Monster Hunter Wilds: How to beat Uth Duna
Learn the Uth Duna's weaknesses, drop list, and more
Need tips on how to beat the Uth Duna in Monster Hunter Wilds? The Uth Duna is a watery leviathan that splashes and swivels violently, and it secretes a substance that forms a protective veil over its body to absorb blows. Fighting this beast is a tough affair that requires you to keep up the damage while avoiding huge waves that will knock you right onto your back.
You'll face the Uth Duna for the first time in the conclusion of Monster Hunter Wilds' Chapter 1, where you'll only be tasked with repelling it. You'll be able to hunt it properly following this mission, and in many ways, the Uth Duna acts as the culmination of all of the monsters you'll face in Monster Hunter Wilds' early game. In this guide, we'll explain how to beat the Uth Duna, 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 Uth Duna
- Where to find Uth Duna
- Uth Duna weaknesses
- Best weapon and armor to fight Uth Duna
- Uth Duna tips and strategy
- Uth Duna rewards and drop list
How to beat Uth Duna
We'll go into more detail on all the Uth Duna's weaknesses below and how to exploit them. For now, here are our top tips on how to beat the Uth Duna in Monster Hunter Wilds.
- Apply consistent pressure on the Uth Duna's protective veil.
- Target the head, tail, and forelegs once the veil is down.
- Watch out for the Uth Duna's belly flop.
- Use environmental hazards to hit the Uth Duna.
- Bring plenty of Nulberries to dispel the Waterblight status
Skip ahead to our tips and strategy section for more details on each of these points!
Where to find Uth Duna
The Uth Duna is found in the Forest region of Monster Hunter Wilds. The first time you'll run into the Uth Duna in the story of Monster Hunter Wilds is during the Chapter 1-4 main quest "Beyond the Deluge," which sees you helping Olivia during an Uth Duna battle. Following this mission, you can hunt the Uth Duna whenever you like, and it will appear more regularly during a downpour. I've mostly found it walking around Areas 12 and 13 of the Scarlet Forest map. It can also be found around Areas 2, 5, 9, 10, and 15.
Uth Duna weaknesses
The Uth Duna's weak points are its head and forelegs. The monster's protective veil will reduce damage to these areas at first, but if you keep applying attacks, the veil will eventually shatter, letting you bash away with maximum impact. Physical damage is key here, especially Blunt Damage, which works equally well on the head and left/right forelegs. Cut Damage is also good, but not as effective on the head.
Thunder damage is effective against the Uth Duna's head, and is the only Element we recommend bothering with here. Avoid Water damage at all costs - this is a watery dragon, after all.
All status effects aside from Stun are fairly effective against the Uth Duna, and I've found myself relying on Paralysis more than others. Keeping up with the Thunder theme, bring Shock Traps when you fight this leviathan, and it won't hurt to have Flash Pods and Pitfall Traps by your side as well.
Best weapon and armor to fight Uth Duna
Any Blunt or Cut weapon will serve you well against the Uth Duna. I used the Lance, but the Hammer is an excellent choice for smashing its head in. Hunters who find themselves struggling to avoid the monster's huge belly flops may want something with slightly more mobility, like the Dual Blades or Insect Glaive. For the best of both worlds when it comes to both Blunt and Cut damage, you can't go wrong with the ever-reliable Sword and Shield.
If you've harvested enough Lala Barina materials to build out the Paralysis Tree, then the Jail Hammer I will work well during your first few fights against the Uth Duna, thanks to its Element association with Paralysis. Any Lala Barina weapons work well, actually - try the Barina Dague I and Barina Sarissa I while you're at it. Avoid weapons from the Balahara Tree, as they're all connected with the Water element.
You'll ideally want an armor with Water resistance in this fight, so all of the pieces in the Lala Barina set work well. Once you've defeated your first Uth Duna, you can start wearing pieces from the Uth Duna set, all of which offer superb Water protection.
Uth Duna tips and strategy
Below, we'll go in-depth with the main tips and overall strategy you need to beat the Uth Duna. Follow these hints closely to win the fight and claim the spoils of war with ease.
1. Apply consistent pressure on the Uth Duna's protective veil
When you first start attacking the Uth Duna, you'll notice that all of the damage numbers that pop up are blue with a little shield icon, indicating that the monster's protective veil is active and reducing the strength of your strikes. There are a few areas that this veil doesn't fully cover, notably the mouth, which is a major weak point. Keep targeting the veil as much as you can to do it in, and if you're having trouble dodging the Uth Duna, try attacking it while you're riding your Seikret. This is a decent way to avoid strikes while the veil is active.
2. Target the head, tail, and forelegs once the veil is down
As soon is the veil goes down, focus on the Uth Duna's head, tail, and forelegs. The Uth Duna becomes noticeably more aggressive without its protective covering, so you may benefit from using Flash Pods, Shock Traps, and Pitfall Traps during this critical moment. Pile on the damage and go for a full-on assault.
3. Watch out for the Uth Duna's belly flop
At times, the Uth Duna will rear up before flopping onto the ground like a whale, spraying water everywhere and inflicting massive hurt to anyone underneath it. This is the attack that caused my hunter to faint the most when I battled the Uth Duna for the first time, so learn to recognise it and dodge accordingly. You should also beware of the Uth Duna's roar, which can temporarily immobilise you. It's especially painful when this roar is followed up with a belly flop, so try attacking the Uth Duna from behind to avoid this foul combination.
4. Use environmental hazards to hit the Uth Duna
When you encounter the Uth Duna during Monster Hunter Wild's main story, you'll face it near a dam where you can use your grapple to pull down dam rubble onto its head, inflicting a solid chunk of damage. In repeat fights with the Uth Duna, always take advantage of the environment in this fashion.
5. Bring plenty of Nulberries to dispel the Waterblight status
Like the Balahara, the Uth Duna's many water-based attacks inflict the Waterblight status effect. This reduces your Stamina recovery and can be a real drain when using highly mobile weapons like the Dual Blades, which rely on Stamina above all else. Stock up on Nulberries to dispel Waterblight, especially if you aren't wearing a water resistant armor.
Uth Duna rewards and drop list
Here are all the rewards and drops you can get from Uth Duna and its broken parts.
Low-Rank Materials:
| Materials | Frequency | Value | Target Reward | Carving Reward | Wound Destroyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uth Duna Claw | 4 Star | 380z | 8% | 13% | -- |
| Uth Duna Scale | 4 Star | 684z | 20% | 28% | 45% |
| Uth Duna Cilia | 3 Star | 570z | 15% | 18% | 12% |
| Uth Duna Tentacle | 2 Star | 836z | 8% | 11% | -- |
| Uth Duna Hide | 1 Star | 380z | 20% | 23% | -- |
| Uth Duna Plate | 1 Star | 380z | 5% | 7% | -- |
| Uth Duna Certificate | 1 Star | 380z | 8% | -- | -- |
| Aqua Sac | 1 Star | 380z | 16% | -- | -- |
High-Rank Materials:
| Materials | Frequency | Value | Target Reward | Carving Reward | Wound Destroyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uth Duna Claw+ | 4 Star | 1300z | 8% | 13% | -- |
| Uth Duna Scale+ | 4 Star | 2340z | 18% | 30% | 45% |
| Uth Duna Cilia+ | 3 Star | 1950z | 14% | 18% | 12% |
| Uth Duna Tentacle+ | 2 Star | 2860z | 8% | 11% | -- |
| Uth Duna Hide+ | 1 Star | 380z | 18% | 23% | 43% |
| Uth Duna Plate+ | 1 Star | 380z | 7% | -- | -- |
| Uth Duna Certificate S | 1 Star | 380z | 8% | -- | -- |
| Uth Duna Watergem | 1 Star | 380z | 3% | -- | -- |
| Torrent Sac | 1 Star | 380z | 16% | -- | -- |
In addition, if you break the following Uth Duna parts during the fight, you'll get these rewards for carving them:
Low-Rank Materials:
- Broken Head: 1x Uth Duna Tentacle
- Broken Left/Right Foreleg: 1x Uth Duna Claw
- Broken Tail: 88% 1x Uth Duna Cilia, 12% 1x Uth Duna Plate
High-Rank Materials:
- Broken Head: 1x Uth Duna Tentacle+
- Broken Left/Right Foreleg: 1x Uth Duna Claw+
- Broken Tail: 93% 1x Uth Duna Cilia+, 7% 1x Uth Duna Watergem
That wraps up our strategy guide on how to beat the Uth Duna in Monster Hunter Wilds. For more help, head to our Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough and our expansive list of all monsters in the game!