Monster Hunter World: Iceborne - Coral Pukei-Pukei Monster Guide

Coral Pukei-Pukei

Coral Pukei-Pukei is a special variant of Pukei-Pukei that inhabits Coral Highlands. Unlike its regular species’ affinity for poison attacks, Coral Pukei-Pukei uses powerful jets of pressurized water in battle. It does this by using its tail to absorb water from plants in Coral Highlands. The beast is also far more skilled in combat than normal Pukei-Pukei. It can shoot out water beams while performing a front flip from the ground.

Stats

Materials

Strategy

Water Resistance

Coral Pukei-Pukei has a variety of ranged water attacks that inflict waterblight. Be sure stack up on water resistance when deciding which armor set to go with. Pieces of the Puke-Pukei, Rath Soul alpha and beta, and Vaal Hazak sets provide good defenses for this element.

Bring Nullberies

You are likely to get hit by Coral Pukei-Pukei’s water ball and water beam attacks while fighting it. Be ready to use nullberies to cure waterblight if you get hit. You can also gather them from around the Coral Highlands if you run out.

Fight at Mid to Close Range

Coral Pukei-Pukei is more likely to use its water beam attacks when you are a good distance away from it. Try to be at mid to close range when fighting Coral Pukei-Pukei to force it to use its other attacks instead.

Doing a superman dive lets you avoid its panning water beams. Try to get a feel for the timing of its ranged attacks so you can dodge them reliably this way.

Do not hesitate to take cover behind trees, especially when Coral Pukei-Pukei is enraged. It will relentlessly pump out water beams until it calms down.

Be Cautious During Turf Wars

Coral Highlands features many monsters who can interfere with your fight against Coral Puke-Pukei. Tzitzi-Ya-ku, in particular, can be a nuisance when it uses its organ flash to stun you while unloading on your main target. Try not to go all out when faced with monsters other than Coral Pukei-Pukei itself.

You can also use dung pods to force any monster that interferes with your hunt to flee to another area.

Use Flash Pods

You can force Coral Pukei-Pukei to come crashing down by using flashpods. It will struggle to get up, giving you time to get in a few good hits before it retaliates. Flashpods are especially effective when Coral Pukei-Pukei uses its panning water beam attack since it will go airborne to use the move.

Avoiding its Backflip Water Beam Attack

Coral Pukei-Pukei can perform a quick backflip while shooting out water from its tail. It will become airborne and follow up with its panning water beam attack. The move has a very quick startup, though will only be usable when Coral Pukei-Pukei’s tail has absorbed water from plants in the area. Watch out when its tail is swelling and avoid engaging it from the front. Attack it from its flank instead.

The tell for the attack is when Coral Pukei-Pukei faces your direction, stops for a moment with mouth agape, and lets out a faint cry.

You can avoid the panning water beam by using a flashpod to force it to the ground. You can also try doing a superman dive to avoid the beam when it pans in your direction. The attack has an extremely wide range, so you will need to run a good distance away to avoid it.

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