Nu Udra weakness, location, and strategy in Monster Hunter Wilds

Nu Udra is the apex predator of the Oilwell Basin in Monster Hunter Wilds, and for good reason. Its appearance resembles an eldritch octopus, its multiple tentacles are basically individual enemies to contend with, and it can set itself ablaze. However prepared you think you might be for the encounter, the slightest miscalculation can promptly send you back to camp.

Despite how daunting Nu Udra is, knowledge is still power. This guide covers the Nu Udra weaknesses and resistances to prepare accordingly, where to find it, and the best strategy to defeat one of the most formidable foes introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Nu Udra location

You’ll first encounter Nu Udra in Chapter 2, during the Long Forgotten Flame main mission. As such, all you need to do to unlock the monster is progress through the main questline.

Nu Udra inhabits the Basin biome exclusively, meaning you won’t encounter it elsewhere. Surprisingly enough, Long Forgotten Flame is the only main mission where you have to actually track down your target’s location by looking for tracks. If you’re wondering where to find Nu Udra, the monster is on the underground portion of the Basin biome. The 15 and 14 areas are the most common, but can sometimes be seen in 4 as well. As long as you’re heading toward these spots, you’ll encounter the tracks, which will then point the fireflies to its location, so it shouldn’t take too long.

How to prepare for Nu Udra

Nu Udra 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. If you have a weapon with Water as its main element, you’ll have the advantage of targeting an elemental weakness.

As for armor, I was using a combination of the Rey Dou and Arajakan sets, if only for the higher defense available at that point in the campaign, but your mileage may vary. The Arajakan set comes particularly handy against Nu Udra, as it primarily boosts your Fire resistance. If you’re struggling with the flaming octopus, repeating the Arajakan fight a few times will give you a stronger foundation.

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. That being said, you might find it in the Forest biome more easily. Cool Drinks are also a must when you’re in the Basin biome.

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 Nu Udra packs a punch. You can use ingredients like Wild Herb as finishing touches to boost your elemental resistance, helpful for Nu Udra’s fire.

For later encounters, carrying a few Puddle Pods will be beneficial — if either you or one of your teammates have a ranged weapon with Water Ammo, even better. Weapons with Water as main element aren’t that popular of a choice. Unless you’re spending a considerable time in the Basin biome, don’t go out of your way to craft one just for Nu Udra.

Nu Udra weakness

Nu Udra’s recommended elemental attack is Water, which encompasses Water Ammo, Puddle Pod, Water Attack, Critical Element, and Charge Master — in addition to your own weapon’s properties.

You can find a breakdown of Nu Udra’s elemental weaknesses and resistances below:

Effective status effects

• Poison: 2 stars
• Sleep: 2 stars
• Paralysis: 1 star
• Blastblight: 1 star
• Stun: 2 stars
• Exhaust: 2 stars

Effective items

• Flash Pod: No effect
• Sonic Bomb: No effect
• Shock Trap: Effective
• Pitfall Trap: Effective

In terms of weak points and breakable parts, Nu Udra’s weak point is its Mouth. Its Head can be broken, and its Arms (x6) can be severed.

You can find a breakdown of Nu Udra’s weak points below:

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

Nu Udra attacks and strategy

There’s no point in sugar-coating it: Nu Udra’s tentacles suck. All six of them can be commanded individually. Meaning that, regardless of which direction you’re attacking the monster from, it’ll be quick to retaliate without having to turn back. Some attacks are easier to anticipate, as the target will lift a tentacle and show its glowing interior before slamming it down. Others don’t have that signal and are based solely on movement cues.

If you’re close to a tentacle, the rule of thumb is that Nu Udra will be likely to use it. It’s imperative to keep an eye out on your stamina, so you’re ready to dodge as often as possible and then strike back while the tentacle is exposed. Staying in movement is helpful, too. Rather than memorizing every single cue to try and predict attacks, it’s best to learn how the monster behaves to find openings.

Alongside sheer tentacle power, the eerie octopus is quite big, and some attacks take advantage of its scale. If you see Nu Udra lift its head and upper body backwards, it’s likely to follow up with a fast march forward. Getting out of the way is key to avoiding damage, and also for repositioning yourself to attack its back or one of its sides.

Another attack has Nu Udra using its body is a big slam of sorts. Nu Udra’s inflates its body, spreading itself up and out before using four tentacles to attack its front in a wider arc than usual. Another this move at all costs, but without putting too much distance to avoid your chance for a counter. If you use focus mode, you’ll notice that the tentacles will be vulnerable to a wound attack.

Let’s talk about Nu Udra’s enraged state. It will be impossible to miss; its entire body gets engulfed in flames, gaining a few deadly moves in the process. If you can place a Shock Trap while the animation is taking place, it’ll likely interrupt the first attack, giving you time to prepare accordingly. Eventually, though, you’ll have to face the fire.

If you see Nu Udra lift its body upwards while tilting its head to the side and putting a tentacle pointing downwards, it means it’s about to let out a stream of fire from said tentacle. Think of its range as a shockwave of sorts, albeit with some room to escape from the sides. The fire spreads quickly, so you’ll want to avoid dodging backwards and instead escape sideways. If you happen to be in close range, then you should dodge toward its back. You’ll get a few seconds of animation time to attack.

Also, if you get too far away from the monster during the enraged state, it’ll likely respond by throwing fire projectiles at you, usually in pairs. There’s a bigger, more dangerous iteration of this attack, in which Nu Udra spins around and lets out a shower of said projectiles on all sides.

Remember that Nu Udra’s weak spot is its Mouth. If you use a melee weapon, you won’t have many opportunities to attack it directly, so you’ll have to do the most when the creature is stunned on the ground. In any case, focusing on the tentacles isn’t a bad idea, as they’re prone to be severed if punished for long enough. Doing so won’t render them immobile, but it’ll reduce their range. Make sure to take the time to carve them, too.

Lastly, the monster can escape through walls into other areas, aside from just plain escaping using its tentacles to move somewhere else. Nu Udra can also carve a hole in the ground to submerge itself underneath the arena and reappear somewhere nearby. It’ll likely try to attack you while doing this, so keep an eye out.

Nu Udra drops

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

Low Rank materials

High Rank TK

If you’re looking for other creatures to fight, our monster list provides a full rundown of every encounter, while we have specific guides for Doshaguma, Lala Barina, Nu Udra, Guardian Rathalos, Rey Dau, and Ajarakan.