If you’ve spent any time in the endgame of Monster Hunter Wilds, you know the frustration. You’ve hunted the "White Wraith" a dozen times. You’ve carved the body, checked the quest rewards, and even captured it, yet your inventory is still missing that one specific item: the Arkveld Calloushell.
It’s annoying. I get it.
Most players assume it's just a low-percentage drop like a Mantle or a Gem. They figure if they just keep killing Arkveld, it’ll eventually show up in the rewards screen. Honestly? That’s exactly how you waste six hours of your Saturday. The Calloushell isn't just "rare"—it's gated behind a very specific mechanic that the game doesn't exactly scream at you from the rooftops.
The Calloushell Problem: Why It Won't Drop
Basically, the Arkveld Calloushell is a 100% guaranteed drop, but only if you do one specific thing.
You have to break the Chainblades.
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If you aren't familiar with the terminology, the Chainblades are those terrifying, whip-like appendages attached to Arkveld’s wings. They are the source of those massive Dragon-element explosions and the reason the monster has such ridiculous reach. Most hunters naturally focus on the head because, well, that's what we do in Monster Hunter. Or they go for the tail to stop that nasty 360-spin attack.
But the Calloushell is literally the hardened outer layer of those chain-link scales. If you kill Arkveld without shattering those specific parts, you have a 0% chance of seeing a Calloushell in the target rewards or carves.
Breaking the Chains
It’s a nightmare to hit them. Seriously. The Chainblades are constantly moving, whipping around, or tucked behind the main body.
Here is the deal: Arkveld has two of them. Breaking the left one gives you a Calloushell. Breaking the right one gives you another. That’s two per hunt, guaranteed. But because Arkveld’s health pool isn't infinite, many players accidentally kill the monster before the second break happens—especially if they are using high-damage weapons like the Great Sword or Heavy Bowgun and focusing on the body.
Best Strategies for Farming Arkveld Calloushell
If you’re serious about farming these, you need to change your loadout. You can't just "unga bunga" your way through this fight and expect results.
- Slot in Partbreaker: This isn't optional. Level 3 Partbreaker is the difference between getting your shells and just getting a dead dragon. It reduces the "effective" health of the Chainblades, allowing them to snap before Arkveld’s actual HP hits zero.
- Focus Mode is your friend: Use Focus Mode to highlight the wounds on the Chainblades. In Monster Hunter Wilds, wounding a part makes it significantly easier to break. If you aren't using the Focus Strike on the wings/chains, you’re making it twice as hard on yourself.
- The "Trap and Smash" Method: Arkveld is fast. Like, really fast. It spends half the fight leaping across the map or hovering just out of reach. Bring Shock Traps and Pitfall Traps. Not for capturing—for immobilization. When it's stuck, every person in your party needs to ignore the head and pile onto one wing.
- Weapon Choice Matters: Blunt weapons like the Hammer or Hunting Horn are great for the head, but for the Calloushell, you want something with precision or high "part break" potential. The Charge Blade is a fan favorite here because the phial explosions can hit multiple segments of the chain at once.
A Note on the "Guardian" Variant
You’ll first encounter Arkveld as a "Guardian" in the story. While this version is scary, the drops are slightly different. The Arkveld Calloushell is primarily a High Rank/Endgame material. If you are still in the early Low Rank story missions, don't pull your hair out looking for these; you likely won't see them consistently until you hit the HR 40+ grind and start tackling Tempered Arkveld.
What Do You Actually Need These For?
Why even bother? Because the Arkveld weapons are arguably the best Dragon-element gear in the game right now.
Most of the rarity 8 upgrades require at least two or four Calloushells. If you’re looking to build the Arkvulcan armor set—which, let's be real, is the gold standard for the current meta thanks to the Arkveld’s Hunger set bonus—you’re going to need a mountain of them. That set bonus provides health regeneration while attacking, similar to the old Nergigante or Vaal Hazak builds, making it "comfy" for almost any weapon type.
The armor pieces typically require:
- Arkveld Scale+ (Common)
- Arkveld Calloushell (The bottleneck)
- Arkveld Gem (The rare 3% drop)
The irony is that many players find the Gem before they find enough Calloushells, simply because they aren't breaking the wings.
Common Misconceptions
I've seen people on Reddit claiming you can get Calloushells from capturing.
They are wrong. The field guide in Wilds is actually pretty decent this time around. If you check it, you’ll see "Broken Part Reward" listed next to the shell. It is not listed under "Capture" or "Carve." If you capture the monster without breaking the chains, you're just getting more scales and pelts.
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Also, don't bother with Exhaust ammo or vials. Arkveld is essentially immune to the Exhaust status. If you want to slow it down, stick to Paralysis or Sleep. A well-timed Sleep bomb on the wings is a classic strategy that still works wonders here.
Your Farming Checklist
If you're heading out right now, do this:
- Eat for Felyne Specialist or Felyne Carver if you’re feeling lucky, but honestly, Felyne Polisher is better to keep your sharpness up while hacking at those tough wings.
- Equip Dragonproof Mantle: Arkveld’s biggest attacks are Dragon-based. Getting Dragonblighted cancels your weapon's elemental damage, which makes breaking the parts take even longer.
- Target the wings specifically: The "appendages" are what you want.
- Check your chat log: You will see a notification on the right side of the screen when a part breaks. If you see "Left Chainblade Broken," you’ve got one shell secured.
The "White Wraith" is a tough fight, but it's a fair one. Once you stop treating it like a standard hunt and start treating it like a surgical operation on those wings, the Calloushells will start piling up.
Next time you’re in a lobby, tell your teammates. Seriously. Half the people fighting Arkveld have no idea why they aren't getting the drops. Be the hunter who actually reads the monster's biology. You'll finish your build a lot faster that way.
Actionable Next Step: Go to the Smithy and "Wishlist" the Arkvulcan piece you want. Then, jump into a High Rank Arkveld SOS and focus exclusively on the wings with a Partbreaker Level 3 build. Use a Shock Trap the moment it enters its "Empowered" red-glow state to get a clean window on the chains.