Monster Hunter Wilds has tons of armor skills that spice up hunts, and Leviathan’s Fury is one that stands out. It’s tied to the Lagiacrus armor set and mixes extra Thunder damage with a nice boost to your Affinity. Here’s how it works and why it might be worth using in your builds.
Leviathan’s Fury from the Lagiacrus armor set unlocks Azure Bolt, a skill that bursts Thunder damage and gives +15% Affinity for 20–30 seconds after landing enough hits. Works best with fast-hitting weapons and monsters weak to Thunder.
What is Leviathan’s Fury?
Leviathan’s Fury is a special bonus you get for wearing pieces of the Lagiacrus Alpha or Beta armor sets. Like other set bonuses in the game, it kicks in only when you equip enough pieces:
- 2 pieces equipped: Unlocks Azure Bolt I
- 4 pieces equipped: Upgrades to Azure Bolt II
This set bonus gives you extra damage and helps boost your critical hit rate, which can be handy for a lot of weapon types.
See Also: Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 2
How Does Azure Bolt Work?
The main star of Leviathan’s Fury is Azure Bolt. Once you have it active, here’s what it does:
- After you hit monsters enough times, Azure Bolt triggers automatically.
- When it procs, it releases a burst of Thunder damage from your hunter.
- You also get a +15% Affinity boost for a short time.
In some ways, Azure Bolt is similar to Whiteflame Torrent from other monster sets, except Azure Bolt has no random chance component and is purely triggered by hit count.
One cool thing is that Azure Bolt’s Thunder damage doesn’t care about your weapon’s element. Even if you’re using a Fire, Ice, or Sleep weapon, Azure Bolt always deals Thunder damage.
Which Attacks Trigger Azure Bolt?
Not every hit helps charge Azure Bolt. Some big attacks don’t count toward building the skill’s meter. For example:
- Long Sword’s Helm Breaker doesn’t seem to help trigger Azure Bolt, based on testing.
- On the other hand, fast multi-hit moves like the Dual Blades’ Blade Dance work great for building up the charge and triggering Azure Bolt often.
The in-game tooltip specifically says Azure Bolt does not build up or trigger from certain attacks, though it doesn’t list which ones. Testing confirms that moves like the Long Sword’s Helm Breaker don’t charge Azure Bolt at all, while rapid multi-hit moves like Dual Blades’ Blade Dance work well.
Because of this, Azure Bolt is way better for fast-hitting weapons than slow, heavy ones.
See Also: Best Dual Blades in Monster Hunter Wilds
How Fast Does Azure Bolt Charge?
Here’s what you need to know:
- You fill up Azure Bolt’s meter by landing hits on monsters.
- Fast weapons fill the gauge quicker than slow weapons.
- Once Azure Bolt goes off, it has about a 30-second cooldown before it can trigger again.
- You’ll see an on-screen popup telling you when it’s ready again, so you don’t have to guess.
The game shows a pop-up saying “can now be activated” when Azure Bolt comes off cooldown.
How Long Does the Affinity Buff Last?
Here’s the breakdown of how long the +15% Affinity boost sticks around:
| Skill Level | Affinity Bonus | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Azure Bolt I | +15% | 20 seconds |
| Azure Bolt II | +15% | 30 seconds |
While Azure Bolt II lasts longer, a 2-piece Lagiacrus set is already good enough for lots of builds, especially if you prefer shorter fights or like to sheathe your weapon often.
How Thunder Damage Works
Along with the Affinity boost, Azure Bolt deals a burst of Thunder damage. A couple of key things:
- Your weapon’s attack power or element doesn’t change how much damage Azure Bolt does. A weak weapon deals the same Azure Bolt damage as a strong one, assuming they hit the same monster.
- It’s always Thunder damage, no matter what weapon you’re using.
Azure Bolt Damage Numbers
Azure Bolt’s damage comes from two parts:
| Skill Level | Fixed Damage | Thunder Damage (Variable) |
|---|---|---|
| Azure Bolt I | 30 | ~70 |
| Azure Bolt II | 60 | ~200 |
- Fixed Damage is a flat amount every time Azure Bolt goes off.
- Variable Thunder Damage depends on two things:
- Your level in the Thunder Attack skill.
- How weak the monster is to Thunder damage (its hitzone values).
The variable Thunder damage portion scales with two factors: your level in the Thunder Attack skill and the monster’s elemental hitzone values, meaning Azure Bolt hits harder on monsters weak to Thunder.
Tip: If a monster is resistant or immune to Thunder, Azure Bolt’s damage drops a lot
For instance, during tests, Azure Bolt I only dealt 21 damage against Nerscylla and Rey Dau, both of which are immune to Thunder.
Thunder Attack Skill Makes It Stronger
You can bump up Azure Bolt’s Thunder damage by adding the Thunder Attack skill to your build. Here’s how the damage scales:
| Thunder Attack Level | Azure Bolt I | Azure Bolt II |
|---|---|---|
| None (Base) | 51 | 120 |
| Thunder Attack 1 | 52.2 | 121.2 |
| Thunder Attack 2 | 54.6 | 127.5 |
| Thunder Attack 3 | 57 | 133.8 |
These might seem like small gains, but it adds up over longer hunts, making Thunder Attack a solid choice if you’re running Leviathan’s Fury.
When Should You Use Leviathan’s Fury?
Leviathan’s Fury is a solid all-around set bonus, perfect if:
- You’re hunting monsters weak or neutral to Thunder.
- You want consistent Affinity boosts no matter what weapon you’re using.
- You’re using fast weapons that rack up hits quickly (like Dual Blades or Sword & Shield).
- You want to combine it with other great Lagiacrus armor skills like:
- Weakness Exploit
- Stamina Surge
- Maximum Might
- Latent Power
On the other hand, if you often hunt monsters resistant to Thunder, other sets might be better. For instance, Black Eclipse from Gore Magala focuses on raw damage, while sets like Scorcher from Rathalos or Whiteflame Torrent provide different elemental boosts for specialized hunts.
See Also: Monster Hunter Wilds Crashing Issue
Armor Pieces for Leviathan’s Fury
Both the Alpha and Beta versions of the Lagiacrus set can give you Leviathan’s Fury. You can mix and match them to activate the bonus:
| Armor Slot | Alpha Piece | Beta Piece |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Lagiacrus Helm α | Lagiacrus Helm β |
| Chest | Lagiacrus Mail α | Lagiacrus Mail β |
| Arms | Lagiacrus Braces α | Lagiacrus Braces β |
| Waist | Lagiacrus Coil α | Lagiacrus Coil β |
| Legs | Lagiacrus Greaves α | Lagiacrus Greaves β |
All pieces come with decoration slots for customizing your build.
Tips for Using Leviathan’s Fury
Here are some handy tips if you’re thinking of adding Leviathan’s Fury to your builds:
- Use Thunder Attack skills to squeeze out more damage from Azure Bolt.
- Pick weapons that hit fast to trigger Azure Bolt more often.
- Check monster weaknesses before going full Thunder.
- Keep an eye on the popup notification so you can time big damage moves during the Affinity boost.
Should You Use Leviathan’s Fury?
Leviathan’s Fury is a great, flexible set bonus that packs Thunder burst damage and a good Affinity boost. It might not be the top pick for speedruns or super-specific hunts, but it’s a reliable choice for general hunts and pairs nicely with lots of builds and weapons.
If you’re looking for a versatile set that works well across many monsters and hunts, Leviathan’s Fury is definitely worth trying out.
Related Guides You Might Like:
