

The hordes of monsters will always be led by a Major Threat monster. This monster is larger and much stronger than the regular monsters and taking them down will net you lots of experience points for the Stronghold.

An Apex Monster is a devastatingly strong monster. Their punisher moves can quickly destroy Stronghold gates in minutes. If they appear on the field, target them immediately.

Sub-assignments

Aside from defeating the monsters, Hunters will be tasked with completing sub-assignments. Doing sub-assignments strengthens your Stronghold, as well as reward you with items. Even nicer, if you fail the Rampage, you can still keep any spoils earned from completed sub-assignments.

Your reward rank earned at the end of the Rampage is affected by how many objectives and sub-assignments you complete. The higher the rank, the better the payout.

Tips and Tricks

Rampages can be chaotic, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Here are a few tips to help you and your fellow hunters survive.

Once you install an Installation, you can remove it by standing near it and holding the A button. This way, you can swap in different Installations for different situations.

Like other hunts, Bunny Dango is an essential part of your Rampage preparation. Don't forget to eat!

I know it might be against what you've learned up to this point, but if a counterattack starts, jump off of your Installation and attack the monsters head-on. As long as the counterattack is in effect, you will be able to do massive damage to the monster.

Just like in normal quests, monsters can be stunned and mounted. Use the Wyverns to attack other monsters and stun them.

Throughout the fight, the monsters will drop temporary items that can only be used during the Rampage. Pick them up and use them against the monsters for some extra firepower.

Use your Wirebugs to quickly zip between Installations. It's faster than running and it'll keep you above the attacking monsters.

Monsters cannot be captured during a Rampage, so feel free to leave your Tranq Bombs and Traps in the Item Box.

NPCs are vital, especially if you're playing by yourself. They'll automatically lock onto the nearest enemy and won't stop attacking until they've run out of ammo.

After completing a Rampage, you'll earn Defender Tickets, which can be used to Ramp-Up your weapons. Head to the Smithy to see what skills you can add to your weapons.

Stop the Rampage

Completing Rampage Quests offer big rewards, and are great for grinding materials used for Talismans and Decorations. We're only just getting started with Monster Hunter Rise, and it's already one of the best games available on the Nintendo Switch.

Monster Hunter Rise is difficult, but it's worth learning. To help you on your way to becoming the greatest hunter who ever lived, be sure to check out 21 things that Monter Hunter Rise doesn't tell you, as well as these tips on proper multiplayer hunting etiquette.