User blog comment:BannedLagiacrus/Monster Appreciation Week: Bloodbath Diablos/@comment-6050823-20181109174202

Remember how I praised Boltreaver Astalos? Thankfully, Bloodbath Diablos is as good if not better than Boltreaver Astalos! Like I said on my previous MAW post, Boltreaver and Bloodbath are easily the best Deviants in the game!

Now let us start off with Bloodbath's theme. Noticed anything different? It's actually something different from the usual Deviant theme! Unlike the other Deviants, Bloodbath Diablos has two of its own themes that reflects its raging nature perfectly. It makes sense that it got its own themes since it is one of the Flagship Monsters for MHGU, even though a lot of people don't realize it. The first theme starts off slow menacing, reflecting Bloodbath Diablos's rage building up, while the second theme is more frantic and has more energy to it, showing that its anger has reached its peak and that Bloodbath Diablos has gone critical. I like both of Bloodbath's themes equally, but what I really love about the second phase theme, in particular, is that it's basically a remix of the Desert theme (For people that don't know, the 2nd Gen Desert BGM is actually officially Diablos's theme, so this suits Bloodbath perfectly)! There is one minor complaint I have about the second phase theme, and that's its climax. The climax isn't bad, but I would've preferred if it ended the way it did in MHXX's third trailer (Comparison: Second Phase's Climax vs. Third Trailer's Climax).

Now let's get to the real meat of this monster, its gameplay! At the start of the fight, Bloodbath Diablos isn't agitated yet, so its movements are pretty manageable for hunters. However, that changes as it gets madder... When it enters its Charging State (Its first mode), Bloodbath Diablos's veins start to really pop, and you get to see what this Deviant's rage can do. When it finally enters its Raging Charging State (Its final mode), Bloodbath Diablos's rage finally breaks, and you get to see the true raw power of a demon! I really love the idea of a Diablos's anger building to a point where it is essentially the physical form of a demon's rage, showing a darker crueler form of a monster we're so familiar with, and it really shows with this monster's new attacks as well. Its horn jabs, tail slam, spinning dig, etc. really show off how this Deviant has changed compared to its cousins. It also three of my favorite attacks in the series. First off that roar-charge combo is just plain evil! Bloodbath Diablos figured out that its roar is enough to stun most creatures, so it takes full advantage of the stun and quickly charges down anyone that is left a sitting duck. Secondly, that steam explosion bodyslam is terrifying! It always performs that attack after it enters its Raging Charging State, and it can cover some ground that move. What makes the attack worse is that you really have to time it right. True, you'll likely evade the bodyslam itself, but the steam explosion might still catch you since both are separate two separate hard hits. Finally, Bloodbath Diablos's crazy charged spin (https://youtu.be/Y652G48xpxA?t=3526). No words can describe how painful that attack is, especially for hunters using Valor Style, and it is really one attack you don't want to get caught in! The immense power you can both see and feel from it, just shows how much power Bloodbath Diablos's rage has given it.

The MH Team really put in a lot of work to make this Deviant come to life! They respected Diablos as a monster and made it into a demon that personifies the rage of all monsters, especially the rage of Diablos! If you haven't fought Bloodbath Diablos at all, you are really missing out on one of the best monsters, not just Deviants, in the whole series! It may have taken Diablos a long time to become a Flagship Monster in some form, but Bloodbath Diablos really shows why Diablos is a mainstay that needs to come back in future installments, especially if its Deviant comes back with it! I hope we get to see Bloodbath Diablos come back in the 5th Generation!