Ridgetrooper Gammoth

Ridgetrooper Gammoth is a Variant of Gammoth modeled after those found in Monster Hunter Explore. Its tusks, legs, and cranium are notably sharper, inflicting vicious wounds onto those they strike, and it can coat its legs in Aether-based miasma to strengthen them.

Physiology
Ridgetrooper Gammoth shares many characteristics with the standard Gammoth, but has some differences to set itself apart from it. Its fur is white with gold highlights as opposed to dark blue with dark red highlights, and the plating on its body as well as its tusks are whitish-yellow. Its tusks are notably sharper, resembling long, curved blades with many spiky protrusions on the bottoms of them, and its armoured cranium has many long spikes on the sides of the "crown", as well as six short "horns" on the front. Its leg armour is covered in multiple small spikes, and its trunk is covered in small spines. Its eyes are icy blue.

Ecology
Ridgetrooper Gammoth has many of the same adaptations as the standard species, such as the rigid plating on its body, a scaly trunk with spikes underneath it, its gigantic size, and spikes on its legs, but it has some differences to set itself apart from the original species. Its ice-storing organs have been replaced with aether-storing organs, which is said to be the result of a random mutation, and from this change of element, its body has become quite pale, granting it camouflage in snowstorms. It can spray this aether from its trunk in the form of a whitish-yellow miasma, using to incapacitate foes before crushing them with its weight or stabbing them with its tusks. Its trunk, cranium, tusks, and leg armour are notably more jagged, being covered in multiple spikes, and this is also said to be the result of a mutation. To keep these parts rigid and sharp, it grinds them against rocks found in the mountains, and it can use them to deadly effect, impaling foes with them and inflicting grievous wounds onto any they hit. It is also notably more hostile than the standard Gammoth, and is especially aggressive towards hunters, attacking any it sees on sight. According to legend, this is because it descended from the heavens to wage war against poachers and trophy hunters, skewering them with the precious carves they coveted and using its ethereal miasma to make them destroy themselves as punishment for their selfish, immoral actions, and keep guard of the mountains to prevent any more from entering, earning it the title of Ridgetrooper. Unfortunately, ordinary hunters are not immune to its wrath, for it is said to see them as being corruptible and in need of purging before they become just as bad as their more unethical counterparts, and are advised to keep an eye out for it whenever they venture into its domain.

Behavior
Ridgetrooper Gammoth is more aggressive than the standard species, especially towards hunters, and will violently lash out at any hunters it sees with brutal strikes and ethereal miasma. According to legend, it constantly patrols the mountains in search of poachers and trophy hunters so it can kill them as punishment for their misdeeds, and will wage war against them. Unfortunately, it makes no distinction between ordinary hunters and their unethical counterparts, thus forcing the former group to defend themselves against the raging beast.

Abilities
Ridgetrooper Gammoth utilizes the Aether element as opposed to the Ice element, using it in the form of an ivory gas. Its plating is a lot sharper and jagged than than a standard Gammoth's, inflicting Bleeding onto those they hit, and it can envelop its legs in Aether gas to extend the range of its stomps. Because the gas cannot form armour over the legs, they make up for their lack of secondary protection by having more rigid plating.

Habitat
Ridgetrooper Gammoth is only found in the Arctic Ridge.

HP and Damage
HP:


 * Base HP: 5,400 HP


 * G-Rank (1.30x): 7,020 HP

Physical/Elemental Damage Taken:


 * Head: 45 (Cut), 50 (Impact), 30 (Shot), 15 (Fire), 5 (Water), 5 (Thunder), 0 (Ice), 25 (Dragon), 15 (Earth), 5 (Wind), 5 (Nature), 0 (Aether)


 * Trunk: 53 (Cut), 44 (Impact), 35 (Shot), 10 (Fire), 0 (Water), 0 (Thunder), 0 (Ice), 15 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 0 (Wind), 0 (Nature), 0 (Aether)


 * Legs: 14 (Cut), 20 (Impact), 14 (Shot), 10 (Fire), 0 (Water), 0 (Thunder), 0 (Ice), 25 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 0 (Wind), 0 (Nature), 0 (Aether)


 * Tail: 30 (Cut), 25 (Impact), 28 (Shot), 10 (Fire), 5 (Water), 5 (Thunder), 0 (Ice), 10 (Dragon), 10 (Earth), 0 (Wind), 5 (Nature), 0 (Aether)


 * Body: 15 (Cut), 24 (Impact), 9 (Shot), 5 (Fire), 5 (Water), 5 (Thunder), 0 (Ice), 5 (Dragon), 5 (Earth), 0 (Wind), 5 (Nature), 0 (Aether)

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

Attacks
Ridgetrooper Gammoth has the same attacks as the standard species, except its attacks do more damage, its elemental spray and ball attacks inflict Aether damage, its head, tusk, trunk, and leg-based attacks inflict Bleeding upon physical contact, and its legs release bursts of Aether gas when enveloped in their element as opposed to snow that inflicts Snowman.

Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXieRmIpUxY

Great Sword
Ridgetrooper's Slicer

Long Sword
Ridgetrooper's Tower

Sword and Shield
Ridgetrooper's Tusk

Dual Blades
Ridgetrooper's Daggers

Hammer
Ridgetrooper's Hammer

Hunting Horn
Ridgetrooper's Koto

Lance
Ridgetrooper's Jouster

Gunlance
Ridgetrooper's Artillery

Switch Axe
Ridgetrooper's Axe

Charge Blade
Ridgetrooper's Edge

Insect Blade
Ridgetrooper's Cudgel

Light Bowgun
Ridgetrooper's Blaster

Heavy Bowgun
Ridgetrooper's Cannon

Bow
Ridgetrooper's Bow

G-Rank
Defense: 485-720

Elemental Resistances:
 * Fire 0
 * Water +10
 * Thunder +10
 * Ice +15
 * Dragon -20
 * Earth 0
 * Wind +10
 * Nature +10
 * Aether +15

Skills: Razor Sharp +2, Yeti, Counterattack Expert, Dragon Atk Down

G-Rank
Defense: 270-470

Elemental Resistances:
 * Fire +5
 * Water +15
 * Thunder +15
 * Ice +20
 * Dragon -15
 * Earth +5
 * Wind +15
 * Nature +15
 * Aether +20

Skills: Recoil +3, Yeti, Counterattack Expert, Dragon Atk Down

Carves
Ridgetrooper Gammoth has the same carves as an ordinary Gammoth. That said, defeating it grants an item called the Ivory Orb, which can be used to craft a line of ivory-coloured, Aether-based equipment.

Breakable-Parts
Ridgetrooper Gammoth has the same breakable parts as the standard species.

Quests
N/A

Trivia

 * Ridgetrooper Gammoth's name was meant to convey its war elephant theme.
 * When exhausted, Ridgetrooper Gammoth will fail to use its Aether projectiles. It can recover stamina by feeding on seeds, which it will dig up with its tusks.
 * Ridegtrooper Gammoth originally went by the name of Militant Gamoth as a means of invoking its war elephant theme, but this was changed, as its appearance alongside Festive Toridcless, which was originally called Patriotic Toridcless and had an Independence Day theme prior to gaining its current New Year's theme, caused unfortunate implications.