Understanding the Dragon Element in Monster Hunter Wilds

Dragon is a unique element in Monster Hunter Wilds and can manifest on your gear in two intriguing ways. On the offensive side, it allows your weapons to deal damage, while defensively, it’s something your armor can stand against. However, when you say a weapon “does Dragon damage,” it’s not as simple as claiming it deals Fire damage, for instance.

Let’s delve deeper into the Dragon element in Monster Hunter Wilds. In this guide, we’ll explore what Dragon damage entails, identify which monsters yield Dragon materials, and list the creatures you should unleash your Dragon arsenal upon.

To begin with, Dragon damage is just like Fire, Ice, or Lightning; it’s an elemental force in the game. But it’s worth noting that while other elements have a rock-paper-scissors dynamic, Dragon is aimed primarily at one type of opponent: dragons themselves.

Interestingly, Dragon weapons inflict extra punishment on dragons, a rarity since creatures typically resist their own elemental types. However, these dragons bite back with a debuff named Dragonblight. Now, Dragonblight is purely a monster-specialized affliction, meaning it can’t be inflicted on them, just on you.

What Dragonblight does is temporarily shut down the Dragon element on your weapon. Since many elemental weapons sacrifice raw power in favor of elemental prowess, Dragonblight can dramatically curtail your effectiveness. When you tussle with any monster dishing out Dragon damage, be wary of Dragonblight. If you fall victim to it, a Nulberry will cleanse it.

Dragon armor, while providing excellent defense, has its drawbacks; it falters against beasts that wield Dragon, Lightning, and Ice attacks.

Speaking of crafting, securing Dragon weapons is no small feat. At Monster Hunter Wilds’ launch, only a slim selection of major Dragon foes are present, limiting your chances to forge weapons imbued with this element. To equip yourself with a potent Dragon weapon for those fierce endgame battles, consider hunting these creatures:

(Note: Keep in mind, not every weapon type can be crafted from the Guardian Ebony Odogaron.)

When it comes to exploiting weaknesses, you might not find many Dragon weapons, but there’s no shortage of foes susceptible to them. Besides those initial big baddies, you’ll gain a serious edge against all Guardian-style monsters and the venerable wyverns, Rathalos and Rathian.

To arm yourself with the ultimate combat strategy, here’s a lineup of adversaries against whom a Dragon weapon will serve you well.