Arena Quest 01 - Kulu-Ya-Ku: How to Get S Rank | Monster Hunter Rise

This is a comprehensive guide on the Arena Quest 01 found in Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise). Read on for a guide on how to beat Kulu-Ya-Ku in the Arena, how to get S Rank, armor and weapon loadouts, and more!

Arena Quest 01 Basic Information

Slay a Kulu-Ya-Ku
Locale	Arena
Time Limit	50 min.
Available Weapons

Rank Clear Times

Arena Quest 01 Rewards

Weapon and Armor Sets

S Rank Guide: Long Sword

Long Sword Tips
Maximize and Maintain Your Spirit Gauage
Counter Kulu-Ya-Ku's Attacks
Make Your Spirit Helm Breakers Count

Maximize and Maintain Your Spirit Gauge

Reaching red Spirit Gauge and maintaining it throughout the arena run are absolutely crucial to achieve S-Rank clear times. This allows us to deal maximum damage for all our attacks — especially our Spirit Helm Breakers.

Counter Kulu-Ya-Ku's Attacks

Long Swords are extremely effective in using a monster's attacks against them! Take advantage of Iai Spirit Slash and Foresight Slash to counter Kulu-Ya-Ku's attacks and quickly build Spirit Gauge.

Make Your Spirit Helm Breakers Count

Properly positioned Spirit Helm Breakers are the key to taking down Kulu-Ya-Ku as fast as possible. We recommend landing your Spirit Helm Breakers directly on the head as this usually results in quick mounts, which we can utilize for an easy knockout.

Take note that it is absolutely crucial that you only perform this move with red Spirit Gauge to ensure maximum damage.

S Rank Guide: Gunlance

Gunlance Tips
Burst Firing is Crucial
Ignore Your Sharpness
Hail Cutters are Unnecessary

Burst Firing is Crucial

Take advantage of your Iron Gunlance II's normal shelling and Burst Fire that Kulu-Ya-Ku into oblivion!

It is improtant to note that the cumulative damage from a well-placed Burst Fire is just high enough to immediately disarm Kulu-Ya-Ku, so always make sure you position the slam below or directly beside Kulu-Ya-Ku's arms for optimal damage.

Ignore Your Sharpness

You do not have to sharpen your Gunlance at all during this arena quest. Lance pokes that start your Burst Fire animation can push through any of the Kulu-Ya-Ku's parts at Yellow and Orange sharpness.

If you find yourself in Red sharpness already, start the Burst Fire animation by thrusting the air beside Kulu-Ya-Ku instead to prevent bouncing.

Lastly, you can always use Guard Edge to regain some of your lost sharpness!

Hail Cutters are Unnecessary

Hail Cutter animations are extremely long and offer no real benefits to pulling off. We recommend saving your wirebugs for Guard Edge counters instead!

S Rank Guide: Hunting Horn

Hunting Horn Tips
Focus on the Head
Take Advantage of Slide Beat and Magnificent Trio
Maximize your Infernal Melody Buff
Make Your Earthshakers Count

Focus on the Head

As with all blunt weapons, make sure you prioritize Kulu-Ya-Ku's head during the arena run! Not only does this ensure optimal damage, but it also can lead to knockouts as well.

Take Advantage of Slide Beat and Magnificent Trio

Magnificent Trio and Slide Beat are time-efficient moves that deal a substantial amount of damage and synergize well with Sonic Waves. Make sure you perform these moves on the head whenever possible to ensure a quick clear!

Maximize your Infernal Melody Buff

You generally only have time to setup Infernal Melody once during the S-Rank time frame. Make the most out of this damage buff by dishing out your heaviest combos during its duration — especially Earthshakers!

Make Your Earthshakers Count

Earthshaker is an incredibly powerful move that can lead to quick clears if positioned correctly and used at the right time. The best time to use this is during your Infernal Melody up time. It is important to note that you should only use this move whenever Kulu-Ya-Ku is knocked out or standing in place.

Also make sure that to avoid connecting this attack on Kulu-Ya-Ku's rock at all costs since this significantly reduces the damage! The best area to land your Earthshaker is the head.

S Rank Guide: Switch Axe

Switch Axe Tips
Use Your Silkbind Moves
Fill Your Switch Gauge Immediately
Use Zero Sum Discharge Finisher

Use Your Silkbind Moves

Invincible Gambit and Switch Charger are important to achieve S-Rank clears on Switch Axe because of the mobility they bring to the table.

Switch Charger, in particular, also regenerates your Switch Gauge and prevents gauge loss for a few seconds. This move allows you to perform Finishing Discharges efficiently and more often!

Fill Your Switch Gauge Immediately

Maxing out your Switch Gauge as soon as possible is paramount in this arena quest. You can do this by performing Axe: Heavy Slam to increase your fill rate with Sword Attacks.

Using regular Finishing Discharges whenever Kulu-Ya-Ku's digging for rocks or Quick Element Discharges are effective ways of filling up your Switch Gauge as well.

Use Zero Sum Discharge Finisher

Zero Sum Discharge Finisher deals the most damage and should be used once you've maxed your Switch Gauge. While you can't get knocked off during the animation, we recommend using the move whenever Kulu-Ya-Ku's digging or doing small attacks to avoid excessive damage that can lead to unexpected faints!

S Rank Guide: Light Bowgun

Switch Axe Tips
Plant Wyvernblasts on Kulu-Ya-Ku
Use Normal Ammo 2 and Spread Ammo 1
Aim for the Head

Plant Wyvernblasts on Kulu-Ya-Ku

Fanning Vault allows you to stick Wyvernblasts on Kulu-Ya-Ku from the air! This can be very tricky to perform at first as positioning and timing are crucial, but doing so gives us a much needed damage boost for S Rank clears.

Planted Wyvernblasts also gives us the opportunity to mount Kulu-Ya-Ku for an easy knockout when enough damage has been accumulated.

Use Normal Ammo 2 and Spread Ammo 1

Normal Ammo 2 and Spread Ammo 1 are your best ammo types for S Rank clears. Make sure you stay within their critical range when shooting to deal maximum damage.

Spread Ammo 1, in particular, is extremely effective at shooting planted Wyvernblasts due to its wide attack cone.

Aim for the Head

Always aim for Kulu-Ya-Ku's head. This part has the highest hit zone value, ensuring our shots deal maximum damage at critical range. It's also optimal that you plant your Wyvernblasts around Kulu-Ya-Ku's head as well for efficiency.

Monster Hunter Rise Related Guides

Quest Types and List of Quests

All Quest Guides by Type

Quest Types
Village Quests	Urgent Quests
Gathering Hub Quests Base Game | Sunbreak	Arena Quests
Side Quests	Requests
Event Quests (Rewards)	Collaboration Quests
Challenge Quests	Anomaly Quests
Follower Quests	Support Surveys