Monster Hunter Rise players are tasked with taking on some of the biggest and nastiest monsters in this beloved Capcom series so far, especially after its Iceborn-esque expansion, Sunbreak, came out. But, it's not as cut and dry as simply finding the monster and slamming the attack button until it dies. Sure, sometimes it can be, at least in the early game, but there is also the method of capturing monsters, whether this is required as part of a Quest or Sidequest or just because it lets the player get through the hunt a bit faster. The viability of capturing vs. hunting monsters in these games has differed from entry to entry, but what about in Rise?

Related
20 Best Video Game Armors
As great as video game heroes are, flesh and blood are never strong enough to finish the mission. Here are the video game armors that are iconic.

It's a commonly debated topic in the Monster Hunter fanbase, especially on the concept of what a group of online players should 'default' to without communicating about it first. So, let's go over the merits of both Capturing and Killing Monsters in Monster Hunter Rise to see which one is more viable overall.

Updated October 1st by Jacob Buchalter: Despite all the changes Monster Hunter Rise has gone through over the years, from Title Updates to new monster additions and more, the core gameplay remains the same (that even includes Monster Hunter Now). But, has the 'meta' of capturing or killing monsters changed at all? With the constant addition of new quality-of-life features or Skills that streamline certain aspects of the game, has Capcom at all modified the rewards for either option? Well, let's take another look, spanning across all the updates, and see whether Killing or Capturing Monsters in Monster Hunter Rise is better.

Killing & Capture Methods Summary

Monster Hunter Rise - Sunbreak Press Kit Image Showing A Party Of People Fighting Garangolm-2

First off, let's go over what both of these methods are very quickly, how to capture (or kill) a monster, the differences between these methods, and their similarities. For those who don't have much experience in a Monster Hunter or monster-hunting game at all, this doesn't quite work how someone who plays standard hunting games would expect. If players do capture a monster, it's not like they get more money but fewer parts, they still get most of the same materials from the creature. So, what exactly are the differences?

Killing Monsters

Monster Hunter Rise - Slaying Quest Tutorial Explanation

To put it as simply as possible, this is the method of dealing damage to the monster until it, quite literally, falls over dead. After which, players will have about 60 seconds to carve the monster 3 times (4 for Elder Dragons like Velkhana) and have a chance with each carve to get one of the many possible materials this monster drops. However, keep in mind that in the menu details for each monster, it describes what parts drop from the beast during a part break, capturing, or carving it.

Then, after time is up and players are brought to the results screen, they get whatever Part Rewards came from breaking certain Parts of the monster in the battle as well as the Quest Rewards for that monster (which differs from monster to monster).

Capturing Monsters

Monster Hunter Rise - Monster Capture Tutorial Information

For the most part, the act of Capturing the monster progresses in mostly the same way as killing it, up until the last few minutes of combat. At a certain health threshold, a monster enters the 'capturable' state and will be seen limping or hobbling away when it changes locations. In past games, this was the only real signifier that the monster was low enough to be 'capturable'.

In Rise and Sunbreak, however, it's easier than ever (as a lot of things are in Rise). Basically, once the small blue "monster skull' icon appears over the monster on the mini-map or underneath their Target Icon on the top right-hand side of the screen, that monster is in a 'Weakened State' and is therefore capturable.

From there, players will need to use a trap (either Shock or Pitfall) on the monster and then hit them with two Tranq Bombs while they're trapped to put them to sleep. And that's it, the monster is captured. This whole concept of capturing is unique to Monster Hunter games, and even the titles that take inspiration from MH tend to ignore the whole concept of capturing monsters. After the Capture Success prompt pops up players will have around 15-20 seconds to gather any loose Materials on the ground before going to the results screen, where they'll get their Capture Rewards, their Quest Rewards (which pull from a slightly different 'pool' of parts when the monster is captured), and any Materials from breaking monster Parts. It's worth noting, however, that Elder Dragons specifically cannot be captured, and are usually immune to traps as well.

Similarities & Differences Between Killing & Capturing

Monster Hunter Rise - Press Kit Image Showing Hunter Fighting Tetradon

Now, let's get into the real meat of the argument, what exactly are the differences between Capturing and Killing the monster? Why exactly would a player 'prefer' either method over the other?

Differences

Similarities

Killing takes longer.

Both count for general Hunt-type Quest Completion.

Killing has the Hunters 'Carve' the monster's corpse.

Both methods can still have players gaining Materials from Part Breaks or Cut Parts, such as the Tail.

From the monster kill to the Quest Rewards screen it takes about 60 seconds.

Both methods offer the same general number of Quest Rewards.

Killing requires fighting a monster in its more aggressive Weakened State.

Both methods require fighting the monster for an extended period of time.

Capturing is shorter overall.

Both methods follow most of the core gameplay loop of Monster Hunter Rise

Capturing costs Resources every time of 1 Trap (Shock or Pitfall) and 2 Tranq Bombs.

Both methods are equally fun in a co-op or multiplayer lobby.

Players only have sub 20 seconds from the Capture Success to the Quest Rewards screen.

Both methods reward players who learn the layout of the map and monster habits beforehand.

There's no carving the monster after capturing it.

N/A

Capturing allows players to skip the monster's Weakened State.

N/A

Both methods have different materials they might offer as Quest Rewards

N/A

Capturing and Killing have separate optional rewards such as the Special Goods Scrolls at the Argosy or Guild Card titles.

N/A

Elder Dragons & Apex Monsters aren't capturable.

N/A

As anyone can see, there are a lot more differences between these methods than there are similarities, which is common sense. But, because there are so many differences between them, it's not like either method 'works', one has to be better than the other. So, let's make arguments for both sides, just to play the devil's advocate so to speak.

Why Killing Is The Best Method

Monster Hunter Rise - Press Kit Image Showing Just After A Tobi Kadachi Is Hunted and Killed

In general, Killing the monster is just the easier option. When Killing, players don't need to worry about looking out for icons, bringing traps, or crafting Tranq Bombs. Additionally, killing the monster gives players more time to roam around in the 60 seconds before the Quest Rewards screen. Players can use this time to go mine a nearby Mining Outcrop, gather some nearby plants, or scavenge through a Bonepile. But, most importantly, this also gives them enough time to go around and pick up any loose materials monsters may have dropped during the battle.

When using Wyvern-Riding on one monster to make it hit another monster, a lot of parts can be knocked off between the two of them, and it's pretty counterproductive to pick those up mid 'boss fight'. Thankfully, this is what this 60-second period is for, as well as carving any cut-off tails or other carvable parts. Finally, while there are a few materials across all the monsters that are only rewarded on Capture, there are many more Carve-only materials, making Killing the more reliable material farming method. That is, unless players need a specific material that's only obtained after capturing said monster.

To quickly summarize the main points of why Killing is better:

Argument

Explanation

It's Less Complex

Less time preparing, fewer items that need to be brought in, and less focus needed to keep track of the monster's current HP.

More Time For After-Hunt Gathering

60+ seconds of time after the kill means players can farm other types of materials (Plants, Ore, Bones) after they finish their Carves.

More Kill-Based Drops Than Capture-Based Ones

While Capturing a monster technically gives players access to all three types (Kill, Broken Part, and Capture materials), Killing the monster has more possible rewards on average.

Why Capturing Is The Best Method

Monster Hunter Rise - Closeups Of Two Sandy Plains Monsters Sleeping After Capture

Now, why is Capturing the best method? Well, the primary reason is that it's a safer method of getting through a tough battle. Say, for example, a group goes up against something like Basarios (an all-time classic monster), and over the course of the fight they use up two of their available 'Carts'. In this situation, Capturing the Basarios may be the difference between passing or failing the Quest as the additional 3-5 minutes of combat could cause another player to accidentally die and fail the Quest for everyone, which wouldn't exactly be the definition of 'co-op fun'.

Additionally, a lot of monsters seem to be extra aggressive once they're in the Weakened State, as most cornered animals tend to be, so it's even more dangerous than usual to fight the monster in this state. And for the final reason, it's just quicker. Capturing a monster as soon as it enters its Weakened State can save anywhere from 1 minute's worth of time to 10, depending on the monster and how often it likes to run away. Not only that but because players don't need to carve afterward and the time between the Capture and the Quest Reward screen is less than 20 seconds, it's a much less tedious route for players who like to do a lot of hunts in one session of this beloved Nintendo Switch RPG.

To summarize the main arguments in favor of Capturing:

Argument

Explanation

It's Safer

Less time fighting the monster equals fewer opportunities to get knocked out.

It's Faster

Less combat time, less 'carve time' afterward, and less time until the Results screen.

It Has Different Rewards

Killing = Carve & Broken Part Rewards. However, Capturing can equal all three (Carve, Capture, Broken Part) if players cut a part of a monster off mid-battle.

Which One Is Best?

Monster Hunter Rise - Joining Someone Mid-Quest Through Join Request

And now for the final answer that players are looking for when it comes to which one is 'better' overall. And, unceremoniously, it's neither of them and also both of them. There really isn't enough of a Reward-based reason for either method, and it really comes down to a player-by-player preference basis based on what materials they currently need for the Armor Set they're aiming to build. However, with every Monster Hunter game, a 'default' is naturally formed by the player base.

This is the method that the community seems to default to without any sort of communication between any of the members in a hunt. And, in Monster Hunter: Rise, Capturing seems to be the default. It wasn't put to a vote or anything like that, but enough people just started doing it that it eventually picked up steam and became 'common courtesy' to capture the monster unless otherwise asked or specified by the host of the hunt. All that said, the real definitive answer is this: It's whatever the host of the lobby wants. If they shout out (verbally or audibly) to kill the Monster, kill it. If they shout to Capture it, let them Capture it or even help out if necessary.

The Monster Hunter community, in general, is pretty wholesome and friendly, so there aren't many circumstances where a host will ask for a certain result and the people who joined them do the opposite.

MORE: Great Games Where Your Decisions Truly Matter

Monster Hunter Rise

Franchise
Monster Hunter
Platform(s)
Switch , PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One
Released
March 26, 2021
Developer(s)
Capcom
Genre(s)
Action , RPG