Deep within the Ruins of Wyveria lies a monstrous secret: Xu Wu, a gargantuan, mutated octopus-like Cephalopod waiting to ensnare unsuspecting hunters. Your encounter with this behemoth in Monster Hunter Wilds is inevitable during the Full Circle quest in Chapter Three of the main story. But fear not! With careful preparation and a solid strategy, you'll not only emerge victorious but also unlock the coveted Mending Mantle, a unique cloak that restores health, and several exclusive drops.
In this guide, we'll dive into the essentials of defeating Xu Wu, covering its weaknesses, attack patterns, and the tactics you need to succeed.
Element and Status Ailments
Chilling Xu Wu is the way. The Cephalopod is vulnerable to the ice element, which means ice-based weapons and items are your friends. To deal the most ice damage, aim for its mouth and other weak points.
Among status effects, poison deals the greatest damage to Xu Wu. Next to that are stun, paralysis, blast, and exhaust. These won’t hurt much compared to poison, but Xu Wu will definitely feel them.
For consumable Pouch Items, Xu Wu is weak against Shock Trap and Pitfall Trap. Between these two, Shock Trap is the best choice because it can slow down the Cephalopod. It’ll buy you enough time to heal up or correctly time your attack on its weak point.
Let’s recap the things you must bring to maximize your damage potential against Xu Wu:
- Weapons with ice attacks.
- Ice-based items like Frostburst and Frostpods.
- Anything with poison, paralysis, blast, stun, and exhaust status ailments.
- Shock Trap or Pitfall Trap with the former as the top choice.
- Never forget to bring lots of health potions.
Weak Points
The Ruins of Wyveria is the home of Xu Wu. When you enter the area, observe your surroundings to give you an idea of how the Cephalopod will beat you into a pulp. While Xu Wu is huge, it’s surprisingly agile and capable of jumping mid-air; more on that later.
It’s one thing you know the beast’s vulnerabilities, it’s another to land accurate hits. Swinging your blades like a madman won’t kill Xu Wu and will likely speed up your demise. That’s why you must land those attacks on the Cephalopod’s weak points.
Thankfully, Xu Wu has eight weak points, and severing some will greatly weaken its attacks:
- Head
- Mouth
- Two front arms
- Four other arms
In head-to-head combat, attacking any of those weak points will deal damage to Xu Wu. However, there are two conditions that will change the course of a battle or even save you from untimely death.
First, dismember the two arms on the front to severely limit its attacks and the odds of its fatal attack option. Yes, Xu Wu can kill you instantly if you fail to avoid its deadliest offensive.
Second, deal a powerful blow, like a Slinger, to the maw. Xu Wu’s head or crown has a mouth but the real one is located underneath. It exposes its maw during that deadly attack and you have a short window to stop it from killing you.
Use the Slinger with an ice-based item, deal massive damage, and Xu Wu will be knocked down. In this state, the maw is totally exposed and the Cephalopod is temporarily disabled. Unleash everything you’ve got while it’s down!
Attack Patterns
In Monster Hunter Wilds, Xu Wu isn’t a peaceful beast. It’s hostile and moves fast, which may scare away newbies. Having a presence of mind and the knowledge of its attack patterns will raise your chances of survival.
The arms or tentacles of Xu Wu are handy tools to pierce enemies, earning the Cephalopod the nickname “Piercing Assassin.” These tentacles not only work best at close range, but they can also do serious ranged damage to unaware hunters.
Here are some of its notable attacks:
- Tentacle Slam: Xu Wu slams the ground with its two front arms to crush you. Dodge in the opposite direction to avoid damage.
- Blade Projectiles: Xu Wu creates blades with its front arms then throws projectiles at you in quick succession. Either dodge or block the blades to avoid damage.
- Dig Attack: Xu Wu surrounds itself with dust and debris as it digs under the ground. After a while, it appears from above and charges at you. Dodge this attack.
- Piercing Tentacle: Xu Wu moves backward and turns its front arms into blades to quickly pierce you with them. Dodge or block to avoid damage.
- Blade Slam: Xu Wu launches itself into the air and releases projectiles at you before slamming down where you stand. Dive-evade to get yourself out of harm’s way.
- Grab Attack: Xu Wu tilts a bit before attempting to grab you. A Slinger ammo will break you free.
Monster Hunter Wilds is all about dynamic combat, so never stand still for a long time or Xu Wu will hurt or kill you. Keep an eye on its front arms and sudden pauses because it’s likely going to strike hard and fast. Attack, move, attack, move, and maybe a very short break is your pattern.
If things get messy, don’t forget to use your Pouch Items. Use Shock Trap to hinder the Cephalopod, reposition yourself, and restore your health with potions. Never let Xu Wu corner you into a wall or you’re doomed!
Failure to avoid the Grab Attack will let Xu Wu chew you up. But that’s not the worst! If the damage causes you to faint, Xu Wu will swallow you instead. Take a good look at that maw!
If you’re winning, don’t be surprised when Xu Wu decides to flee. The Cephalopod may go to a cramped space to cut down your mobility.
Item Drops
After taking down Xu Wu, the Cephalopod will drop the following items:
- Low-Rank Materials
- Golden Corneum
- Xu Wu Hide
- Xu Wu Claw
- Xu Wu Certificate
- Xu Wu Cerebrospinal Fluid
- Xu Wu Tentacle
- Xu Wu Fang
- High-Rank Materials
- Golden Corneum+
- Xu Wu Cerebrospinal Fluid
- Xu Wu Tentacle+
- Xu Wu Certificate S
- Xu Wu Claw+
- Xu Wu Fang+
- Xu Wu Hide+
- Xu Wu Umbragem
And that's how you take down Xu Wu in Monster Hunter Wilds! For more Monster Hunter Wilds content, check out Gfinity.