Monster Hunter Stories 3 Rathalos — Stats, Egg, Genes & Complete Guide
Rathalos is the flagship monstie of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (MH Stories 3) and one of the most iconic monsters in the entire Monster Hunter franchise. Known as the "King of the Skies," MH Stories 3 Rathalos is a Fire-element Power-type Flying Wyvern that serves as your primary companion throughout the main story. This MH Stories 3 Rathalos guide covers everything from base stats and egg locations to optimal gene builds and combat strategies.
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Overview
| Species | Flying Wyvern | Element | Fire |
| Attack Type | Power | Rank | ★★★★★ (5) |
| Egg Pattern | Tiger Stripes (Red & Green) | Egg Location | Azuria — Sunpetal Plains |
| Weak To | Water, Dragon | Resists | Fire (Immune), Ice |
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Base Stats
MH Stories 3 Rathalos boasts a well-rounded stat spread that favors raw offensive power. With 90 Attack and 85 HP, Rathalos excels as a frontline damage dealer. The 80 Speed ensures it acts before many enemies, while 70 Defense provides decent survivability. These base stats make MH Stories 3 Rathalos viable from your first encounter in Azuria all the way through post-game content.
How to Get MH Stories 3 Rathalos
MH Stories 3 Rathalos is unique because you receive your first one—nicknamed "Ratha"—during the opening story sequence. Ratha hatches from a special egg and becomes your starter monstie. However, if you want additional MH Stories 3 Rathalos monsties with better genes and higher potency, you need to find Rathalos eggs in the wild.
Egg Location
Wild MH Stories 3 Rathalos eggs spawn in Azuria — Sunpetal Plains. Look for Flying Wyvern dens (grey, gold, or platinum rock entrances) in the Sunpetal Plains area. Rathalos eggs have the classic tiger stripe pattern common to all Flying Wyverns, with a distinctive red-and-green color scheme. Prioritize gold and platinum rock dens for higher-potency eggs.
Egg Quality Tips
- ▸ Smell: "Smells amazing!" (rainbow glow) guarantees rare genes and optimal Bingo placements for your MH Stories 3 Rathalos.
- ▸ Weight: "Incredibly heavy!" unlocks more gene grid slots at birth, giving your MH Stories 3 Rathalos a head start.
- ▸ Potency: Highly Potent eggs (purple-rainbow shine) hatch the strongest MH Stories 3 Rathalos variants.
Use Paintballs on wild Rathalos when their HP is low to force a retreat. The retreating Rathalos creates a den containing its egg. This method is reliable for farming multiple MH Stories 3 Rathalos eggs with different gene configurations. Check our egg patterns guide for visual references and our egg locations guide for detailed maps.
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Default Gene Grid
Every MH Stories 3 Rathalos hatches with a 3×3 gene grid. The default layout heavily favors Power-type Fire genes, creating natural Bingo lines. Higher-potency eggs unlock more gene slots at birth. Use the Rite of Channeling to freely swap and optimize genes.
Flame Claw
Power · Fire
MFire Boost
Power · Fire
SPower Rise
Power · Non-Elem
SRathalos Gene
Power · Fire
LBurning Roar
Power · Fire
MHealth Boost
Speed · Non-Elem
SFire Breath
Technical · Fire
MNullify Burn
Technical · Fire
SCritical Eye
Speed · Non-Elem
SBest MH Stories 3 Rathalos Gene Builds
Optimizing your MH Stories 3 Rathalos through the gene system transforms it from a solid monstie into an endgame powerhouse. The key is maximizing Fire Power Bingo lines while maintaining useful utility genes. Here are two proven MH Stories 3 Rathalos builds:
Build 1: Fire Power DPS
Focus on Power-type Fire genes across all rows to trigger triple Bingo bonuses. Since MH Stories 3 uses multiplicative Bingo stacking, achieving three Power Bingo lines boosts your MH Stories 3 Rathalos damage significantly.
- ▸ Place a Rainbow Gene in the center slot (B2) as a wild card
- ▸ Fill remaining slots with Power Fire genes: Flame Claw, Burning Roar, Rathalos Gene XL
- ▸ Include at least one passive like Critical Eye or Fire Boost for sustained damage
Build 2: Balanced Utility
For story progression, balance active attack skills with passive survivability. This MH Stories 3 Rathalos build avoids Kinship gauge exhaustion during prolonged fights.
- ▸ Keep Rathalos Gene (L) and Burning Roar for primary damage
- ▸ Add Health Boost and Evasion genes for durability
- ▸ Mix in one Technical gene (Fire Breath) for Head-to-Head versatility
For detailed Bingo strategies, visit our gene Bingo guide and best builds page.
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Riding Actions
MH Stories 3 Rathalos is one of the most versatile field monsties thanks to its six riding actions. The Fly ability alone makes MH Stories 3 Rathalos essential for exploration, granting access to wind updrafts and elevated platforms throughout every region.
Fly
Take flight and use wind updrafts to reach elevated areas across the map.
Wall Climb
Scale ivy-covered walls and cracked rock surfaces to access hidden paths.
Jump
Leap across small gaps in the terrain while mounted.
Roar
Frighten nearby wild monsters, causing them to flee or become stunned.
Melee Attack
Strike field obstacles and enemies for a preemptive battle advantage.
Breath
Launch a fireball at distant targets to knock down airborne monsters.
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Combat Tips
MH Stories 3 Rathalos is a Power-type attacker, which means it wins Head-to-Head clashes against Speed-type enemies. Pair your MH Stories 3 Rathalos against Speed-type foes whenever possible to trigger Double Attacks and rapidly fill your Kinship Gauge.
Elemental Matchups
- ▸ Strong vs: Ice-element monsters (Fire deals bonus damage)
- ▸ Weak vs: Water and Dragon elements
- ▸ Avoid: Fire-element enemies (Rathalos resists Fire but deals neutral damage)
Head-to-Head Strategy
- ▸ Power beats Speed — target Speed-type enemies
- ▸ Switch out against Technical-type opponents
- ▸ Use Double Attacks to fill Kinship fast
MH Stories 3 Rathalos excels in the Azuria region where many Ice and Water monsters roam. Its Kinship Attack, Burning Dive, delivers massive Fire damage to all enemies. Build Kinship through successful Head-to-Head wins and Double Attacks, then unleash it against boss monsters for devastating burst damage. Learn more about the combat triangle in our combat system guide.
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- ✓ Available from the start — your story companion Ratha grows with you
- ✓ Fly riding action opens up massive exploration potential
- ✓ High Attack (90) and balanced stats make it viable through endgame
- ✓ Fire Power gene pool enables strong Bingo configurations
- ✓ Powerful Kinship Attack (Burning Dive) with AoE fire damage
Weaknesses
- ✗ Vulnerable to Water and Dragon elements
- ✗ Power type loses to Technical in Head-to-Head clashes
- ✗ Low Poison and Burn resistance (30 each)
- ✗ Defense (70) is below average for a Rank 5 monstie
- ✗ Cannot Swim or use Stealth — limits some exploration
MH Stories 3 Rathalos Status Resistances
| Poison | Burn | Paralysis | Sleep | Blast | Bleed | Stun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
MH Stories 3 Rathalos has strong resistance to Paralysis, Sleep, Blast, Bleed, and Stun (70 each) but is vulnerable to Poison and Burn (30 each). When facing poison-heavy opponents like Dreadqueen Rathian, consider equipping poison-nullifying genes to protect your MH Stories 3 Rathalos.
Related Monsties
If you enjoy MH Stories 3 Rathalos, consider these related monsties for your team:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MH Stories 3 Rathalos good in endgame?
Yes, MH Stories 3 Rathalos remains competitive in endgame content when equipped with optimized Fire Power genes. Its high base Attack and versatile riding actions keep it relevant even against post-game challenges.
Where is the best place to farm MH Stories 3 Rathalos eggs?
The best location is Azuria — Sunpetal Plains. Target platinum rock dens for Highly Potent eggs. Use Paintballs on wild Rathalos when their HP is low to create retreat dens with guaranteed eggs.
Can you keep Ratha and hatch another MH Stories 3 Rathalos?
Absolutely. Your story companion Ratha is permanent. You can hatch additional MH Stories 3 Rathalos from wild eggs and customize them with different gene builds via the Rite of Channeling.