Rathalos Blademaster, a legendary champion from the Monster Hunter universe, brings his fearsome combat prowess to Raid: Shadow Legends. As a Legendary Attack champion from the Banner Lords faction, he thrives in high-damage scenarios, cutting through enemies with powerful AoE attacks. His aggressive playstyle makes him a valuable asset in both PvE and PvP, particularly in content where raw damage output is key.
In PvE, Rathalos Blademaster shines in Dungeon runs and Faction Wars, where his ability to ignore boss defenses makes him a lethal addition to any team. His synergy with HP Burn debuffs further amplifies his damage, allowing him to shred through high-HP enemies with ease. In Arena, he functions as a potent damage dealer but requires proper setup to unleash his full potential. While his defense penetration makes him effective against tanky teams, his reliance on buffs and cooldown cycling means he benefits greatly from speed-boosting allies. His lack of survivability, however, makes him vulnerable to control and crowd control effects, requiring careful team-building.
Table of Contents
- Rathalos Blademaster Skills
- Rathalos Blademaster Best Gear
- Rathalos Blademaster Masteries
- Rathalos Blademaster Blessings
- How to Get Rathalos Blademaster
His Spirit Step Slash (A2) is his signature ability, allowing him to deal massive single-target damage or unleash a devastating AoE attack every second use. Against bosses, this skill becomes even more powerful, completely ignoring their defense. His Overhead Slash (A3) further enhances his burst potential, granting him Increased Critical Damage and Increased Speed before attacking all enemies. Meanwhile, Spirit Thrust (A1) applies Decrease Defense, ensuring that both he and his allies can land harder hits. His passive ability, Rathalos Mastery, grants him a significant boost in damage against enemies affected by HP Burn, making him a perfect fit for teams built around that debuff.
Compared to champions like Ninja or Trunda Giltmallet, Rathalos Blademaster brings a unique balance of sustained and burst damage. Unlike Ninja, who relies on HP Burn stacking, Rathalos benefits directly from pre-applied burns while also dealing raw damage. He lacks Trunda’s overwhelming nuking power in Arena but compensates with superior boss-killing potential and cooldown cycling. To maximize his effectiveness, pair him with champions who provide Counterattack, Ally Attack, or Turn Meter boosts, allowing him to reach his fifth skill use quickly for his massive damage spike. A Relentless Set can further accelerate his rotations, ensuring he remains a constant threat on the battlefield.
| Rathalos Blademaster Ratings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| DUNGEONS | DOOM TOWER | ||
| Arcane Keep | ⭐ 5 | Floors | ⭐ 4 |
| Spirit Keep | ⭐ 3 | Dark Fae | ⭐ 4.5 |
| Magic Keep | ⭐ 5 | Scarab King | ⭐ 4.5 |
| Force Keep | ⭐ 5 | Celestial Griffin | ⭐ 3.5 |
| Void Keep | ⭐ 4.5 | Dreadhorn | ⭐ 2 |
| Iron Twins Fortress | ⭐3 | Eternal Dragon | ⭐ 3.5 |
| Minotaur’s Labyrinth | ⭐ 5 | Nether Spider | ⭐ 3.5 |
| Ice Golem’s Peak | ⭐ 4 | Magma Dragon | ⭐ 4 |
| Spider’s Den | ⭐ 5 | Frost Spider | ⭐ 4 |
| Dragon’s Lair | ⭐ 4.5 | ALL CONTENT | |
| Fire Knight’s Castle | ⭐ 3 | Campaign | ⭐ 5 |
| Sand Devil’s Necropolis | ⭐ 3 | Faction Wars | ⭐ 5 |
| Phantom Shogun’s Grove | ⭐ 4 | Arena Defense | ⭐ 3.5 |
| CLAN BOSS | Arena Offense | ⭐ 3.5 | |
| Demon Lord | ⭐ 5 | Amius (Cursed City) | ⭐ 4.5 |
| Hydra | ⭐ 5 | ||
| Chimera | ⭐ 5 | ||
Rathalos Blademaster Skills
Rathalos Blademaster requires 12 books to max out his skills, with A2 and A3 as the top priorities for upgrades.
Spirit Thrust (A1)
Attacks 1 enemy. Has a 50% chance of placing a 60% [Decrease DEF] debuff for 2 turns.
If the target is a Boss, this debuff cannot be resisted.
Damage based on: [ATK]
Decrease DEF
Lvl. 2 Damage +10%
Lvl. 3 Buff/Debuff Chance +5%
Lvl. 4 Damage +10%
Lvl. 5 Buff/Debuff Chance +10%
Damage Multiplier: 3.2 ATK
Spirit Step Slash (A2)
4 turns
Attacks 1 enemy. Every second use of this skill in a Round will attack all enemies instead.
Will also ignore 25% of the target’s DEF. If the target is a boss, will ignore 100% of the target’s DEF.
Damage based on: [ATK]
Lvl. 2 Damage +5%
Lvl. 3 Damage +5%
Lvl. 4 Damage +10%
Lvl. 5 Cooldown -1
Damage Multiplier: 4 ATK
Overhead Slash (A3)
4 turns
Attacks all enemies. Before attacking, places a 30% [Increase C.DMG] buff and a 30% [Increase SPD] buff on this Champion for 2 turns.
Damage based on: [ATK]
Increase C. DMG
Increase SPD
Lvl. 2 Damage +5%
Lvl. 3 Damage +5%
Lvl. 4 Damage +10%
Lvl. 5 Cooldown -1
Damage Multiplier: 4.1 ATK
Rathalos Mastery (Passive)
Inflicts 50% more damage against targets under [HP Burn] debuffs.
Receives 25% less damage from enemies under [HP Burn] debuffs.
Every fifth skill used by this Champion deals 200% more damage.
Aura
Increases Ally ATK in Dungeons by 30%.
Rathalos Blademaster Best Gear
Rathalos Blademaster thrives on speed and damage, making Relentless the best artifact set for maximizing his potential. Reflex is another option with a similar effect, reducing skill cooldowns instead of granting extra turns, but Relentless remains the superior choice for Rathalos due to its ability to accelerate his skill cycles more effectively. This set gives him a chance to take extra turns, allowing him to cycle through his abilities faster and reach his fifth skill use for the massive 200% damage boost from his passive. It pairs best with a Retaliation set to further boost his extra turn potential and overall damage output.
For those who prefer a different approach, Savage and Cruel sets are strong alternatives, increasing his ability to ignore enemy defense. However, these sets can sometimes be a bit of a waste, especially against bosses, since his A2 already ignores 100% of the target’s defense. Still, they remain excellent choices for Arena and general PvE content where enemies have high base defense values. Slayer set also provides another strong option, enhancing his ability to chain attacks and deal more consistent damage over time.
For early to mid-game players who may not have access to high-end sets like Relentless, Savage, Cruel, or Slayer, Lifesteal is a solid alternative. Rathalos lacks self-sustain, so Lifesteal allows him to recover HP from his high-damage attacks, improving his survivability in dungeons and campaign battles. This is especially useful before acquiring strong healers or better artifact sets.
Recommended Artifact Sets
| PvE | Relentless, Retaliation, Reflexes, Bloodthirst, Lifesteal, Lethal, Critical Damage, Fatal, Divine Speed, Speed |
| PvP | Relentless, Slayer, Merciless, Savage, Cruel, Divine Speed, Speed, Zeal |
| All Contents | Relentless, Retaliation, Reflexes, Slayer, Merciless, Bloodthirst, Lifesteal, Lethal, Savage, Cruel, Critical Damage, Fatal, Divine Speed, Speed |
Stat Priorities
SPD, C.RATE, C.DMG, ATK%
| Artifacts & Accessories | Stat Priority |
|---|---|
| Weapon | ATK |
| Helmet | HP |
| Shield | DEF |
| Gauntlet | C.DMG, C.RATE |
| Chestplate | ATK% |
| Boots | SPD, ATK% |
| Ring | ATK |
| Amulet | C.DMG, ATK |
| Banner | ATK |
Rathalos Blademaster Masteries
Rathalos benefits most from masteries that enhance his offensive potential and skill cycling. The Offense tree is the best choice, focusing on critical hits, raw damage, and skill cooldown reduction. For dungeon runs and campaign battles, Warmaster is a stronger alternative, allowing him to deal consistent damage against high-HP enemies. Methodical boosts his single-target damage over extended fights, while Bring It Down increases his output against tougher opponents.
For added survivability both in PvE and PvP content, the Defense tree offers valuable damage mitigation. Delay Death reduces incoming damage over time, while Retribution gives him chances to counterattack and accelerate his skill cycle. Resurgent provides extra durability by cleansing debuffs when taking heavy hits, making him more resilient in prolonged battles. This defensive approach is particularly useful for early-game accounts still building a strong healer roster, ensuring Rathalos can sustain himself while dishing out massive damage.
Campaign, Dungeons
| OFFENSE | DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Deadly Precision | Tough Skin |
| Heart of Glory | Blastproof |
| Keen Strike | Resurgent |
| Single Out | Delay Death |
| Life Drinker | Retribution |
| Bring It Down | Deterrence |
| Cycle of Violence | |
| Methodical | |
| Warmaster |
Arena, Faction Wars, Doom Tower, Hydra
| OFFENSE | DEFENSE |
|---|---|
| Deadly Precision | Tough Skin |
| Keen Strike | Blastproof |
| Shield Breaker | Resurgent |
| Single Out | Delay Death |
| Ruthless Ambush | Retribution |
| Bring It Down | |
| Cycle of Violence | |
| Methodical | |
| Kill Streak | |
| Helmsmasher |
Rathalos Blademaster Blessings
Rathalos Blademaster benefits from several strong blessings that enhance his offensive capabilities. Soul Reap is an excellent choice for maximizing his burst potential, especially against enemies with lower HP. When Rathalos Blademaster reduces an enemy’s HP below a certain threshold, Soul Reap triggers an extra attack that ignores DEF and all damage mitigation, making it easy to finish off weakened opponents quickly.
Heavencast is another solid option, increasing Rathalos Blademaster’s damage based on the number of buffs he has. Given his role as a high-damage dealer, he often benefits from buffs like ATK Up, Speed Up, or Crit buffs, making Heavencast a natural fit. This blessing ensures he deals even more damage when properly supported by his team, making it ideal for compositions that can provide frequent buffs.
Phantom Touch is a more consistent choice for increasing damage output. It offers a chance to inflict bonus damage whenever Rathalos Blademaster attacks, scaling with his ATK. While it doesn’t have the finishing power of Soul Reap or the scaling potential of Heavencast, it provides reliable extra damage over time.
How to Get Rathalos Blademaster
Rathalos Blademaster was an exclusive champion from the Raid X Monster Hunter collaboration, available through the Rathalos Chase event in early 2024. This event was part of a limited-time 7-day login program running from January to March. Players who logged in for seven days during this period could claim him on the final day. Since he was not available through Shards, this event was the only way to obtain him.
Now that the event has ended, there is no way to get Rathalos Blademaster. The Rathalos Chase could only be started before February 27, 2024, and the final deadline to claim him was March 5. With the collaboration over, he is no longer obtainable, and there has been no announcement about future opportunities to unlock him again.