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zzthekaiju · 17 days ago

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THE GREAT MONSTER HUNTER RANKING! Part 7

I'll be upfront, mammals aren't really my thing when it comes to monster design. It seems that when it happens, creature designers always default to the same primates/canines/felines/ursids or what not. An argument could be made about reptiles having the same issue, but you know, personal biases. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean they CAN'T be cool. And this franchise knows (most of the time) exactly how to do that. We're looking at the mammals...and the Wyverns that look like mammals!

Before we go on, I will say that there are certain sub-categories of mammal monster in this world. I'll be starting with the most popular of them...because it's a sad fact of life that we as a species are somewhat narcissistic. So OF COURSE the beasts based on monkeys and apes get a lot of popularity. Eh, at least they're neat.

The Primate Fanged Beasts:

"Please laugh."

We're not exactly to a dignified start here. The Congalala and its smaller Conga followers look like a cartoon character as opposed to anything you'd expect from these games. They're big pink gorillas with the heads of hippos...and they fight primarily by farting. Yes, this deadly razor-clawed combo of some very powerful African animals fights by eating mushrooms and producing enough flatulence to warrant deodorant should it hit.

It...bears mentioning that gorillas in real-life do indeed fart a lot. Perhaps Capcom was on to something. But it doesn't make for an appealing monster. This thing is like a bad joke they couldn't stop telling. And its STILL able to throttle hunters with its aforementioned gross-out humor and razor-sharp talons. Bleh. 4/10.

"What? Were you expecting a yeti or something?"

In contrast with its predecessor, the Blangonga and its troop of Blangos fairs far better on the eyes and during a fight. Despite its heft, this baboon-gorilla is exceptionally agile, and can run circles around you while its underlings harass you. However, should you break its fangs, the Blangos will abandon their leader, as big fangs are considered a major sign of power amongst these monkeys. That's really neat! But aside form that, they're really just big baboons and that's it. Neat baboons, but still. 6/10.

"And this is to go EVEN FURTHER BEYOND!"

The Rajang is by and large the most feared Fanged Beast, and one of the most feared monsters period, that this world has to offer. I know I say that a lot, but it's pretty amazing how those so-called Elder Dragons keep getting shown up by supposedly lesser monsters that won't settle for waiting until the old-timers are gone. Raj here is already an intimidating sight, being a large gorilla-baboon with huge horns that make it look almost like a minotaur. But then it gets mad and/or takes a bite out of the horn of the Kirin (its favorite food). Then, it lights up with brilliant yellow stripes, lightning crackles all over its body, and before you know it, you're facing an honest-to-God Super Saiyan, complete with fists that hit so hard they superheat and release steam as they glow an angry red. Oh, and it can fire beams of lightning from its mouth too. But like a Saiyan, you can remove this amazing power by severing the tail (unless you're fighting a Furious Rajang, which has no tail but remains super anyway because screw the rules). The only thing that keeps this whole affair from being an unfair fight is that the Rajang has low health by its rank's standards. Plus, its armor set is based on the very being that inspired Toriyama all those years ago: the legendary Monkey King called Sun Wukong.

Gotta say, go monkey, go. 8.5/10.

"What good is a fight if it isn't fun?"

Just when you thought Primate Fanged Beasts were going to get old really fast, in swings the Kecha Wacha! First of all, just look at this and tell me it isn't the weirdest and the most charming of the monkey crew we got going on here. It's got the body of a monkey, the coloration of a fox, the face of an elephant, and the flaps of a flying squirrel to glide with. It's also got some wicked talons to swipe at you with, and its big ears can cover its face to make it look like it's wearing an intimidating mask. There's just so much personality and creativity in this design! It makes me want to see more of it in future games, and why we haven't seen that remains a mystery to me. 9/10

"I like to move it, move it! You like to beat it, beat it!"

The Kecha Wacha was an amazingly unique primate, but so too is the Bishaten. Personally, I see this beast as more of a giant lemur as opposed to a traditional ape. Though really, there's nothing quite like this beaked, winged, crafty, beautifully colored simian! You might have noticed, but one of its more striking features is the hand-like tail it has that it can use to rear up and hit even harder than before...or get a better aim. You see, the Bishaten fights not just with fast reflexes and raw strength. It stores a lot of special fruit in its chest pouch, which it can then chuck at foes. These include fruits that flashblind and fruits that inflict poison. Though should the monkey be knocked back down to the ground, it will drop not just these fruits for the hunter to use instead, but also healing fruits. It makes for a fun fight, against an already fun monster. I should also note that the Yokai this Rise monster is based on is the Tengu, a being said to be like a bird-man, and oftentimes malicious and/or devious. I was hoping they'd make a Flying Wyvern out of the Tengu myth, but this works just as well! 8/10.

"My body is literally a temple."

The Garangolm is...kind of underwhelming. It's dubbed one of the Three Lords of the MH:R Sunbreak expansion, and it admittedly has the power to back that up. It looks like and is built like a living castle, and while it doesn't usually attack people, it can destroy opponents with the ability to cover its arms in gauntlets of either magma or the moss it shares a symbiotic relationship with. The result is a lot of pain, and the ground being uprooted at all times. I should also note that it's specifically based on the mythological golem, or being made of materials like clay. That, or Frankenstein's Monster (which is technically a golem). But in terms of design and execution, I can't help but feel that Garangolm is a little derivative. It's just a big gorilla with armor. Not much more, not much less. 6/10.

Pop quiz, what's the scariest mammal you can picture that isn't a big cat? If you guessed bears, you'd be absolutely correct. However, because this a world where suped-up dinosaurs and living dragons exist, the mighty bear finds itself more than a bit outclassed, and thus most of these Fanged Beasts occupy the bottom end of the danger totem pole. That doesn't mean you underestimate them totally, though!

The Ursid Fanged Beasts:

"Oh bother, I'm going to have to gut you for touching my honey pot."

Again, monster bears are some of the least of our problems in these parts. That's how ruthless this ecosystem can be. But that won't stop the Arzuros from trying to beat you down for daring it interrupt its feeding on its favorite snack, honey. In fact, should you have some honey to put on the ground, it'll drop everything its doing to dig in. Amusing, but I'd like to say that even as a monster meant to get bodied by beginners, it's not bad. It's basically a giant bear, but it's got pretty colors, and its arms look like they've got spiked braces on them. A bear of character, this one is. 7/10.

"BIG, BIG, BIG CHU-no."

Although its one of the three bears that kickstarted the Ursid line in the first place, the Lagombi looks more like a giant rabbit that slides around hitting everything with its momentum, or just flinging huge snowballs at foes. Of note in its design is how its face looks like an armored version or a wombat, or even the wombat's giant prehistoric ancestor, the Diprotodon. It's a very unique beast, and for that it already deserves a spot above its simple bear predecessor. 7.5/10.

"Rollin', rollin', shockin'"

The last in the bear trio, the Volvidon all but drops the ursid look in favor of being basically a crocodile-armadillo. That's cool! And yes, it can roll around and hit you as a big ball. Oh, and it also has a long tongue that it can use to whip you, saliva that paralyzes you, and...the ability to fart really hard so that you need a deodorant. Not again. Well, at least this one sports a more dignified and vividly weird design than Mr. Pinkie McFartsalot from way earlier. So much so that I'll let it completely slide. 7.5/10.

"Now bears are REALLY bad news!"

Out of all the bears that came before and even those that might be still to come, none are quite as big of a threat as the Goss Harag. To give you an idea of how intimidating this big ursine is, it was based explicitly off the Namahage, a Japanese bogeyman that lives in the mountains, wears a scary hannya mask, and wields knives to eat up misbehaving children. The Goss Harag fits that description near-perfectly. EVEN THE KNIFE BIT. This is because it can suck up cold air and expel it so that it either freezes prey or, failing that, instantly harden upon hitting itself, turning most of the time into a huge icy knife. And this monster is intelligent enough to use it well. To add to the demon motif, it spends a lot of combat on its hind legs, and its skin can turn a furious red whenever it gets really steamed.

I'm calling it, this is the best Ursid around for being a major love letter to Japanese folklore and just being so darned unique. 8.5/10.

We come to the end of our exclusive furry club, but at this point, the monsters get harder to sub-categorize. So, here are the mammals that are neither primate or bear.

The Other Fanged Beasts:

"THEY CALL ME, MI-STAR PIG!!!"

The Bulldrome is a giant boar. That's really all there is to it. Granted, giant boars are no joking matter, even with the normally docile Bullfangos that this monster is a bigger version of. But other than having that wild haircut and a way bigger right tusk, there's not much I can say. If you really like pigs, this is your guy, I guess. 5/10.

"Everyone's taking the L-ephant"

The last of the Fated Four I'll be covering, and sadly one of the most underutilized. You look at the others and you find that they've at least gotten some time to shine in the recent games. Not poor Gammoth. For some reason, this huge pachyderm has been shafted again and again. And to be fair, I kind of understand why. This elephant is HUGE, one of the biggest large monsters around. It's nowhere near as fast as its peers, it takes up a lot of arena space, and the strategy to fight it begins and ends with hitting its legs until it falls over. But while all of that doesn't make for the most engaging fight, that doesn't mean Gammoth is a bad monster. In fact, it's a great one! Capcom went all out with designing a huge fantastical Woolly Mammoth, giving it a really appealing color scheme of reds and blues, as well as a rather striking piece of head armor. And if you do some digging, you'll find that this beast is every bit as honorable as most real-life elephants tend to be. It is said to sometimes live alongside herds of Popo, and valiantly protect them from its most hated enemy, the Tigrex. Also, every Gammoth we've seen so far is female, a nod to how elephant herds are led by a matriarch. Also, its theme music is appropriately grandoise and heavy-feeling. Love it! 8.5/10.

"Please stop calling me a four-legged dumpling."

Our last Fanged Beast is a small one. The Bombadgy are the only major new small monsters in Rise, and they're kinda gross-looking and pitiful. Look at that! It's the size of a beach ball and just as bouncy. And they explode. Yes, the gasses within the very appropriately named Bombadgy are so volatile that if you were to hit it, it will go flying in whatever direction you're facing, and deflate with the force of a bomb. Such absurdity is befitting of a creature based on the Tanuki, a Yokai that looks like a crafty racoon dog with...rather gifted lower regions. In fact, a Bombadgy sitting down kinda makes it look like...that. What a sad weirdo. 5.5/10.

And that's the Fanged Beasts!

Now, we come to a very interesting category. Initially, only one was in it, and it quickly rose to fame in a heartbeat. Now, there are several, and at first it may seem odd as to HOW they're organized. Some look like mammals, but then some don't. Well, there's actually a simple explanation for that. These creatures are, in my opinion, Synapsids. That means mammal-like reptile, and it refers to a bunch of prehistoric creatures primarily from the Paleozoic Era that looked reptilian, but also have very distinctly mammalian characteristics. Thus, these Wyverns fit snugly into that description. So without further ado...

The Fanged Wyverns:

"Don't lie, you're thinking of the music right now."

Some might say that the Zinogre is an overrated monster. But in my eyes, it earned the reputation it has. It's a giant wolf, already the mark of something that will have mass appeal, but it's also huge, has gauntlet-like fists with huge blades for claws, a vibrant color scheme, and a wide tail like that of mutant beaver. But Zinogre's true power resides in its symbiotic relationship with Fulgurbugs, small insects that can generate obscene amounts of electricity. Living within small cavities in the monster's horns and spikes, the bugs in exchange give the Zinogre the ability to channel electricity into its attacks for devastating damage. And this is on top of hitting hard with moves that make it almost look like its breakdancing. Such spectacle and biological wonder make for a monster that does indeed represent what makes these beasts so fascinating. And on top of that, it's well-known for having a theme that incorporates an electric guitar on top of traditional eastern instruments (there was a version of this theme on Youtube that combined the MHW:I and MH:R themes, but I can't find it). 9/10.

"GIT IN MAH BELLEH!"

A lot of people have bullied the Great Jagras for being a starter monster that gets its ass kicked by just about everything. But I find myself rather charmed by it. It's basically a giant iguana, but I don't mind the simplicity. It being an iguana brings to mind the Slurpasaurs of those old 50s movies that used iguanas to substitute for dinosaurs. That, and it just makes me think of the monster-sona of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, right down to having the same voracious appetite. Oh yeah, it can swallow large herbivores whole. Still, I like this monster for what it is. 8.5/10.

"I'm a snaaake."

The Great Girros isn't quite as charming as the Jagras, but I still think people are needlessly mean to it. It's a big lizard-cobra with cool colors and gills to help it breathe in its realm, the corpse-laden Rotten Vale. Most of the time, they just scavenge off of what falls into that putrid land, and fight with fangs capable of paralyzing foes. Again, not the greatest monster, but certainly not a painfully average one. 7/10.

"Reptilian ankle biters."

The Shamos are an interesting breed. Like the Jagras and the Girros, they are small Fanged Wyverns that occupy a part of the New World, in this case the Coral Highlands. But unlike the other two, they don't have a Great leader. They're just weird little scamps that show up every now and then. Bit of a shame, really. A Great Shamos would be interesting to see. 5.5/10.

"Protect at all costs."

The Dodogama all but captured the hearts of everyone who saw it. And I see the appeal! It's a big rotund reptile colored with the appealing hues of a agamid lizard and a massive lower jaw that not only looks way less dumb than, say, the Uragaan's, but also makes it look like it's giving us all the biggest smile! Also, it sounds like a whale. But don't think for a moment that the Dodogama is totally defenseless. Its saliva is incredibly volatile, and when mixed with the rocks it feasts on, they become explosive boulders that it can lob at foes. Gotta say, it's rare you find a monster that manages to be cute and cool at the same time. 8.5/10.

"That's not flying! It's falling with style!"

Monsters that look like snakes are never not going to score big for me, but I really admire the direction they went with the Tobi-Kadachi. It's got the head of a snake (complete with the brow of an eyelash pit viper), but the body plan of, of all things, a flying squirrel. Yes, it can glide. That's already neat, but then you factor in how it can generate static electricity by rubbing itself against everything and then storing that static in special spines across its back. Once again, we have a Fanged Wyvern that goes all-in on out-there creativity, and I love it! 8/10.

"I SMELL BACON!!!"

The deadliest predator in the Rotten Vale that isn't an Elder Dragon, the Odogaron looks like the sort of thing you'd expect in a particularly harrowing tale about eastern demons. It certainly has the look of one, with its tail studded with teeth-like spikes, two sets of claws used to lacerate prey, and mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. All on top of a hide that looks like exposed skin. Yup, it's a demon Gorgonopsid, alright. I should also note that I've always been personally unnerved by how it sounds like a psychotic hound on top of everything. It's fierce, it's fast, it was my first major roadblock while playing World. Props to the homicidal slim jim! 8.5/10.

"And yes, they indeed don't care."

Once again, we have small Fanged Wyverns without a leader. And what's worse is that I LIKE the small ones here, so I'm wondering where the big guy went off to even more. The Wulgs occupy Hoarfrost Reach, and the best way to describe them is "badger wolves". With scythe-like spurs on their front legs. And they can coil around hunters. Yeah, these guys don't let their smallness get in the way of being proficient predators. Should they ever come back, I NEED to see a Great Wulg. It would be awesome, I know it! 7/10.

"Samur-aye aye aye"

The flagship of Rise...how do I feel about Magnamalo? Well, I do like the concept. A massive cat with the horns and fighting style of a dark samurai that produces a deadly purple flame capable of detonating whenever it stays in place for too long. This flame, known as Hellfire, is actually volatile gas produced by the monster's rampant metabolism, and it can be used in a variety of ways. My favorite tactic comes from how the Magnamalo uses its flexible spear-like tail. It can literally wave it around like a wand, summoning homing balls of Hellfire, or even concentrating it all into a quick and huge BLAST of it. The fire itself is based on the Hitodama, which are lights said to surround ghosts in Japanese mythology. But aside from all of that, as well as a pretty cool theme music, Magnamalo isn't really an 8 because I find its design to be maybe just a bit too try-hard and edgy. Plus, it doesn't really affect the plot as much as it would like to say it does. 7/10.

"AH! A wild furry!"

At first, the Lunagaron appears to be totally unimpressive. It's literally just a big wolf with scaly armor and ice powers...until it gets mad. Then, its armor violently extends, it covers its claws and hide with ice, and it rears up on its hind legs. Suddenly, you realize in what way this thing was based on the myth of the werewolf. There's a world of a difference between how striking the Lunagaron is in its base mode and its empowered form, which can slice you to pieces with lightning fast claw strikes. For that, the big dog avoids being average in a big way! 7.5/10.

Well folks, we're on our way to reaching the end here. Our final part will cover the most powerful monsters of all...the Elder Dragons.

Index:

Herbivores

Neopterons, Carapaceans, Temnocerans

Bird Wyverns

Flying Wyverns

Piscine Wyverns, Amphibians, Leviathans

Brute Wyverns

Fanged Beasts, Fanged Wyverns

Elder Dragons

#monster hunter #mon hun #monster hunter world #monster hunter rise #monster hunter wilds #ramblings

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zzthekaiju · 18 days ago

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THE GREAT MONSTER HUNTER RANKING! Part 6

Now for the Wyverns that are, when you think about it, some of the easiest to categorize. All of them follow a basic pattern. Namely, they're all huge theropod dinosaurs souped up in one way or another. They tend to think with their muscles over their brains, and as a result they hit hard. And almost all of them are awesome in their own way.

The Brute Wyverns:

"Here's mud in your everything!"

It's been said before, but the Barroth gets a lot of its charm from resembling the kind of monster that you'd expect an Ultraman to fight, especially with that unusual head. The way its armored on its arms and feet is also pretty neat. But then there's the way it fights. Once again, we have a monster that fights dirty in the literal sense. This beast is often seen near or even in bodies of muddy water, and it actually breathes through those horn-like growths on its head, kind of like a huge snorkel. Upon leaving the mud, all of that dirt and grime hardens and becomes armor. But aside from that, it can just shake it off and fling it at hunters. And there's something very satisfying about how they animate the shaking. Solid introduction to this monster type! 7.5/10.

"[Insert Jay Leno joke here]"

However, not all big dino monsters are winners in my eyes. The Uragaan is unique...but that's it. I just cannot take that stupid head seriously at all. It's got a chin the size of Texas, and its mouth is mostly filled with human-like molars. It's...not appealing at all. At the very least, it does fulfill an interesting ecological niche. This wyvern is a literal rock biter, eating at volcanic minerals and inadvertently getting its underside covered in them. It's ridiculous chin is a mighty bludgeoning weapon, and I will admit there's a satisfying way it just SLAMS its chin into the ground to either hit you or scatter the volcano rocks on it around the place. Oh, and those rocks explode. Plus, its locomotion is quite zany, as the protrusions on its back enable it to curl up and roll all around to get from one place to another. So yeah, Uragaan is not my favorite Brute to look at, but at least it tries to be interesting. 5.5/10.

"The world is your buffet."

At least once I have heard the most apt description of one of the most dreaded monsters in the entire franchise. Said description is, to paraphrase, a child's idea. It's a T-rex, but it's the biggest and hungriest T-Rex ever. That's precisely what the Deviljho is. This enormous spiny pickle with more teeth than sense is of a nomadic nature, meaning it became infamous for barging into quests that have nothing to do with it, all because it needs to satiate a horrifyingly short metabolism that renders it eternally hungry. And it will eat ANYTHING. Smaller monsters, big monsters, bigger monsters, it's own tail, nothing is off the menu if it tastes even a little like meat. And even worse, if it gets mad enough during an already tumultuous fight, its skin will literally split open to reveal pulsating red muscle as it unleashes its full power, including the ability to inexplicably fire smokey breath that contains the dreaded Dragon element. Which, need I remind you, is mostly restricted to the Elder Dragons. Oh, and if given the chance, it will grab smaller monsters and try to bludgeon you with them.

But honestly, I feel bad for this beast to some extent. It's boundless hunger ensures that it can NEVER have an unsuccessful hunt. If it does, it will burn through its finite energy even faster than usual, and die. I don't even know when these things could possibly find the time to do things like sleep or mate or just anything that isn't hunting. Maybe the comparisons to Godzilla aren't that skin-deep. After all, such monsters are tragic beings. 8.5/10.

"A rolling monster gathers an awful lot of moss."

Just because Brutes are based on Theropods doesn't mean they have to totally look like them. No one illustrated this quite as well back then as the Duramboros did. Instead of looking like a fierce predatory dinosaur, it looks more like a fantastical bipedal yak with the back of a stony camel and a club covered in mushroom-like armor. Very big Earth motifs are at play here, and as a whole, it's a neat monster. But its signature move causes it to veer off into amusing absurdity. That's because it can SPIN! Yes, it can twirl around in place to smack you with that tail. It can spin so well, it ACTUALLY FLOATS IN THE AIR LIKE A HELICOPTER before coming down on you. That...NEEDS to be in the next game. It's just so out there you can't help but smile even if it hits you. 7.5/10.

"This Punch-Out DLC is going to be controller-smashingly hard, I know it."

Brachydios is a little overrated. There, I said it.

Don't get me wrong. "Overrated" doesn't mean "bad". In fact, this unusual monster wins points for creativity. Unlike other Brutes, its arms are the complete opposite of tiny, sporting a pompadour-like head crest and tonfa-like talons that produce a unique slime mold that superheats upon hitting its target and explodes! You gotta give it points for standing out amongst its peers! That being said, what knocks this monster down a point for me is the face. I don't know, the way its outer jaws are designed and that horn on its nose makes the whole head appear too dog-like for me to get into. I will say this much, its theme music is alright, though the one they gave to its larger and more destructive variant, the Raging Brachydios, is one of the best tracks in the games. 7/10.

"Like a knife through butter!"

To all Brute Wyverns out there and those that are still to come...you're beat. None of you will come even close to the sheer unbridled aura-farming spectacle that is the Glavenus.

Easily one of my favorite monsters in the franchise, it secures its spot because...well, LOOK AT IT! It's a heavily armored, beautifully-colored Carnotaurus with roar like a blade grinding against metal, and a massive godforsaken GREATSWORD for a tail!!!

Oh, and that big knife-tail is where the fun begins. That right there is, obviously, its primary weapon. It's so sharp and tough that it can slice through just about anything. However, it dulls easily. But the Glavenus has a simple yet vivid solution for that. It sharpens the blade either by (reasonably) grinding it against special rocks, or (not so reasonably) using its own armored mouth to do the sharpening instead. And the little bits of hot debris that get caught in said mouth drop into a special organ located in its throat called a Bursa, where they get converted into a fiery molten substance that it can spit at foes like it was fire (though the glowing throat is an obvious weakness).

And as if it weren't awesome enough, the way it actually FIGHTS with that blade deserves mention. There are the standard moves where it swings it downward, but give it enough time to sharpen it, and it gets to the point where the tail is so hot that it glows a vibrant red-yellow. Then there's its special attack, in which it holds its tail in its jaws and, like a samurai performing Iaijutsu, releases it with enough momentum to swing around in a swift yet powerful motion guaranteed to down any hunter that doesn't dodge in time.

Literally my only complaint is that it has the weakest theme out of the Fated Four it's a part of. That's it.

SOLID 10/10.

I'd also like to give a big shout-out to its subspecies, the Acidic Glavenus, which trades the greatsword for a longsword that it can wield with unusual flexibility. And instead of getting red-hot, it gets coated in a corrosive mucus that instantly crystalizes. Makes me wonder if there are versions that cover all of the major weapon types (Lord help us if there's one with a bowgun tail).

"Look at me, I'm a big stinky Flying Wyvern, aren't I something?!"

The Anjanath isn't terribly striking...at first. Because at first glance, it looks a little ugly. I appreciate the feathery look it has as if to honor our new understanding of most Theropod dinosaurs (though most agree that the bigger ones didn't have such big coats), but the vulture-like look is more than a bit off-putting. Then the bells and whistles are unveiled, and suddenly the Anjanath raises some interesting insights regarding the evolution of Brute Wyverns as a whole. Because somehow, this beast has a pair of wing-like fins that extend from its back whenever it gets mad (it also produces a neat proboscis). The purpose of these things is uncertain, but in my opinion, it lends credence to the fact that Brute Wyverns are direct ancestors of the bigger Flying Wyverns. Perhaps Anjanath is a walking throwback of sorts. It CAN produce a fiery mucus that it either uses to breathe fire or produce a stream of fire from its nose (brilliantly creative, BTW), after all. 7/10.

"Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!"

The Radobaan suffers from the same problem Jyuratodus does, albeit to a much lesser degree. It's basically a reskinned Uragaan, which is already a point not in its favor. You copied the least interesting Brute Wyvern, man. BUT, I will say it's a bit less dull. I say this mostly because instead of rock, this guy opted to cover himself with BONES. With a special black tar-like substance it secretes, the Radobaan can cover itself in the bones scattered throughout its habitat, the Rotten Vale, and form it into armor. And yes, it can roll too. So I dare say that this is the one case where an obvious clone has a leg up on its predecessor, albeit just a slight one. It's still got those weird human teeth and that dumb chin (nice bone coverings on there, but still). 6/10.

"Time to go va-moose!"

As a successor to the Duramboros, the Banbaro is more than worthy. Someone outta give a raise to whomever came up with "big dino-moose". Because what could be more of a threat to all living things than the most dangerous land predator combined with the most dangerous forest herbivore? It makes for a very memorable design! The way it fights is pretty cool too. It can use its huge horns to scoop up all manner of forest debris, including but not limited to large snowballs and entire trees! All the more to crush you for daring to interrupt its day. There's also a noticeable viking motif in not only its look and armor, but its behavior. Like the ancient would-be conquerors of old, it goes from place to place no matter how ill-fitted it is the environment. In a way, it's a benign version of the Deviljho's invasive lifestyle.

Also, minor detail, but when its face flares up, it unveils a small nasal horn that looks like that of the extinct ungulate Synthetoceras. It's the little things you enjoy the most sometimes. 8.5/10.

Next are the monsters of the more mammalian persuasion. The Fanged Beasts and the Fanged Wyverns!