Speed Monsties: Strengths & Weaknesses
Speed Monsties are the agile skirmishers of your team in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, characterized by their high evasion, quick attack animations, and ability to exploit openings. Their primary strength lies in their ability to outmaneuver opponents, dodge incoming attacks, and strike rapidly, often before the enemy can react. When facing opponents with a Speed stance, Speed Monsties gain a 20% damage bonus and have an increased chance to land critical hits. This makes them excellent for initiating combat, harassing enemies, and capitalizing on the mistakes of slower foes. A well-timed Speed attack from a Barioth can often interrupt an enemy's charge before it even begins.
When building a Speed Monstie, focus on skills that enhance their evasion, critical hit rate, and overall speed. Skills like Evasion +3, which provides a 25% chance to dodge all incoming attacks, or Critical Eye +3, increasing critical hit chance by 20%, are highly beneficial. For elemental damage, consider skills like Ice Attack +5 or Dragon Attack +5, as many Speed Monsties possess affinities for these elements. The Barioth, for instance, is a prime example of a Speed Monstie that excels with Ice-based attacks and skills that boost critical hits. Their main weakness is often against Power attacks, which can break through their evasive maneuvers and deal significant damage if they are caught out of position. A charging Anjanath can easily punish a Speed Monstie that fails to dodge.
A common mistake when using Speed Monsties is assuming their high evasion makes them invincible. While they can dodge many attacks, powerful Power attacks or area-of-effect abilities can still hit them, and they often have lower base HP and defense compared to Power Monsties. Over-reliance on evasion without considering enemy attack patterns can lead to them being overwhelmed. For example, a monster with a wide-reaching sweep attack might catch multiple Speed Monsties even if they attempt to dodge. It's crucial to understand when to attack and when to prioritize evasion. Pairing a Speed Monstie with a Monstie that can draw aggro or provide defensive buffs can help mitigate their inherent fragility. For instance, a Rathalos, a Speed Monstie, can use its high mobility to avoid attacks, but if it's targeted by a Deviljho's Power attack, it will suffer heavy damage unless supported.