User blog comment:Lord Loss/Monster Appreciation Week: Lagombi/@comment-1758220-20130413214916

 LAGOMBI 

 Concept:  I think I would have preferred it had a bipedal ice flying wyvern similar to Espinas or Berukyurosu popped into the heads of the concept artists over at Capcom, but a brand-new Pelagus is nice too. Considering that Blangonga is the only glimpse we've seen of what an ice-type mammal can look like in the MH world, a new side of these furry beasts may have been in order after all. The decision to use a rabbit or koala as a template was a safe and welcome bet on their part, as that is a type of creature truly never before seen in Monster Hunter. 8/10

 Design:  I'm surprised they were able to make what is essentially an amalgamation of a rabbit, a koala, a bear, and a wombat look not only interesting, but even kind of intimidating. Kind of. The best part of the design is the face, I simply love how they made it look. You look at Arzuros, and for the most part you just see a plain old bear face with few liberties taken. With Lagombi, they've truly allowed it to both shed its influences and wear it on its sleeve at the same time. The angular and blade like design of the ears, coupled with the downward brow and beak-like upper jaw create a face that is both exotic and unique. The use of colour is nice, too. They stop the palette from becoming boring by constantly throwing in tints and splashes of brighter colours here and there. Navy blues, yellows, and light brows punctuate the design to keep it lively and deep. The texture on the belly is extremely believable in particular. 8.5/10

 Sound:  Standard Pelagus theme here, but I really, really do enjoy the roar they've given him. It's a deep, bassy, gutteral bellow that properly stacks up with the visible weight of the creature. It helps tremendously to sell the heavy, lumbering nature of the monster just in time for it to surprise you with its speed. 8/10

 Gameplay:  Yes, yes, he's still a bit easy, and we'll get to that, but Capcom has done a wonderful job here to make Lagombi (and really all of the Pelagus fights) a wholly unique battle that you won't find anywhere else. He has moves which utilize his slip n' slide belly, which he can chain directly into his ice throws and lunges. He varies wildly in speed, which keeps the hunter ready to dodge at any moment's notice. However, he is still too easy for my tastes, as his attacks deal little damage and he has a very small HP pool. Very likely only a 3 star monster because of when the Tunda is unlocked. 7.5/10

 Equipment:  You are going to love, love, love Lagombi's weapons early on in the game. The dual swords and gunlance are your first available Ice-type weapons, which will come in handy against the very near Nibelsnarf and Diablos. They pack more than serviceable sharpness and raw, and enough Ice damage to put the hurt on any Desert monster. Armour is alright with decent skills, but you'd be a fool not to choose the Gobul or Rathian sets which are already available over Lagombi's gear. 8/10

 Overall:  Lagombi succeeds in both fitting in with the rest of the Pelagus of Ultimate, and making itself wholly its own experience at the same time. While the difficulty and challenge still isn't there, and the armour is overshadowed by much better contemporaries, the fast-paced and exciting battle and the highly useful ice-type weapons, coupled with a surprisingly great design make Lagombi a highly underrated and much-welcomed addition to part two of 3rd gen. 8/10