Nu Udra is one of the strongest monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds, with its fiery tentacle strikes and lethal fire-based attacks. This fire cephalopod can only be found in the Basin biome and is a challenging foe that demands hunters to plan carefully before a fight. From tracking its position, taking advantage of its weaknesses, or countering its strong attacks, learning about Nu Udra’s behavior is the secret to surviving the battle. This walkthrough has everything you will need to know, from its location to elemental weaknesses, attack patterns, and the optimal strategy to kill it.
Nu Udra Location
Nu Udra is found exclusively in the Basin biome, so you won’t run into it anywhere else. What makes the Long Forgotten Flame mission unique is that it’s the only main quest where you have to actively track your target by following its footprints. Instead of being led straight into battle, you’ll need to search for signs of its presence.
To locate Nu Udra, head to the underground portion of the Basin biome. It’s most commonly found in areas 15 and 14, though it occasionally appears in area 4 as well. As long as you move toward these locations, you’ll come across its tracks, which will activate the fireflies to guide you the rest of the way. This process doesn’t take too long, so you should find it fairly quickly.
Your first fight with Nu Udra is in Chapter 2 while doing the Long Forgotten Flame mission. There is no unique condition that unlocks it; you just have to continue advancing through the storyline, and you will ultimately encounter it.
Nu Udra Weakness
Nu Udra’s head is its weakest spot, so whenever possible, focus your attacks there, mounting it to bring it down is a great strategy to expose its head for heavy damage. Its tentacles and membrane, while breakable, are highly resistant, so avoid wasting too much time attacking them unless necessary. Nu Udra is completely immune to Fire, making Water attacks the most effective choice. Since slashing damage works best, weapons like the Long Sword, Dual Blades, or Insect Glaive are ideal for this fight.
Nu Udra Strategy to Beat
Nu Udra is a key part of the main story in Monster Hunter Wilds, meaning the encounter is designed to match your Hunter Rank at that stage. If you have a weapon with Water as its primary element, you will have an advantage, as Nu Udra is particularly weak to it. This can make the fight a bit more manageable, especially if you’re still getting used to its attack patterns.
Preparation before Battle
When it comes to armor, a mix of the Rey Dou and Arajakan sets to be useful, mainly for their high defense at that point in the campaign. However, the Arajakan set is especially valuable because of its strong Fire resistance, making it a great choice against Nu Udra’s flame-based attacks. If you’re having trouble surviving, farming the Arajakan fight a few times will help you build a sturdier defense.
Since this fight occurs as part of a main quest, you’ll be dropped directly into the fray following the introductory cutscene. Before you leave, double-check that you have a good amount of regular and mega potions. If you are low on mega potions, honey can be gathered throughout the biome, particularly in the Forest biome, to create more. If you are in the Basin biome, also ensure to bring cool drinks to mitigate the heat.
Lastly, do not forget to eat before the battle, and use the portable BBQ to grill food, it will boost your stamina and health that is vital for Nu Udra’s powerful assaults. Blending ingredients like Wild Herb will boost your resistance element, so you can resist more fire damage.
For later encounters, carrying a few Puddle Pods can help, and if you or a teammate have a ranged weapon with Water Ammo, even better. However, since Water-element weapons aren’t the most common, don’t feel pressured to craft one just for this battle unless you spend a lot of time in the Basin biome.
Nu Udra’s Attack
Nu Udra’s tentacles are its deadliest weapons. With six of them to use, the beast can strike from several different angles without having to rotate its body. This makes it very responsive to attacks, regardless of their direction. Some of its attacks are telegraphed, since the tentacle will light up before crashing down, allowing you time to evade. But other attacks are unpredictable, depending only on movement signals, and thus more difficult to anticipate.
If you are close to one of its tentacles, it will attack. Nu Udra does not miss chances, so keeping an eye on your stamina is important. Being able to dodge often will keep you safe, and counterattacking when the tentacle is briefly vulnerable is the optimal approach. Rather than attempting to memorize all of its attack patterns, it is better to know how the monster acts and wait for an opening to strike.
Aside from its tentacles, Nu Udra’s enormous size makes it all the more deadly. Part of its attacks employ its whole body, so those are particularly debilitating. If you notice it retreat its head and upper body backwards, be ready for a charging forward. Steer clear of its path so you won’t get hurt and so you can position yourself to attack its sides or back.
Another strong attack is when Nu Udra puffs up its body and then slams down with four tentacles in a broad arc. The attack has a wider range than normal, so it’s best to avoid it while staying close enough to counterattack. If you enter focus mode, you’ll see the tentacles are exposed, so it’s the ideal time to deal damage and sap its attacking potential.
Enraged State
When Nu Udra goes into its angry form, the whole battle changes. Its body is set on fire, and it gets access to even more lethal attacks. This change cannot be overlooked. If you can lay a Shock Trap during the change, it may stop its first action, giving you time to get ready. But you will have to deal with the full fury of its flames eventually.
One of its most dangerous fire-based attacks involves lifting its body, tilting its head, and pointing a tentacle downward to release a stream of fire. The flames spread rapidly, behaving like a shockwave with limited escape routes. Dodging backward is risky since the fire expands outward quickly. Instead, sidestep to avoid it or, if you’re close, roll toward its back to get a brief opening for an attack.
Keeping your distance isn’t necessarily safe either. If you move too far away during its enraged state, Nu Udra will hurl fire projectiles at you, usually in pairs. A more dangerous variation of this attack involves the monster spinning while unleashing a barrage of fireballs in all directions, making it difficult to find cover.
Even with its overwhelming power, Nu Udra has a definite weak point, its mouth. For melee warriors, striking it is difficult because the monster never leaves it open. The best opportunity is when it’s stunned on the ground. Meanwhile, attacking its tentacles is a good strategy. If you attack them long enough, they can be cut off, shortening their range, although they won’t be totally incapacitated. Finally, Nu Udra can retreat through walls or dig underneath the ground and come back to surprise you. Be careful and be prepared for what it will do next.
