Kirin Guide: Monster Weakness, Carves & Rewards, Armor Sets – Monster Hunter World

An optional quest you receive in Monster Hunter: World’s High Ranks is to kill a Kirin. This large, unicorn like monster wields the power of thunder and can put some serious status effects on a hunter if they aren’t careful. To see how to face this monster, check out our Kirin Guide below.

Kirin Information

Difficulty: 5⭐/7⭐

Location: Coral Highlands

Size: Large

Species: Elder Dragon

Weak To:

• Fire 3⭐
• Water 2⭐
• Ice 2⭐

Breakable/Severable (Weak Points): Horn (weak point), Head (weak point), Stomach, Mane

Material (Carves + Low Rank Rewards): 

Hide 5⭐ Mane 4⭐ Tail 4⭐ Thunderhorn 3⭐

Mane 5⭐ Hide 4⭐ Tail 4⭐ Thunderhorn 3⭐ Lightcrystal 2⭐

Material (Carves + High Rank Rewards): 

Hide+ 5⭐ Mane 4⭐ Thundertail 4⭐ Horn 3⭐

Hide+ 4⭐ Mane 4⭐ Thundertail 3⭐ ED Bone 3⭐ ED Blood 3⭐ Novacrystal 2⭐

Reward Money: NA – Optional

Hunting Quest Text: NA – Optional

Characteristics: Kirin are so rarely sighted that little is known of their ecology. It’s been said they envelop themselves in pure electricity when they are provoked.

Useful Information: The lightning a Kirin cloaks itself with has been confirmed to toughen its skin. The key to hunting a Kirin lies in Staggering it, using Elderseal weapons, and protecting yourself from and avoiding its lighting attacks.

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Kiring Fight Guide

Main Fight Mechanics: Charge + Thunderblight (Status Effect) + Paralysis

Charge: The Charge mechanic on Kirin is basically how it readies its Thunder elemental damage. Kirin will stop attacking and begin to charge. Once fully charged, Kirin has a static covering that indicates thunder elemental damage is coming.

Thunderblight: Kirin can cause Thunderblight status effect to the hunter. In this state, players are more likely to become stunned. When afflicted, you will see a lightning bolt above the hunter’s health bar. To reverse Thunderblight, either consume a Nullberry or roll seven times.

Paralysis: Kirin can cause paralysis to the hunter with its thunder attacks. Paralysis causes the hunter to be immobilized for a period of time. The visual indicator of this status effect is the lightning symbols above the hunter’s health bar.

Attacks:

Kirin is pretty much all elemental damage, which can be both good and bad. On the good side, if you come in prepared with the proper resistances, this fight is simple. On the bad side, if you come into this fight unprepared, Kirin can easily wombo combo you to death. Here are Kirin’s attacks to watch out for:

*I attempted to grab all the attacks I saw. Let me know if I missed some in The Pit.

• Charge – Charges towards the hunter/around the arena.
• Lightning Strikes: the bulk of Kirin’s moveset. You know when lightning moves are coming, as Kiring will become statically charged (similar to Tobi).
  • Charge Strikes – While charging through the area, lightning will strike near where Kirin has ran
  • Proximity Strikes – Rears up and causes a large bolt to strike in front it.
  • Lightning Aoe – Shoots out strips of lightning that take a few seconds to activate. These strips cover the ground and damage anyone on them. Lightning on the strips activate horizontally instead of vertically like other attacks.
  • Close Strikes – When near Kirin, it can use an attack that sends lightning down around its body.
• Back Kick – Kicks back towards the hunter if behind
• Buck – Kirin can buck around, dealing damage, if you are in close.

Fight Tips

If you go into this fight with thunder elemental damage in mind, it becomes rather easy. Simply focus on bringing with you things that negate that elements effect. Along with this tip, here are a few more to make the Kirin fight much easier:

• Eat up – Head into the fight having eaten a meal from the Canteen (do this for every fight to make life easier).
• Free Camera – I find relying on the Free Camera rather than the lock-on camera to make this fight easier. While locked on, I find the camera gets pretty janky while Kirin is running around.
• Bring Nullberry – Kirin can cause Thunderblight which increases chances of getting stunned. Have ample Nullberrys on you to heal the effect.
• Thunderproof Mantle – This tip isn’t really useful on a first fight, but once you’ve acquired the Thunderproof Mantle, bring it. It basically makes this fight a cake walk.
• Elderseal Weapon – Since this is an Elder Dragon, bring along a weapon with Elderseal on it to make the fight easier.
• Exploit Elemental Weakness: As noted above, Kirin is especially weak to fire elemental damage.
• SOS – If you need to, send out an SOS and get some extra help from the MHW community

Note: share your tips in the comments and I will add them here.

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Kirin Set (Rarity 4)

Armor Requirements:

Human: All Materials are Kirin Carves/Drops unless noted.

• Horn – 2x Hide, 2x Tail, 3x Thunderhorn, 1x Lightcrystal*
• Jacket – 2x Hide, 2x Mane, 4x Coral Crystal*, 2x Coral Bone*
• Longarms – 3x Hide, 2x Mane, 2x Paolumu Shell*, 1x Lightcrystal*
• Hoop – 2x Hide, 1x Thunderhorn, 1x Tail, 1x Electro Sac*
• Guards – 2x HIde, 1x Thunderhorn, 2x Paolumu Shell*

Set Bonus :

• 4 Pieces – Kirin Blessing (Capture Master) – High chance of increased capture rewards (No effect when joining mid-quest.)

Palico: All Materials are Kirin Carves/Drops unless noted.

• Zapurr – 1x Thunderhorn
• Horn – 1x Mane
• Vest – 1x Hide

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Kirin α+β Set (Rarity 8)

Armor Requirements:

Human: All Materials are Kirin Carves/Drops unless noted.

• Horn – 3x Hide+, 1x Horn, 2x Shamos Scale+*, 4x Thunder Sac*
• Jacket – 3x Hide+, 1x Horn, 2x Thundertail, 4x Fucium Ore*
• Longarms – 3x Hide+, 4x Kirin Mane, 3x Paolumu Carapace+*, 6x Dragonvein Crystal*
• Hoop – 4x Hide+, 4x Mane, 3x Horn, 1x Novacrystal*
• Guards – 3x Hide+, 3x Thundertail, 3x Carapace+, 1x Dragonborn Relic*

Set Bonus:

• 3 Pieces – Kirin Favor (Capture Master): High chances of increased capture rewards (no effect when joining mid-quest).

Palico: All Materials are Kirin Carves/Drops unless noted.

• Zapurr – 1x Kirin Azure Horn
• Horn – 1x Hide+, 1x Man
• Vest – 1x Hide+

More: Monster Hunter: World monster guides

This concludes our Kirin guide. Wish to add something? Drop a comment in The Pit below.