Gaming
Games
Everything you need to know about Fatalis in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Fatalis might be the toughest challenge to come to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne so far. Here is some information on the beast as well as how you can hope to take it down.
The legendary Fatalis has come to Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, sending would-be monster slayers on a quest to defeat it. In the MonHun mythos, the appearance of an Elder Dragon like Fatalis brings world shaking change, so all denizens of the world take note. The introduction of this beast is cause for excitement among long time MHW players looking for one last challenge before Monster Hunter Rise. In case you haven’t yet hopped back in to face the foe for yourself, we had a chat with Monster Hunter YouTuber SuperRAD and now present everything we learned about Fatalis.
What is Fatalis?
In Monster Hunter, monsters are classified and put into groups based on certain shared traits. Fatalis is an Elder Dragon, which means that it defies regular forms of classification. Elder Dragons exist outside of the typical monster ecosystem, and cause changes to nature itself when they show up on the scene.
Not only is Fatalis an Elder Dragon, but it is also a Black Dragon, making it extremely formidable. MHW: Iceborne is the first game in the series to feature the dragon canonically. While you could have fought it in other games, those were sidequests which took a backseat to the main narrative of the Monster Hunter universe. Fatalis is probably the most powerful Elder Dragon ever in the current MH Canon.
The Black Dragon’s arrival ties the games together in a way rarely seen before. While MHW takes place in the new world, the recent update sees a General from the old world crossing the sea in pursuit of the beast. He brings with him legends of old, as well as an appreciation for the new ways Hunters do things (using Slingers, etc). Seeing how the characters react to the appearance of a legendary monster, who many doubted was even real, is almost worth hopping back into the game on its own.
Where do you find it?
If you haven’t been keeping up on your monster hunting, you won’t be able to boot up and hop straight into fighting Fatalis. To unlock the battle, you need to beat Iceborne, including completing the Safi'jiiva investigation. This will lead you to the Alatreon fight which was released as part of the most recent update roadmap.
While Elder Dragons affect the ecosystems they show up in, Fatalis is such a threat that it’s chasing Elder Dragons, like Alatreon, from the old world into the new world, and causing headaches for the resident hunters. The Alatreon fight was controversial when it dropped, because of its difficulty, so it’s only fitting that the Fatalis quest requires you to fight two elder dragons, Safi'jiiva and Alatreon, to unlock the quest line, and then fight Alatreon AGAIN at the beginning of the journey to hunt Fatalis. Luckily, the second Alatreon fight is easier than the first, at least.
Once you’re done forging your resolve in the fires of back to back Elder Dragons, you hop on a ship headed for the old world to put an end to the ecological disaster that is Fatalis. You’ll find it at Castle Schrade, a historic area from previous games, providing another link to previous lore. The setup for this is full of all types of fanservice to the MonHun faithful, including old songs like “Proof of a Hero” playing during the fight, depending on how you approach it (hint: use the Dragonator).
How do you take it down
Hopefully you’re not too tired from your previous trials, because it’s finally time to fight the mythical black dragon. The first thing you’ll be fighting fighting is the clock. The Fatalis hunt is a 30 minute fight, which is less than the 50 minutes you’re normally allotted for timed hunts. You’re going to have to be on point here.
Fatalis has 3 phases you’ll fight it in. For the first phase, you’ll need to solo it before you can call in your friends for backup. Fatalis has a big weakness to Dragon element weapons, and Blast weapons are also another solid choice if you hope to finish the battle. You’ll be running through supplies like nobody’s business, so make sure to bring some Farcasters so you can head back to camp and restock as necessary!
You can solo the whole fight, and the first section lets you know it’s possible, but you’re probably going to fail later on (unless you’re completely ready). If you fail the quest on phase 2 or 3, as long as you’ve seen the cutscene at the end of Phase 1, you’ll be able to instantly summon your online pals during subsequent attempts.
Phase 1
Phase 1 starts off with you opposing the towering Fatalis in a square arena at Castle Schrade. There are two cannons available, so if you come packing a Ghillie Mantle, you should be able sneakily load both of them with 5 cannonballs a piece, and then fire them in quick succession. Fatalis is very fast, so it’s tough to actually hit it, but it’s not impossible due to its size. There are also ballistae, which don’t do that much damage, and a binder available to you. The Binder is important for keeping Fatalis locked down, since you can’t use traps on Elder Dragons.
Fatalis will switch between two modes: bipedal, and on all fours. Its head is a weak point, but the Black Dragon is so large and mobile, you’ll have a tough time hitting that spot. Bipedal mode is when you want to take advantage of Iceborne’s Tenderizing mechanic, by clutch clawing its midsection or legs to create weak points. Attacking tenderized sections grants you more damage, and also has a chance to make the monster flinch, allowing you to use the binder on it successfully. Once bound, go to town with your best impact weapons and try to break the horns off its head. This will nerf Fatalis’ damage output (even if just a little).
To move to the next phase, you just need to do enough damage. This triggers a phase transition where he blankets the arena in flames. You absolutely do NOT want to get hit by this. Fatalis’ damage output is insane, and getting hit by its phase transition is almost certain doom. Thankfully, there’s cover strewn about that you can hide behind. The phase transition also breaks down a barricade, giving you access to the Dragonator weapon which you’ll absolutely want to use.
Phase 2
Phase 2 sees Fatalis take to the skies, as if it wasn’t already hard enough to hit. This makes playing in a group invaluable. Along with the Dragonator, you get access to a mobile ballista which moves around the map (rail shooting sections? In MY Monster Hunter Game?). With your friends drawing aggro and tenderizing the dragon’s hide, you should be able to sink some pretty clean shots without worrying about getting targeted.
The overall strategy is the same, except now Fatalis has a flight mode in addition to its previous two modes, as well as some new attacks from the air. Keep targeting the mid section and head, and eventually you’ll knock its HP down. There’s also a barricade you can throw up to guard yourself against the giant breath attack. Which will come during the transition to the next phase.
Phase 3
Phase 3 is where Fatalis’ chest begins to glow. That hasn’t been seen since Monster Hunter 4, so it's a nice throwback. Its flames turn blue, it becomes faster, and is now more damaging. Fatalis will also begin to use its area blanketing fire breath attack as a response to being damaged significantly, so this phase is not the time to relax. Its breath attacks have tells, so if you think a big breath attack is coming, you can actually run straight up to Fatalis, getting you close to the monster and avoiding the sea of flames. This attack WILL wipe most character builds, so just avoid it if you can.
If you’re going to get close, it’s recommended that you have either the Health Booster or Temporal mantle in addition to the Ghillie Mantle. The Health Booster helps keep your squad alive and the Temporal Mantle will allow you to autododge Fatalis’ extremely fast physical attacks. Bring as many squad healing items as you can as well.
Finally, after a long (some would say, way too difficult) struggle, you can say you have completed your time with MHW and never have to fight Fatalis again. Unless you’re able to do the limited time event quest multiple times to complete its equipment set. For many, one time is enough against the formidable Elder Dragon.
Fatalis completes the roadmap
This hunt is the final leg of Monster Hunter World’s 2020 updates. Taking down Fatalis brings a sense of finality to the game. While you’re still free to take on as many old hunts as you want, in pursuit of better gear, or just to help friends along, this quest’s blending of old lore with the new gameplay of MHW is an excellent sendoff to Capcom’s extremely popular title.
Fatalis will test everything you’ve learned over the years since MHW’s release. You won’t be able to go full aggro on it, and must pay attention to have any hope for survival. It’s a great sendoff to a long running game which saw considerable developer support. With this fight firmly in the past, you’ll have a renewed connection to the lore as well as the satisfaction of overcoming an incredible trial. So now, you can keep your eyes firmly planted on the upcoming Monster Hunter Rise which comes to the Nintendo Switch in March of 2021.
