Ever since the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, players have been debating whether the game is too easy or if it’s just right. With 1.3 million concurrent hunters at its peak, some debate is sure to be expected. Capcom wanted to create a game that is more receptive to new players in the low ranks, and more competitive for its loyal fans in the high ranks, and I certainly would say they succeeded so far with their tempered monsters. Those who claim that this game is too easy have not yet taken on a tempered Gore Magala or a herd of tempered Doshaguma. For this list, we will be looking at the strongest monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds, how to take them on, and how to prepare for a difficult fight.
5. Yian Kut-Ku
Throughout the Monster Hunter Wilds campaign, only a few monsters have forced me to cart even once. After finally defeating Zoh Shia and moving on to the end game, I thought that this trend may have continued. This was of course until I was face to face with not one, not two, but three Yian Kut-Kus at once. Earlier in the game, I promised myself that I would never use a dung bomb in order to preserve the difficulty of the franchise. This fight made me think twice about that. This monster takes me back to Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, where hunting took three tries on my first run.
When players come across this beast for the first time, it is certainly handy to use a dung bomb to disperse them and take them on one by one. Given their chaotic movement, it is best to take these monsters on from a slight distance to avoid being run over by their clumsy movements. There are also several breakable parts of their body, most notably their beak. If players are able to successfully rid them of this, the Yian Kut-Ku can no longer stun with his flash. For the first time encountering this beast, it is best to separate them and fight them one by one, unless hunters are up for an extremely challenging fight.
4. Nu Udra
The Nu Udra fight is difficult for several reasons. Firstly, the heat of the Oil Well Basin created a constant need for cool drinks or heat negation abilities. Given that so many monsters are weak to fire until the Nu Udra is encountered, it is also likely that a hunter’s armor set effectively works against them for this battle. The tentacles on the Nu Udra are breakable, but they do not separate easily. Hunters should keep a close eye for its eruption attack, as it covers a large AOE, and it can also leave them vulnerable to follow up attacks. For this fight, the Insect Glave proved to be extremely helpful. I was able to aerial evade the Nu Udra’s falling over attack despite the size of it.
While fighting the Nu Udra, hunters would benefit from staying close to the monster’s body while being directly behind its head. It is also helpful to mount this monster in order to open wounds, as these can prove to be somewhat elusive until later in the fight. If hunters find themselves able to successfully farm the Nu Udra, they gain access to one of the coolest armor sets in the game, which in turn boasts a resistance to fire.
3. Gravios
The Gravios has been a frequent flyer among the installments of the Monster Hunter franchise. While this monster isn’t exceptionally difficult at face value, the timing of its first encounter in Monster Hunter Wilds can make this fight rather difficult. Directly before unlocking the next tier of weapon sharpness, hunters are made to fight a Gravios. This monster is essentially made of rocks, so strikes frequently bounce off the monster with little damage upon the first encounter. Because of this, hunters will run into issues in braking parts unless they happen to be using a blunt weapon.
Even without considering the Gravios’ heavy armor, hunters will still be in for a difficult fight. This monster not only has the ability to cover large areas with fire effects, but it can also poison hunters relatively easily. These AOE’s are released within a close proximity of the monster’s body, often interrupting combos in their wake. An easy counter to this is to stun lock the monster by breaking wounds and inflicting statuses, but this will only last so long given the monster’s impressive vitality.
2. Jin Dahaad
Jin Dahaad is an overall powerhouse. Boasting an impressive gridiron of armor, hunters must focus on slowly winnowing down its health, as it is easily one of the tankiest monsters in the game. This monster’s armor is able to successfully negate attacks in certain places, such as its neck and head. Instead, hunters should focus on the monster’s feet and make their way up. If players are not paying attention, they can quickly find themselves scrambling to heal following Jin Dahaad’s breath attacks, all of which have the potential to prove deadly if hunters are not thinking on their feet.
When hunting the Jin Dahaad for the first time, like many hunters, I fell victim to its AOE attack. This attack is an instant kill, but it is able to be countered if players are using a defensive weapon. For this reason, hunters should frantically search for a glacier protruding out of the ground nearby, this not only grants protection, but it also gives players ample time to heal, sharpen, and buff themselves to continue the fight.
1. Tempered Gore Magala
When I booted up this quest for the first time, I was expecting a decent challenge. As someone who played Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate religiously, this monster’s difficulty upon its first encounter left something to be desired. At the time, I chalked this up to the fact that my skills have grown miles since then. When the opportunity arose to take the Gore Magala on with a higher difficulty, I never anticipated just how difficult this fight would be.
Many of the Tempered Gore Magala’s attacks instant kill on impact, and in one attempt, my party died simultaneously to the monster’s third attack. It took several attempts to even reach the frenzy phase of the fight, to which I lost again and again. I decided to try and use several different elements to take on the Gore Magala, but none seemed to work the way that they needed to. It wasn’t until I encountered another player wielding a long sword when I was finally able to effectively carry on with the hunt. With the Gore Magala, it is best to stay close to its feet, and dodge against the grain through its sweeping frenzy attack. Even with this information, the Tempered Gore Magala still moves extremely fast, so it is best to approach with caution.
Throughout my time Playing Monster Hunter Wilds, these are without a doubt some of the toughest nuts to crack in battle. This is of course coming from an Insect Glave user who is very familiar with the game, and due to this, my view may even be skewed. Of course, Arkveld and Zoh Shia are challenging monsters by their own right, but yet, I didn’t feel that they deserved a spot on this list, as they are the title monsters of the game. Monsters who made the top five cut were not only gauged by their difficulty, but also at the circumstances that hunters find themselves in upon their first encounter. Do you agree with out list? Let us know in the comments bellow, and happy hunting!
