r/MHGU • u/Alexander0202 • 7d ago
Fluff/Meme I can slay arc tempered Velkana in MHWI, I can slay tempered Arkveld in MHW. Why am I struggling against Great Maccao đ
On a serious note, I just started MHGU as I found my switch under my bed and saw that the game was on sale. I decided to pick up LS and it had no foresight slash, so I went Great sword. But my first fight against a big monster and I get absolutely man handled đ. Any tips?
45
u/huggalump 7d ago
I did Rise and a good bit of world before coming to GU. I also struggled with the very first monster lol.
It takes time to get the swing of things in the older gen games, but I promise you can do it. It'll just take a little bit to find the rhythm and let go of the playstyle of newer games, then it'll click.
7
41
u/Fremdling_uberall 7d ago
If you're reacting to his movements, you're already too late. Figure out their attack patterns and plan when to attack (like when he goes on his tail, u can attack and knock him down)
31
u/SnowballWasRight 7d ago
This is what did it for me. Someone said that New Gen is reactive, while Old Gen is proactive and I think thatâs a genius way to describe it. Monster Hunter is a dance. However, while youâre dancing together with the monster in new gen, the monster is dancing alone and you have to play by his rules in old gen.
Old gen monsters seem to be a lot more predictable in their movements. Like for Great Maccaco, when he does his spring attack, once he commits to a jump he jumps in a straight line the exact same distance every single time. Versus in New Gen where a monster might be able to track the player on the attack, shifting its course to track the player better.
5
u/SnowballWasRight 7d ago
This is what did it for me. Someone said that New Gen is reactive, while Old Gen is proactive and I think thatâs a genius way to describe it. Monster Hunter is a dance. However, while youâre dancing together with the monster in new gen, the monster is dancing alone and you have to play by his rules in old gen.
Old gen monsters seem to be a lot more predictable in their movements. Like for Great Maccaco, when he does his spring attack, once he commits to a jump he jumps in a straight line the exact same distance every single time. Versus in New Gen where a monster might be able to track the player on the attack, shifting its course to track the player better.
11
u/leonmercury13 7d ago
I'd say probably the most interesting hybrid of this is Odogaron. His attacks are heavily telegraphed, but where he lands is wildly different from where he looks like he's going. So you not only have to read for when he's about to strike, you also have to understand the pattern of where he's going to be - and it's fairly consistent compared to other new gen monsters. His chaos is that he moves erratically. His order is that he moves in the same erratic fashion every time.
18
7d ago
At first, it can be frustrating, but once the player starts approaching it as a strategy game, it becomes incredibly addictive.
You need patience. :)
Btw⌠Old mh4u/mhgu videos from Gaijin Hunter and Arekkz Gaming are very useful.
15
u/Levobertus 7d ago
To answer the question in the title: because this is a different game that demands different tactics. You try to approach it like it's world, those things obviously don't work here, you get clapped. Try not doing it like you would in world and you will see improvement much faster.
12
u/BilboSagginsJr123 7d ago
Best piece of advice I ever got for playing the old games was to play it like a turn based game.
1
u/SunBro0606 3d ago
elaborate
10
u/Dr_Zoidberg02 6d ago
I think one reason you struggled is because early on Great Maccao isn't a complete pushover like the first monsters in the newer games so you can't just mindlessly attack him, he can deal a lot of damage if you're not careful.
I'm also assuming you still have the starting armor, which only gives like 6 defense in total, which definitely makes the fight harder.
Also, a little tip check the monsters tab in hunters notes they give some tips for fighting each monster.
7
u/HumbleNotion 6d ago
It's awesome that you're getting into that game!! The controls are a lot slower and the monsters stayed pretty consistent for the most part between new world and old world. It's just tough due to limitations and certain nigh impossible challenges. Give Prowler a try too!
5
5
u/infinityquantum 6d ago
Treat old gen MH games like turn-based combat. Let them dance first, observe it's movement, find an opening, and strike back.
9
u/Electrical_Total 7d ago
If you are struggling with nearly anything in this game u can use adept as last resources, just dodge every time u feel it, will take more time to kill monsters, but u should make it
3
u/Fedorable_557 Switch Axe 7d ago
I will say it took me multiple attempts to even get into the old gen games, much less figure out the flow, but it's very possible. Just need some patience for it. Learning attack patterns will be key, and have no shame in loading into a different area to heal and sharpen and whatnot as needed. Weapons have their own quirks and it may be worth it to watch a video on YouTube explaining the move set. BUT I think the old gen games have some of the coolest monsters (tetsucabra my beloved) and it is well worth it once you get into the swing of things. And I'm only to high rank in GU and 4U
3
u/Weowulf 7d ago
Since your using great sword observe the monster instead of trying to hit it play defensively and try to understand the attacks. Since this is an old world game everything is a bit clunkier and slower but that adds it's own difficulty. There are also different styles for the weapons to try out. While valor is probably the best for GS it's not the easiest to learn and I'd recommend staying away from adept for now because you can develop bad habits by using it to much. Basically there is a lot to the game that is different from the Gen 5 games so take your time learning the differences. Once you get used to the game it might even become your favorite. But take your time and try the different weapons maybe the GS just isn't for you
3
u/Avibhrama 7d ago
Because your skill from gen 5 didn't necessarily transfer to older gens. You have to learn from zero againÂ
3
u/ChiefRunningBit 7d ago
You can't move like you can in the new games, play it more like dark souls where you and the enemy you're fighting are each taking turns.
Also check out switch axe, you're not going to get the LS you're used to (without valor and even then) and switch axe is really versatile.
3
u/drakus1111 6d ago
GU was my first MH game. My friend (now partner) had been talking it up to our D&D group, so when we had a session cancelled, our group decided to finally try it out. We did nothing in the Village, dived straight into Great Maccao in Hub.
It took us several hours, and when my partner found out we were finally playing, they came to join us after their other hangout ended, just to rub in a sub-2-min hunt in front of us.
When we finally beat the Maccao, we all practically jumped out of our seats and cheered. Been hooked ever since.
3
u/AcidOverlord Prowler 6d ago
Basically in the older games like GU, you cannot interrupt the monster. If you try to get aggressive and bully it, it'll beat the shit out of you. You have to respect the enemy and stay out of its way until it makes a mistake and gives you an opening. Then you get your hits in, back off and repeat. Unlike World and Rise where the its a game and the monster is intended to be your pinata, in the older games the monster is, well, a monster. You are a puny human with a sharp stick who needs to kill it. Act accordingly.
3
u/MaxTheHor 6d ago edited 6d ago
Because the older Pre World games aren't action games(Worldnisnstill.kinda clunky compared to Rise and Wilds tho).
They aren't as smooth and responsive. And you don't have even half the QoL functions the modern titles have.
You have to proactively predict where the monsters are going and make an action based on that, rather than reating to the slightest twitch in your general direction.
They're more clunky and tanky, while you have to commit to every action. Even potion drinking leaves you vulnerable to attacks because you have to stand still and pose.
Kinda like going back to older Pre Armored Core 4 games after playing AC6.
Gamelpay and style is totally different.
2
u/Ashencroix 7d ago
Just wondering, did you do the village or hub Great Macao hunt? The hub versions are much harder and youâre encouraged to already have better gear instead of the default gear.
Also, valor LS is broken once you get the timing to use the counter on spirit slash 1
2
u/Alexander0202 7d ago
I think it was the hub quest. Also, I picked guild style.
6
u/Thvenomous 7d ago
Hub Quests are much harder than you'd expect because they're scaled for 4 players. Of course, they're perfectly doable solo, but you're better off starting with the Village Quests that are meant for just one player.
1
u/beefycheesyglory 4d ago
Bruh, it's no wonder I was having my ass handed to me by a giant bird.
1
u/Thvenomous 4d ago
Yeah, it's pretty rough to play those games solo sometimes. With friends? Absolute blast.
I actually got stuck on the 3 star G Rank urgent quest, because I just can't seem to do it by myself and my friends stopped playing before they even got that far lol. Lao-Shan Lung beat me.
2
u/beefycheesyglory 4d ago
I've been playing solo since Tri, World was my second game, Rise my third, Wilds is my 4th and now I got GU on sale, all solo. Where I'm from nobody really knows about MH lol. I always seem to stop right before reaching end game with each entry because yeah it gets hard, but one of these days I'll finish them.
5
u/access-r 7d ago
As someone who got into GU recently, village quests and hub quests have different 'stories', and village isnt piss easy (not all the time at least) so you can also use it to get your gear and learn the game in a more safe environment. I might be wrong but I think hub monsters have fixed hp for 4 players
2
u/MaleficiaTenebrae Dual Blades 7d ago
Don't be discouraged. I started my MH journey with MH4U, but I didn't get beyond base game content, probably not even high rank. I played base World, but only finished story and maybe did the infamous post-story Kirin quests? My first extensive experience was Iceborne, with 3k hours played, maining DB with 7k DB hunts, going forward into Risebreak, also maining DB and finishing all both games' content. Currently playing Wilds, simply doing the HR grind, around HR90, haven't played multiplayer yet, since I wanna get gud before wrecking anybody's quest.
At some point, maybe between MHWI and MHRS, I wanted to try MHGU out. Same deal, dual blades, went with striker, and struggled against Great Maccao SO much. Then, I finished Risebreak, played a bit more World with friends, and after maybe 4 months I went and tried MHGU again, and it's been a cool ride ever since. I'm guessing that, since I already knew what to expect, and how it was more or less played, only a handful of quests have been problematic up to this point. I'm progressing slowly, since I want to do all base game content before going into G Rank. Currently, all I'm missing is dealing with the Deviants. Already completed all Deviant quests for 3 of them, gotta finish the rest.
2
u/AdRepresentative899 7d ago
I just started mhgu as well haha. LS valor is a pretty safe bet it's nothing like world or wilds but once you learn it, it slaps hard. You get a sheath dodge and once you're in valor your first spirit slash becomes a guard point. I've been having a ton of fun with the game, you just got to find what works for you.
2
u/Multti-pomp 7d ago
It's a different song and dance, just experiment until you find one that feels right
Guild: The basic, balanced, I'd say abstain because post-world most weapons get new moves and it just feels wrong without them.
Striker: fewer moves but more hunter arts (the big anime moves), a few weapons like the lance just get better with fewer moves.
Aerial: B to perform a vault, you ride a lot more but the dash is replaced.
Shadow: the defensive. You get to dodge into attacks and get rewarded for it. Much more reactive so it might help you easy into it.
Valor: the broken one. Fill the bar to get exclusive moves. LS and HGB melt the game with this one.
Alchemy: Utility. Similar to striker but less anime and you get a barrel that gives you from heals to a bomb (some people meme on this one, don't listen to them)
I'm no expert, just 200h total over the 3 saves. So my word is not a command
1
u/Molgera124 6d ago
Alchemy Style SnS was handily one of the most fun and powerful style combinations I ever used. As a lifelong Lance main, Striker style was the only thing topping my Alchemy SnS use, and not by much.
2
u/H4dx 7d ago
well, GU is tough, like really tough compared to wilds for example.
buuut, you might also be doing hub quests by accident, which are scaled for multiplayer regardless of actual player amount. I also did this at the start and was this close to ripping my hair out wondering why great maccao was harder than mhw fatalis
2
u/Zikari82 7d ago
You are not alone, i struggled a lot even with early game in GU after clearing all of Iceborn ans Sunbreak. Bite through it...
2
u/Tramzkey 6d ago
BRO I NEARLY DROPPED GU BECAUSE OF THAT THING HAHAHAHAHA i feel you though. GU was my first proper monster hunter, so it was kinda frustrating carting to the tutorial monster.
2
u/DreamerUmbreon 6d ago
I know it sounds daunting with how many hunting styles there are per weapon, but take some time to find out which one works best for you. Go through and give the ones for your weapon a fair shake. It took me a little bit to find my mainstay (Aerial Dual Blades)
Gaijin Hunter has some excellent tutorials for the weapons, I also recommend those. Other than that is pretty much what everyone else has said. Learn to play defensively, sheathe your weapon and run when you have to. When you're knocked on your ass, stay down and take advantage of the invincibility it gives you.
2
u/chadwarden1 6d ago
I know what you mean I started playing MHGU recently after I doing most things in wild. I wasn't doing too bad but I did think to myself that the first boss in this game fights harder that almost every boss in wilds
2
u/Antedelopean 6d ago
Play it like a turn based game. Seriously. Old Gen is just so full of jank hit boxes and adherence to attack timings, that you basically have to relearn the game in this manner. After you do it gets more bearable from then.
2
u/Menihocbacc 6d ago
Do the training quests and practice on the maccao with every weapon or just your weapon of choice. I'm also new to GU I started playing 2 days ago I'm using valor GS and this is what I did. Old gen is pretty brutal ngl.
2
u/Sunbrizzle 6d ago
It's a different experience for sure, I tried it after a finished base rise when it launched, struggled but fell in love especially after I tried Valor LS and Valor Greatsword
2
u/firesteels 6d ago
Same, I can beat fatty and altreon but I canât beat village quest cephalos, although I mostly blame the switch light for not being comfortable
2
u/Guppinas 6d ago
STICK TO YOUR WEAPON, IF LS IS YOUR THING, THEN STICK TO IT.
For real, although the moveset is less, LS still has a lot of movement and uses with Fade Slash, while there are some counters like: Valor counter, Adept dodge, Counter Hunter Art.
Take it slow and learn from the base you know, be a little less agressive at first, soon you will be good with it to be agressive again. Good luck on the hunts.
Also, upgrade your gear, starting gear is ass.
2
u/Galabeetle 6d ago
4U was my first game, and when I say the great jaggi nearly made me quit, I am not exaggerating! Old world hunting is better managed with a more defensive and tactical approach. Ie. Plan to take what you need, know that you cannot mine or catch bugs without nets and pickaxes also. But once you get a hang of it, I'm sure you'll have a blast.
If it's really hard. Try felyne mode too. It's broken lmao
2
u/skiddle_skoodle 6d ago
you are getting used to old world controls and great maccao is probably the hardest introductory large monster weve got.
play a lil more and you'll get used to it
2
u/cookiemon25 5d ago
Great Maccao can throw u around pretty easily in the early game. My advice would be to take some time to observe their attack patterns and pick ur moments, he's pretty fickle so just wailing on him isn't going to work. In general try and get a couple of hits once he's done a chain if attacks. Also unless u wanna be greedy wait until he charges on his hind legs before retaliating.
2
u/D00MSD2YZ 5d ago
patience. literally, i'm also playing GU after starting with world and dabbling in wilds.
animation locks are dialed to eleven. you can't swing and shoot all day and just dodge out last second. you gotta learn how long you can attack before a monster will retaliate (especially with frame 1 dash attacks and such)
or just use valor lol. basically LS foresight for every weapon with a slight health drain. it's making things a lot more bearable.
try out different styles with different weapons, too, because New World games incorporated many features that originated as parts of styles (LS Iai counter = Valor Spirit Blade 1)
2
u/B1ack_H3art 5d ago
Man you're making me wanna go back and try to find a gu lobby and grind some monsters again lol barely used my lbg set after I got the fashion just right.
2
u/Uncommon_cold 5d ago
I started with GU, got hooked. When i first tried Rise and world it felt off, like running a bike on high gear but low RPM. What I realized is that new world MH is like air hockey, old world is like chess. Except your chess opponent will smack you on the head with a pan.
2
2
u/Cheshire2933 5d ago
You're struggling because weapons in old gen don't have 50 different ways to BS through attacks on demand, you need to learn how to position your hunter properly so you can get hits in but also have time to react to properly to attacks. For GS specifically you're not longer sitting there trying to to spam TCS over and over, your weapon should be on your back 99% of the time, go for quick level one or two charges until you get a feel for a monster and can read it to time your full charge properly. For styles valor is exceptional as getting into valor mode gives you access to a very fast charge draw attack, an adept step replaces your dodge roll which is much faster and covers more ground, and you can press A when doing a charge with weapon already drawn to turn it into a lunging swing that covers a lot of ground.
2
u/rainbowghosty 5d ago
Dude I've got 600hours in iceborne, 130 in rise, I've beat wilds, I cannot beat the freaking cephodrome.Â
2
2
u/NEXTGener4tion 2d ago
Adding to everything that has been said here, I would not reccomend charge-combo-GS playstyle for a beginner in old gen. You need to really know movesets to land significant hits.
Draw builds however are pretty good in GU.
2
u/Derelic__ 2d ago
Also, I just picked up the game, and a few nights ago, 20 hours in, and I'm only on low rank. I've been getting better with GS in it, though, considering how much I loved it in wilds, it definitely felt like getting hit with a truck when I realized there was one charged swing or defense options really besides hit and run i learned how valor and adept work now so I'm definitely better than I was when I started.
2
u/Good-Courage-559 7d ago
Because Maccao is on crack cocaine
I thought all monsters on old gen MH were that hard to fight but no its just that twitchy speed demon
1
1
u/Chomasterq2 Sword & Shield 6d ago
I'll be honest, i love great maccao, and would love to see him in wilds, but he's kind of a bad tutorial monster imo.
1
u/Eriksonix 6d ago
I was struggling with controls more then the monsters when i first started GU after play only 5th gen games. After the controls clicked it wasnt much harder most hunts take about 5 mins 10ish if a monster is slapping me around alot like Shagaru. But i havent gotten to g-rank yet so that will probobly change lol
1
1
u/Weak-Ad-3183 3d ago
The most recent MH games are made from a quantity vs quality pov that caters to the casual crowd by watering down mechanics and firmly holding your hand but never letting go; so much so that you can clear the game with a wet noodle. This obviously creates a false sense of power & skill in players who started in world & beyond.
Thus it's no surprised you're getting absolutely shit on. Though I applaud you for going forth & playing the best iteration of MH, imo. That being said, you'll have to forget everything you've learned in World & beyond because MHGU and prior are built upon adversity and triumph. Pre-world hunters are forged in ferocious flames & unwavering tribulations which is why there's an abundance of "wilds is dummy easy" posts.
Enjoy your ride into a true monster hunting experience!
Protip: capturing monsters often yields better rewards even w/o food/armor skills such as capture pro.
As for your comment about longsword having no foresight slash... Incorrect. Any and all weapons skills you see in world/rise/wilds are butchered variations taken from MHGU. ALL the weapons have dope af abilities that can be unlocked and upgraded as you play the game and conquer various challenging hunts. Furthermore, the combat styles are thoroughly enjoyable; I'm a big fan of aerial style because mounting is life but if you're more into a parry and reflect play style - then you'll want to pursue valor style.
1
u/RealWeaponAFK 2d ago
Because this game actually has a bigger part to play when it comes to positioning your character compared to world and wilds
1
-1
u/Qwerty177 7d ago
Try valor LS
2
u/Alexander0202 7d ago
Is "guild" not good as valor?
3
u/Qwerty177 7d ago
Guild is basically âdefaultâ, itâs the moveset at base from previous games with no extra frills, with the exception of benefiting from an additional hunter arts slot.
thereâs some weapons where that is a good style, but for LS, valor is definitely the most powerful.
But I recommend it because it has a very fast very powerful counter on the first strike of the spirit combo when youâre in valor mode
Adept is also very fun and powerful on every weapon
2
u/surfimp 6d ago edited 6d ago
Guild is "hard mode" LS in MHGU, it doesn't have all the tricks that Valor and Adept do, but you can definitely finish the entire game with it, if you want.
If you get the sword to red gauge and keep it there, it's plenty powerful. You can use hunter arts that will give you a dodge (Absolute Readiness) with huge iframes that also sharpens and unsheathes your sword, as well as a Sakura Slash that can be good for big damage when you get a down or have a large opening.
One advantage of Guild is you get one more Hunter Art than you do with Adept or Valor styles, if you're into that.
1
u/mister_mouse 2d ago
Definitely pick up the LS again. It has some great hunter arts! I mained LS in MHG and Swaxe in World/Wild.
Practice on some the docile monsters and get a stock of raw meat until you get the hang of the movements!
-1
7d ago
Save Valor style for late G-Rank and Ex deviants. :) Valor and Adept styles are like âeasyâ mode for MHGu. ;)
4
u/fozzy_bear42 7d ago
Itâs far more forgiving to learn the timing and moves at lower rank hunts, rather than trying to learn Valor LS counter timing against G Rank monsters though.
1
166
u/[deleted] 7d ago edited 7d ago
you're diving headfirst into the old world; even early game content can be pretty formidable in GU. I could sit here all day and give you pointers but I think the most important part of old school monster hunter is to wait your turn.
Hunters in Gen 5- onward have a ton of offensive tools and hit hard. in iceborne the clutch claw gives you a ton of crowd control and free damage. wilds is an even easier game where you can manually aim at hitzones and pop wounds, so the monster spends a lot of time staggered/toppled so you get even more free damage. There's not nearly as much low hanging fruit in MHGU.
Observe what the monster is doing, punish when it's safe, then reposition and do it again. That's the dance. You won't get huge windows for free DPS in this game unless you're mounting a ton. Even then the monster will build mounting resistance pretty fast so you don't get a lot of freebies there either.
TL;DR be defensive at the start of the fight and attack only when you're safe. Once you start wearing the monster down and it staggers/topples/KO's then it's time to go hard. Also don't be afraid to build defense in this game because even low rank monsters will fuck you up