In the treacherous world of Monster Hunter Wilds, the Dragon element stands apart as a rare but formidable force-inflicting devastating damage specifically against dragon-type monsters while carrying the unique risk of triggering Dragonblight, a status ailment that can temporarily nullify your weapon’s elemental power. Mastering this element could mean the difference between triumph and defeat against some of the game’s most fearsome foes.
In this Monster Hunter Wilds guide, we’ll explain what the Dragon element is, what monsters drop Dragon materials, and which monsters you should use Dragon against.
What is Dragon damage in Monster Hunter Wilds?
Dragon damage in Monster Hunter Wilds is a unique elemental damage type primarily effective against dragon-type monsters. Weapons imbued with Dragon Element deal increased damage to dragons such as Arkveld, Guardian Arkveld, Gore Magala, and Rathalos, exploiting their specific weakness to this element. However, when monsters inflict Dragon damage on hunters, it can cause a status effect called Dragonblight, which temporarily nullifies the elemental damage of the hunter’s weapon, reducing its effectiveness. To counter this, hunters can equip armor with Dragon Resistance to lessen the chance of being afflicted by Dragonblight. Overall, Dragon damage is a specialized but powerful element best used strategically against late-game dragon monsters in the game.
Dragon is an element just like Fire, Ice, or Lightning. But unlike those elements – whose strengths and weaknesses flow in a rock-paper-scissors kind of way – Dragon is used against one specific type of monster: other dragons.
Dragons take a lot of additional damage from Dragon weapons – which is rare, considering most monsters naturally resist their own element type – however, they’re able to fight back with a debuff called Dragonblight. Dragonflight is a monster-only debuff, meaning that you can’t inflict it on monsters, they can only inflict it on you.
Dragonblight essentially just disables the Dragon element on your weapon while active. Considering that many elemental weapons lose raw damage in favor of the specialization the elemental damage gives them, Dragonblight can be a pretty severe reduction to your damage. When fighting any kind of monster that deals Dragon damage, make sure to watch for Dragonblight and pop a Nulberry to remove it if you get infected.
Dragon armor is inherently weak to monsters that deal Dragon damage, as well as Lightning and Ice.
What monsters can you craft Dragon weapons from?
In Monster Hunter Wilds, you can craft Dragon element weapons primarily from materials obtained by hunting specific Dragon-type monsters. The key monsters that yield Dragon materials for crafting these weapons include Guardian Arkveld, Arkveld, Gore Magala, and Guardian Ebony Odogaron. These monsters are notable for their association with the Dragon element and provide the necessary parts to forge powerful Dragon-infused weapons. Crafting Dragon weapons from these monsters is especially effective since Dragon element damage deals increased damage to dragon-type foes, which are often among the game’s toughest adversaries.
At the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds, there are only a handful of capital D Dragon enemies in the game, so there aren’t many opportunities to get weapons with that element on them. If you’re looking to craft a Dragon weapon to help you out against some of the game’s most powerful endgame monsters, hunt one of these:
- Guardian Arkveld
- Arkveld
- Gore Magala
- Guardian Ebony Odogaron
(Note: not all weapon types can make weapons out of the Guardian Ebony Odogaron.)
What monsters are weak to Dragon damage?
Monsters weak to Dragon damage in Monster Hunter Wilds are primarily dragons and wyvern-type creatures, making Dragon Element weapons especially effective against them. Key monsters vulnerable to Dragon damage include Arkveld and its Guardian variant, Gore Magala, Guardian Rathalos and Rathalos, Rathian, Zoh Shia, Guardian Doshaguma, and Guardian Fulgur Anjanath. These creatures suffer increased damage from Dragon-infused weapons, which can be crafted from their own parts. While Dragon Element is potent against these foes, players should be cautious of the Dragonblight status effect inflicted by some Dragon-element monsters, as it temporarily nullifies the elemental damage of the hunter’s weapon. Using Dragon Element weapons against these monsters allows hunters to exploit their elemental weakness for greater damage output.
While Dragon weapons may be scarce, enemies that are weak to Dragon certainly aren’t. In addition to the four enemies above, you’ll gain bonus damage against all Guardian-type monsters as well as the series’ oldest wyverns, Rathalos and Rathian.
Here’s the full list of monsters you should take a Dragon weapon into battle against:
- Guardian Doshaguma
- Guardian Rathalos
- Guardian Arkveld
- Zoh Shia
- Rathian
- Guardian Fulgur Anjanath
- Rathalos
- Gravios
- Gore Magala
- Arkveld
How does the Dragonblight effect influence my weapon’s damage in Monster Hunter Wilds
The Dragonblight effect in Monster Hunter Wilds temporarily nullifies all elemental damage and status effect buildup from your weapon attacks, meaning while afflicted, your weapon will deal no elemental damage at all regardless of the element type, including Dragon. This effect lasts for about 60 seconds unless cured by consuming a Nulberry or prevented by having high Dragon Resistance (level 3 or above), which reduces the chance of being afflicted. Consequently, Dragonblight significantly lowers your weapon’s overall damage output if you rely on elemental or status effects, making it a critical status to manage during hunts.
Does Dragonblight completely nullify my weapon’s elemental damage during its effect
Yes, Dragonblight completely nullifies your weapon’s elemental damage during its effect. While afflicted by Dragonblight, your weapon will deal no elemental damage or status effect buildup at all, effectively disabling any elemental attack power your weapon has for about 60 seconds unless cured or prevented by Dragon Resistance or items like Nulberries.
