Monster Hunter Wilds wouldnt be complete without Rathalos. But this time, the iconic monster looks different. Guardian Rathalos is one of the toughest encounters in the story, introduced as a variant thats bound to surprise even the series veterans whove fought the original countless times.Regardless of your familiarity with Rathalos moveset, there are quite a few changes to be aware of. This guide covers the Guardian Rathalos weaknesses and resistances to prepare accordingly, where to find it, and the best strategy to defeat one of the new guardian variants in Monster Hunter Wilds.Guardian Rathalos locationYoull first encounter Guardian Rathalos in Chapter 3, during The Faithful Keepers main mission. As such, all you need to do to unlock the monster is progress through the main questline.Guardian Rathalos only roams around the Wyveria biome. It can usually be found around 1 and 2. Since Rathalos is flying monster, its likely to move, so keep an eye out on the map.Keep in mind that in Monster Hunter Wilds, tracking monsters isnt really a prominent feature. Except for a few first-time exceptions, you can use the Environment Overview screen to see if your target is roaming around the map. If not, exploring its corresponding biome(s) for a few minutes usually does the trick youll see a notification on screen announcing its appearance. Worst case scenario, you can speak to Alma and post a hunt for it. For better or worse, the process of finding a monster is much more streamlined now. If you find tracks or other monster residuals on the ground, you can loot them for materials.How to prepare for Guardian RathalosGuardian Rathalos is part of the main story of Monster Hunter Wilds. As such, its encounter is likely to fit your Hunter Rank at that corresponding moment. Since the encounter occurs during a main mission, youll be thrust into the fray after the introductory cutscene. As per usual, whenever youre asked if youre ready to depart, make sure that youre carrying regular and mega potions with you. If youre short on the latter, take a lap around the biome and loot any honey you come across.In addition, dont forget to eat you can use the portable BBQ to grill a meal. Increasing your health and stamina is essential, as Guardian Rathalos packs a punch. You can use ingredients like Wild Herb as finishing touches to boost your elemental resistance, which is helpful for dealing with Rathalos fire.For later encounters, carrying a few Thunder or Dragon Pods will be beneficial if either you or one of your teammates have a ranged weapon with Thunder or Dragon Ammo, even better. In terms of armor, prioritize fire resistance, which can be found in sets like the Ajakarans.Guardian Rathalos weaknessGuardian Rathalos recommended elemental attacks are Thunder and Dragon. The first encompasses Thunder Ammo, Thunder Pod, Thunder Attack, Critical Element, and Charge Master. The second encompasses Dragon Ammo, Dragon Pod, Dragon Attack, Critical Element, and Charge Master. Both are in addition to your own weapons properties.You can find a breakdown of Guardian Rathalos elemental weaknesses and resistances below:Effective status effectsPoison: 1 starSleep: 2 starsParalysis: 2 starsBlastblight: 2 starsStun: 2 starsExhaust: No effectEffective itemsFlash Pod: EffectiveSonic Bomb: No effectShock Trap: EffectivePitfall Trap: EffectiveAs for the dragons weak points and breakable parts, Guardian Rathalos weak points are its Mouth and Legs. Its Wings (x2) can be broken, and its Tail can be severed.Before diving deep into combat strategy, heres the breakdown of Guardian Rathalos weak points:PartSeverBluntRangedFireWaterThunderIceDragonHead4 stars4 stars3 starsNo Effect1 star1 star1 star2 starsNeck2 stars3 stars2 starsNo Effect1 star1 star1 star2 starsTorso2 stars3 stars2 starsNo Effect1 star1 star1 star2 starsLeft Wing3 stars3 stars2 starsNo Effect1 star1 star1 star2 starsRight Wing3 stars3 stars2 starsNo Effect1 star1 star1 star2 starsLeft Leg4 stars3 stars3 starsNo Effect1 star2 stars1 star2 starsRight Leg4 stars3 stars3 starsNo Effect1 star2 stars1 star2 starsTail2 stars2 stars2 starsNo EffectNo Effect1 starNo Effect1 starFor details about what to expect in terms of attacks and general behavior, the following section has you covered.Guardian Rathalos attacks and strategyRathalos is the quintessential Monster Hunter encounter, and Guardian Rathalos adds a few more tricks to the pile. There are three main states to keep in consideration, which are usually combined with one another. The first is whenever the creature is on the ground, mostly using its body to attack.There are quite a few ways in which Rathalos try to hurt you without using fire. If it looks to a side, its about to do two tail swipes in a half circle. If youre directly in front of its mouth, it might try to bite you in a swift movement. Whenever youre spending too much time near the monsters wings and legs, itll fly upwards slightly and then do a ground slam with its feet. Also, if its mouth is actively on fire, it can also do two swipes in quick succession using its head trying to bite you.When flying, Guardian Rathalos has multiple attacks used to close the gap between it and your teammates. If it looks in your direction while retracting its body slightly and opening its legs, it means its about to fly toward you, hawk-style. It can also swipe its tail at you. It has different variations for flapping its wings rapidly and then following up with a ground slam. One is directly underneath it, and the other is a swipe of sorts thats almost a slide in roller skates, using its guardian capabilities.There are also quick flight bursts that Rathalos uses to reposition itself, which can deal damage if youre on the way. In general, whenever Guardian Rathalos is in the air, using pods or ammo with its corresponding weaknesses (Thunder and Dragon) is a must, especially on any visible wounds. If the flight is close enough to the ground and youre using, say, a Great Sword or another melee weapon with enough range, try to attack its wings to stun the monster to the ground.Last but not least, lets talk about fire. Early on in the fight, the dragon will indicate that its about to start using fire by letting a huge growl, which results in a gout of flame coming from its mouth. From this moment on, even if you stop seeing the flame, Rathalos can continue using fire at any moment.In terms of projectiles, Rathalos can spit fire at you if youre hanging around close to its body for too long. Alternatively, get too far away from it and itll attack from a distance, usually with two blasts. Theres another more deadly attack in which it flies upwards, moves its head to a side, and then proceeds to do a quick spin in place while letting out a fire breath in a circle underneath.Throughout the fight, its key to focus on weak points as much as possible. The Mouth is tricky, as youll be exposing yourself to either bites or fire, so you should only focus on it when Rathalos is either stunned on the ground or busy doing another animation. The Legs are an easier target, as youll likely be moving toward them during dodges. Dont underestimate the potential of damaging the Wings and its Tail either especially the latter if you manage to sever it and reduce its range.Alongside the usual wound control and dodging fire as much as possible, remember to use traps. The key is to try and get the monster to ground as often as possible to make it easier to attack. If its spending a long time in the air, set up a trap and bait it toward you. If you can time a dodge just right, theyll hit the trap instead.Guardian Rathalos dropsIf youre wondering what the Guardian Rathalos drops in Monster Hunter Wilds are, you can find a handy list below:Low Rank materialsMaterialAvailability/ProbabilityFrequencySourceGuardian Rathalos WebbingTarget rewards (x1/15%). Broken part rewards (x2/100%). Carving (x1/22%)4 starsWingsGuardian Rathalos ScaleTarget rewards (x1/22%). Wound destroyed reward (x1/45%). Carving (x1/33%)3 starsN/AGuardian Rathalos TailTarget rewards (x1/10%). Carving (x1/13%). Carving severed part (x1/93%)3 starsTailGuardian Rathalos ShellTarget rewards (x1/22%). Wound destroyed reward (x1/35%). Carving (x1/27%)2 starsN/AFlame SacTarget rewards (x1/20%). Carving (x1/13%). Carving severed part (1x/60%)2 starsN/AG. Rathalos CertificateTarget rewards (x1/8%)1 starN/AGuardian Rathalos PlateTarget rewards (x1/3%). Carving (x1/5%). Carving severed part (x1/7%)1 starTailGuardian ScaleWound destroyed reward (x1/12%)1 starN/AGuardian BloodWound destroyed reward (x1/8%)1 starN/AIf youre looking for other creatures to fight, our monster list provides a full rundown of every encounter, while we have specific guides for Doshaguma, Lala Barina, Nu Udra, Rey Dau, and Ajarakan.