Monster Hunter Rise: Kushala Daora Weaknesses, Strategy and How to Beat


This new enemy for Monster Hunter Rise is a powerful Elder Dragon based on wind and storms, capable of summoning hurricanes in battle to devastating effect. We’ll show you Kushala Daora’s weaknesses here, the best strategy in combat and how to beat it.

Read More: How to Craft Talismans

How to Beat Kushala Daora in Monster Hunter Rise

To beat Kushala Daora in Monster Hunter Rise you’ll need to have a solid grasp of movement and evasion, as this monster is focused heavily on arena control and making whole sections of the map dangerous, forcing you to play defensively. It’s also incredibly fast, so dodging will be vital.

Kushala Daora Weaknesses

Despite being a powerhouse, Kushala Daora has a variety of weaknesses to exploit. The order of weaknesses goes as follows, from what we’ve seen so far:

  • Thunder (3)
  • Fire (2)
  • Dragon (2)
  • Water (1)

It’s also resistant (though by no means immune) to Ice attacks, so try to avoid using those if you can help it. You should also try going for the head with bladed weapons, if you have them. It’s the biggest defense weakness of Kushala.

Kushala Daora Strategy and Tips

Kushala Daora is an overwhelmingly-fast opponent despite its huge size, flying and dashing across the battlefield at rapid speeds and creating tornadoes around it. Here’s a basic strategy to bring down this titanic dragon.

  • Depending on which attacks you’re hit with, Kushala either inflicts both Iceblight, which slows Wirebug recovery, or Dragonblight, which stops your weapons doing elemental damage. Go in wearing armour to resist both Ice and Dragon damage, and bring a bag of Nullberries to cure these ailments.
  • Like all late-game bosses, Kushala has an unimaginable amount of health. Bring a lot of healing and rations, because you’ll be fighting for a while.
  • Speed is vital against an enemy this quick. Bring either fast-hitting weapons that allow for quick movement, like the Dual Blades, or that have a good counter-attack to keep yourself protected.
  • Reductionist as it sounds, generally the back half of Kushala is way less dangerous than the front. Stay on its flank and don’t get close to the head for too long.
  • Kushala sometimes squats down and exhales a blast of torrential air that knocks the player straight up. You need to Wirebug out of this or risk getting hit by a powerful follow-up attack.
  • At other times, it’ll fly and create a tornado that moves across the battlefield. These go in straight lines, so stay out of their direct path to avoid huge damage and knockback. When enraged, it creates three or even five tornadoes instead, with gaps between them you’ll need to use to get to it.
  • Every time Kushala flies up, it’s about to do an attack straight at you, whether ranged or just a full-body tackle. Be ready to dodge instantly.
  • Later on, Kushala will learn a kind of wind-beam breath weapon that’s it’s most powerful attack. It’s signified by it looking down at the ground, then whipping its head up with the beam exhaling for a straight line attack in front of it. You can’t dodge back or above this, you need to strafe to the side.
Monster Hunter Rise Kushala Daora weakness
click to enlarge
Kushala Daora uses arctic winds to scour the battlefield and send players flying.

Kushala Daora Rewards, Armour and Weapons

The Kushala set created from this monster’s parts is focused heavily on Ice resistance, health recovery and even boosting your weapon sharpness for that extra cutting power. Its weapons, suitably enough, are all focused on Ice damage with small bonuses to affinity. They’re excellent late-game picks for fighting enemies who are weak to windchill.

How to Unlock Kushala Daora Fight

Kushala Daora doesn't appear until you've reached Hunter Rank 30 in the Gathering Hub, a massive undertaking that puts it firmly in the final phases of the game. Once you do, a quest will open up called “The Steely Storm” that’ll allow you to confront Kushala in the Frost Islands.

Congratulations to all those epic hunters out there! But there’s still plenty more to find out about Monster Hunter Rise. Find out how to master beating the Magnamalo here, or how to beat the iconic Rathalos here.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Monster Hunter Rise page.