Dauntless - Behemoth Guide

This is a strategy guide for the Valomyr Behemoth in Dauntless, a kill-boss-monster free-to-play game available from the Epic Games Store. We cover various Behemoths in our Dauntless Behemoth Strategy Guide.

Recommended Weapon: War Pike

Because there will be times when you simply don't want to get too close because it lays down wide kill-zones. During this time, you can still do some good by shooting it with your Concussive Payload.
The early mod Munitions Amplifier is good here since you don't have much time to build up maximum-powered shots, but you have a lot of running around during which each shot can grow to maximum power.

Standing still or moving toward you

You don't have much time at any one location because it will initiate an attack wherever you are. This is signalled by a growing burst of light before the explosion. So light attack once or twice then move so you have plenty of time and space to move away or dodge away from the burst.
If you break the horns, the Valomyr will no longer be able to use its beam cannon, but the head attack will simply change into a burst like the types it can initiate from its legs or tail.
The tail seems safer than the legs as it seems to attack with the tail less often.

Ground Laser Drones

Destroying one or two nearby will typically give you an opening to continue attacking because the further ones typically won't be able to hit you.
Trying to destroy lots of them over the course of the fight does not seem to actually diminish the number that are deployed against you each time.

Sky Laser Drones

This is a too-high-to-hit row of pods that angle down to fire beams.
Either get out of the way or run in between the wide spacing to get at the Valomyr.

Starflies / Swirling Balls

Starts with little swirling lights around the Behemoth. Start getting out when you see that. Once the lights expand into orbs, they can stagger you and damage you.
When Starflies appear there will also be crystals that give you a buff, but typically the area becomes too hostile to grab them without taking too much damage. If you can get a purple crystal, however, it will give you a Radiant Shield that lets you ignore the Starflies.
If the Behemoth is standing still, typically it will teleport eventually. You can get in some well-aimed shots with your War Pike Concussive Payload and hopefully break something.
If it's moving, let it walk out toward you. It's body blocks any Starflies and once it's at the edge of the field of Starflies, you can safely engage.
Not entirely clear when it happens, but you can sometimes stand right against the Valomyr and the Starflies will swirl around harmlessly while you are at the "eye of the storm" safe spot right in the middle.

Try standing between the front leg and the head, as close as possible, right when it starts to create the Starflies. If you are safe, don't move and just attack until the Valomyr is Staggered or Wounded, which will also cause the Starflies to vanish instantly.

Teleport

If you are right at the light pillar and attack it when it Teleports, it will drop back in place or very close by, and try to teleport again.

Theoretically you can get a lot of safe hits in if you keep interfering with the teleport this way since the animation sequence is quite long.
Does not seem to be reliable. The best chance of doing this seems to be to stand at the side, between the legs, and right up close to be as close to the light pillar when it appears.
Does not seem to work with Heroic Valomyr. If you are too close to the light pillar you are knocked down.

Shield

Although the blast from completing its Enrage channel can push you back and damage you, if you are close to the Valomyr when it enrages, the knockback should not actually push you outside of the shield. Then you can quickly attack it and Interrupt it which immediately ends all special attacks and knocks it down.
If you are stuck outside and have to break the shield, by the time you get in, you will no longer be able to Interrupt the Valomyr.

If you're stuck outside, take out a Drone to give yourself an opening, then heavy attack the shield to get in.

The Valomyr’s drones are part of its body. Breaking parts reducing the amount of drones it can call.
Interrupt a Valomyr at the start of its aether charge by inflicting as much damage at once as possible.
Break the Valomyr’s horns to prevent it from using its head-beam attack.
Ambient aether forms archonite shards around a Valomyr’s body due to the purity of the radiant aether in their bodies. Green shards heal over time. Red shards increase attack damage. Purple shards form a shield against radiant damage. The shards dissipate after a short time.