Arkveld weakness, location, and strategy in Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds wouldn’t be complete without a flagship monster. Guardian Arkveld is a central piece in the main story, and a recurring face to smack that presents a challenge each time.

While you’ll get a taste of the fight before the actual confrontation, you should prepare accordingly, learning what to expect and how to act against the new monster. This guide covers the Guardian Arkveld weaknesses and resistances so you can prepare accordingly, where to find it, and the best strategy to defeat the signature monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Guardian Arkveld location

You’ll first encounter Guardian Arkveld in Chapter 3, during “The Faithful Keepers” main mission. The definitive fight won’t take place until the “Broken Chains” mission. As such, all you need to do to unlock the monster is progress through the main questline.

Guardian Arkveld only roams around the Wyveria biome. At the time of publication, there isn’t a High Rank version of Guardian Arkveld — only Arkveld and its tempered variant.

How to prepare for Guardian Arkveld

Guardian Arkveld is part of the main story of Monster Hunter Wilds. As such, its encounter is likely to fit your Hunter Rank at that corresponding moment. Since the encounter occurs during a main mission, you’ll be thrust into the fray after the introductory cutscene. As per usual, whenever you’re asked if you’re ready to depart, make sure that you’re carrying regular and mega potions with you. If you’re short on the latter, take a lap around the biome and loot any honey you come across.

In addition, don’t forget to eat — you can use the portable BBQ to grill a meal. Increasing your health and stamina is essential, as Guardian Arkveld packs a punch. Investing in offense is a good strategy for this encounter, and you can find some recommendations in our list of best food buffs.

For later encounters, carrying a few Dragon Pods will be beneficial — if either you or one of your teammates have a ranged weapon with Dragon Ammo, even better. In terms of armor, invest in the set with the highest defense available for you at that point in the game, regardless of resistances.

Guardian Arkveld weakness

Guardian Arkveld’s recommended elemental attack is Dragon. This includes Dragon Ammo, Dragon Pod, Dragon Attack, Critical Element, and Charge Master, in addition to your own weapon’s properties.

You can find a breakdown of Guardian Arkveld’s elemental weaknesses and resistances below:

As for the creature’s weak points and breakable parts, Guardian Arkveld’s weak point is its Chainblades (x2), which are also breakable. In addition, its Head can also be broken, and its Tail can be severed.

Before diving deep into combat strategy, here’s the breakdown of Guardian Arkveld’s weak points:

For details about what to expect in terms of attacks and general behavior, the following section has you covered.

Guardian Arkveld attacks and strategy

Guardian Arkveld has one major trick up its sleeve, and it uses it constantly. The chainblades on both sides of its body are the main event, and you can expect all sorts of attacks surrounding them.

Whenever you’re at a distance from the monster, it will likely try to use the chainblades to close the gap. This is indicated by Arkveld turning its head slightly and raising its arm before slamming the ground. Be careful, as this move is usually followed up by a similar attack with the other chainblade. If you managed to dodge the first, prepare to evade again shortly after. There’s a short window after each attack in which you can potentially target a wound, but it’s best to just avoid altogether and reposition yourself instead.

One attack that you’ll see often also involves the chainblades, but in a slightly different manner. If its chainblades start glowing white and Arkveld does a small jump while standing in place, it means it’s about to do a vertical swipe using both arms. You’ll do good to memorize this move, as it’s a go-to for the creature. There is a kinder variant in which it only uses one arm for a weaker attack, but in general, expect the heavy one just in case.

Arkveld makes use of the rest of its body in a more regular form. If you’re attacking its face, it’ll try to bite you, sometimes repeating the action in quick succession. Other times, it’ll use its claws in conjunction with the chainblades, almost as if it were holding a dagger that it drags through the ground. You can expect at least one movement with the tail, although it doesn’t occur as often, where it’ll try to hit you if you’re close to its rear end, rotating in place.

For the most part, you’ll encounter tiny variations of the aforementioned attacks throughout the whole fight. One in particular that’s worth keeping in mind is Arkveld using both chainblades for a ground slam. It covers a large area when doing so, but if you manage to dodge it, use focus mode to aim at the blades. You’re likely to see an attack opportunity. It’s not quite like targeting a wound, but it can incapacitate the monster if struck on time.

Throughout the fight, it’s key to focus on weak points as much as possible. The chainblades, as deadly as they are, are also its weakness, so try to counter attack them whenever possible. The head isn’t an easy target, but it’s one you should be focusing on when the opportunity arises. If the tail is proving to be a nuisance, remember that you can sever it.

Alongside the usual wound control and dodging the chainblades as much as possible, remember to use traps. The key is to try and get the monster to ground as often as possible to make it easier to attack. If it’s spending a long time in the air, set up a trap and bait it toward you. If you can time a dodge just right, they’ll hit the trap instead.

If you’re wondering what the Guardian Arkveld drops in Monster Hunter Wilds are, you can find a handy list below:

If you’re looking for other creatures to fight in Monster Hunter Wilds, our monster list provides a full rundown of every encounter, while we have specific guides for Doshaguma, Lala Barina, Gore Magala, Nu Udra, Jin Dahaad, Rey Dau, Zoh Shia, and Ajarakan.