How to Find and Beat Hirabami in Monster Hunter Wilds

The Hirabami is a new Leviathan that debuts in Monster Hunter Wilds. Because of the way it moves, the best part to target is the tail. However, you’ll also want to be careful in case it brings a friend or two along.

Where do I find the Hirabami in Monster Hunter Wilds?

You’ll only find the Hirabami in the Cliffs region. They’re pretty common. In fact, I’d say they are as common there as the Rompopolo is in the Basin. 

You can immediately trigger a Hirabami encounter in the Optional Quest area. This opens after you beat it during Chapter 2 of the campaign. That mission is called “Fight or Flight.”

How do I beat a Hirabami?

There are honestly two parts to this. My first recommendation has to deal with handling a Hirabami when you fight it during the campaign quest. Subsequent fights are going to be quite different. It’s always going to feel like fighting a flying cobra that spits balls of ice, but sometimes you’ll be in a whole pit of these “snakes.”

The first time you encounter a Hirabami, you’re dealing with a whole fleet of them. There will be three at a time and, since they are very agile, ride the wind, and might dart out of reach vertically, they’ll be striking one after the other. Make sure you have a Dung Pod loaded up, and go in slinging those around. I’d also recommend you keep that equipped, because it isn’t a one-time situation where more than one will appear. There will be multiple times when they team up. 

Once you get a Hirabami alone, there are a lot of weaknesses you can exploit. Which is handy, since the biggest issue will be it swiftly taking to the air to get away and regroup for a dive attack or tail swipe. All weapons are pretty effective, though a blunt one like a hammer will be extra handy against the head if you want to try and break the fins it is using to take to the air. Fire and Thunder element weapons will work against it too, and it is pretty susceptible to the Poison and Sleep status effects. 

I think the best approach is to go for the tail when you can. This is because the Hirabami will unleash a Frostblight attack from the head that can freeze you and halt you for a second. Likewise, its Weak Roar can stun you for a second. Hitting the tail also gets you Hirabami Tail Claws as you break it. Do that enough, and I feel like it impairs its damage. But do make sure you go for the head, as you can break it and then get Hirabami Webbing from it.

As for optional encounters against Hirabami, the approach is the same. You just don’t need to worry as much about keeping a Dung Pod around. Yes, it won’t be uncommon for a second one to be in the same vicinity. However, you won’t deal with swarms again. 

What are the Hirabami drops in Monster Hunter Wilds?

One of the priorities here is going to be getting the rare Frost Sac drop, as you will need it for equipment and things like Ice-based weaponry. You get a Hirabami Certificate from beating one, of course. And Hirabami Tail Claw is a pretty common drop. So are the Hirabami Scale and Hirabami Hide, which I ended up getting a lot from hitting wounds. The Hirabami Webbing is something you’ll get from breaking the head, so try to pull that off if you can. 

One of the hardest pieces of equipment in this set to make is the Hirabami Greaves. That’s because it needs one certificate, two scales, one webbing, and a Frozen Icebone. Said bone can come from bonepile gathering points in the Cliffs region. You’ll need that rare Frost Sac, along with one webbing and one tail claw, for the Hirabami Headdress too. 

Monster Hunter Wilds is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.