The MR2Forum Monster Rancher 2 FAQ!


Stored here is the collective knolwedge of everyone at the Monster Rancher 2 Forum. The fact that this FAQ is actually 'written' by many different people is what makes it great; it removes much of the bias that other FAQ's may have and helps it cover a large span of the game. This document could never have been written without the help of everyone at the forum.

I'd like to first and foremost thank everyone at the forum for all the great help and info that they've given me and many, many others. The names are too long to list here, but as I quote members in each section I will credit them. Many of them can be reached through the forum, if you wish.

If you are a beginner, you may want to also see my Monster Rancher 2 Strategy Guide. It contains alot of good information about the basics of the game.



1. Getting Started

1a. What is Monster Rancher 2?
Monster Rancher 2 is a monster raising simulation game for the Playstation, the sequel to the popular Monster Rancher. In this game, you take on the role of a monster trainer, someone who raises and breeds monsters for a living. As a trainer, you raise one monster at a time by feeding it, playing with it, training it in various abilities, and sending it into battle. You also breed monsters once they become old (if you continue to raise them, they may die!), which can generate better monsters than before and even come up with new cominations that you haven't seen. One of the things that makes the game interesting is that, to get the monsters, you can place any CD into your Playstation and the game creates a uniqe monster from that CD. The type of monster might be the same as another CD, but the skills and demeanor of each monster is different.

1b. How do I get monsters from CD's?
At the Town, simply go to the Shrine, and choose to generate a monster from a Disc Stone. At the prompt, insert any type of CD. A PC CD, music CD, or game CD will work just fine.

1c. What is the best monster to start with?
There is no 'best monster' to begin the game with. Any monster will do, really. You could pick a monster from the Market and be gauranteed a solid monster, or generate a monster at the Shrine. A monster from the shrine can be just as good as a market monster, but may not be as balanced. The key here is what you as a player prefer. You may end up with a monster that you just don't like, which is the worst monster of all. Also, monsters from the shrine are always different, while the monsters of the same breed from the market will always have the same stats.
A good suggestion for the very first time is to go to the shrine and generate a monster from the Monster Rancher 2 CD itself. The Mocchi you get is a very solid monster, but average at everything and thus not terribly exciting.

1d. What's the difference between getting monsters from a CD, Slating them, or the Market?
When you get a monster from a CD, the CD determines what the monster's breed and stats will be. Every monster you generate from that same CD will have that breed and those stats. The likes and dislikes will vary. When you Slate a monster, you are bringing it in from a Monster Rancher save game. The breed will be the same as it was in the first game, if applicable (some breeds change to others, and there are a few monsters that you can only get by slating specific monsters over), and the stats will be determined by the stats of the original monster, though they won't be the same. When you buy a monster at the market, the monsters of the same breed will always have the same stats. The market always has Mocchi and Zuum, and the third monster varies by season.

1e. How do I make some money?
The simplest way to make money is to send your monster into battle. There are many battles in each rank every year, so you shouldn't have problem finding one for your monster to compete in. You can also make money by finding items on expeditions and selling them. Some people keep a high-level monster (B-class or higher) frozen for the sole purpose of bringing it out for specific battles or expeditions, making money, and refreezing it for the next time around. See the 'Battles' and 'Expeditions' sections for more info.

1f. What is my 'rank' and how do I raise it?
Your trainer rank is the game's way of telling you what 'level' you're at. The better you raise your monsters, the higher your rank. You raise your rank by winning Official Cup tournaments that are held four times per year. Winning the battle the first time for each class will earn you a corresponding rank; 1 for E, 2 for D, 3 for C, 4 for B, 5 for A, 6 for S, and 7-10 are earned by winning the Major 4 S cups. Certain events are triggered by rank changes, and some things are only available to trainers of certain rank.

1g. Half my CD's say I must be authorized! What is this?
Those CD's contain monsters with special breeds that you must discover within the game before you can unlock CD's with those breeds on them. I strongly urge you to play through the game for a while and find these monsters on your own, as that is part of the fun of the game. If you keep playing, you will eventually stumble upon most all of them. If, after many hours of gameplay, you just can't seem to find them all, you can consult the list below on how to obtain the special monsters. This list was originally provided by Zack and later corrected by Miss Carrie.

--Ape, Arrowhead, Colorpandora, Gaboo, Hare, Hopper, Jell, Kato, Mocchi, Monol, Naga, Pixie, Plant, Suezo, Tiger, and Zuum are all available from the start of the game. That should give you plenty to work on while you try to find the rest of them on your own, without the help of this list.

--Baku- Get your first stable upgrade at 4th rank. It will cost 15,000G. You should be able to get Bakus off of CD's at the shrine.
--Bajarl- Must be 8th rank (beaten 2 of the big 4). Get the last house upgrade on the fourth week of May. You will be given the Bajarl pot by Binto. Use in combining to get the Bajarl.
--Beaclon- 1. Must raise any breed of worm to four years old by the 4th week of June. 2. Must feed at least 30 cup jellies. 3. Have no stress and be very well on the fourth week of June when expected to cocoon. 4. Must have 80 loyalty. P.S. The beaclon is one of the most controversial monsters to get. From my experience, I got a C class, worm/plant that was born on the 1st week of June to cocoon by following these guidlines. Some people have better luck with a D class worm. Loyalty may also be lower and still cocoon, but the higher the better.
--Centaur- Be 4th rank. Have a B class monster go to the power errantry. It will randomly find a spear. When your monster gets back to the ranch, he will be attacked by a centaur. Your monster doesn't need to win but will be given a spear. Use the spear in combining to get a Centaur.
--Dragon- Be 6th rank. Have a B class monster be invited to the 2nd. week of Aug. Dragon tusk tournament. Beat the dragon and recieve the tusk. Use in combining to get a dragon. P.S. The dragon you fight in this tournament is extremely strong for a B class monster. Be prepared. Note that you can get Dragon sub breeds from the beginning of the game, but not Dragon main breeds.
--Ducken- Collect 5 diamonds from the cup jelly lids. Send away for a ducken doll which you will sell or give to your monster. After this, go to the Torles mountain expedition. Find the strong glue, usually in the first tree on the right. Collect five more diamond marks and build another ducken doll with the strong glue. Use this in combining to get the ducken. P.S. You can get as many duck dolls as you want before and after getting the strong glue. You can never get rid of the strong glue after you find it unless you use a gameshark.
--Durahan- Find the old sheath at the Parepare expedition, usually in the building beside the tusk tower in the middle of the map. Talk to the item lady about the stolen swords. Have an A class monster get invited to the Double Edged tournament the 4th week of February. Win the double edge and use in combining to get a Durahan.
--Gali- Compete in the Elimination Tournament (NOT an elimination type tournament, It will be titled Elimination) on the 4th week of June after you get your monster to D class. Win this tournament and you will be invited to the IMA vs. Fimba Tournament. You do not need to win. The tournament happens every four years after that as long as you have a monster D class or above. You will only get a written invite the first time, after that it only shows up in the battle calender. You may fight in any rank above D. You will now be able to get Gali off of disks in the shrine.
--Ghost- Let a monster die. Build a shrine for it. About every 140 weeks you will be asked to upgrade your shrine. Upgrade it twice. After that you will get in trouble for not taking care of it. Colt will clean the shrine and find a stick. Use the stick in combining to get a ghost.
--Golem- Get your first stable upgrade at 4th rank. It will cost 15,000G. You will now be able to get Golems from CD's in the shrine.
--Henger- Compete in IMA vs. FIMBA. See gali requirements for more details.
--Jill- Be 6th rank or higher. Find the big footprint at the Torles mountain expedition. It is in the snowman shaped building in the upper right hand corner of the map. Send a B class or higher monster to the speed errantry. You should get a warning for Bighands. You will randomly fight Bighands, a very powerful jill. Beat him and you will recieve the Big Boots. Use these in combining to get a jill.
--Joker- Be 4th rank or higher. Find the Joker mask at the burnt alter in the Kawrea expedition. Use the mask in combining to get a joker.
--Metalner- Be 8th rank or higher. In a clear September you will be visited by aliens three times. On the third week, they will give you a crystal. Use the crystal in the shrine. You will now be able to get metalners off of CD's in the shrine.
--Mew- Compete in the IMA vs. FIMBA battle. For more detail, check the gali information.
--Mock- Be 4th rank. Visit the item lady until she gives you the mysterious seeds. Colt will plant the seeds and about 10 years later the tree will die. Colt will ask if you want to water it, say yes. After this, let a monster die and the mock will appear in the stable. P.S. It has recently been stated that you cannot get the seeds after advancing past 4th rank. As I have not been able to prove this, be aware of it and try to get the seeds in 4th rank.
--Niton- Be 5th rank or higher. Raise a hopper of any breed to B class. The hopper will dig up the hot springs in winter, either Dec. or Jan. You will then recieve the undine slate. Use the slate in combining to get an undine. You will now be able to get nitons off of CD's in the shrine.
--Phoenix- Find the Fire feather at the Kawrea expedition. You can find multiple feathers. Use feather in combining to get the phoenix.
--Worm- Compete in the IMA vs. FIMBA tournament. For more details, see the Gali requirements.
--Wracky- Be 7th rank. You will recieve a scary doll in the mail. Keep the doll when Colt asks if you want to throw it away. Let a monster die and the wracky will appear in your stable.
--Zilla- Complete all the requirements for niton. Be 6th rank with a B class or higher monster. Send a monster to the skill errantry and you will hear a warning for a large water monster. You will randomly fight the Zilla King. Beat him and you will recieve the Zilla Beard. Use in combining to get a zilla.
View original thread


2. About the Monsters

a. How many monsters are there?
There are 38 different breeds of monsters, and 408 different unique monsters. 17 of those are 'Enemy' monsters which are unobtainable - you can only fight against them. Each of the other 391 combinations of main breed and sub breed are totally unique, with different traits. Techniques are based upon the main breed, but there are some that crossover and can be learned by monsters with certain sub breeds.

b. Apart from how they look, what's the difference between each monster?
Every breed of monster has certain stats that it is good or bad at. The main difference between monsters is which stats they are good at and which they aren't, and how those abilities play off of each other. For example, a pure Tiger is good at Skill, Speed, and Intelligence, while a Tiger/Naga is excellent at Skill, good at Power and Speed, but worse than the pure Tiger at Intelligence.
Also, the techniques a monster can learn are largely governed by thier main breed. Every monster of a certain main breed has a specific set of techniques which it can learn, and these techniques vary widely from monster to monster. Pixies have many intelligence based techniques, while Nagas have many power based ones. Golems have techs that have low accuracy but immense damage, while Hoppers do less damage but hit far more often. Each player has a different style that suits them, and thus different breeds that work best for them. In addition to the main-breed techs, there are some breed combinations that can learn a tech from thier sub breed's set. Kato/Mocchis, for example, can learn Licking, a Mocchi technique, but no other Katos can learn it.
Different breeds also favor different Natures. Some monsters are just naturally bad, and some are naturally good. Also, some can lean either way, depending on how you raise them. Like stats, nature is affected by both the main and sub breed.

c. What stats are each breed good at?
Special thanks goes to RNA for this. He started a thread dictating a method to rate monsters on different skills, depending on how they did in thier drills. Here is the original message:

1) It is VERY important that you do NOT use your memory. It is impossible to remember exactly what your monster got in certain stats.
2) All you have to do, is to raise a PUREBREED monster to its prime and then record the amount of pts gained from a specific drill related to the 6 categories LIF-POW-INT-SKI-SPD-DEF.
3) For POW-INT-SPD-DEF, use hard drills. For LIF-SKI, use light drills.
4) Once at the prime, do not just train drill 1 time, do it 2 or 3 times just to be sure.
5) Do not pass your monster's prime. A good way to make sure that you don't, is to train for 2 months, and then reload back to do more testing.
6) Here's a quick way to get to the prime: Do NOT control stress and treat your monster like crap. He should get there faster than anything you've seen before. Once there, try to control stress a bit so that you don't "overshoot" the prime.
7) Do not count "greats/cheats."
8) Use only 1st gen monster if you can.
9) Do not use decimals when assigning numbers.

Here is the format for the results:
POW-INT-SPD-DEF(during prime):
[5] = 20pts in hard drill(primary stat only), [4] = 17-20pts, [3] = 14-16pts, [2] = 11-13pts, [1] = 8-10pts

LIF-SKI(during prime):
[5] = 14-15pts in light drill, [4] = 12-13pts, [3] = 10-11pts, [2] = 8-9pts, [1] = 5-7pts.

The following are the results so far. Please feel free to fill in any holes or try your own experiments to refine the results further. To figure out the attributes of a mixed breed, average the two main breeds and round up. Because the main breed factors more into the attributes of a mixed breed, this is not perfect, but provides a very good estimate of the results. The results are listed as LIF-POW-INT-SKI-SPD-DEF

Breed L P I S S D Breed L P I S S D
Ape 4 5 1 3 3 5 Arrowhead 4 3 2 3 2 4
Bajarl 3 5 2 4 3 3 Baku 5 4 1 2 1 3
Beaclon 4 5 1 1 2 5 Centaur 3 3 5 5 3 3
ColorPandora5 2 2 3 4 5 Dragon 3 5 5 3 2 3
Ducken 2 3 3 4 5 2 Durahan 3 5 3 3 1 4
Gaboo 5 5 1 1 5 5 Gali 2 4 5 3 2 2
Ghost 1 1 5 4 5 1 Golem 3 5 3 1 1 4
Hare 3 5 1 2 5 3 Henger 3 4 4 5 4 2
Hopper 1 3 3 4 5 2 Jell 3 3 5 4 2 3
Jill 3 5 5 2 3 3 Joker 3 4 5 5 2 3
Kato 1 1 5 3 5 2 Metalner 3 2 1 5 1 3
Mew 4 2 2 5 5 4 Mocchi 3 3 3 4 5 3
Mock 1 2 5 2 2 2 Monol 2 3 3 2 1 5
Naga 3 5 1 4 2 3 Niton 3 2 2 2 2 5
Phoenix 3 1 5 3 3 4 Pixie 1 2 5 4 5 1
Plant 5 1 3 3 2 5 Suezo - - - - - -
Tiger 1 2 4 5 4 1 Undine 3 1 5 5 5 3
Worm 5 3 3 3 1 5 Wracky 2 1 5 1 5 3
Zilla 4 5 2 1 2 4 Zuum 3 3 2 5 3 3


Special thanks goes to RNA for getting this entire project started and providing much of the data himself, and to Zack, onomiba, Dark Phoenix, and Mikey for supplying additional data. Lao's overview of all breed attributes may be helpful as well, but it must be noted that all his data was supplied by others and then proccessed, so it may not be totally accurate.
View original thread

d. What do the stats mean?
The Monster Rancher 2 Strategy Guide has a thorough description of the stats and how they affect your monster, but I'll explain them quickly here.
Life is the amount of 'hit points' your monster has when it enters battle. Because monsters with high life lose a smaller percentage of thier total when damaged as compared to monsters with low life, it also has an indirect effect on overall lifespan. Life also determines how many Energy Points your monster has (see expeditions).
Power is the physical strength of your monster. Power determines how damaging physical techniques (those in yellow) are, and also helps prevent damage from opponents' physical technqiues. Power is also useful in removing obstacles on expeditions.
Intelligence is the mental strength of your monster. It determines how damaging mental techniques (those in green) are, and helps prevent damage from opponents' mental techniques. Intelligence also determines how easily a monster will find items and secret passages on expeditions.
Skill is the accuracy of your monster in battle, high skill increasing the hit% of all techniques.
Speed is the ability of your monster to dodge techniques. A high speed makes your monster harder to hit. Because monsters with high speed get hit less often, it also has an indirect effect on overall lifespan.
Defense is the ability of your monster to withstand attack. A high defense reduces the amount of damage taken from both physical and mental techniques in battle. Because of this, it also has an indirect effect on overall lifespan.
The combination of your monster's distinct abilities in each stat will help determine just what type of monster it is. Golems, for example, are the 'tanks' of Monster Rancher 2 because they have high power and defense but low skill. Experiment to find which combinations work best for you, and try some monsters that excel in those stats. One of the great things about MR2, though, is the fact that you aren't limited to what the monster's natural abilities are. Even though they're bad at it, it's possible to devote a lot of energy to raising a Golem's skill, not only making a possibly powerful monster, but one that is unique.

e. What does a sub-type of '???' mean?
If your monster is something like a 'Mocchi/???' or 'Naga/???', that means you have a rare monster. Lucky you! Rare monsters are found only on specific CD's, and generally the type of monster has something to do with the CD itself, making each one something of an 'in-joke'. These monsters generally come equipped with extra techniques, and have different abilities than other monsters of the same main breed. Also, they have a distinctive look that makes them interesting as well. Many ranchers consider rare monsters to be highly sought-after trophies!
I have to confess that I lied above. I said that these rare monsters are found on specific CD's. Well, that's true and false. Tecmo programmed the game to give a rare monster when it detects the specific CD at the shrine. However, because of the way the game reads the CD data and determines the monster, it is possible, though rare, to find a rare monster on a CD other than the one intended.
Actually, I lied twice! Shame on me! Rare monsters are not only available from CD's. In the Japanese version of the game, it was possible to get a very rare item called 'DNA Capsule'. This item could be used when breeding to generate a rare monster, without the CD. However, this item was available only through the sub-games on the Pocketstation, and when they removed Pocketstation support from the US version, they didn't add another way to get DNA Capsules.

f. Which CD's have rare monsters on them?
For a start, try popping in other Tecmo games. The devious marketing execs made almost every other Tecmo game released before Monster Rancher 2 contain a rare monster. For more CD's with rares, and a listing of what CD's you can get specific monsters from, visit the Monster Rancher 2 CD List Database.