User blog comment:Kogath/Monster Hunter X Discussion/@comment-5167887-20151123101504/@comment-26261665-20151123180715

^If they were real replacements for subs they would be way more different from the normal ones in some cases. Just look for example at Zinogre or Tetsucabra.Any of them changes as much as their subs,who change elements. From now HC Variants just look like OP versions of normal monsters.From now any variants seems to change as much as some subspecies.