Meet one of the largest monsters in Monster Hunter. You would be nothing more than a mere snack to it, and if you don’t stay on top of your game, that’s how you’ll end up. A most formidable Elder Dragon, Dalamandur makes home within the tallest mountain peaks of the world of Monster Hunter, curling around the rocks and burrowing through stone, causing enormous earthquakes to settlements within. Not just a giant snake, however, Dalamandur also wields a formidable draconic breath attack that can instantly kill any unwitting hunter.

Areas: Speartig Crag

Attacks

Dalamandur’s fight is broken up into two nondistinct stages. The second stage will happen when enough damage has been done to Dalamandur, but nothing special will happen except that Dalamandur becomes more aggressive.

Because of Dalamandur’s sheer size, it can be difficult to tell what’s going on at all, let alone where to hit the thing. Aim for Dalamandur’s claws. They are not only a safe zone in general, but will not bounce even if you drop to yellow sharpness. You can also aim for the tip of Dalamandur’s tail, and if you manage to flinch it, attack its head to break it twice. In general, if you are bouncing, find someplace else to hit.

Dalamandur won’t attack very often so much as move and slither around a lot to disorient you. Because Dalamandur has two icons, I recommend you focus on the head, since most of the attacks come from the head. Only focus on the tail if you are trying to break the tail. If you have mastered free-rotating the camera, or possess a right c-stick/nub to freely move the camera, you should use that over L-targeting because Dalamandur is just so big.

Biting Charge: Dalamandur will open its jaws wide and charge across the ground. If you have climbed up the mountain’s side, then you will be safe from this and most of the attacks. Dalamandur does not home in very well with this attack, so just run away as fast as you can.

Ground Slam: Sometimes, Dalamandur will nosedive into the ground to crush you from above. This attack is performed very rarely but it hits like a truck, so watch out.

Meteor Rain: This is a passive, ongoing attack that will last basically the duration of the fight. Dalamandur can summon draconic, glowing purple meteors from the sky. Where they land will be indicated by the sky flashing white and the ground then flashing white. After that, a meteor will fall and explode. It hits for a hefty bit of damage and leaves you open to any further attack. Not to mention, meteors like to home in on you and land where you are over and over again, so avoiding them in the first place is the best way to go by just paying rapt attention.

Celestial Vortex: This is Dalamandur’s final smash, one could say. An instant-kill attack, Dalamandur will breathe purple, spiraling vortexes that will spin across the stage. What’s worse, as Dalamandur does so, it will sweep its head all over the stage, meaning you will get hit one way or another unless you are underneath it attacking its claws. Dive through the attack to survive.

Unholy Breath: Dalamandur will charge up and then spit an explosive, giant version of the falling meteors. Compared to its one-hit kill attack, it doesn’t hit for as much, but it will cause more meteors to fall for a short period of time, particularly around where it detonated the bomb.

Heavenly Climb: Less of an attack so much as a major shift in battle, Dalamandur will begin climbing around the tallest crag in the area. This is your chance to climb its body to its shoulders , or climb up to the top by jumping from its body to another ivy-covered wall, and then land on its head. Set bombs and ready your weapons to try and break Dalamandur’s back. This can also give you a small break to heal.

Claw Swipe: Dalamandur will drive one of its forelegs into the ground and sweep it across. This is only attack where attacking its claws will be dangerous, but if you have to pick an attack to take to the face, pick this one. If you can, run in the direction opposite of the sweep.

Tail Whip: Dalamandur will occasionally use its tail spikes to attack you by whipping them at you. Its tail can also cause clip damage just by whistling around you so fast as it slithers and burrows. But that can be said of its entire body in general. Those spikes are nothing to be trifled with!

Breakable Parts

Head: The head can be broken twice. First, the spines are broken, then a scar appears over an eye.

Back: Dalamandur’s back can also be broken twice. Use Anti-Dragon Bombs to speed the process along.

Front Legs: Talons can be broken, and will appear chipped.

Chest: Dalamandur’s chest can be broken twice. The giant spike on the chest will disappear and the chest’s cracks will glow brighter and spread.

Tail: Dalamandur’s tail tip can be severed and carved.

Weakness

Elemental: Dragon