Wild Hearts weapons are available a number of totally different varieties, from the shapeshifting karakuri employees, to the world’s deadliest umbrella, the bladed wagasa. However whereas a lot of Wild Hearts’ weapon selections really feel enjoyable and unique to wield, others are a bit of extra paying homage to Monster Hunter’s well-known choices. The karakuri katana and the nodachi, for instance, can not help however remind me of the longsword and greatsword from that sequence—I suppose there are solely so some ways to kill large monsters.Â
That is to not say they are not enjoyable, although; every weapon has its personal explicit playstyle, and although some are deeper than others, all of them have one thing to supply if you’re out looking. Should you’ve simply began, you would possibly need to know the way to unlock new weapons (opens in new tab) or discover these little tsukumo (opens in new tab) companions dotted across the map. Both manner, listed below are some Wild Hearts weapon ideas for utilizing every of the sport’s eight kemono-killing choices.
Karakuri Katana
Strengths: Highly effective, fast-striking unbound mode
Weaknesses: Harm depends on launch gauge
The karakuri katana is your beginning weapon in Wild Hearts, however that does not imply it is weak.Â
This weapon is equal to Monster Hunter’s beloved longsword, however as an alternative of constructing a spirit gauge to unleash devastating combos, you accumulate launch gauge by attacking kemono. Potato, po-tato, however the identify is a clue to what makes this katana totally different than you would possibly count on. The easiest way to fill the discharge gauge is with the dual blade slash storm and iai slash burst combos. As soon as your launch gauge is full, you may carry out unbound assaults that deal considerably extra injury whereas slowly draining the gauge.
Your primary unbound slashes flip the katana right into a whip that strikes from a distance, however essentially the most highly effective unbound combo appears to be your iai slash burst. You carry out this the identical manner as the unique, however now its repeat stationary assaults deal much more injury. Should you leap on three karakuri crates whereas unbound, it’s also possible to carry out the katana’s strongest assault: the unbound aerial twist drop, the place you slash downwards for some critical DPS.Â
The katana is an appealingly easy weapon: you assault to get full launch gauge, then unleash devastating unbound combos towards kemono till it runs out otherwise you deactivate it early. Its major disadvantage is that it’s important to get full gauge earlier than you may unleash correct DPS, however there are some katana-specific weapon abilities that assist with this. The Duel Grasp talent discovered on the Waxing Crescent Blade, as an illustration, boosts launch gauge positive factors by 10%. Because the katana can also be very stamina hungry, I might advocate equipping armor items just like the Grithide Loincloth that buff your general quantity.
Bladed Wagasa
Strengths: The one Wild Hearts weapon with a parry
Weaknesses: Low injury except you construct up the parry meter
Ah, the killer umbrella—my first Wild Hearts love! The Bladed Wagasa bears the excellence of being the one weapon in Wild Hearts with defensive capabilities, nevertheless it’s not all the time straightforward to make use of. The bladed wagasa is an umbrella you spin like a prime to wreck monsters, with a primary assault combo and a lunging transfer meant that will help you shut gaps. Parrying a kemono’s assault with the wagasa will refill roughly a 3rd of your parry meter, and every tier you fill will kick your injury up a notch. When the meter’s full, the wagasa glows prefer it’s superheated and dishes out essential hits with every frenzied spin assault. It is a delight to make use of… assuming you will get it to that time.
The bladed wagasa’s parry timing is difficult. It offers you a slim window: though the animation appears such as you’re opening the umbrella and getting ready your self for an oncoming assault, you do not need to press it too quickly. Any lead time is prone to simply get you smacked down onerous. You want to press parry proper because the kemono’s assault is touchdown. Many of the kemono have a mixture of quick and gradual assaults, and a few assaults that look like they’re about to begin that then journey you up with a delay. These might be irritating to cope with with the bladed wagasa, as mis-timing  a parry burns a few of your stamina meter and leaves you susceptible to the hit.
Until you reside for parrying in motion video games, I might advocate combating a monster not less than a pair occasions with different weapons earlier than going up towards them with the wagasa. Get a really feel for a way they transfer and assault earlier than you commit your life to the parry button.
Maul
Strengths: Extraordinarily excessive injury
Weaknesses: Sluggish to assault
Identical to the slow-charging nodachi, the maul is able to unleashing an enormous quantity of harm in case your timing is sweet and you do not thoughts ready for the opportune second to strike. The maul can also be distinctive in that its spinning energy smash combo destroys primary karakuri, and launches them at monsters. Should you used hammer in Monster Hunter, the important thing distinction right here is halve extension; basically making the hammer haft longer as you combo, rising its vary and permitting for highly effective ending strikes.Â
The tip objective right here is these finishers, which whereas gradual, deal an unlimited quantity of harm. You carry out a ending strike by utilizing the energy smash spin till the hammer haft extends absolutely, or you will get straight there by extending the haft through the primary combo, hitting F (or RT on controller) each time the hammer glows after an assault. This second technique is perhaps one of the vital highly effective combos within the recreation, letting you deal extra injury than a completely charged nodachi assault, however with half the fuss.
Maul is a surprisingly cellular aerial weapon, too, and if you happen to combine leaping smashes into your hammer haft extensions, you will end up front-flipping over the kemono’s head. When it comes to weapon abilities, I might advocate the Helve Extension Coaching talent you get from the Freshet Maul, since this prevents reeling from assaults when utilizing an prolonged maul, so you may extra simply land these ending strikes with out getting booped.
Claw Blade
Strengths: Extraordinarily excessive mobility, straightforward combos
Weaknesses: Largely delivers a number of small hits relatively than huge cost assaults
The claw blade could also be Wild Hearts’ all-around finest weapon—it definitely appears to be an early favourite in on-line play. The power of the claw blade is its absurdly quick, versatile motion: after touchdown a fast flurry of hits on a kemono, you will construct up a cost meter that kicks in if you sink the blade into the monster’s flesh. When you’re tethered, you utilize the rope hooked up to the claw blade to both hurl your self on the monster for a sequence of spinning mid-air assaults, or use the dodge button to circle round them (additionally in mid-air).
These two strikes make the claw blade supremely versatile: the dodge offers you sufficient vary to get away from nearly any kemono assault, even once they’re enraged, whereas the launcher assault will get you up shut and private at excessive pace, making you much less prone to be hit if you ship a fast strike. As soon as you have landed a number of tethered combos, the claw blade permits you to land a giant end for essential injury. Time this when a kemono’s winding up a giant assault or in a susceptible state, and you’ll even get a knockdown with it.
The claw blade’s tethered kind is a bit daunting at first, so follow on a weaker monster to get a really feel for the way to use it within the air and you will be zipping round like an Assault on Titan character earlier than lengthy.
Nodachi
Strengths: Large injury from charged assaults
Weaknesses: Stamina hungry and simple to get knocked out of cost
Should you’re a hunter who likes ending battles with a single decisive blow, the nodachi is your type of weapon. Just like the greatsword from Monster Hunter, its playstyle facilities round charging up in your iai stance to carry out highly effective assaults able to smashing elements off kemono or severing tails. There are three ranges within the charging stance, and also you acquire cost quicker by standing nonetheless, or by hitting kemono with assaults whereas within the stance. Should you attain the max cost stage, you carry out a two-hit assault that is completely devastating if you happen to land the second hit on a weak level.
The first disadvantage with the nodachi is that iai stance drains stamina, and if you happen to both run out or are hit by a kemono, you lose your entire cost. When you can dodge assaults throughout iai stance, this drains stamina, too, so it might probably put you in a nasty spot. The most effective technique is to time your assaults fastidiously, hitting the monster when it is distracted by your tsukomo companion or one other participant, or charging up earlier than you enter the sector, so when the kemono comes operating you may bash it within the face immediately.
A few of the extra annoying facets of the nodachi might be mitigated by abilities. The Iai Artwork talent you get from the Waxing Crescent Nodachi reduces charged stamina consumption by 10%, which coupled with the Grithide Loincloth’s 10% enhance, may help a bit. The Steely Iai talent from the Yashima Nodachi additionally prevents reeling from assaults when readying a cost, which, as you’d think about, could be very useful.Â
Bow
Wild Coronary heart’s bow is one of the best ranged choice if you happen to’re taking part in by your self, because it offers first rate injury and permits you relative security whereas protecting kemono at a distance. The bow fires two forms of arrow: Haya and Otoya. The primary peppers the kemono with pictures that stick in place and glow inexperienced, whereas the second Otoya takes longer to cost however explodes the Haya arrows for additional injury on affect.
Bows even have two totally different bolstered stances, incrementally bettering the injury of your charged Otoya pictures. On the entire it creates a reasonably easy gameplay loop: you pepper the kemono with Haya arrows, then bolster your bow to stage two and hearth a charged Otoya shot that resonates all of them for first rate injury. The one difficulty with bow is that utilizing it might probably really feel a bit of samey after some time.Â
When it comes to weapon abilities, I might advocate the In a position Archer talent you get from the Yashima Bow, since this will increase the quantity of Haya arrows you hearth on the finish of a combo, and so will increase potential injury if you free that Otoya shot to activate all of them.Â
Hand Cannon
Strengths: Finest assault fires a laser
Weaknesses: Sluggish motion and a bit fiddly
The Hand Cannon is an effective help weapon if you happen to’re taking part in with different hunters, however truthfully, it is type of basic-feeling compared to Monster Hunter’s bowguns. You hearth repeat pictures into kemono which will increase your warmth gauge, however it’s also possible to create a Ki Base that refills your cost if you stand in it so you do not run out of ammo. Easy up to now, however the place issues get extra advanced is with Fortified Ki Bases.Â
When your warmth gauge is purple from firing, you may launch a Fortified Ki Base. This should hit a monster to activate, however when it does, you may draw from its energy when standing in it and hearth a damage-dealing laser that burns by your cost and ends in a giant explosion. It is enjoyable the primary few occasions, however that is just about every part the weapon has to supply. When it comes to abilities I might advocate Thread Thrift that you may get on the Freshet Cannon, because it reduces cost depletion so you may hearth that laser longer. Pace Cost on the Waxing Crescent Cannon can also be first rate, because it will increase cost fill fee so you may hearth Fortified Ki Bases extra typically.
Karakuri Employees
Strengths: Combat utilizing 5 totally different weapons
Weaknesses: Combat utilizing 5 totally different weapons
The Karakuri Employees is essentially the most unique weapon in Wild Hearts; a Bloodborne-esque trick weapon, however as an alternative of 1 singular perform, it transforms into 5 totally different weapons together with a polearm, bladed tonfa, a giant shuriken, and even a colossal greatsword. The Karakuri Employees is a tricky weapon to grasp, partly as a result of it’s important to bear in mind how its totally different varieties work, but in addition as a result of its extended weapon swapping combos depart you open to getting smacked round by aggressive kemono.
The Karakuri Employees’s central weapon mechanic is mutation ranges, which enhance as you land hits with its totally different varieties, and efficiently swap between them once they flash on the finish of an assault or combo. Relatively than utilizing one weapon for a protracted interval, the employees is extra about altering between them shortly to construct ranges, bettering the facility and pace of the juggernaut blade you may unleash. This assault is likely one of the strongest within the recreation, particularly if you happen to leap on a crate earlier than you do it, just like the katana’s unbound aerial twist drop.
Whereas it is advanced to grasp each weapon kind, it has a easy playstyle: you assault with every kind, mutating between them once they flash to construct ranges, you then unleash the juggernaut blade for enormous injury. I might advocate the Transformative Guard talent you will get from the Freshet Karakuri Employees, since this boosts protection by 16% if you mutate the weapon, which is if you’re most susceptible. The Mixed Arts: Assault talent on the Yashima Karakuri Employees can also be robust, buffing all energy assaults by 10%.
How do Wild Hearts weapon abilities work?
Every Wild Hearts weapon has each Inherent Expertise and Inherited Expertise. Whereas the previous is mounted and solely modifications if you improve a weapon, the latter is chosen by you, letting you carry ahead abilities you need to maintain whereas discarding the others. As you progress additional down the improve tree, weapons acquire extra Inherited Ability slots, permitting you to maintain extra abilities from earlier weapons.Â
Because of this if you happen to’re searching for a specific talent combo, your chosen improve path is definitely fairly vital in reaching it. You may not all the time select to improve down a tree, however would possibly improve horizontally as properly to select up an honest talent you need. That mentioned, Inherent Expertise are essentially the most highly effective, and embrace weapon-specific choices.