Published , by Bill Lavoy
Published , by Bill Lavoy
Rajang is one of the most powerful and intimidating monsters in Monster Hunter World, and this beast is finally hitting the PC version of the game. Players who own the Iceborne expansion and have completed the main Iceborne story to unlock the Guiding Lands will be able to take on Rajang, creating some crafting opportunities for new armor and weapons. Here’s what you need to know to take on Rajang, including his weaknesses.
Rajang is only truly weak to the Ice element, but there are other elements and ailments that can be used. Some are more effective than others. Check out the list below to see what Rajang is weak to and immune to:
Ice is obviously the go-to option here, and as a Great Sword wielder I might take Rajang as an opportunity to bust out my Xiphias Gladius, the fully upgraded version of the Frozen Speartuna and Freezer Speartuna.
Besides smashing you to bits with raw power, Rajang will deal only Thunder damage and Thunderblight. This means you can eliminate this problem with a single charm. Blight Charm 3 is an option, but so is the Thunder Charm 3. There’s also the Thunderproof Mantle to consider, but if you’re not concerned with Thunderblight you could always use your mantle and charm slots for other purposes. If you’d rather go that route, just bring a stack of Nulberry and pop those suckers like candy to eliminate Thunderblight.
It’s important to understand the different states Rajang has and what changes to its body mean. When a fight begins, Rajang will have dark fur all over its body. As it becomes enraged, that fur will turn gold and its arms will power up. Rajang, like most monsters, is especially dangerous when enraged.
Hunters should focus their attention on the head and tail, as those are the two weak points on Rajang. All weapon types have a three-star rating on the head -- meaning they are all very effective -- and a two-star rating on the tail, meaning they are fairly effective. Rajang’s arms can also be broken, but they are not listed as we weak point. Focus attacks on the head and tail as Rajang’s arms will become hardened in its enraged state, meaning most attacks will bounce off them.
Because Rajang is an Iceborne addition, players should use the Clutch Claw to mount the monster, making their way to its shoulder, and then using the Flinch Shot to send it crashing into walls. This will knock the monster over and give players a good opportunity to land massive damage. Note that you cannot mount Rajang’s head with the Clutch Claw, so the shoulder is the spot to initiate the Flinch Shot from.
Lastly, be aware of Rajang’s immunity to traps. When Rajang is not enraged, Shock Traps are the only way to trap it to deal damage, Pitfall Traps will not work. When Rajang is enraged, Shock Traps are ineffective and only Pitfall Traps will work. Deploy either one at the wrong time and Rajang will simply destroy it.
There are several moves to watch out for from Rajang. Knowing how to identify the signs that one is about to be used is key. Learn Rajang’s tells in order to avoid its attacks.
Smash - Rajang has a forearm smash or slam, telegraphed when Rajang reaches its arms above its head, standing on its back legs. If this happens, Rajang will then slam down into the ground, dealing massive damage to anything it hits, but also creating a ground tremor. This tremor can stun a hunter and see them vulnerable for a follow-up attack.
Fists of Fury - Another attack Rajang has looks like fists of fury. Rajang will throw huge haymaker punches, alternating its left and right arms, while pushing forward. Imagine Mike Tyson walking you down, throwing alternating haymakers, and you kind of know what this is like. He deploys it incredibly fast, too, so it’s tough to see coming.
Flying Somersault - Watch out for when Rajang shoots himself into the air, as he’ll come barreling back down to the ground, typically at the location of a targeted hunter. This move is basically a somersault, so if you see him fly off your screen, roll out of the way before he lands. What goes up must come down. If Rajang is enraged, he will do this move three times in quick succession.
Gotcha - This is a bad way to go Hunter, so be careful if you’re standing in front of Rajang. This monster will run forward and grab you, throw you, then follow up with a devastating punch. If you are hit by all of this that’s probably a cart, so once Rajang throws you, get ready to roll out of the way at your first chance.
Spin-o-Rama - Rajang has an attack that begins similar to his smash, only he won’t raise his arms all the way above his head. It’s more like a muscle flex, followed by the monster darting forward and spinning in a clockwise direction. When this happens it’s important to avoid Rajang’s left arm, as that is the arm he will swing as he spins.
Frickin’ Laser - If you watched Austin Powers, you’ll get why I called this attack what I did. Rajang will shoot a laser straight in front of him. Once he fires it, the beam won’t move so as long as you get out of the way there should be no trouble avoiding damage. The tell for this attack is Rajang standing on his hind legs and almost shaking his body, after which the laser will fire.
Fireball - This move is cool. Rajang will jump in the air, bring his knees up and his elbows down, and then shoot a fireball across the map. There’s not much to this except knowing when its coming so you can get out of the way. Dodging left or right seems to be the way to go, as rolling forward is likely to see you take a hit just the same.
Super Smash - This is the one that will most likely kill a hunter in one shot. If the first move Rajang uses is a smash, this is a super smash. It is only used by Rajang when he’s enraged, so you don’t have to worry about it the entire fight. Basically, though, the monster will leap into the air and smash back down with both arms. If he hits you, that’s probably a free trip back to the nearest camp.
Big thanks to a great video by Arekkz Gaming for the detailed explanations of the moves. I’ve named them differently, but his video was vital in the creation of this guide. It’s embedded above for you to watch to see each one in action. I highly recommend you study it once you’re done reading this.
That’s it, hunters, you are now all caught up on the weakness and combat strategies for Rajang, the most intimidating monster in the game. You can follow along with all our coverage using the Monster Hunter World guide we have going.