The Pinnacle of the Hunt – Late & Endgame
Hunters that have reached this point are likely to be well versed in how to hunt, crafting and upgrading their gear, as well as gathering useful supplies from the various locales that make-up the New World. However, we hunters are always growing and learning, so take this information and use it to sharpen your skills even further! Delving into the Elder’s Recess, you’ll face the powerful monsters that inhabit the Elder’s Recess (Yes, that includes Dodogama!) and come face to face with a range of mighty Elder Dragons, forces of nature that stand at the apex of the monster hierarchy!
Concept art depicting a hunter’s arrival into the Elder’s Recess.
Elder Dragons!
As mentioned, entering this stage of Monster Hunter: World means you’ll now be going toe-to-toe with against some of the toughest hunts in the New World. Elder Dragons are a rare species of monster that defy standard classification from the Guild, often possessing extraordinary destructive power than can cause natural disasters and other phenomenon. Oh, and traps won’t work on them either, these monsters can’t be captured nor stalled with these items. In short, it’s time to step up and prep your gear foe some serious threats. Having said that, Elder Dragons themselves provide parts that allow for the creation powerful new weapon and armour options, giving your hard-fought victories some sweet rewards! Now let’s get you covered with a few words of advice… Nergigante
Nergigante, the flagship monster of Monster Hunter: World. You’ve traded blows before in Low Rank, but now it's time to finish what you started!
Nergigante is a terrifying destructive force with a spike covered body. The key to overcoming this monster is doing your best to break its regenerating spikes that grow over its body. If not destroyed, they will harden over time and strengthen Nergigante’s offensive and defensive abilities! The biggest clue to deal Nergigante’s spikes is their colour! Fresh spikes are soft and white, but over time they darken and eventually become hardened black spikes. So, the trick here is to focus on destroying the spikes furthest along this process first, preventing them from reaching their final form!
For those of you that love the satisfaction of breaking the different parts of a monster, you’ll be in for quite the satisfying fight! Just beware its devastating dive bomb attack, which can take you out in a single hit at this point in the game!
If you’re looking to gear up specifically for this fight, consider using weapons with Thunder or Dragon element. Flash pods can also be useful here to interrupt some of Nergigante’s bigger hitting attacks. It’s also worth packing your Vitality Mantle for a quick respite when recovering from a big hit or helping defend yourself when Nergigante is on the attack!
After successfully hunting Nergigante, you’ll be tasked with tracking down three more elder dragons in their specific locales, the Ancient Forest, Wildspire Waste and the Rotten Vale.
To track down these elder dragons and complete this assignment, you can follow a similar process to what you did during the ??? Rathian quest, however this time you’ll only gain progress for each specific Elder Dragon for any blue footprints you find, or High Rank hunts you complete in their associated locale.
After a few High Rank hunts and a bit of gathering in each locale, the time will soon come to put your skills to the test once again…
Teostra
Teostra is a fearsome elder dragon known for its control over fire and its explosive flames. Aside from its physical and flame breath attacks, Teostra can spread volatile powder which it can ignite at will, punishing hunters who linger near it.
At times, Teostra will also wreath itself in flames, causing damage over time to hunters in its immediate vicinity. Equipping a Fireproof Mantle will fully negate both Fireblight and Blastblight and also reduce the damage you take from any flame breath attacks whilst worn! If you haven’t unlocked the Fireproof Mantle yet, make sure you’ve been completing any Optional Requests you’ve been given by The Armory in the Workshop area. (To unlock these particular quests, make sure you’ve hunted High Rank Rathian and Dodogama, as well discovered or hunted Lavasioth and Uragaan, who dwell in the Elder's Recess).
Some of Teostra’s attacks can also cause hunters to suffer from Blastblight, a debuff that will cause hunters to take burst explosive damage upon the next attack that lands from Teostra, or if not removed in time. The good news is, rolling three times or consuming a Nulberry will cure the affliction.
As you may expect, weapons that dish out water and ice damage will serve you well here, particularly if you target Teostra’s head, high risk, high reward style! Oh, and one last thing, Teostra possesses a powerful nova attack. If you see it rise into the air and draw in its flames, quickly make some distance to avoid being caught in the devastating blast.
Kushala Daora
Prepare to push against powerful cyclones in your battle with Kushala Daora, an elder dragon known for its mastery of the wind. Arguably the biggest challenge in this hunt is dealing with the pressure, both physically and metaphorically, that Kushala Daora can dish out with its aggressive attacks and multiple, zoning wind cyclones it can deploy on the field simultaneously.
Kushala Daora is also a monster than favours aerial combat, pelting cyclones down onto hunters as they reposition around the area. As such, we highly recommend bringing some Flash Pods into the hunt with you, allowing you to bring the elder dragon crashing back down to the ground for some hunter-based retribution.
At times, Kushala Doara will cover its body in a cloak of dense wind, reducing your ability to stay close for repeated strikes as you’re buffeted away, however using a Dragon element weapon that comes with the “Elder Seal” buff and repeatedly striking the monster will allow you to temporarily remove this key part of Kushala Daora’s defences, leaving them much more vulnerable to your attacks!
Hunters can also bolster their own defensive capabilities to counter Kushala Doara’s Wind Pressure, such as using armour pieces with the “Windproof” skill, or even three pieces of Kushala armour itself to activate the “Kushala Daora Flight” set bonus and make future hunts against this monster even smoother!
If you use Hunting Horn, or play with someone who does, then you’re in luck! The Regal Flute Hunting Horn (including higher versions), crafted from Pink Rathian parts, has a melody that completely disables both Wind Pressure and Dragon Wind Pressure, making it a truly powerful buff that’s even stronger than the Windproof armour skill, which only stops normal wind pressure. Doot Doot!
Vaal Hazak
Making its home in the depths of the Rotten Vale, Vaal Hazak is a macabre elder dragon that has a symbiotic relationship with the debilitating Effluvium vapor of the Rotten Vale, allowing it to weaponize it against hunters and other monsters alike to devastating effect.
Be warned, inhaling too much of the Effluvium vapor Vaal Hazak emits will immediately cut your maximum health in half, leaving you extremely vulnerable to being carted. Be sure to stock up on Nulberries before fighting this monster as they’re the quickest and most reliable way to cleanse this debuff. Add them to your radial menu too for quick use in times of need!
If you’ve unlocked the Cleanser Booster, bring that too to assist not only yourself, but any fellow hunters who are fighting alongside you!
Vaal Hazak not only emits this vapor from its body, but can project it via hard-hitting breath attacks, so pay attention and prepare to evade when you see and hear Vaal Hazak draw in a deep breath.
One other thing to keep in mind to tip the odds in your favour, when Vaal Hazak moves to another part of the map, take a look at the ceiling! One wide, cavernous area with a singular acid stream in the corner has two stalactite formations on the roof that can be quickly knocked down with a well-placed slinger shot (any ammo will do!), causing huge damage and a knockdown to this monster! These stalactites stand out from the rest of the roof, looking like pale, cracked spikes hanging from the ceiling. Use these to gain quick control of the fight and turn on the tables on this powerful elder dragon.
