Xeno’Jiiva General Information¶

Xeno’Jiiva is an Elder Dragon which, much like Zorah Magdaros, you’ll have limited access to.

After completing the quests Hellish Fiend Vaal Hazak, Teostra the Infernal and Kushala Daora, Dragon of Steel (and hunting the Elder Dragons Vaal Hazak, Teostra and Kushala Daora, respectively) you’ll unlock the assignment Land of Convergence, whereas afterwards the optional quest A Light Upon the River’s Gloom will randomly become available as you complete other quests/investigations/expeditions, etc., and will persist for the span of two such events.

This may be something of a nuisance, but you can usually find plenty of games to hunt Xeno’Jiiva online, and aside from Xeno’Jiiva-specific materials, there’s little incentive to hunt the hatchling Elder Dragon quite as much as some other foes, as there’s no Tempered variant of Xeno’Jiiva.

Xeno’Jiiva Strengths and Weaknesses¶

Xeno’Jiiva is a large, albeit somewhat clumsy foe which is relatively plodding, but capable of quick bursts of speed. Its weak points are its head, front limbs and tail, with the former and latter being most receptive to damage, although Xeno’Jiiva tends to keep its head out of melee reach, and its tail - when not also out of reach, tends to be in motion, as well. This makes the front legs the easiest target for many hunters.

All elements are equally effective against Xeno’Jiiva, but it should be noted that Elderseal has no effect.

Xeno’Jiiva is weak to Poison, immune to Sleep, and cannot be mounted.

While most of its attacks don’t seem to have much of an elemental affiliation, Xeno’Jiiva can - when charged up (its head, front legs and tail will glow more brightly, and its body will turn orange) leave trails of fire as it moves, and in the wake of its sustained energy blasts. Having a Fire Resistance score of twenty or higher will protect you from being set on fire by walking over these fire trails, eliminating a significant nuisance from the fight.

Xeno’Jiiva Attacks¶

Its normal attacks include a tail smash, where it’ll slam its tail on the ground, hoping to catch hunters with it, although the base of the tail doesn’t come anywhere close to the ground, so you’re only likely to be hit if you’re standing well behind the monster. It can also perform a somewhat lumbering charge, which does relatively minor damage. Despite its massive limbs, they’re rarely used for direct attacks, but as Xeno’Jiiva moves, charges and turns, contact with its limbs can knock you down and deal minor damage. The most athletic attack you’re likely to see early on is an exception that proves the previous rule - Xeno’Jiiva will rear up on its hind legs, and slam its arms down on the ground in front of it, sliding forward for good measure. This attack deals heavy damage, so if you see the Elder Dragon rearing up, roll behind it, or to the side.

On top of those physical attacks, Xeno’Jiiva can spit out energy blasts, which comprise a huge portion of its offensive arsenal. These energy blasts come in several varieties, centered around two main attack types; the quick blast and the sustained beam. Xeno’Jiiva can spit out a single burst of energy, or it can send out several such volleys in succession, with one three-burst attack (front, right and left) being capable of hitting hunters near its otherwise safe front limbs, but otherwise not being very well aimed. Another succession of blasts can include more individual attacks, and Xeno’Jiiva will roughly track a target and not follow a generalized attack scheme. All of these are easily dodged by rolling if you’re aware of them.

The sustained beams are more powerful and can be trickier to avoid, depending on your positioning. The most common is a frontwards, static beam that persists a few seconds, which Xeno’Jiiva will advertise by hopping back. If you see the infant Elder Dragon (oxymoron much?) scuttling back, you can bet this attack is soon to follow. Variations (which don’t always include the pre-emptive retreat) include a sustained energy beam that Xeno’Jiiva sweeps horizontally across the battlefield. Xeno’Jiiva can also rear up on its hind legs and spit a torrent of energy on the ground, waving the beam back and forth. With a similar appearance to its front leg slam attack, it can be tricky to tell the two attacks apart, but since both affect the area in front of Xeno’Jiiva, you can avoid both by simply being elsewhere when the Elder Dragon rears up on its hind legs.

As the fight progresses, Xeno’Jiiva will build up energy, as evidenced by its increasingly brightly-glowing front legs, head, tail and wings. At the highest stages of this charge, Xeno’Jiiva’s normally blue-body will start to glow orange. While it won’t gain many new attacks when it’s charged up, the attacks it already had will change and become more dangerous. When it moves (especially during its charge attack), it’ll leave behind a trail of fire, burning hunters who stand on it… provided they’re not sufficiently protected. Its sustained energy beams will also leave trails of fire behind, and between the two, this can coat a significant portion of the battlefield, especially the coveted areas directly under Xeno’Jiiva. Not good news for close combat hunters.

In addition, explosions will be added to some of its attacks, including its tail slam (again, the glowing end of the tail deals damage, and is the center of the subsequent explosion). It can also perform a tail sweep, which will be followed by a line of explosions. It’s two rear-back attacks will be affected, too, as its front-leg slam will no longer be accompanied by a slide. Instead, Xeno’Jiiva will now press its front limbs through the ground and leave an explosion in its wake, accompanied by several, smaller “mine” explosions (if you see glowing blue lights, avoid them). Xeno’Jiiva can also deploy these mines voluntarily, instead of merely as a follow-up to this ground-smashing attack.

Its other rear-back attack - the sustained energy beam - will also involve Xeno’Jiiva punishing the ground, but this time in a way that may be beneficial to you. The new heat of its charged-up body and the ferocity of the attack is apparently too much for the ground to contain, and Xeno’Jiiva’s sustained, waving energy beam will result in the floor collapsing under the newborn monster. This will cause a tremor and perhaps light damage if you’re nearby, but it’ll also leave Xeno’Jiiva vulnerable and flailing about for a time - long enough to recover and mount a counter-attack.

Midway through the fight, Xeno’Jiiva will fly off and oblige you to follow, which you’ll automatically do via Windrake. The new arena has a few crystal pillar formations scattered about, but otherwise is of a similar size, and the more open confines will also facilitate Xeno’Jiiva aerial attacks. These are few and uncommon, but can be annoying for characters without a ranged weapon… or with them, since Xeno’Jiiva flies high enough to reduce their efficacy. Use your Slinger to bring the monster down by shooting whatever materials Xeno’Jiiva drops during the fight (Flash Pods are of dubious value here, unfortunately) or just endure the attacks until Xeno’Jiiva lands again. Xeno’Jiiva, when airborne, will employ energy blasts and a hugely painful diving claw sweep attack.

The head and wings are both breakable, while the tail is severable. Breaking the head can reward you with a Xeno’Jiiva Horn or a Xeno’Jiiva Gem, while the tail can be carved for a Xeno’Jiiva Tail or a Xeno’Jiiva Gem. The Xeno’Jiiva Gem - a common material for tier 8 weapons - is otherwise a very rare carve or reward, while the Xeno’Jiiva Tail can only be obtained by carving the tail after its been severed. The Xeno’Jiiva Horn is a rare carve from the body, as well as a more common reward for breaking the head.