Hunt - Diablos¶

Of the two monsters you’re tasked with hunting by the First Wyverian, the Diablos is probably the more ferocious. It’s lair is in the northeastern end of the Wildspire Waste, in AREA 14, but you’ll most often find it in AREA 13 and AREA 8. It can, however, also make its way to AREA 6, but it’ll only do so in the middle of a fight.

Track the beast, increase your Scoutfly Level, then engage. The good news is that Diablos has relatively few attacks, but the bad news is, it’s a relentless attacker and when it hits, it hurts. Despite being classified as a Flying Wyvern (and in fact, it does have wings) it’ll never take to the sky, instead being an adept burrower. That’s not to say it doesn’t take after other monsters in its classification however, as it’s quite fond of charging. This time, however, the “pace-back-and-forth” attacks typical of this class of monster actually look imposing on a beast this massive, with impressive horns to further justify the attack. Its charges are of various distances and severities, but be especially concerned when it roars, after which it’ll put its head down and charge, dealing massive damage.

Fortunately, most of its charges are easy to block, if you have a shield, and staying near and circling around the monster is usually a good tactic, for those whose weapons allow them the mobility to do so. Against closer foes it’ll employ a two-strike tail slam using its massive, club-like tail, a sideways hip-check, or it’ll just use its horns to slash at you, depending on where you’re located.

As mentioned earlier, Diablos, far from taking to the skies, prefers to burrow underground, instead. At this it excels, and in the sandy areas it occupies, this allows it to move rapidly from exterior areas to the caves below. More than that, however, Diablos uses its burrowing as a form of attack, too, as it can violently surface under would-be hunters, dealing great damage. This, too, can be blocked handily enough with a shield, and the burrowing and surfacing both provide brief windows to score a few quick attacks, if you’re careful. For those not blessed with a shield, the only option is to look out for the upheaval on the ground, which marks the Diablos’s passage, and run like hell.

The Diablos’s head, wings, and belly are all weak points, although they’re not all equally weak to all forms of damage. The belly is particularly vulnerable to cut and blunt damage, the head is susceptible to blunt damage, and the wings are receptive to ammo damage, making a rather fine target for ranged characters. The tail is severable, as are the horns, and both are guaranteed ways to nab a Twisted Horn or a Diablos Tailcase, respectively. It’s weak to Ice elemental attacks, resistant to Fire elemental attacks and susceptible to Paralysis.

After vanquishing Diablos you’ll get a scene where the First Wyverian will explain the moribund status of Zorah Magdaros to you, the area the Elder Dragon seeks as its grave, and the effect of the mountainous monster dying there. Simply put? Not good. Back in Astera, the Commander will repeat what you’ve just heard, the rest of the notables of Astera will argue and finally a plan will be decided on. Talk to the Commander again and he’ll compliment you greatly, then seek out the other exclamation points around Astera.

Talk to the man atop the Provisions Stockpile and he’ll mention having new stock, and this time, it’s well worth checking out. Two new items he sells, the Powercharm and Armorcharm, should be purchased, as they passively boost your attack and defense, respectively, just by carrying them around with you, and they stack with Demondrug and Armorskin items. They’re not cheap, however, costing a whopping 36,000z and 24,000z, respectively, but you’ll need them to face the challenges ahead. Don’t be shy about grinding some quests to get the money you need.

If you completed the optional quest Man’s Best Fiend you’ll be able to pick up another new quest. Head on over to the Biological Research station and talk to an Impatient Biologist, who claims there’s some mysterious creatures in the Coral Highlands, as indicated by the sounds of thunderclaps and hoofbeats. Fun. Turns out to be a monster named a Kirin, and the hunt to deal with it Gone in a Flash will now be posted. Before you leave, you’ll be further tempted with the promise of specialized equipment at the Ecological Research center.

Finally, head up to the Workshop and talk to the Armory clerk, who is working on another hunter tool, but once again finds herself short on materials. This allows you to take on the quest Redefining the Power Couple quest, which tasks you with fighting a Rathalos and a Rathian at the same time… which, if you were unlucky, you may have already had to do during A Fiery Throne Atop the Forest.

With that, you’re done picking up new quests. Considering doing the aforementioned optional quest, after which it’ll be time to talk to The Handler and start your next assignment concerning Zorah Magdaros.