Monster Hunter Rise Capture vs. Kill: Which Should You Do?

Monster Hunter: Rise, available now for Nintendo Switch and PC, is a high-intensity game of cat and mouse… or in this case, human versus beast.

You and your Palico (along with up to three of your friends) can take on these magical creatures, from the goofy Kulu-Ya-Ku, to the gargantuan Magnamalo. Your goal in the game is as the title states; to hunt these giant monsters that are threatening to destroy your village. When slain, they offer rewards that allow you to create and craft new weapons, armor, potions, and even items for your computer-controlled Palico and Palamute. Some monsters, however, grant different things when they are either slain or captured, and today, we are going to cover when you should kill, or capture them.

When to Capture or when to Kill?

The first thing that you should do at the beginning of any soon-to-be successful hunt is checking your Hunters Notes. When you check these notes, you’ll be able to navigate between Small Monsters, like the Jaggi, or the aforementioned Kulu-Ya-Ku to find out their reward drop rate. Crafting items and weapons require a certain amount of materials, which you obtain from either hurting and breaking off pieces from the monster, or by successfully slaying them. Certain monsters will offer a higher percentage chance of dropping your lusted after item if you capture them, while other times, slaying the beast is the best way to go.

Are there consequences to killing rather than capturing?

If you’re anything like myself, the thrill of the hunt gets you on the edge of your seat, after tracking down the monster that you’ve eagerly awaited so long to fight. Locking on and brandishing your blade, you take the final swipe and reduce the monster to a carve-able prize, but you’re still missing that one specific item that you need to make the next set of armor that you’ve been eyeing up.

That’s because certain rewards have a better chance of being obtained if you capture, compared to kill. Let’s look at the Barioth, for example; there is a 31% chance of obtaining a Barioth Pelt while doing a capture, while there is only a 25% chance of getting one during a kill.

On the opposite side of the coin, however, there is a 20% chance of getting a Barioth Spike through a carve after a kill, while there is only a measly 9% chance of getting it during a capture.

How should I play?

Taking the time to browse through your Hunters Guide at the beginning of the hunt is a great tool to learn not only what your greatest strengths and weaknesses against a certain beast are, but they also help you learn what your best chance of getting an item is. If that spectacular coat of arms that you’ve been waiting to get your hands on is just out of reach, make sure to pop that menu open and give it a browse, so you can strut your stuff in your shiny new armor with your brand new weapon. Happy hunting!

For more help with Monster Hunter: Rise, be sure to check our guide section, and be sure to check out our review for the recently released PC Port.