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Monster Hunter World Iceborne: The Board Game launches May 18 on Kickstarter at 13:00 ET / 18:00 BST. Follow now to get notified on launch.
Welcome to today’s journal, hunters!
New here? We’ve found the journal of a skilled hunter and are devouring its pages for anything that might help us face the Iceborne monsters. To check out the previous entries, click here.
We’ve already worked our way through the core box and (somehow) emerged unscathed. Now, we’re taking on the terrifying beasts from the Kickstarter exclusive Absolute Power expansion.
With pitch black fur and glowing red eyes, Nargacuga really puts the ‘night’ in nightmare. Powerful and deadly, this cunning predator stalks from the shadows before attacking with incredible speed.
Oh, and it’s dexterous, too. Watch out for that tail!
Hunting Nargacuga in the Board Game
from the journal of lead designer, Jamie Perkins
Like Coral Pukei-Pukei, Nargacuga isn’t native to the Hoarfrost Reach, but is one of the fan favourites added to the Monster Hunter World video game with the Iceborne expansion.
Yes, this beast has stalked the shadows of Monster Hunter video games for more than a decade. Now, it’s out for blood on the tabletop.
Nargacuga Physiology
Like most monsters, Nargacuga has three difficulty levels.
We’ll start things off easy with the 1-star level:
At 65 health, Nargacuga is roughly equivalent to Barioth. Both monsters are known for their speed and cat-like reflexes, but the similarities stop there.
Where Barioth is belligerent and wildly territorial, Nargacuga is a creature of stealth and darkness.
Afraid? You should be.
New Status Ailment: Bleeding
Remember I said Nargacuga is out for blood? Well, I meant that literally.
And remember I said you should watch out for the tail? I wasn’t kidding about that, either.
Say hello to the new bleeding tokens:
Yep, if you find yourself on the wrong end of Nargacuga’s tail — and manage to stay conscious — it’s not just your pride that will be wounded.
Instead, you’ll be hit with a bleeding token to represent your less-than-stellar state. To add insult to injury, you’ll then suffer 1 damage at the end of your turn.
And that’s still not all. You can’t wander around bleeding all over the place and expect everything to be a-OK. Unless you act fast, you’ll keep losing strength, taking 1 damage at the end of every turn.
But here’s the good news. You can fix your little bleeding problem by taking a quick break from the action.
How? Just end your turn in a bush. That bit of cover will give you the moment you need to patch yourself up and get back out there, removing the bleeding token before it does any more damage. Simple!
Nargacuga Behaviours
Okay, hunters! Now we know how to cure bleeding, we’re just about ready to face the monster. In theory.
Those spines on Nargacuga’s tail are probably just for melee attacks, right? WRONG!
Sorry, hunters, but Nargacuga can fling those tail spines at you from a distance even as you’re scrambling to safety.
And the prize for anyone who gets hit? Ding, ding, ding, it’s a bleeding token!
Does Nargacuga have wind up behaviours? You bet it does!
Standing in the rear arc? You’d better move fast, because surviving a 9 damage attack while you’re already bleeding is a big ask!
And what about when Nargacuga gets angry? If you’re having visions of vicious enraged behaviours, then give yourself a gold star, because you’re right again!
Yes, it’s another nasty tail attack that’ll leave you bleeding out. Not only that, but this one lands with such force that it’ll stun anyone it hits, too. Ouch!
That’s all for now, hunters. You’ve suffered enough. Get those sushifish scales ready for when you’re in the relative safety of a bush. I know I will be…
~ Journal Ends ~
What do you think of Nargacuga, hunters? Let us know in the Gathering Hubs on Facebook and Discord.
Keep an eye out for these journals, because we’ve still got more to show before launch!
Don’t miss the hunt. Follow the MHW Iceborne board game Kickstarter now.
Stay frosty!
