MHS3: All Invasive Monster locations and strategies

If you want to unlock every available monster in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, then you’ll need to take out all of the Invasive Monsters in the game.

That’s easier said than done, because even if you’re end-game powerful, Invasive Monsters will require you to solve in-battle puzzles in order to overcome each fight.

In this guide, we’re breaking down the location of every Invasive Monster in MHS3 and how to beat them.

What are Invasive Monsters in MHS3?

Invasive Monsters in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection are essentially puzzle bosses that require specific strategies to overcome. Your actual damage output or strength doesn’t matter all that much as long as you know exactly what strategy you need to implement, and can survive for long enough to pull it off.

Invasive Monsters only appear at night, but you should still be sure to hunt them down. This is primarily because each Invasive Monster you repel will give you access to an “extinct” monster egg. This allows you access to rare monsters that you can then introduce into rehabilitated habitats to access even rarer creatures for your party.

Taking out Invasive Monsters is really annoying if you don’t know what each monster wants from you, but if you take each Invasive Monster out as early as possible, you’ll be able to access powerful creatures for your party.

Azuria Invasive Monster locations – MHS3

There are three Invasive Monsters in total to find and defeat in the Azuria region.

Invasive Yian Garuga

The first Invasive Monster you encounter is Yian Garuga, and this is a necessary story battle that you’ll overcome early on in the game to unlock Rathian. This is how you unlock Pink and Dreadqueen Rathian.

You can take out Invasive Yian Garuga by focusing your attacks on its Legs before it charges at you. Once the Legs are broken, it’ll flee, and you can claim the Rathian egg.

Invasive Plesioth

The Invasive Plesioth is hiding in the cave North of the Mirror Lake Catavan Stand — just follow the river to find it.

The trick here is to target the monster’s head with Fire attacks. This will dry its head off, making it unable to use its powerful Water abilities. It will soon flee, allowing you to claim the Lagiacrus egg.

Invasive Seregios

The Invasive Seregios is the final Invasive Monster hiding in Azuria. Again, from the Mirror Lake Catavan Stand, swim toward the largest wind updraft to the Northeast of the Catavan Stand, and then fly West to the high cliff, left of the river that leads toward the Invasive Plesioth.

The Invasive Seregios spawns just over the verge. This monster has impenetrable scales it can use as projectiles, and the only thing that can counter it is a Hammer weapon with the Perfect Crush skill. Use the correct type of Perfect Crush (Power, Speed, or Technique) against the Seregios’ scale attack, and you’ll force it to flee, earning the Astalos egg.

Canalta Timberland Invasive Monster locations – MHS3

There are three Invasive Monsters to find and defeat in the Canalta Timberland region.

Invasive Arzuros

This is another Invasive Monster that’s required to take out over the course of the story.

This monster uses honey to lure other Azuros to back it up, but if you take out enough of the smaller monsters, the Invasive Azuros will run out of honey, causing it to give up and run away.

This is how you unlock the Canyne egg. Canynes are probably the first monster in your party that can dig through dirt to access new areas, which is required for the Canalta Timberland.

Invasive Shogun Cenatour

This Invasive Monster is located in a cave behind a waterfall, directly South of the Lookout Point: Howlinyowl Forest Catavan Stand.

The Invasive Shogun Cenatour seems tough, but it isn’t as bad as you might think. All you need to do is massively boost the Defense stat of your monstie so that it’ll survive the Cenatour’s claw attack. Some Hunting Horn attacks will help, but the Mega Armorskin item is the best buff you could ask for. Make sure to use it as soon as the Invasive Shogun Cenatour targets your monstie.

Invasive Nerscylla

The Invasive Nerscylla is particularly tricky Invasive Monster to beat thanks to its ghostly stealth abilities. That’s why we’ve written an extensive guide to finding and defeating the Invasive Nerscylla for all the information you need to know.

Tarkuan Invasive Monster locations – MHS3

You’ll find two more dangerous Invasive Monsters in the Tarkuan region.

Invasive Diablos

You probably won’t even find the Invasive Diablos unless you’re looking for it. It’s lurking to the South of Tarkuan, up on a high ledge that you won’t be able to reach unless you fly from the top of the giant dragon skeleton – closest to the Lookout Point: Colossal Dragon’s Remains Catavan Stand – and then fly straight South.

The Invasive Diablos is tough, and the only way to take it out is to use a Hammer weapon with the Spinning Meteor skill — although the Meteor Hammer skill should work too. When the Invasive Diablos splits into three potential holes in the ground, select a hole at the same moment that dust spurts up from it. It won’t always work, but as Rudy says, the creature won’t jump out of the same hole twice in a row, meaning you can narrow down your second strike. This should hit the Invasive Diablos and repel it, allowing you to grab a Tigrex egg.

Invasive Odogaron

The Invasive Odogaron is another particularly tricky creature to overcome, found in the heart of the Tarkuan mountains. We’ve got an extensive guide to finding and defeating the Invasive Odogaron that you should read, as this monster can require a few extra steps.

Serathis Invasive Monster locations – MHS3

There’s just one Invasive Monster in Serathis, but it might be the toughest Invasive in the entire game.

Invasive Khezu

The Invasive Khezu is located in Serathis and is the only Invasive Monster in this area. Travel to the Lookout Point: Glacial Caps Catavan Stand, and then head Northeast across the rock spires to find the Khezu.

This is definitely the toughest Invasive Monster to repel. What you need to do is regularly use Double Attacks – Head to Heads, where you use the same attack type as your monstie, target the same part, and win – and work up to using Kinship Skills. The Invasive Khezu will try to drain your health, but Double Attacks should stop it. Meanwhile, you’ll need to negate Paralysis – which can prevent your Double Attacks from working – using items or Hunting Horn skills.

Once you’ve prevented it from absorbing your health multiple times and you get the “Learning Complete” prompt, hit it with a Kinship Skill to win the fight. You’ll get a Barrioth egg after all is said and done.