Monster Hunter WildsArch-Tempered Rey Dau Guide - Weaknesses, Location, Armor & More

Arch-Tempered (AT) Rey Dau is noticeably stronger than its regular counterpart, and it has new attacks and mechanics, as well as increased health and damage.

This monster is the first Arch-Tempered to be introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds, and it’s available exclusively through the Event Quest, “A Silent Flash”, which initially runs from April 30 until May 13, 8 PM ET for hunters above HR 50. Event quests rotate, and it will be live again eventually.

A Free Challenge Quest called “The Shining Storm Rages”, featuring Arch-Tempered Rey Dau, will become available from May 6, 8 PM ET until May 20, 8 PM ET. In Free Challenge Quests, players are challenged to hunt the target as quickly as possible, receiving rewards, like exclusive Pendants, depending on their time mark.

NOTE: Information about the regular Rey Dau is covered in its own guide. This one focuses on the specifics of its Arch-Tempered version.

This guide is written by @dxvis.

Arch-Tempered Rey Dau can only be found in select quests, like the Event Quest “A Silent Flash” and the Free Challenge Quest “The Shining Storm Rages”. Both take place in the Windward Plains during the Sandtide weather. AT Rey Dau starts the hunt in its nest, and will roam across the Desert areas.

Remember that Rey Dau’s nest is covered in Fulgurite, a metal that conducts electricity. Natural lightning bolts and Rey Dau’s electric attacks will trigger an Area of Effect explosion around where they hit, unless Hunters use a Grounding Pod to set off electricity in the area.

Arch-Tempered monsters require better preparation than any others. We’ve covered everything you need to account for to make the AT hunts more bearable:

Meals: The Kunafa meal is the best one because it offers Insurance Meal and Felyne Defender (Hi), two strong defensive Skills. Otherwise, eat Vegetables, Delishroom, and East Honey to max out defensive capabilities.

Items: Bring healing items such as Mega Potion, Potion + Honey (to craft more if needed), Max Potion, Ancient Potion, Well-done Steak, and Dust of Life (if playing in multiplayer). Additionally, you’ll want to bring Nulberry to offset AT Rey Dau’s Thunderblight.

Mantles: The Evasion Mantle and Mending Mantle are excellent choices for this fight as they’ll help you dodge or heal more easily.

Skills: Equipping decorations for defensive Skills like Divine Blessing and Thunder Resistance will greatly help you survive the fight. Evade Extender will help you roll away from its AoE blasts, too. Alternatively, you can equip a Talisman with one of the Skills mentioned.

Element: AT Rey Dau is weak to Ice, so bring weapons with the Ice element like Jin Dahaad’s or Artian Ice trees. Alternatively, Paralysis is a useful status, especially in multiplayer.

Equipment. Arch-Tempered monsters should be faced with Rarity 8 weapons and endgame armor. Don’t forget to upgrade your armor with Armor Spheres. Defensive Set Bonuses like Zoh Shia’s HP Regeneration can help further boost survivability.

AT Rey Dau has been given new attacks, mechanics, and combos, and it’s much more aggressive than its natural counterpart. It also has noticeably increased health and slightly higher damage than a Tempered Rey Dau.

Follow-up Thunder Blasts

Many of AT Rey Dau’s moves (like wing slams and thunder blasts) now provoke thunder explosions directly where they hit after a one-second delay. These follow-up explosions deal considerable damage, give Thunderblight to the player, and knock them backwards, making them extremely deadly. 

AT Rey Dau will immediately target any player hit with a thunder explosion, not allowing any spare time for healing or recovery, so stay on your toes and call your Seikret when you’re knocked down.

Stunning Hunters via Thunderblight

AT Rey Dau’s electric moves inflict players with Thunderblight, making Hunters more easily stunned. 

Even attacks that do not knock hunters down can give Thunderblight, so keep an eye out to avoid its thunder explosions, as AT Rey Dau usually follows up with instant railgun blasts that can one-hit K.O. hunters. 

Ground Thunder Blast 

This is the most notable new move in AT Rey Dau’s arsenal. It will tilt its head backward, as if it were to do the usual headbutt forward, but will instead send out a thunderblast beneath it as it flies away. AT Rey Dau often chains other moves immediately after this one, or performs this new move directly after a headbutt to bait players beneath it. 

This move has extensive tracking and can hit hunters standing anywhere near the impact area, so always roll away from it. AT Rey Dau usually follows up with an immediate aerial thunderblast, which is very difficult to dodge unless players call on their Seikret to escape.

New Combos

Arch-Tempered Rey Dau can combo many of its moves, especially wing slams and aerial moves. Be patient and do not commit to long attack animations before Rey Dau ends its combos.

We’ve compiled a list of essential tips for improving your AT Rey Dau hunts:

It Can Be Captured

AT Rey Dau can be captured once it’s low on health (a Skull will display over its icon on the map), and given the amount of HP it has, capturing it saves a noticeable amount of time and avoids potentially carting. Just keep in mind that AT Rey Dau is immune to Shock Trap, so you’ll need to bring Pitfall Trap instead.

Falling Boulder

Make use of the usual Falling Boulder in Rey Dau’s nest to bring it down and deal huge damage.

Flash Pods

Flash Pod can also knock down AT Rey Dau when it’s on the air.

Calling the Seikret

Your Seikret will be your best friend in this fight, because healing and sharpening your weapon is much safer as you can move during animations, but most importantly:

Immediately calling your Seikret (D-Pad Up) after you’re knocked down will let you survive lethal combos. 

Maneuvering Around Rey Dau

Most of Rey Dau’s attacks can be easily dodged if you know where to escape:

• You want to move away from the center of thunder explosions.
• If Rey Dau is readying a heavy railgun blast, stand beneath it.
• Roll away from him when he does ground wing slams
• Roll to the sides when he does aerial wing slams

Be careful when using Counter-moves

As most of AT Rey Dau’s moves trigger follow-up explosions, it’s generally unsafe to perform Counter moves that leave you exposed afterward (like Long Sword’s counters). You’re better off rolling away from its attacks.

Temporary Wounds

Sometimes, after doing its signature railgun blasts, AT Rey Dau will expose its horns and open a temporary wound for a couple of seconds. Rush in to its head and perform a Focus Strike to knock it down.

• Body Weak Points: Head
• Severable Points: Tail
• Breakable Points: Head, Wings

Arch-Tempered Rey Dau shares weak spots with its regular counterpart: Head, horns, and tail. When charged with electricity, the body parts that glow blue take more damage than usual.

Its horns and wings are breakable, and its tail can be severed.

Since Rey Dau can only be encountered in fixed quest environments, the monsters that appear are always set, and there are no other monsters in the area that can harm Arch-Tempered Rey Dau.

Arch-Tempered Rey Dau's Group Skill is Guts (Tenacity), which boosts attack and lowers defense but lets you survive one lethal hit. After that survived hit, your defense and resistance boosts.