MH Wilds: Proof of a Hero, First Attempt (Read Description)

Wasn't sure when or even if I was going to do this one, but on the 7th I was so close to HR 999 that I figured I might as well do it. Was not nearly as bad as I thought, especially since I like to run Fortify on my sets just on principle and prolonged battles like this are where Fortify shines. I did my homework, reading up on the data mines, and then went for it. Rey Dau was more dicey than I expected. I hadn't fought it with Hammer at all since the 8* form was first released, but I wasn't going to switch sets four times. I kind of remembered how it worked halfway in and then it was smooth sailing. Uth Duna missing way more of its usual health pool than the others and being constantly zapped from behind by Rey Dau meant it was pretty much taking candy from a baby. It seems to account for a good half the carts I see on Proof of a Hero videos (including people who're just outright better than me) but a lot of those are either people getting roar locked by the other monster and then flattened or people who are pretty obviously rusty on Uth Duna in general. Nu Udra is my least hunted of these four, plus I have literally never fought it with anything but HBG, so I'm surprised how similar my performances with the two sets were. Granted the set I took was not my usual Nu Udra killing set (I was worried I wouldn't be able to pull out and switch to it when Arkveld pulled up, though that worry was unfounded) so that may have played a role. I also think the big arena makes a huge difference, because it can't just engulf me for a free cart the way it could in its home turf. If Nu Udra's fight is improved by the extra space then Arkveld is that and then some. I don't think highly of any of the Arkveld fights, but turns out that when there's not constantly a million exploding Wylk crystals on the ground and there's room to run away from its triangle attack, the AT variant has the capacity to feel fun after all. I really did judge it too harshly- PROVIDED YOU HAVE A SHIELD, the fight does not inherently suck. The fact that "Freedom from Solitude" and its challenge quest buddy take place up Wyveria's spiraling asshole, THAT is why the fight sucks.