Niphaffet

Niphaffet is a Hexaduran that shares many similarities with sponges. Nonaggressive by nature, they only attack when attacked first, and will inflate their bodies to boost their counterattacks.

Physiology
Niphaffet is a long, soft-bodied Hexaduran with many sponge-like growths on its head and tail. It stands on its stubby middle and hind legs while using its flat forelegs as arms, and its eyes are small and appear scrunched. Its mouth is filled with small, jagged teeth, and its lavender tongue is often seen hanging out of it. Its body is primarily pink, and small spines can be found on its face, knees, and sponge-like growths.

Biology
Niphaffet is primarily a scavenger and a detritivore, gaining nutrients from dead and decomposing plant and animal matter along with feces, but will actively hunt fish, crustaceans, and molluscs if particularly hungry. Because its diet contains many toxic food items, it has developed a powerful immune system that neutralizes toxins in mere moments. Unlike many Hexadurans, it possesses the ability to reproduce asexually as well as sexually, typically through budding, and this is due to every member of the species being hermaphroditic. The sponge-like growths on its body are designed to absorb oxygen from water through diffusion, and fill the function of a filter, flushing out waste products like carbon dioxide and ammonia. These growths are also designed to release a powerful gas produced by a specialized sac in its body in order to ward off would-be predators. Because it has few predators and rivals and mainly feeds on dead or decaying organisms, it is a largely passive monster, preferring to leave other organisms be unless hungry or provoked, and will only attack if it is attacked first. Due to its slow metabolism, it is a rather sluggish monster, moving at around 1-4 mph at a time, and its body is soft and hollow, and while this makes it fragile, it allows it to inflate in response to pressure, granting its counterattacks more power. In the event that it is injured, it has the ability to regrow lost limbs and more vital structures, as its body cannot heal from scarring. It is also capable of moving on land as well as water thanks to its sponge-like growths being highly absorbent, allowing them to hold large quantities of water, and this ability allows it to thrive in nearly any environment, provided that it has a sustainable source of water. As a result, it shies away from volcanic regions.

Behavior
Niphaffet is a docile monster, only attacking when attacked first, and when struck, it will inflate its body to pump up a melee-based counterattack, or to pressurize gas within its body so it can counterattack aggressors at range.

Abilities
While it is lacking in speed and defense and can only attack if attacked first, Niphaffet boasts a massive HP pool that allows it to absorb all sorts of damage, and its counterattacks do twice the amount of damage dealt to it back to the aggressor. As a result, its low speed and defense are actually ideal for its battle style. It can inflate its body to pump up physical counterstrikes or pressurize gas in its body for ranged counterstrikes, and it can also spray a gas from its pores that suppresses a foe's ability to utilize passive skills, forcing them to attack it. It also boasts the ability to regenerate at a rapid pace, re-growing lost limbs and pieces within hours, and has a powerful immune system that effectively wards off toxins.

Habitat
Niphaffet can be found in almost any kind of environment, provided that it has suitable water sources.

HP and Damage
HP:


 * Base HP: 9,000 HP


 * Low-Rank (0.55x): 4,950 HP


 * High-Rank (0.70x): 6,300 HP


 * G-Rank (1.30x): 11,700 HP

Physical/Elemental Damage Taken:


 * Head: 80 (Cut), 85 (Impact), 90 (Shot), 15 (Fire), 0 (Water), 10 (Thunder), 10 (Ice), 5 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 5 (Wind)


 * Torso: 75 (Cut), 70 (Impact), 75 (Shot), 15 (Fire), 0 (Water), 10 (Thunder), 10 (Ice), 5 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 0 (Wind)


 * Arms: 65 (Cut), 60 (Impact), 65 (Shot), 15 (Fire), 0 (Water), 10 (Thunder), 10 (Ice), 5 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 0 (Wind)


 * Legs: 60 (Cut), 65 (Impact), 65 (Shot), 15 (Fire), 0 (Water), 10 (Thunder), 10 (Ice), 5 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 10 (Wind)


 * Tail: 55 (Cut), 55 (Impact), 55 (Shot), 15 (Fire), 0 (Water), 10 (Thunder), 10 (Ice), 5 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 10 (Wind)

Physical Damage Effectiveness
 * Head = ★★★ (cutting) ★★★ (impact) ★★★ (shot)
 * Torso = ★★★ (cutting) ★★★ (impact) ★★★ (shot)
 * Arms = ★★★ (cutting) ★★★ (impact) ★★★ (shot)
 * Legs = ★★★ (cutting) ★★★ (impact) ★★★ (shot)
 * Tail = ★★★ (cutting) ★★★ (impact) ★★★ (shot)

Element/Status Effectiveness
 * Fire = ★★
 * Water = ✖
 * Thunder = ★★
 * Ice = ★★
 * Dragon = ★
 * Earth = ★★
 * Wind = ★★
 * Poison = ✖
 * Sleep = ✖
 * Paralysis = ✖
 * Blast = ★
 * Stun = ★

Turf Wars
Niphaffet does not partake in Turf Wars.

Attacks
Counter Head-butt

Niphaffet inflates its head and swings it at the hunter. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the head. When enraged, the counterattack becomes twice as fast.

Counter Palm Strike

Niphaffet inflates its arms and punches the hunter. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the arms. When enraged, the counterattack becomes twice as fast.

Counter Stomp

Niphaffet inflates its legs and does a sumo stomp. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the legs. When enraged, the counterattack becomes twice as fast.

Counter Crush

Niphaffet inflates its body and tries to crush the hunter with its weight. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the body. When enraged, the counterattack becomes twice as fast.

Counter Tail Slam

Niphaffet inflates its tail and slams it on the ground behind it. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the tail. When enraged, the counterattack becomes twice as fast.

Counter Stream

Niphaffet sprays a large stream of pressurized gas at the hunter. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the head. When enraged, the counterattack's range doubles.

Counter Palm Shot

Niphaffet shoots two large balls of pressurized gas from puckers on its hands. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the arms. When enraged, the counterattack's area of effect doubles.

Counter Jump

Niphaffet jumps into the air, then lands on the ground, creating a large cloud of gas around its body. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the legs. When enraged, the counterattack's area of effect doubles.

Counter Gas

Niphaffet releases a large stream of gas from its head that envelops its entire body until it dissipates. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the body. When enraged, the counterattack's area of effect doubles.

Counter Spray

Niphaffet hoists its tail into the air and sprays pressurized gas from all the sponges on it. Depending on how hard it was hit, this attack deals low to high damage. It will use this attack if struck on the legs. When enraged, the counterattack's range doubles.

Weapons
N/A

Low-Rank
Defense: 105-615

Elemental Resistances:
 * Fire -10
 * Water +15
 * Thunder 0
 * Ice 0
 * Dragon +10
 * Earth 0
 * Wind 0

Skills: Vitality +1, Wellness, Passive, Atk Down (L)

High-Rank
Defense: 265-615


 * Fire -10
 * Water +15
 * Thunder 0
 * Ice 0
 * Dragon +10
 * Earth 0
 * Wind 0

Skills: Vitality +1, Wellness, Passive, Atk Down (L)

G-Rank
Defense: 475-710


 * Fire -10
 * Water +15
 * Thunder 0
 * Ice 0
 * Dragon +10
 * Earth 0
 * Wind 0

Skills: Vitality +1, Wellness, Passive, Atk Down (L)

Low-Rank
Defense: 55-385

Elemental Resistances:
 * Fire -10
 * Water +15
 * Thunder 0
 * Ice 0
 * Dragon +10
 * Earth 0
 * Wind 0

Skills: Vitality +1, Wellness, Passive, Atk Down (L)

High-Rank
Defense: 130-395


 * Fire -10
 * Water +15
 * Thunder 0
 * Ice 0
 * Dragon +10
 * Earth 0
 * Wind 0

Skills: Vitality +1, Wellness, Passive, Atk Down (L)

G-Rank
Defense: 260-460


 * Fire -10
 * Water +15
 * Thunder 0
 * Ice 0
 * Dragon +10
 * Earth 0
 * Wind 0

Skills: Vitality +1, Wellness, Passive, Atk Down (L)

Breakable Parts
Horns- The horns will break off.

Bundle of Branches- The bundle of branches will break.

Tail- The tail will lose hair and droop.

Trivia

 * Niphaffet's name is a combination of Niphates digitalis, the scientific name of the pink vase sponge, and Wobbuffet, a Pokémon notable for only being able to damage foes through counterattacks.
 * Niphaffet will not attack hunters unless attacked first, and will only attack if it gets attacked.
 * When exhausted, Niphaffet's counterattacks will have less speed and range. It can recover stamina by absorbing water from waterfalls or feeding on fish.
 * In Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate, Niphaffet is unusual among monsters in that it does not attack if a Power, Speed, or Technical move is selected, but simply waits for the opponent to land an attack on it so it can counterattack them. If the counter selected is strong against the attack used, the attacker will take twice the amount of damage the Niphaffet took, but if the counter selected is weak against the attack used, the attacker will only take half the amount of damage the Niphaffet took. Both parties will take equal damage if the same type was selected. Niphaffet's Counter Spray also acts as a counterattack towards Skill-based attacks, dealing double the damage back to the attacker if they used a damaging Skill or a Kinship attack.
 * Niphaffet can be a very annoying enemy to face in Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate due to its high HP and low DEF making counterattacks highly damaging, it immediately counterattacking after being struck with any kind of move instead of just one kind, its immunity to Poison, Paralysis, and Sleep making it hard to kill through passive means, and its ability to supress passive Skills all but forcing Riders and their Monsties to attack it.