How To Beat Nu Udra, The Black Flame In Monster Hunter Wilds
There's a sense of wonder inherent in encountering a new species in Monster Hunter Wilds. One of the most unusual foes you'll face is Nu Udra, the six-tentacled beast initially known to you only as The Black Flame. Among the series' monsters, Nu Udra is in a class of its own - quite literally. It's the first of the Cephalopod-class monsters to be revealed, a new taxonomic category introduced in Wilds. It's a wholly unusual species, with a number of baffling abilities that seem to defy the laws of physics.
Nu Udra makes for a difficult fight - not only in dealing damage to and defending yourself against The Black Flame, but also in tracking its movements. However, like any monster, it's easy enough to defeat if you prepare correctly. Bringing the right equipment and knowing Nu Udra's weak points can help you deal massive damage, and collect plenty of rare materials along the way. Here are some tips and tricks to help you take down The Black Flame and save the Basin in Monster Hunter Wilds.
How To Prep For Nu Udra
Where To Find Nu Udra (& What To Bring)
Nu Udra is only known to be native to the Oilwell Basin, a section of Monster Hunter Wilds' map characterized by enormous underground deposits of molten metal. Nu Udra makes its home beneath the surface of the Oilwell Basin, in the enormous cave system that criscrosses the entire region. That means that, while you're fighting Nu Udra, you'll typically be dealing with a very hot environment. As usual, make sure to bring plenty of Cold Drinks (or look for Chillmantle Bugs) to keep your body temperature down and avoid draining your HP.
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Note that navigating Nu Udra's natural environment sometimes means walking through lava. Lava slows your movement and can damage you over time, so try to avoid standing in it; consider bringing a Luring Pod to move Nu Udra away from the lava before engaging it.
Nu Udra's Elemental & Status Effect Weaknesses
The table below includes all of Nu Udra's elemental weaknesses, and how they apply to the various parts of its body. That's right: as per usual, some parts of a monster are better defended against certain damage types than others. The more stars it has, the more damage it does. You'll need to consider not only your loadout, but also your angle of attack to maximize damage based on Nu Udra's weakness.
Cut | Blunt | Ammo | Fire | Water | Thunder | Ice | Dragon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Head | 4 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Membrane | 2 stars | 3 stars | 2 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Mouth | 4 stars | 4 stars | 4 stars | Ineffective | 2 stars | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Torso | 3 stars | 4 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Tentacle | 2 stars | 3 stars | 2 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Front Left Arm | 3 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Front Right Arm | 3 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Middle Left Arm | 3 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Middle Right Arm | 3 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Rear Left Arm | 3 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
Rear Right Arm | 3 stars | 3 stars | 3 stars | Ineffective | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star | 1 star |
So, as you can see, most types of elemental damage are equally effective against Nu Udra. Don't worry about bringing a particular elemental weapon, as long as it's not Fire. The game does specifically recommend using a Water-elemental weapon, which may do more damage against Nu Udra while it's enraged (see below), but you can go without it. You may also want to use a melee weapon to avoid the damage penalty to Ammo. In addition, Nu Udra is vulnerable to the following status effects:
Effect | Vulnerability |
|---|---|
Poison | 2 stars |
Sleep | 2 stars |
Paralysis | 1 star |
Blastblight | 1 star |
Stun | 2 stars |
Exhaust | 2 stars |
However, Flash Pods and Sonic Bombs, so you can leave those back at camp. Nu Udra is vulnerable to Shock and Pitfall Traps if you want to capture it.
Nu Udra's Weak Points & Moveset
Weak Points & Breakables
Nu Udra technically only has one weak point, as illustrated in the chart above: its mouth, which is inconveniently hidden behind its flailing tentacles. Its head is also pretty weak, but you'll need to use aerial attacks to get up there. As an Insect Glaive main, I had no issues there - I do recommend a weapon with aerial mobility if possible. Mounting Nu Udra can also give you a unique angle on its weak points.
In addition, Nu Udra's head is breakable; breaking it increases the chances of Nu Udra Horns and Spikes dropping. All six of the monster's arms are severable, which may net you Horns, Spikes, Tentacles, and Cerebrospinal Fluid. This can also help decrease the monster's attack options.
Don't forget to carve materials from Nu Udra's tentacles if you manage to sever them.
Although it's not ideal, most of the time, you'll find yourself standing right up against Nu Udra's membrane, between its tentacles. It's a safe spot, away from its more devastating attacks, and can allow you to sneak in a few decent combos before it notices you and turns around. Of course, you'll want to avoid the membrane and aim for the tentacles as much as possible for their extra vulnerability and rare parts.
Nu Udra's Moveset & Strategies
Nu Udra's six arms basically give it the ability to attack omnidirectionally, so you're never totally safe when standing nearby. Its tentacle strikes are fast, and aren't telegraphed particularly well, either, so you'll want to try and stay in between them as much as possible.
Nu Udra's attacks are powerful, so your primary focus during this fight should be on defense. Just keep dodging until you see an opening, then rush in and deal as much damage as you can before running away again.
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Speaking of running away, Nu Udra has a penchant for it. I think this monster runs more often than any other I've seen in Wilds. To make matters worse, it's not limited to conventional paths; as an invertebrate, it can cram its body into tiny cracks in cave walls, effectively teleporting around the map along paths we couldn't even dream of. It can be frustrating when Nu Udra does this, but just call your Seikret and turn on auto-move to navigate directly to its next location.
Sometimes, Nu Udra will settle into a fiery pit in area 9 of the Basin map. This is a great opportunity: pick up a piece of the Blastcoal lying around the sides of the pit and roll it into the middle to hit Nu Udra for massive damage.
At certain points during the battle, Nu Udra's eyes will begin to glow blue. This is your signal to run far, far away, as Nu Udra is preparing to enter rage mode. When it does, it'll ignite the oily coating on its skin, and begin raining fire down on the entire area. Give it some distance while the fire spreads, then rush back in and shoot its burning body with Watermoss to dampen its rage.
Nu Udra Materials & Rewards
All Nu Udra Drops
The table below illustrates all materials that can drop from Nu Udra, along with the frequency at which they appear. Remember, breaking parts or capturing Nu Udra may lead to more and rarer materials.
Material | Frequency |
|---|---|
Nu Udra Hide | 3 |
Nu Udra Oilmucus | 3 |
Nu Udra Horn | 3 |
Nu Udra Spike | 2 |
Nu Udra Tentacle | 2 |
Nu Udra Certificate | 1 |
Nu Udra Cerebrospinal Fluid | 1 |
Take your Nu Udra parts back to camp, and you can use them to craft the Nu Udra armor set. This is a pretty decent set of mid-game armor, and grants you damage bonuses when you have recoverable health. With fairly high defense for the point of the game at which you unlock it, it can carry you through the following chapters of Monster Hunter Wilds.
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