Guardian Arkveld, also known as the White Wraith, isMonster Hunter Wilds' flagship monster, making it one of the toughest foes to beat in the game. This massive creature uses chain-like limbs to strike at foes from a distance, using aggressive tactics to destroy your resolve. With the ability to absorb elemental energy, Arkveld is an extremely strong opponent for even the most veteran players.
Those who participated in the finalopen beta forMonster Hunter Wildsmay have already had a chance to face Guardian Arkveld. With the game’s full release, this monster isnot encountered until a much later point in the story. You’ll have to go on many quests before facing the White Wraith before it can be encountered naturally through a main quest.
How To Prepare For Guardian Arkveld
Equip A Loadout Designed To Counter This Monster
One of the best ways to prepare to face Guardian Arkveld is tocraft the gear with the highest Defense possible beforehand. This may require some grinding against monsters you’ve already faced, but the effort will be worth it in the end. Being able to withstand Arkveld’s strong attacks could mean the difference between carting or having just enough health to heal from any strike that hits your character.
Arkveld deals Dragon damage with its attacks, so you likely will not have unlocked gear that can resist this type of offense at the time when you fight the White Wraith for the first time.
Another thing you can do to prepare for the Arkveld fight isstudy the environment where you’ll face this monster early. Going around and exploring your eventual arena with Arkveld will allow you to identify parts of the world you can use to your advantage. This could include falling rocks to damage or stagger Arkveld, glowing wildlife to stun the creature, or just places where you can easily avoid the monster’s strikes.
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Noindividual weapon inMonster Hunter Wildsis better or worse against Arkveld, so bring whatever tool you are most familiar with.High-tier weapons from later in a crafting tree are better to useagainst Arkveld simply because they’ll likely deal higher damage numbers to the monster. That being said, it might be better to bring a weapon that does raw physical damage, as Arkveld could have different elemental resistances.
How To Defeat Guardian Arkveld
Aim For Vulnerable Limbs And React To Attack Patterns
There are many ways to approach the Guardian Arkveld fight, but the monster always has some consistencies.Arkveld uses its chain limbs to do wide sweeping attacks in front of its arms and head, making the back of the creature somewhat vulnerable. Be careful though, as the White Wraith’s long tail can act as a whip to hit ambitious hunters who attempt to hide behind it.
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When you jump attack a monster in Monster Hunter Wilds, you have a chance to mount it, dealing more damage to weak points as you ride your target.
Guardian Arkveld has multiple weak points across its body, including these parts:
Enough attacks on Arkveld’s tail can sever it, removing the part from themonster inMonster Hunter Wilds. This removes some of Arkveld’s attacking power, sotry to use slashing attacks to remove Arkveld’s tail if you can. Inflicting wounds with your weapon and delivering a Focus Strike to glowing red parts of Arkveld can help you destroy certain body parts and stagger the creature in the process.
You fight Guardian Arkveld in a secluded location in the Windward Plains. This monster has a territorial conflict with any Rey Dau in the area, so try luring Arkveld to a Rey Dau to force them to fight and injure each other.
The tables below outline Arkveld’s most dangerous attacks in addition to its normal strikes, as well as some ways you can counter certain moves:
How To Counter
Chain Slams
Arkveld winds back one of its chain limbs before slamming it down over a long, vertical distance. This attack is immediately followed up by an additional slam from the other limb.
Dodge to the opposite side of the arm Arkveld uses to slam down. You can also block this attack if your weapon allows it.
Chain Grapple
Twisting its body, Arkveld lashes out and grabs a target close to it, dealing lots of damage after roaring in its victim’s face.
Shoot any type of Slinger ammo at Arkveld’s face to force it to release you from its grasp.
Flying Sweep
Arkveld leaps into the air, dragging its chains across the ground to hit targets beneath it along the path it travels.
Dodge to the opposite sides of where the chains are hitting the ground. You can also use a Flashpod to topple Arkveld from the sky during this attack.
Wing Scythe
Glowing with a white aura, the chain limbs of Arkveld turn red before they slice at the ground in front of it with a leaping chain attack.
Dodge forward or backward from the spot where Arkveld leaps to during this move.
Dragon Strike
Arkveld charges its limbs with energy before slamming them down, causing an AoE explosion around the front of its body.
Dodge forward into the monster or get behind it somehow to avoid the AoE.
Tail Sweep
Tucking its tail into its body, Arkveld spins around, unleashing its tail like a whip to strike anyone around it.
Move away from Arkveld or block this attack to avoid taking damage.
Tail Stab
When a hunter is behind it, Arkveld retracts its tail before stabbing it behind itself in an attempt to hit a target.
This tail attack only travels vertically, so simply dodge to one side or block to avoid taking damage.
White Wraith’s Wrath
Arkveld glows white while its chains lash around itself before turning red and slamming all its limbs into the ground, causing a huge AoE explosion.
Stay behind Arkveld’s wings to avoid the range of this AoE. Alternatively, you’re able to try to dodge the moment the explosion happens.
Through certain attacks,Arkveld will build up energy in its chain limbs, causing them to glow purple. When this happens,attack both chain limbs to cause them to explode, releasing the stored energy and automatically toppling Arkveld as well. Doing this also causes Arkveld to lose any extra damage dealt by its glowing limbs, giving you more opportunities to take down the monster.
Rewards From Beating Guardian Arkveld
Collect Materials For Better Gear
As long as you don’tmake the mistake inMonster Hunter Wildsof not carving Arkveld upon its defeat,you’ll get unique materials associated with the White Wraithfor besting it in battle. The items you collect from a defeated Arkveld can craft very potent weapons and armor, with new skills to farm within the flagship monster’s armor set.
Breaking off the tail and horns of Arkveld will yield extra materials upon its defeat alongside quest rewards. You will have to carve Arkveld’s tail separately from its main body to get every possible reward for its defeat.
Here are just a few of the possible items you could get from a successful Guardian Arkveld hunt:
The quest tied to defeating the White Wraith will also gift you with plenty of additional rewards, including Armor Spheres, Sturdy Bones, and Ore materials. All these items are especially useful in crafting Arkveld gear, which will likely be far stronger than what you currently have equipped. Those who manage to beat Guardian Arkveld inMonster Hunter Wildsmay have to do it again to gain the elusive Gem item that drops rarely from the creature.
