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The Monster Hunter games are all about tracking and hunting gigantic creatures in exotic biomes. They are the best at giving users all the necessary tools and weapons from the get-go to pursue some gnarly and vicious-looking monsters.
Sometimes, these monsters themselves can be seen fighting fellow creatures over territory. These events are called 'Turf Wars' in Monster Hunter games.
These unique and super rare events are an absolute visual splendor with how beautifully the developers do the animations to make these monster battles feel natural.
Apart from just being a visual treat, these cinematic battles between the monsters often end up in either one or both, taking significant amounts of damage. The stronger monster usually takes down the weaker one, with the latter leaving the area.
During the battle, both monsters have an equal chance of dropping rare items that gamers can collect.
Monster Hunter World is no stranger to Turf Wars, with numerous monsters coming face to face in the many diverse regions.
Note: This article reflects the author's opinions.
These seven stunning Turf Wars are worth the watch in Monster Hunter World and Iceborne
1) Seething Bazelgeuse vs Savage Deviljho
Both Bazelgeuse and Deviljho are the most fearsome monsters in Monster Hunter World. The Seething Bazelgeuse is the tougher and meaner variant of the normal Bazelgeuse, with exploding scales on its body that it can shed at will on its prey and opponents to damage and stagger them.
Similarly, Savage Deviljho is the more powerful variant of the standard Deviljho with increased aggression and a nearly insatiable appetite. It tends to devour the corpses of fallen monsters, even if it has hunters attacking it.
Deviljho is one of the most brutal hunts, and seeing it go toe-to-toe with a Bazelgeuse is spectacular, even if the battle between the two monsters often ends in a tie.
2) Rajang vs Ruiner Nergigante
Rajang is undoubtedly one of the toughest and most infuriating monsters to battle in the Iceborne expansion of Monster Hunter World. This fanged beast is quick and agile and can quickly dish out enormous amounts of damage.
Rajang also uses the Thunder element to paralyze and stagger its opponent, making it an unstoppable force.
Ruiner Nergigante, on the other hand, is a variant of one of the Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter World that is equally aggressive and violent but can cause Bleed damage.
Although the battle between the two monsters usually ends in a tie, given their matching aggression and strength, watching a charged Rajang battle a huge Elder Dragon is breathtaking in a Monster Hunter game.
3) Anjanath vs Great Jagras
The battle between the Great Jagras and Anjanath is the first thing players witness upon starting Monster Hunter World. Thus, it is one of the most memorable monster battles in the title.
The first battle between the two is part of a cutscene that introduces players to these monsters and the Turf Wars system, with subsequent battles in the Ancient Forest region being fully realized monster fights.
The Great Jagras is an early-game monster that, although of intimidating size, is relatively easy to hunt. Anjanath, on the other hand, is one of the most formidable monsters in the early parts of the game.
Watching Anjanath fight and thrash the Great Jagras is like watching two Cretaceous-era dinosaurs battle it out for territory but in a Monster Hunter title.
4) Fulgur Anjanath vs Zinogre
The Fulgur Anjanath is a subspecies of the normal Anjanath from the base game of Monster Hunter World, introduced in the Iceborne expansion. Besides overgrown fur on parts of its body, Fulgur Anjanath is identical to its base game counterpart.
However, this subspecies of the monster can harness the Thunder element against its opponents.
Zinogre, on the other hand, is a massive quadrupedal fanged Wyvern with sharp claws and fangs. Although it is very powerful by itself, it can summon Thunderbugs from its surroundings to 'Charge' itself with lightning, which substantially increases its agility and attack power.
Both these two giants, using Thunder elemental attacks to stun and damage each other, present a mesmerizing showcase of raw strength. Given that these monsters are of about the same power level, Turf Wars between the two in Iceborne usually end up being ties.
5) Rajang vs Azure Rathalos
Although relatively small in size compared to most other monsters in both the base game and the Iceborne expansion, Rajang packs a hefty punch with its highly agile movesets and damaging attacks.
Meanwhile, Rathalos is a flying Wyvern that is pretty big compared to Rajang and is capable of breathing fire and inflicting poison from its talons. The only difference apart from the slight color variation between Azure and the normal monster variant is that the Azure Rathalos has much stronger wings that give it the ability to stay airborne for longer.
When it comes to face-to-face against Rajang in their Turf War, the Azure Rathalos at first seems to get the upper hand on the fanged beast. However, with its lightning-fast movesets and strength, Rajang ultimately becomes the victor in battle.
Watching an enraged Rajang topple a Rathalos with its bare hands is marvelous.
6) Blackveil Vaal Hazak vs Savage Deviljho
The Blackveil Vaal Hazak is a unique variant of the standard Vaal Hazak from the base game of Monster Hunter World. Apart from a slight color variation, it is the same as its regular counterpart but boasts increased aggression and raw strength.
Blackveil Vaal Hazak also has strange moss-like pustules all over its body that constantly secrete 'Effluvium,' used to reduce its opponents' maximum health temporarily. The Elder Dragon is also a very agile and fast creature that can quickly move around the battlefield, dishing out Effluvium-infused attacks.
When this Elder Dragon comes up against Savage Deviljho, the battle between the two over territory is a spectacle for gamers. Both these giants usually start the fight by charging at each other.
While Deviljho gets the upper hand initially due to its towering size and raw strength, Vaal Hazak quickly turns the tides in its favor using its Effluvium.
The Turf War between the two usually ends in favor of the former, partly due to its size and increased attack power. More often than not, this is due to players already having damaged Blackveil Vaal Hazak before Deviljho invades its territory.
7) Kirin vs Rajang
This is an iconic battle between two lightning-fast monsters, one with brute strength while the other is more agile and has increased defense with lightning-based attacks.
Kirin features a Lion-like face with a majestic mane and a Unicorn-like body complete with a huge, sharp horn which it uses to summon lightning bolts and strike its foes. Despite such a unique design, the monster is classed as an Elder Dragon. It is incredibly agile and capable of running and jumping incredible distances in a concise amount of time.
Meanwhile, Rajang is an example of pure brute strength mixed with an enraged form that sees it using some Thunder elemental attacks. The battle between the two mighty creatures is a pure display of power for both of these beasts, more so for Rajang.
Their battle is featured as a cutscene for the introduction of Rajang to players, where the fanged beast quickly overpowers Kirin and breaks its horn. The Turf War between the two goes very much in favor of Rajang due to his ability to grab and topple Kirin, reducing the Elder Dragon's mobility substantially.
Monster Hunter World is chock-full of many unique and mesmerizing encounters between the very monsters that users are tasked with hunting. With the Iceborne expansion, Capcom has added even more monsters and Turf War encounters in the game.
Watching a monster invade the territory of another naturally and battling it out for the rights to the area is an excellent way for the Monster Hunter games to make their worlds truly immersive and believable.
Note: This article is entirely based on the author's opinions.
