Monster Hunter 3 Bestiary: Aptonoth

APTONOTH ・ アプトノス

Area: "Kotou" Solitary Island Map (Moga Forest)
Harvest items: Raw meat 『生肉』, Small monster bone 『竜骨 (小)』

The first monster you run into, the Aptonoth is one of those nice, mild-mannered monsters that makes you feel really bad for slaying it. Being the softie that I am, I can't help but cringe every time I slash one of these. Add some calves into the mix and I end up feeling twice as guilty.

Aptonoth herds typically start running away once you attack one of them. The only exception is if you attack one of their little ones. Expect an attempt at some righteous pummeling from one of the parents.

Monster Hunter 3 Map: Area 1 - Solitary Island - Item Gathering List

孤島・SOLITARY ISLAND
Item Gathering List

Here is a list of the items you can gather from Monster Hunter 3 Tri's first map, "Kotou" (孤島) or Solitary Island. The island's 13 areas (including the Base Camp) house a total of 32 gathering points, which are marked by the following telltale signs:

- Seed point: Looks almost like small brown rocks.
- Mushroom point: Pretty easy to spot. Just look for, well, a mushroom.
- Grass point: Actually looks more like a plant.
- Bee point: Look for a hive.
- Bug point: An area with bugs flying around.
- Rock point: Marked by a big, conspicuous rock.
- Bone point: Look for a bone piece that kind of looks like a white stone.
- Fishing point: Basically marked by a body of water.

I tried to match names to accepted English conventions from past Monster Hunter games. Those that I couldn't find a match for are marked with a question mark (?). In most cases, these are items that are new to MH3. Now on to the list:

BASE CAMP
Fishing Point
大食いマグロ = Glutton tuna
キレアジ = Knife mackerel
小金魚 = Small goldenfish
はじけイワシ = Rumblefish
ハリマグロ = Pin tuna

AREA 1
Grass Point
イキツギ藻 = Breather algae (?)
クモの巣 = Spiderweb
ツタの葉 = Ivy
ネンチャク草 = Sap plant
怪力の種 = Power seed
マタタビ = Felvine
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
薬草 = Herb

Rock Point
石ころ = Stone
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
大地の結晶 = Earth crystal
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
砥石 = Whetstone
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

Bug point
釣りバッタ = Cricket
釣りホタル = Firefly
にが虫 = Bitterbug
光蟲 = Flashbug
不死虫 = Godbug
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
雷光虫 = Thunderbug

AREA 2
Bee point
ハチミツ = Honey
ツチハチノコ = Snakebee larva
虫の死骸 = Insect husk

Mushroom point
特産キノコ = Special mushroom
厳選キノコ = Select mushroom
アオキノコ = Blue mushroom
ドキドキキノコ = Exciteshroom
マンドラゴラ = Dragon toadstool
虫の死骸 = Insect husk

Grass point
イキツギ藻 = Breather algae (?)
クモの巣 = Spiderweb
ツタの葉 = Ivy
ネンチャク草 = Sap plant
怪力の種 = Power seed
薬草 = Herb

Seed point
ツタの葉 = Ivy
ネンチャク草 = Sap plant
怪力の種 = Power seed
げどく草 = Antidote herb
ペイントの実 = Paintberry

Bug point
釣りバッタ = Cricket
釣りホタル = Firefly
にが虫 = Bitterbug
光蟲 = Flashbug
不死虫 = Godbug
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
雷光虫 = Thunderbug

AREA 3
Bee point
ハチミツ = Honey
ツチハチノコ = Snakebee larva
虫の死骸 = Insect husk

Mushroom point
特産キノコ = Special mushroom
厳選キノコ = Select mushroom
アオキノコ = Blue mushroom
ドキドキキノコ = Exciteshroom
マンドラゴラ = Dragon toadstool
虫の死骸 = Insect husk

Bug point
釣りバッタ = Cricket
釣りホタル = Firefly
にが虫 = Bitterbug
光蟲 = Flashbug
不死虫 = Godbug
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
雷光虫 = Thunderbug

AREA 4
Rock Point
石ころ = Stone
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
大地の結晶 = Earth crystal
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
砥石 = Whetstone
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

Bug point
釣りホタル = Firefly
にが虫 = Bitterbug
光蟲 = Flashbug
不死虫 = Godbug
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
雷光虫 = Thunderbug

AREA 5
Bone point
なぞの頭骨 = Unknown skull
なぞの骨 = Mystery bone
棒状の骨 = Bone
竜骨 (小) = Small monster bone

Bug point
釣りバッタ = Cricket
釣りホタル = Firefly
にが虫 = Bitterbug
光蟲 = Flashbug
不死虫 = Godbug
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
雷光虫 = Thunderbug
クモの巣 = Spiderweb

AREA 6
Mushroom point
特産キノコ = Special mushroom
厳選キノコ = Select mushroom
アオキノコ = Blue mushroom

Bone point
なぞの頭骨 = Unknown skull
なぞの骨 = Mystery bone
棒状の骨 = Bone
竜骨 (小) = Small monster bone

Rock point
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
砥石 = Whetstone
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

AREA 7
Mushroom point
特産キノコ = Special mushroom
厳選キノコ = Select mushroom
アオキノコ = Blue mushroom

Grass point
マタタビ = Felvine
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
薬草 = Herb

Bone point
虫の死骸 = Insect husk
砥石 = Whetstone
石ころ = Stone

Rock Point
石ころ = Stone
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
大地の結晶 = Earth crystal
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
砥石 = Whetstone
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

AREA 8
Bone point
なぞの骨 = Mystery bone
棒状の骨 = Bone
竜骨 (小) = Small monster bone
石ころ = Stone
飛竜の卵 = Wyvern egg
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore
モンスターのフン = Dung

Rock Point
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
大地の結晶 = Earth crystal
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
砥石 = Whetstone
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

AREA 9
Seed point
怪力の種 = Power seed
カラの実 = Huskberry
クモの巣 = Spiderweb
げどく草 = Antidote herb
ツタの葉 = Ivy
ネンチャク草 = Sap plant
ペイントの実 = Paintberry
虫の死骸 = Insect husk

AREA 10
Bone point
石ころ = Stone
欠けた貝殻 = Shell fragment (?)
巨大真珠 = Giant pearl (?)
黒真珠 = Black pearl
釣りカエル = Frog
釣ミミズ = Worm
ベニサンゴ石 = Crimson coral stone (?)

Rock Point
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
大地の結晶 = Earth crystal
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
砥石 = Whetstone
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

Fishing point
大食いマグロ = Glutton tuna
キレアジ = Knife mackerel
小金魚 = Small goldenfish
ハリマグロ = Pin tuna
黄金魚 = Goldenfish
サシミウオ = Sushifish

AREA 11
Bone point
ベニサンゴ石 = Crimson coral stone (?)
石ころ = Stone
欠けた貝殻 = Shell fragment (?)
巨大真珠 = Giant pearl (?)
黒真珠 = Black pearl

AREA 12
Bone point
なぞの骨 = Mystery bone
棒状の骨 = Bone

Rock Point
水光原珠 = Suiko jewel
鉄鉱石 = Iron ore
マカライト鉱石 = Machalite ore

THE OLD MAN: Item Exchange

When you accept a quest involving the Solitary Island, you should find an old man at Area 4 by the Felyne colony. Here's a list of items he wants and what he gives you in return.

Give: 特産キノコ (Special Mushroom)
Get: 漁獲アミ (Fishing net?)

Give: 厳選キノコ (Select mushroom)
Get: ピッケル (Pickaxe)

Give: 熱成キノコ (Hot mushroom?)
Get: 漁獲モリグレート (Great fishing net?)

Give: 小金魚 (Small goldenfish)
Get: モドリ玉 (Farcaster)

Give: 黄金魚 (Goldenfish)
Get: 携帯シビレ罠 (Portable shock trap)

Give: ベニサンゴ石 (Crimson coral stone?)
Get: 虫あみ (Bugnet)

Give: 飛竜の卵 (Wyvern egg)
Get: 強走薬 (Power juice)

Give: モンスターのキモ (Monster liver?)
Get: 応急薬 (First aid medicine)

Give: 竜のナミダ (Wyvern tears)
Get: 回復薬グレート (Mega potion)

Monster Hunter 3 Armory: Chain Armor

MACHO COMBO: Check out those billowing pantaloons, er, trousers. This actually reminds me of a story about an explorer named Magellan. No he doesn't have a monkey sidekick or a talking backpack. But he did have a set of threads that kind of-sort of looks a little bit like the stuff you see above. Anyway, he tried to conquer a bunch of near-nekkid natives while clad in his superior armor and armed with his superior guns. Unfortunately for him, he received a superior beatdown. The moral of this story? Don't be complacent or else your prey just might hand you your derriere on a silver platter.

Anywho, beginning mad scientists will apparently get a kick out of equipping the Chain Armor set. Now go get your mixology on.

CHAIN SET

Rarity: 1
Selling price: 400z
Production price: 200z

Skills:
- Combine success + 25%『調合成功率 + 25%』
Skill point 15: Increases combination success rate by 25 percent.
- Max combo limit 『最大数生産』予測 複数個 作成
Skill point 10: Get the max amount of items possible when combining.
- Fishing expert 『釣り名人』
Skill point 10: With the exception of frog bait, makes reeling in one's
catch easier.
- Health +20『体力 +20』
Skill point 10: Increases max health by 20

Base defense: +2
Max upgraded defense: +9 (requires 鎧玉 Armor Sphere x 2, 上鎧玉 Armor Sphere+
x 1 and 尖鎧玉 Sharp Armor Sphere x 4)
Resistance (all parts): Fire -1, Water -1, Ice +3, Thunder -1, Dragon +1

Components:
チェーンヘッド Chain helm
Slots: 1
Material: 鉄鉱石 Iron Ore x 1, 砥石 Whetstone x1
Skills: Attack +1, Fishing +1, Combination success +6, Combination limit
+1

チェーンベスト Chain vest
Slots: 0
Material: 鉄鉱石 Iron Ore x 1, 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Attack +3, Fishing +1, Combination success +4, Combination limit
+1

チェーングラブ Chain glove
Slots: 1
Material:鉄鉱石 Iron Ore x 1, 砥石 Whetstone x1
Skills: Attack +3, Fishing +2, Combination success +2, Combination limit
+2

チェーンベルト Chain belt
Slots: 1
Material: 鉄鉱石 Iron Ore x 1, 大地の結晶 Earth Crystal x1
Skills: Attack +1, Fishing +2, Combination success +2, Combination limit
+4

チェーンパンツ Chain leggings
Slots: 1
Material: 鉄鉱石 Iron Ore x 1, 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Attack +2, Fishing +4, Combination success +1, Combination limit
+2

*NOTE: This info is translated from a Japanese source. While I tried to match the translations to the official English conventions, there may be some cases when they don't exactly match.

Monster Hunter 3 Armory: Leather Armor

OOH, LE-THURRRR: The material of choice for fashionistas and the Village People, leather provides monster-hunting rookies the cheapest alternative for protection. While not exactly providing the sturdiest of defenses, it does help beginners fill their broke pockets via gathering bonuses. Check out its smooth, supple characteristics below.

LEATHER SET

Rarity: 1
Selling price: 300z
Production price: 150z

Skills:
- Spirit's whim 『精霊気まぐれ』
Skill point 10: Reduces chance of breaking tools such pickaxes, bugnets
and harpoons.
- Gathering +1 『採取 』
Skill point 10: Increase number of items that can be taken from a gathering
spot.
- High-speed gathering 『高速収集』
Skill point 10: Increases speed for gathering, mining, bug catching and
monster harvesting.

Base defense: +1
Max upgraded defense: +9 (requires 鎧玉 Armor Sphere x 2, 上鎧玉 Armor Sphere+
x 1 and 尖鎧玉 Sharp Armor Sphere x 5)
Resistance (except cap): Fire -1, Water 0, Ice 0, Thunder +3, Dragon +2

Components:
レザーヘッド Leather helm
Slots: 1
Material: 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Attack +1, Gathering +2, High-speed gathering +2, Whim +3

レザーベスト Leather vest
Slots: 1
Material: 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Gathering +2, High-speed gathering +3, Whim +2

レザーグラブ Leather glove
Slots: 1
Material: 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Attack +1, Gathering +1, High-speed gathering +2, Whim +4

レザーベルト Leather belt
Slots: 1
Material: 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Attack +1, Gathering +4, High-speed gathering +2, Whim +1

レザーパンツ Leather leggings
Slots: 1
Material: 暖かい毛皮 Warm pelt x 1
Skills: Attack +1, Gathering +3, High-speed gathering +1, Whim +3

*NOTE: This info is translated from a Japanese source. While I tried to match the translations to the official English conventions, there may be some cases when they don't exactly match.

Monster Hunter Tri Rookie Guide Book

SOME KIND OF MONSTER: I love Japanese guide books. Whether it be cookbooks or game guides, nothing beats the presentation and overall usability of a Japanese guide book done right.

So when i finally got my grubby paws on Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) for the Wii, the first thing I tried to do was look for a Japanese game guide. Much to my surprise, the only guides that were out were either introductory guides or super-specific ones that focused on one thing, like a monster list or equipment. There were none of the full, comprehensive guides that I've come to expect.

Still, I really wanted to get a guide book for this game so I decided to order the Rookie's Guide pictured above. It's a bit of a hit on my pride to be called a rookie. Then again, using a guide is technically a hit on anyone's pride anyway so what the heck. I ultimately picked this one out of all the "starter guides" after reading the comments by Japanese folks who purchased the book online. Plus, it came with a free DVD and yours truly is a sucker for free stuff. Well, technically, I guess it isn't free but I'm pretending it is to make myself feel better, especially after the debacle that is the Dengeki guide for SD Gundam G Generation Wars for the Wii. Boy was that a horrible guide. Not only does it NOT have a full list of robot combos, it also only has guides for the first stage of each scenario. What the heck am I paying for if a guide doesn't have, well, a guide for the really important stuff? And the darn book is titled "Perfect Guide!" Boo, Dengkei, boo. Boy, did I make a mistake not reading the reviews for that one. Now I gotta order another guide by Namco Bandai Books, and it takes about a month for me to get this stuff here in the U.S. via Kinokuniya. Grr, Dengeki, grr. At least looks this other book looks more promising based on the buyer comments. I am now crossing my fingers.

Of course, the good news with this whole Dengeki book debacle is that it made it easier for me to pick which game to focus on first. That would be MH3. Well, I actually also have Kekkaishi Wii and Tales of Hearts for the DS to start but we'll see how that goes. The plan is to basically go through the book for any interesting tidbits to turn into FAQ material and also start to progress through my first character file. I actually have a second file I'm using for the translation guide I'm working on but transcribing all the character conversations takes so long that I just want to play the game already. This'll be the first weekend in about a month that I haven't had to take a trip somewhere so here's hoping I make some progress. Till next time, my non-existent readers. Ciao! SHINGENMOCHI

For those who are interested in this book, here is some info:

MONSTER HUNTER 3 (TRI) ROOKIE'S GUIDE
Publisher: Enterbrain
Price: 998 yen
Pages: 127
ISBN-10: 4757750471
ISBN-13: 978-4757750470
Publish date: Aug. 1, 2009