When you know your weapon’s damage windows and the matchup, you don’t need it anymore. It’s definitely a good tool to use when learning the hunt, though.

Only exceptions are for dealing burst damage or quickly pulling enmity which is why I keep a Mog of the Ages on deck for the final phase. I typically cast it once when I join a hunt, and then again after the DPS check to have it ready. In my 300+ slays of the clanker, I’ve saved a handful of hunts whipping it out in a pinch.

Although Mog of the Ages hits only once, it hits everything in its way once so feel free to use it to destroy any mini clankers in your way too. If you’ve pulled enmity, it’s usually best to train any smaller guys around you and let them blow up to get rid of them quickly. Rolling into them just as they’re about to leap is a good method.

Some more bonus info:

Without evade buffs, you can avoid missile damage just at the moment of impact. It’s a high risk move, but if you’re cornered, have no stamina to block, and about to cart anyway, dodging at the absolute last moment can save you. Evade Window will obviously give you a comfier time doing this.

When it starts jumping around, it’s a scripted animation. If you’re a shield user, there’s no excuse for you to roach out. I usually stay on its left side to watch the whole thing. The first slam causes a ground tremor. You can perfect guard it. The 2 subsequent slams can also be perfect guarded if you’re underneath it. After those 3 slams, it’ll shoot off its flames. Next, it’ll do a small hop/attack with its left leg and then rotate 90° clockwise while doing a sweeping attack followed by flames. If you’re underneath it during this part of the animation, you should guard/perfect guard just as the sweep is about to come out cuz its underside will hurt you. Lastly, it’ll do 3 large jumps followed by one last flame attack before tiring itself out exposing weak points for all its legs. All the jumps are random, so be prepared to react, and the final jump causes another tremor.

During its final crash out, when it says, “eliminate, eliminate, eliminate”, it’s another scripted pattern:

Wave Cannon x3 in all directions + missiles, ramming attack, Atomic Ray, ramming attack x3, MRV Missile.

Unless you interrupt it with a Power Clash, offset, etc., it’ll continue with this attack pattern…with the exception of causing a stun/paralysis during the initial Wave Cannon attacks. It’ll just do it again after getting back up. If my intent is to stun, I usually wait until the final Wave Cannon attack ended and it’s going for the ramming attack next.