Palicos were a huge part of the game in Monster Hunter World, but with the launch today of the new Switch game, things are changing a fair bit. The change over to two different support monsters is a huge alteration to the gameplay loop. The new systems implemented in Monster Hunter Rise include a bunch of refinements, and plenty of nonsense, but it’s all in good fun.
The Palico in Monster Hunter Rise has been retooled a fair bit. The new focus on having a Pailoc use a specific set of abilities is a huge change. The Palico buddies now have a support role that more clearly defines how they play. It will also determine how they apply bonuses to the player. Here’s a rundown of each support role and what impact they have.
Assist
Assist is more of a basic trapper role. These Palico will try to run around the monster and place traps to stun it. Combining this method with the lockdown from mounting can be super powerful. The Palico won’t distract or directly engage the monsters as much though, so it means hunters will need to focus on dealing damage themselves. To compensate, Palico traps are a bit more powerful, and thus lock the monster down a bit longer.
Bombardier
Bombardier is a ranged battle specialist. These Palico will fire on the monster with explosive weapons dealing tons of damage. The bombs can be a great help when taking down huge monsters or tons of smaller waves. When you’re fighting something like Great Izuchi and dealing with adds, these support tactics can help clear out the smaller foes. Explosives from Bombardier Palicos also have a great amount of damage that can break parts and strip armor.
Fighter
The Fight Palico focuses much more on engaging the monster and less on healing and buffs. This support type is a big help for solo hunters who just want someone to soak up damage. You can also potentially buff your Palico with specialized gear skills to make a Palico into a powerful hunter. This Fighter role has a base attack boost and gets into the fight right away. If you can handle heals and support yourself, this might be for you.
Gathering
Gathering is the main support role for those who want to get into the material grind. Rise makes it much easier to get weapons built, but upgrades still take some work. That’s where this Palico role comes into its own. Instead of having to worry about hunting down hidden material spawns and monster parts, this role will grab them for you. Pair this with a gathering set to make for some fast farming runs. It’s basically a loot roomba.
Healer
The healer is one of the better roles for Palico in Monster Hunter Rise when you need to some assistance. These buddies will hang back and keep your health and stamina charged with the items they have. This means you can get much better DPS uptime if you’re good at dodging and blocking attacks. More veteran hunters may want to put a focus on this role as they can do that much better.
