Rajang is the new monster that arrived with the first free DLC in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. He is a tough opponent that primarily causes problems for newer players. We give you tips on how to defeat him.
Where can I find Rajang? The first free monster from Iceborne can be found in the Guiding Lands. To enter this endgame area of MHW, you must complete the Iceborne expansion. The quest for Rajang is then available from the Field Expert or at the Quest Board under “Special Assignments”:
- Quest Name: Noble Pride
- Location: Guiding Lands
- Task: Kill a Kirin
- Time Limit: 50 minutes
- Master Rank: 24 or higher
What are Rajang’s weaknesses? Unfortunately, Rajang is a really strong and healthy ape, which is why most status values and elements have little effect against him.
- Element Weaknesses:
- Fire 0
- Water 1
- Thunder 0
- Ice 3
- Dragon 0
- Status Weaknesses:
- Poison 1
- Sleep 1
- Paralysis 1
- Explosion 2
- Stun 1
His only real weakness is ice, which you should focus on when choosing your weapons and in the fight. The weapons of the Elder Dragon Velkhana may not be the best in the game, but they are definitely the best when it comes to ice damage.
Your monster directory will also tell you that he has weak points on his head and tail.
Before the Fight
These items are useful: To prepare properly for the fight against Rajang, you should first have the following armor skills in your arsenal:
- Health Boost
- Shock Resistance
- Inner Eye
- Earplugs
These skills will make surviving Rajang’s attacks easier. Especially Health Boost and other items that increase your maximum health are useful, as the ape can easily take a hunter out with a single attack.
Also, bring the following items:
- Pitfall Traps
- Shock Traps
- Flash Bombs
- Bomb Pods
- Slinger Ammo for the grappling hook
- Dodge Mantle or Guard Mantle
As a meal before setting off, you can:
- Felyne Cutter
- Felyne Defender / Safeguard
- Or try Felyne Protector
Many Hits and Much Pain
These are Rajang’s three forms: Rajang has three different “forms” that he will switch between during the fight:
- Normal: His fur is black
- Angry: His fur turns golden
- Boosted: His fur is golden and his arms turn red
His strength increases depending on the form, and some of his resistances also depend on that. So it’s essential to know how to act during the different forms.
- In his normal form, Rajang is immune to most traps, such as pitfall traps. Shock traps, however, work well against him.
- For his angry form, the opposite is true: Shock traps are destroyed by him. Pitfall traps, on the other hand, are a good choice.
Rajang’s third form, during which his arms glow red, deals the highest damage. Additionally, your weapon will bounce off his arms unless you have the skill Inner Eye equipped. Thus, you should try to prevent the ape from staying in this form for too long.
To do this, you need to attack Rajang’s tail. If the tail takes enough damage, the ape’s arms will return to normal. This works even if the tail does not break or if it is already broken.
It may happen that he also exits the rage mode in the process, but this is not consistent.
What attacks does he use? The first thing you’ll notice in the fight against Rajang is that he hardly ever stays still. The beast is constantly jumping, racing, and is generally quite hyperactive. Therefore, it can be challenging to find an appropriate window to land some attacks and deal damage.
Rajang can:
- Jump high and dive down
- Kick behind him with his legs
- Spit a lightning beam
- Deliver multiple hits in succession
- Dive flat on the ground and cause a shockwave
- Spin around and deal blows while doing so. It can go in both directions
- Jump high and slam both arms on the ground, causing an explosion
- Rush across the battlefield, knocking over everything in his path
- Grab the player and squeeze them
- Jump while spitting a thunder ball. This is usually only used when standing far away from him
- Grab the ground beneath your feet and throw you off
He thus has a wide variety of different attacks that cover all distances. He often performs multiple of these attacks in quick succession.
For example, he can perform the dive attack from above, immediately follow up with multiple hits in front of him, and finish with the lightning beam, which, amusingly, does not deal thunder damage. Therefore, try to stand behind Rajang after the dive.
In general, the rule for Rajang’s jumping attacks is that he will hit the spot where you were when he jumped up. Often, there is very little time to move away from there, but it is a reliable guide for timing his attacks.
Being stunned during a fight against Rajang can be a death sentence. Therefore, try to avoid this as much as possible by using the right skills and items.
Also, try to fight the ape in open areas and stay away from walls, as he can otherwise corner you.
Time Windows for Damage and the Dangers of the Clutch Claw
These are the time windows for damage: Good time windows for counterattacks are primarily provided by traps. As mentioned above, you must be careful to use the right traps in the right forms against Rajang.
Aside from that, here are the options to deal damage:
- During his lightning attacks: Rajang stands still and shoots thunder from his mouth
- After he dives flat on the ground: Normally, this attack would stun you, but with the skill Shock Resistance, you can simply dodge and have time to attack him. One point in Shock Resistance is enough for that.
- After breaking a body part or knocking him out of Boosted mode, he will be stunned.
Rajang is also vulnerable to explosions and stun damage, which you can use to your advantage.
These are the dangers of the Clutch Claw: The Clutch Claw has become very popular since the release of Iceborne and is actively used by many hunters. However, when it comes to Rajang, you need to pay close attention to when you use it. He can counter it.
If you use the claw within Rajang’s line of sight, he will grab you and slam you to the ground. This is quite painful and can take you out of action with a single blow if you are unlucky.
You cannot latch onto his head or directly onto his tail, the two weak points of Rajang. However, it is sufficient to hit his hind legs and arms. Your hunter will automatically attack the weak points of the ape.
Good luck hunting!
Thanks to our reader MrTriggahigga for his help in creating the guide.
