It’s frustrating watching Monster Hunter Wilds players struggle with the Jin Dahaad fight—sometimes it makes me want to bang my head against a wall, but maybe I’m just being elitist.

I’ve spent my first full day away from Monster Hunter Wilds, doing other work, and I’m still tilted. The cause of my affliction: Jin Dahaad. The fight and monster itself is very cool, a real standalone experience that bridges the gap between hunt and MMO-style raid boss excellently. However, taking on Jin Dahaad at high rank with other players? Nightmare.

Let me break it down for those of you who aren’t playing the game right now, or haven’t experienced the struggle first-hand. Jin Dahaad is this massive ice dragon – the largest monster in Wilds right now. The low rank version of the fight you clash with during the story is it’s own cinematic venture, with NPC hunters explicitly pointing out what you should be doing at any one time. It is exceptionally easy to do.

Even so, the fight is a long one. You’re not without assistance though: every stage of the fight gives you plenty of arena interactables, large icy boulders or crumbling ice walls you can drop on top of Jin Dahaad. The main culpit for deaths here is this giant AOE explosion the monster does, which deals loads of damage to anyone in line of sight. The way you dodge it? Hide behind one of these boulders once you pull it down. The fight gives you plenty of time to find cover, and signposts it very, very clearly. It’s all spectacle.

The first time you fight it, the whole thing is less of a hunt and more of a climactic spike before some exposition ahead of the story’s big conclusion. All good, right? No problem. Fast forward 15 hours or so and you get the opportunity to take on a high rank Jin Dahaad, for real this time. The boss has three stages, all its attacks from the low rank version, but obviously it deals more damage. The only difference is that NPC hunters won’t call everything out. Instead, you get little pop-up reminders as the fight goes on.

This, seemingly, is enough to confuse plenty of players online. Now, this is all anecdotal, but my journey for a full set of high rank Jin Dahaad armour and a cool Jin Dahaad weapon ran into plenty of groups who just couldn’t crack the big AOE explosion thing.

Folks, the entire screen glows orange and it gives you like 10 seconds to figure it out. I saw a sword and shield user die to it – they can block the blast! It doesn’t help that these failed hunts always seemed to occur near the tail end of the fight, at least 10 minutes in. Help!

It’s not just the explosion either. Jin Dahaad will do this thing where he climbs his big behind up to a overhanging pillar, and shoot out super choreographed ice breaths at players. These too, seem insurmountable for some. You can just look up and see where it’s facing. Just run away from the ice, bro, it can’t be this hard.

In fact, all of Jin Dahaad’s attacks are super slow and telegraphed. He big claw swipes that leave frontal ice blasts can be easily dodged, his ice breath is a joke, and his tail swipe is devestatingly slow. I don’t get it. I don’t understand why this boss appears to be choking people out.

Here’s my suggestion, which is totally 100% no-joke super seruous. Those who struggled against Jin Dahaad should switch to the Bow immediately. At range, get to know what attacks it has and the distance should help you identify where the no-no zones are. Also, it’ll make it easier to get behind cover for the big blast. If you’re still struggling, turn yourself into the local jail immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. The idea that people who can’t figure this fight out exist could be driving a car in my direction is terrifying.

But then a thought pops into my head, maybe I’m being too harsh. Monster Hunter Wilds is the most popular game in the series ever! In fact, it’s selling so well it’s breaking Capcom’s records. There are going to be new players who haven’t touched a Monster Hunter game before. Hell, this could even be their first big action game! Who knows! I, as someone who has played games for ages and having posted a few gloaty pieces in the past, am perhaps blind to the struggles of the new generation.

Also, it’s not like anyone is forcing me to play with others, right? Sure, going out and responding to people’s SOS beacons is another fun layer to the game, which allows you to feel like you’re helping another person out in a time of need, but if it’s frustrating me so much, why do it?

But then I remember how long it took me to get my last Jin Dahaad claw+, and that last Jin Dahaad icegem. I remember that I don’t yet have the Hunters United Forever award, which requires me to complete 100 hunts with other players, and how in my deranged mind that forces me to play online, and that thought goes out the window. F*ck ’em! If you’re one such player, you’ve gotta lock in. I’m begging you to lock in. I believe in you.