How to Capture Monsters

Learn the essential steps to capture monsters in Monster Hunter Rise. Discover the traps, tranq bombs, and strategies needed to successfully bring down your quarry.

Alright, hunter! So you want to learn how to capture monsters instead of just KO'ing them? It's a super useful skill, and honestly, once you get the hang of it, it's pretty straightforward. Think of it like Pokémon, but with way cooler monsters and much bigger swords. Let's break down what you need and how to do it.

Preparations for Capture

Before you even think about heading out, you need to make sure you've got the right gear. There are two main things you'll need:

Traps

Traps are your best friends when it comes to capturing. You use them from your item pouch, and your hunter will kneel down to place it. This takes a few seconds, so make sure you're not in immediate danger when you do it!

We highly recommend keeping both a Pitfall Trap and a Shock Trap with you at all times. While they function pretty much the same, a tiny handful of monsters might be immune to one type, so having options is key.

You can sometimes get traps as quest rewards, but most of the time, you'll be crafting them. The main ingredient you'll need is a Trap Tool, which you can buy from the market or the guild shop. The other materials can be gathered out in the field or traded for.

Tranq Bombs

Now, monsters aren't exactly going to happily stay put in a trap. That's where Tranq Bombs come in! These are short-range bombs that release a gas to put the monster to sleep. If you're a ranged hunter, you can also use Tranq Ammo, but anyone can use the bombs.

You can – and absolutely should – carry a maximum of 8 Tranq Bombs with you. It's usually quicker to just buy these from the shops rather than crafting them.

The Capturing Process

Capturing might seem a bit tricky at first, but once you've done it a few times, you'll be a pro. Here's how it all goes down:

Weaken the Monster

This is the most crucial step. You need to weaken the monster significantly. If you try to trap a monster that's still full of fight, it'll just break free. In older games, figuring out the right moment was a bit of a gamble, but Monster Hunter Rise makes it much easier.

Keep an eye on what your Palico is saying on the right side of your screen during the fight. It can be tough to focus on dialogue when you're dodging attacks, but do your best! Eventually, your Palico will tell you when the monster is ready to be captured.

If you happen to miss that prompt, don't sweat it. There's another clear indicator: a blue skull icon will appear below the monster's health bar in the top right corner, and also near its icon on the mini-map. If the fight feels like it's dragging on, try to glance at the top-right corner whenever you get a brief moment to breathe.

Set Your Trap

Once you know the monster is weak enough, don't just rush in blindly. Try to put some distance between you and the monster. Then, open your item pouch (using and /) until you have either the Pitfall or Shock Trap selected.

Wait for a safe moment – maybe the monster isn't looking at you, or it just finished a big attack with a long recovery. Then, press to place the trap. Try to put it in an area where you have plenty of space to maneuver.

After you've placed the trap, you need to get the monster to step into it. Usually, the monster will notice you and come charging. Your job is to cleverly lure it towards the trap. If the monster isn't actively fighting you and hasn't seen you, you could try baiting it with meat, but that usually takes longer. Luring it is generally the safest bet.

Important Note: You can only have one trap active at a time. If the monster leaves the area after you've set a trap, you can't just go set another one elsewhere. However, if you go up to an existing trap and press , you can destroy it. You won't get the materials back, but you'll be free to set a different type of trap. A more efficient way to lure a monster back to a trap is by using a Stinkmink (found under Hunting Helpers on your map) when you're near the monster; it'll follow you like a lost puppy.

Use Your Tranq Bombs/Ammo!

The moment the monster steps into the trap, it'll be stuck there for a little while. As soon as you can, start chucking your Tranq Bombs or firing your Tranq Ammo at it. If you're using Tranq Bombs from your item pouch, it's super helpful if you've placed them in your quick slots so you can access them with just a couple of presses of and /.

Generally, using 2 Tranq Bombs or Tranq Ammo is all it takes for the monster to fall asleep and be successfully captured. If you happen to miss a throw or shot, you might need to use one or two more, but that's usually the magic number.