If Monster Hunter Wilds’ “An Inferno Laid Bare” Event Quest seems a bit lacking in the competitive department for you, perhaps the new Challenge Quest is more your speed. “Fleeting Bubbles” is a Hunter Rank (HR) 21-minimum requirement quest that has you hunting a Mizutsune in the Wounded Hollow for the lowest time possible.
Unlike the “The Shining Storm Rages” Free Challenge Quest, Fleeting Bubbles imposes three set loadouts (seen in the images below) that you can choose from to defeat the Mizutsune.
You can earn up to three exclusive cosmetic pendants from the Event Quest. The first pendant is a participation reward, while the second and third are given for obtaining a “B” rank (defeating Mizutsune in under 8 minutes) and an “A” rank (defeating Mizutsune in under 4 minutes and 30 seconds), respectively. These pendants will be rewarded in-game once the Event Quest ends and everyone’s times are tallied.
A Leviathan-type Water monster, Mizutsune is infamous for littering the battlefield with its different-colored bubbles. The green and red bubbles can be useful in a pinch (the former heals you, and the latter temporarily increases your Attack Power), while the white and blue (flame-engulfed) bubbles damage you.
All of the bubbles, save for the blue ones which cause Fireblight, will inflict Bubbleblight – a unique debuff that currently only Mizutsune can apply. Getting hit with Bubbleblight once will temporarily increase your hunter’s evasive maneuvers (a status known as Minor Bubbleblight). Succeeding hits from bubble attacks while under the effects of Minor Bubbleblight will change the Status Ailment into Major Bubbleblight. Major Bubbleblight is very detrimental, as it causes your hunter to slip when performing certain actions and take extra damage from knockback attacks.
As useful as some of the bubble buffs can be, you don’t really have the time to discern each bubble’s color while in the middle of a Mizutsune hunt. You would be better off either avoiding the monster’s bubbles or popping them with your weapon or Slinger instead. Be sure to bring some Cleansers as well, as these can cure you of the Bubbleblight status.
On top of its bubbles, be wary of Mizutsune’s deadly water beam and water spray attacks. The monster is also quite rowdy when it comes to close-quarters combat, so be on the lookout for its misleading tail swipes and full-body lunges.
To effectively combat Mizutsune, you’ll want to bring Thunder element weapons and equip gear with high Water resistance. Gear with the Water Resistance and Bubbly Dance Skills (the latter of which is exclusive to Mizutsune α and β armor set pieces) will allow you to make use of the monster’s unique attacks. Mizutsune also has an equal susceptibility to Poison, Stun, Paralysis, Sleep, Blast, and Exhaust.
The Fleeting Bubbled Challenge Quest runs until July 22 at 11:59 pm UTC. Monster Hunter Wilds is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
