Previously in the base game of Monster Hunter Rise, Crimson Glow Valstrax was the final monster to be unlocked when players reached Hunter Rank 100. But with the release of the Sunbreak expansion, Valstrax has returned once more and will take less time to unlock, thankfully.
That said, it will still take players some time to be granted access to this elusive Elder Dragon. This guide will help Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak players unlock and defeat a Master-Rank Valstrax.
How To Unlock Crimson Glow Valstrax
This time around, players need to grind up to Master-Rank level 70 to unlock a Master-Rank Valstrax quest. While not as long as the first time, it'll still take some time to gain access to it. However, upon reaching MR 70, players will receive an Urgent Quest to defeat Valstrax once more.
Crimson Glow Valstrax receives virtually no changes in its advancement to the Master-Rank, besides increased health, defense, and attack. That's not necessarily a bad thing per say, as even without new moves, Valstrax can still put up one heck of a fight for most hunters. Nonetheless, discussing its strengths and weaknesses is still crucial before fighting it again at the Master level.
How To Defeat Crimson Glow Valstrax
Like High-Rank, Valstrax still retains a significant weakness to the Blast element while having minor weaknesses to Ice, Thunder, Water, and Fire. Unlike other Elder Dragons, Valstrax is not weak to the Dragon element in the slightest, so hunters should be wary of that. Valstrax's weakest areas are its head and chest, so hunters should prioritize breaking them first. In particular, breaking the chest of a Valstrax will weaken its Dragon element damage, alleviating some of the stress from the fight. That said, players should definitely stock up on Nullberries, as nearly all of Valstrax's attacks deal Dragon blight, which weakens the elemental damage players dish out.
Finally, there are a few moves players should keep an eye out for when fighting Valstrax. First is its Crimson Beam attack, which it will charge up and unleash, reaching a great distance and dealing massive Dragon damage against players. However, this can be easily avoided by evading in a different direction.
Secondly, players should try and avoid straying too far away from Valstrax; otherwise, it will perform its Rocket Dash attack, launching itself at high speeds toward a player. This attack is near impossible to dodge but can be avoided by sticking close to the beast, as mentioned.
Last but not least, when a player deals enough damage to it, Valstrax will fly into the sky and launch its Around The World Ultimate Attack. Valstrax will soar into the sky, just barely out of camera focus, and like a rocket, will come crashing down onto a hunter. Again, this attack is difficult to avoid due to its high speed, but it can be avoided with a proper dolphin dive.
Overall, if players were already experienced with fighting a Valstrax from base Monster Hunter Rise, they should have no problem fighting it at the Master level.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is out now for Nintendo Switch and PC.