Any tips on fighting flying monsters?

[Guizin]

flash pods only bring them down once.

[Dagný]

Alatreon Dominator

[Cuddly]

Mount them or wall bang them. Flashs genrally work multiple times but get worse every time you use them on the same monster. Some monsters are resistant to falling down either while they are rage or just in general. If you have iceborne using lance and the claw counter helps alot with getting damgae in without risking to much. else i would suggest using either ig or a weapon with long reach like ls or gs as you can still hit them and stagger them in the air. If you need advice on specific monsters you can add me if you want

[lexilogo]

The Clutch Claw can bring them down via a wallbang if they aren't enraged, or even just give you an opportunity to attack them while they're airborne. (many claw attacks deal respectable damage, they just can't be worked into a regular damage rotation)

Most flying monsters, with the exceptions of ultra-trash monsters like Kushala, have parts of their aerial movesets expose them to melee attacks from the ground. I recommend using any environmental features nearby to get airborne, as this gives you a chance to get mounts as well as the regular chance to knock monsters out of the skies when you attack them while flying.

Slinger shots can actually be effective on monsters in the air, primarily monster pods. Piercing Pods or bomb pods will flinch them, and slinger thorns, if you can attach them to the monster's head (maybe consider a flinch shot straight to the face via the clutch claw) are especially effective because you can potentially net some KO damage out of the deal afterwards.


Some flying monsters like Rathalos also gain a chance to fail at going airborne if you break any of their wings. (note: this never overrides rathalos' free takeoff it gets whenever it enrages, so be aware of that. I recommend for raths wallbanging twice at the start of the fight, THEN using a flash pod for their first enrage)

It's also worth noting that Flash Pod immunity in MR does lower over time. I think it takes something like 7-10 minutes for it to dissipate entirely.


Also, this is just a random thought I haven't tested, but I'm wondering about Smoke Bombs being used as a strategy to counter flying monsters. I'm pretty sure monsters do have "searching" behaviours while remaining airborne, but even if they do, if you combined that with some Bounce Bombs while they're close to your position... I might have to test that. It's an inventory gimmick, but maybe one worth trying.

[Guizin]

Originally posted by grobin997:

Mount them or wall bang them. Flashs genrally work multiple times but get worse every time you use them on the same monster. Some monsters are resistant to falling down either while they are rage or just in general. If you have iceborne using lance and the claw counter helps alot with getting damgae in without risking to much. else i would suggest using either ig or a weapon with long reach like ls or gs as you can still hit them and stagger them in the air. If you need advice on specific monsters you can add me if you want

flash only works once i think. at least for master rank paolumu.

[Juliane_L]

Headsnipe them.

[Formous]

I usually prefer my glaive for air borne enemies, since I can chase them.

[kampfer91]

Generally speaking , breaking the wing make the monster fight on the ground longer . And truth be told , i only saw Paolumu , rathalos and kushala spend a lof of theirs time flying .

[Dena Beloved]

Originally posted by lexilogo:

Also, this is just a random thought I haven't tested, but I'm wondering about Smoke Bombs being used as a strategy to counter flying monsters. I'm pretty sure monsters do have "searching" behaviours while remaining airborne, but even if they do, if you combined that with some Bounce Bombs while they're close to your position... I might have to test that. It's an inventory gimmick, but maybe one worth trying.

I know smoke works for Alatreon & Fatalis at least, in this way.
Searching may either be random, or if you were not quick enough to set it up. They're best set up when they start the animation that leads them to be flying, from what I've seen. Even if the animation is Fatalis swooping down after using a nova, into his flying position.

One can also use smoke bombs when Fatalis roars, which lead to the beast simply looking for you for a matter of seconds if done correctly. Just replace "roar" with the flying startup animation and it's the same thing.

Given the details, I don't see why it wouldn't work for other monsters. May just come down to timing being different for quicker monsters.

[Kawalorn]

Originally posted by Guizin:

flash only works once i think. at least for master rank paolumu.

It has a cooldown in MR. You can shoot it down again after few minutes. Also second time before cooldown will blind them still, just without falling, and most monsters have to land to recover from it.

Using Charge Blade I can for the most part ignore their flying and just keep hitting them. Except for Kushala who flies way too high.

[arcmos]

CC (crowd control) them : start the fight by wallbanging with the claw (use a flinching ammo like bomb pod/thorn pod/crystalburst and while it flinch claw the head)-> dps -> 2nd wallbang -> dps -> It enrages -> mount -> dps -> flash if it tries to fly -> dps -> wait for the enrage to end and repeat the process.

Add in some status procs :
-sleep reset the enraged state which provide a free wake up wallbang (bonus points if you put bombs next to the wall).
-para and stun is just more dps.

[DaBa]

Flash pod -> clutch claw -> flash pod -> clutch claw -> .....

[GladiatorDragon]

Learning a ranged weapon is one of the easiest solutions. However, if you still want to use Melee, here's my recommendations:

Go for the wall-smash whenever possible,

When enraged, use flash pods, or go for a mount.

Break the wings (breaking them will reduce frequency of flight, but will not fully prevent them from taking to the air)

Use the environment. Dropping rocks on a flying monster will usually send it crashing to the ground, with a few exceptions.

If you can Clutch Claw to their head with a blunt weapon, there's also a good chance of a KO sending it to the ground if you do it enough.

There's also the option of waiting it out, or striking vulnerable parts (such as Rathalos' dangling tail). Using large weapons with the ability to perform vertical swings is also a valid option.

[Persona Au Gratin]

Smoke Bombs and Ghillie Mantle will absolutely make flying monsters land, it's a good strategy if the monster is flying. Using traps when the monster lands is one option, if the monster spots you you can expect a roar.

Against monsters like Kushala Daora, if this still creates an agonizing pace, I highly recommend making a Bowgun.