The Monster Hunter franchise has always been well known for its steep difficulty curve and forcing hunters to always be on their toes when first confronting a new monster. Usually, the build of the monster can give hunters a good idea of what to expect, learning from previous experiences. Every now and then, however, Capcom loves to throw a curveball like the Diablos directly at the hunter. Here are some tips and tricks on fighting this massive flying wyvern.
While being a large monster, Diablos moves fast and can cover huge distances with its size alone. Not only is it quick, but it hits like a tank. Stacking defense alone may not be enough to take him on, especially solo. Make sure to take the vitality mantle into this fight. This mantle is essentially a shield that will negate a fixed amount of damage until it is depleted or its effect wears out. It will allow the hunter to take a few hard hits and ignore damage to their main health bar and is super useful to get in close to Diablos to deal damage. Hunters will receive this mantle after completing the story quest Into The Bowels of the Veil.
Diablos has a pretty basic set of attacks but its massive size and large hitboxes make them difficult to avoid. Diablos focuses mainly on charging attacks and tail swipes so try to go in at the monster directly from its sides by its wings and legs. There are three main attacks to look for. When attacking from behind, Diablos will raise its tail to the left or right, pause for a moment and swipe it back a couple times. This is a pretty basic tail swipe that can cause knockback. Dodging towards the monster’s legs and being under the monster’s chest are the two safest places to avoid this attack. Secondly, Diablos will pull its head and body back while standing still. It will then launch a massive headbutt to the right and then to the left in a huge sweep while moving forward. This attack hurts and causes knockback and a big stun. If the hunter is close enough to the monster, try to dodge towards the tail and get out of the way of the monster’s horns. If not, clear as much distance from the monster as possible because this attack has some major distance on it. Last, Diablos will start to dig a hole and go underground. After a moment, the monster will tunnel directly towards its target and explode out of the ground, launching its target into the air. Avoiding this can be tricky. Clear some distance from Diablos when it starts digging then hold still in one spot until you see the tunnel begin to charge. Immediately start running to the left or right of the hunter’s current location and clear as much distance as possible. The monster will breach out of the ground in the hunter’s last known spot.
Diablos is an extremely aggressive attacker and covers large distances, quickly. At the beginning of the fight, it’s best to avoid the monster as much as possible to tire it out so it slows down and even stops, briefly. Make sure to stack high defense armor and to bring charms that help reduce the effects of stun. Diablos has 3 major weak points, its head, chest, and wings. These are all big damage areas and can all be broken. Its tail is also severable and in this fight, taking it off is recommended. If possible, get rid of the blunt pincer on the end, which reduces the distance of tail swipes. The monster has three elemental weaknesses. Ice is the strongest against Diablos, followed by dragon, and water. Farming Legiana for its ice elemental weapons before this encounter is a great way to get a leg up. Diablos is also very susceptible to the paralysis ailment, so carrying around a shock trap and materials to make them is a good way to stop the monster in its tracks, opening it up for attack opportunities.
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Which was showcased at E3 2003.