Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – Familiar Spotlight – Hurly

Overview

When Swaine joins your party after the events in Castaway Cove, he joins with Hurly. You can also find Hurley in the wild on No Longer Mine Island. Of course, if you purchased Prima’s Official Ni No
Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Strategy Guide you also received a code for a special Gold Hurly that comes with higher stats overall. Slow and powerful is Hurly’s game and while it may not attack quickly when it hits, it hurts. Hurly wields axes and has quick stat growth in its first two forms so few foes can go up against it for long. Just keep in mind that Hurly lacks a defensive command, instead having Psych Up and Go Wild!

Proper Care and Feeding

Magic Defense +25
Accuracy +25

Hurly’s biggest weaknesses are a slow attack speed and low accuracy. It hits like a tank but its primary weapon type has a tendency to reduce accuracy, so it is important to make sure that those hits land. With Hurly’s lack of a defensive command, adding a few points into magic defense doesn’t hurt either. If you aren’t worried about taking damage, move some points into Hurly’s
attack stat or put more into accuracy.

Metamorphosis

The first metamorphosis Hurly undergoes is Burly Hurly. As a Burly Hurly it will learn a handful of supporting tricks. If you are willing to wait a few extra levels for your second metamorphosis, Hurly will learn the powerful Belly Buster at 41. Surprisingly, the final forms available to Hurly can drastically change how you use it in battle and in your party.

Hurcules

With higher defensive stats, Hurcules at first appears to be more focused on tanking but this isn’t quite the case. Lacking the Defend command means using Hurcules in a tank role is not
recommended. Instead, Hurcules learns a strong spread of offensive tricks that hit groups of enemies and also picks up Firewall for a little elemental damage when needed. These tricks can really turn the tide in battle, since both final forms move even slower than Hurly and Burly Hurly and have a hard time hitting quicker enemies with physical attacks.

Hurlabaloo

Big, beefy, and loaded with attack power, Hurlabaloo has a stronger attack stat then Hurcules and ranks up with many of the late game familiars in potential damage output. Hurlabaloo’s defenses are not quite as strong as Hurcules or other familiars but it makes up for this by learning both Soulshield and Bracer. These tricks can make all the difference when you are chasing down a foe, as it prevents them from dealing too much damage while you are closing the distance.

Best Buddies

Hurly is a major team player with its slow movement and attack speed. Pair Hurly up with other familiars and party members that can slow down or confuse foes so that Hurly can close the distance
and lay into them with its crushing blows. Even though Hurly comes in the party paired with Swaine, it is a Milite familiar and therefore gets its affinity bonus from Oliver. Hurly is best pulled out during big boss fights with slower and less mobile opponents where it can make the most of each attack command and really pile on the damage. If you choose to metamorphose into Hurlabaloo you can make the most of Bracer and Soulshield to buff the party up while your allies are wearing down the enemies’ defenses. Alternatively, Hurcules works well with faster party members because of the added range of the tricks it learns.

Tips and Tricks

Look for equipment or tricks that increase movement speed to really get the jump on enemies. This will allow you to field Hurly right away without having to be concerned with actually chasing down your targets. Hurly is threatening enough as it is but if you can make it more mobile it becomes an absolute monster on the battlefield!

Is there something you’ve found that works great with Hurly? If you have any suggestions or advice of your own for using it effectively in a party let everyone know in the comments section below.