Monster Hunter Wilds: How to beat Balahara

Need tips on how to beat the Balahara in Monster Hunter Wilds? The serpentine lizards known as Balahara are some of the first new monsters you'll encounter in Monster Hunter Wilds, during the introduction as you race your Seikret across the deserts. These tricky foes will jump out like sand worms, ready to catch unwary hunters in the throes of their distinctive three-pronged mouths, and the best way to keep track of their movements is to monitor their drill-like tail.

Facing the Balahara is an important challenge for hunters early on in Monster Hunter Wilds, as it's the first encounter against a monster who can influence the environment. In this guide, we'll explain how to beat the Balahara, revealing useful intel including the monster's weaknesses, the best gear to use against it, combat tips and tricks, and post-fight rewards.

In this guide:

• How to beat Balahara
• Where to find Balahara
• Balahara weaknesses
• Best weapon and armor to fight Balahara
• Balahara tips and strategy
• Balahara rewards and drop list

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How to beat Balahara

We'll go into more detail on all the Balahara's weaknesses below and how to exploit them. For now, here are our top tips on how to beat the Balahara in Monster Hunter Wilds.

1. Use Sonic Bombs or Screamer Pods to immobilise the Balahara.
2. Watch out for the Balahara's mucus, which inflicts Waterblight.
3. Focus on the mouth immediately after the Balahara spits.
4. Monitor the Balahara's drill-like tail to keep an eye on it.
5. When the Balahara climbs a pillar, use your slinger to knock it down.

Skip ahead to our tips and strategy section for more details on each of these points!

Where to find Balahara

The Balahara is found in the Plains region of Monster Hunter Wilds in the desert dunes area south of Base Camp. The first time you'll run into the Balahara is during the Chapter 1-4 main quest "A Hunter's Pride," where you'll start fighting it in a sandpit. To normally run into the Balahara, try exploring Areas 11, 12, and 13 on the map. If you can't find the Balahara, it's possible that it's located in the underground section of the Plains.

Balahara weaknesses

The Balahara's weak point is its mouth. Ideally, you want to focus on this area with a weapon that deals Blunt damage to pulverise it quickly. If you don't have a Blunt weapon at your disposal, any physical damage is better than none. You can break the entire head if you deal enough damage, exposing the mouth and the neck, which is also receptive to heavy strikes. While you're at it, the Balahara's tail is also severable.

The Balahara is totally resistant to Water damage, so don't even bother. Other Element attacks are not hugely effective against it, though if you hit it with Thunder in the head and neck, you can expect above average damage numbers to pop up.

If you have any gear associated with the Paralysis status effect, then that's what you want to be using against the Balahara. Items like Sonic Bombs are super handy in this fight, and we'll describe this in greater detail below. Flash Pods, Shock Traps, and Pitfall Traps are also all effective.

Best weapon and armor to fight Balahara

A physical weapon that deals Blunt damage is the preferred choice for fighting Balahara. The Hammer is probably your best bet, especially considering that it's one of the easiest beginner's weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds. If you're a Sword and Shield person, you can use your shield to deliver Blunt damage, and if you're up for a challenge, the Hunting Horn is also a Blunt weapon.

Since Paralysis is effective against the Balahara, if you have enough materials from defeating the Lala Barina, you can try building the Jail Hammer I from the Paralysis Tree. The Barina Dague I Sword and Shield from the Lala Barina tree is another fine choice that's connected with Paralysis, and if you're going with the Hunting Horn, then you should definitely craft the Sonic Horn I from the Vespoid Tree for the ultimate Paralysis-inducer.

For your armor, it helps to wear something that confers protection against Water, since chances are you'll be getting hit with Waterblight during this combat. Piragill and Uth Duna armor both fit the ticket, though you won't have Uth Duna gear available the first time you fight the Balahara.

Balahara tips and strategy

Below, we'll go in-depth with the main tips and overall strategy you need to beat the Balahara. Follow these hints closely to win the fight and claim the spoils of war with ease.

1. Use Sonic Bombs or Screamer Pods to immobilise the Balahara

The Balahara heavily depends on its hearing whenever it's submerged in sand. Give its ear canals a real nasty experience with Sonic Bombs or Screamer Pods, which you can obtain from Baunos, the small winged wyverns that can be found around the Plains. Since the Balahara is a highly mobile monster, these are absolutely the best ways to keep it from wriggling around long enough to deliver some critical hits.

2. Watch out for the Balahara's mucus, which inflicts Waterblight

The Balahara has a projectile mucus attack that it'll use from time to time during the fight, particularly when it's perched high on a pillar and out of your immediate reach. If you get hit with this gunk, you'll start suffering the effects of Waterblight, which is a troublesome ailment that reduces your Stamina recovery. If you're using a weapon heavily reliant on Stamina - like the Dual Blades - this can be a major pain. A Nulberry's your best way to remove the status quickly.

3. Focus on the mouth immediately after the Balahara spits

Daring hunters know to strike when the iron's hot, or in this case, when the Balahara's just finished spitting. This monster's mouth is a very soft target if you can actually manage to hit it, and the best time to do so is when the mucus attack has just finished. Stay near the head and time your attacks and evasions carefully, in other words.

4. Monitor the Balahara's drill-like tail to keep an eye on it

Once the Balahara burrows into sand, it can be disorientating to monitor its movements, especially if you're a newbie hunter who hasn't fought a monster that can flat-out disappear before. The Balahara's drill-esque tail is a key marker that'll often pop out of the ground before the monster readies itself for a lunge. While the tail isn't a weak point, it can be severed, so attack it if you have nothing else in your sights and get ready for the rest of this beast's body to re-emerge.

5. When the Balahara climbs a pillar, use your slinger to knock them down

Probably the best lesson you'll learn during your first fight with the Balahara is on monster mobility and environmental interactions. Aside from burrowing into sand, at times, the Balahara will climb atop the rocky pillars that dot the sandy arena of the Plains. With its body curled high above reach (unless you have a ranged weapon), the Balahara is in the perfect spot to barricade you endlessly with its mucus. Knock it from its perch with well-timed slinger attacks, and keep in mind that you can always do this with a monster that's out of reach.

Balahara rewards and drop list

Here are all the rewards and drops you can get from Balahara and its broken parts.

Low-Rank Materials:

High-Rank Materials:

In addition, if you break the following Balahara parts during the fight, you'll get these rewards for carving them:

Low-Rank Materials:

• Broken Head: 80% 1x Balahara Skull, 20% 1x Balahara Black Pearl
• Severed Tail: 1x Balahara Tail

High-Rank Materials:

• Broken Head: 80% 1x Balahara Skull+, 20% 1x Balahara Black Pearl
• Severed Tail: 93% 1x Balahara Tail, 7% Wyvern Gem

That wraps up our strategy guide on how to beat the Balahara in Monster Hunter Wilds. For more help, head to our Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough and our expansive list of all monsters in the game!