Monster Hunter Rise is the successful new entry in a long-running series. This popularity stems from satisfying improvements to the combat system and many quality-of-life changes that fans have welcomed with open arms. Monster Hunter Rise also does a great job of emphasizing a hunter's role in synergizing with the environment. Players who learn the lay of the land can accumulate useful stat buffs by interacting with Spiribirds, and they do so by utilizing a new item called a Petalace.
Petalace is a wearable equipment item that has never been seen before in Monster Hunter. It's sole purpose is to work in tandem with the Spiribird mechanic to give players control over their stats during a quest. There are four types of Spiribirds to be found all over the various hunting grounds: HP, Stamina, Attack, and Defense. Depending on which Petalace the hunter is wearing, the various stat buffs acquired from Spiribirds will be weighed more or less heavily. This guide will help players decide which Petalace to use for a build that works best for them.
Where to Get a Petalace
Players who are just getting started in Monster Hunter Rise won't have much choice in which Petalace to equip. By progressing through Monster Hunter Rise and completing various tiers of quests, players will eventually receive new Petalaces from Elder Fugen. There are a total of four Petalaces to collect. As further progress is made, these 4 varieties will be upgraded to become even more effective.
To choose a Petalace to equip, players can access the Change Equipment screen from an Item Box. For those who are at their wit's end with a difficult hunt, it's important to remember the important benefits of utilizing a Petalace. When a quest seems insurmountable, a clever hunter can equip a Petalace that prioritizes the stats they care about. Then they can spend time during the early stages of the quest tracking down Spiribirds to push their abilities to the max.
Every Petalace Explained
When examining the available Petalaces, the Equipment Info window will display the effects of a Petalace. This window shows the stat increases the can be expected when interacting with Spiribirds in the wild. The number next to "(Stat) Up" indicates the maximum amount that the stat can increase during a quest. If the Health Up value is 70, then the player can gain 70 additional HP by finding enough green Spiribirds. This also means that health will cap out after 70, no matter how many more green Spiribirds are found. The "(Stat) Gained" value indicates how much the stat will increase from each individual Spiribird.
Hunting Petalace
The Hunting Petalace is a good all-rounder. It offers a strong potential boost to Health and Stamina, and decent boost to Defense as well. This is a good choice for players who care about survivability, or who aren't ready to commit to one of the more dedicated Petalace choices. Those who care about damage above all else will likely choose a different option.
Strength Petalace
With the Strength Petalace, "strength" refers to physical endurance. This option provides the highest possible Health boost, and a really good Stamina boost too. The lack of Defense compared to the Hunting Petalace makes it a questionable choice for survivability, however. But with a higher Health Gained per Spiribird, this Petalace shines in situations where the player wants to grab a few stat boosts, but doesn't necessarily care about taking the time to completely max out during a quest.
Fortitude Petalace
Those who find themselves short on Stamina will find great use in the Fortitude Petalace. This choice will lead to the highest possible Stamina boost, but also the highest possible Defense boost out of all Petalaces. Players who want extra survivability will have to decide if they care more about the HP offered by the Hunting Petalace or the Defense offered by Fortitude. As for the players who tend to run around so much or attack so relentlessly that they often run out of stamina, the choice is obvious.
Demon Petalace
The Demon Petalace is all about damage. With the highest possible Attack boost among Petalaces, this option is for those who want to overwhelm their enemies and complete quests quickly. The Health and Defense boosts on this Petalace are quite low though, so players will need to embrace a "just don't get hit" mentality to make the most of this playstyle.
Preparing for quests is half the battle in Monster Hunter. Choosing the best Petalace for the desired strategy is one way to get a leg-up on unsuspecting monsters, but there are other forms of preparation that are just as important. Players who neglect to properly equip their Buddies will be missing out on important boons during battle. The hunter who thinks ahead will always keep failure at arm's length.
Monster Hunter Rise is now available for the Nintendo Switch. A PC release is slated for 2022.
