Monster Hunter Wilds

Hunting Horn Weapon Guide and New Moves

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Monster Hunter Wilds - Hunting Horn Guide

The Hunting Horn is a song-playing blunt weapon that mixes concussive hits and rhythmic melodies to support oneself and allies in Monster Hunter Wilds. See what new actions the Hunting Horn can perform, how to use it, its controls, the best combos to use, and some tips in this guide!

New Hunting Horn Moves

New Overhead Smash Extension

Input Action
(After Overhead Smash)
PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Adds a quick additional slam

To further improve Hunting Horn's punishment on topples and dodged attacks, its Wilds iteration extends the Overhead Smash by repeating the same input. This follow-up attack lets your hunter spin quickly before smashing the Hunting Horn down.

While basic, it can be transitioned into different moves instead of defaulting to a Backwards Strike afterward like with past titles. This leads to more combo paths, additional safety, all the while incentivizing on-the-fly decision-making and creativity.

New Performance Extensions

Unlike the previous iterations, the Wilds interpretation of the Hunting Horn has a sense of fluidity and safety added to its base kit with the new swift Performance extensions after the first one.

These quicker animations emphasize weaving in your performances as punishes to whiffed Monster attacks or extensions to combos!

Perfect Performances Echoes/Encores

Along with the faster doots, you are now rewarded when you precisely input Echos and Encores after the performance. When you perform a frame-perfect encore, your Hunter will glow a tinge of red and deal increased damage!

With this newly added mechanic, the mastery of the Hunting Horn will further increase the divide between rookies and seasoned practitioners!

Echo Bubbles

The Echo Bubble, where the Hunter surrounds themselves with a field that enhances their attacks depending on the Hunting Horn in use, is a newly improved version of World's Echo Notes.

As an additional note to consider, you can input up to three notes of your choosing to prepare for a melody while your Hunter is dancing! Furthermore, you can get up to three Echo Bubbles in total.

Special Performances

Input Action
PS4 - R2 Button + PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Performs a unique attack or buff depending on the Hunting Horn.

With the addition of Special Performances, each Hunting Horn you craft will have a unique Special Performance that can be used either offensively or defensively to turn the tides of battle. This will further promote build variety as each Hunting Horn can have differing playstyles depending on the Special Performance!

During the open beta of Wilds, the available Special Performance is labelled as "Offset Melody". Using this Special Performance during most monsters' attack animation will disrupt and stagger them!

Focus Strike: Reverb

The Hunting Horn's take on the new Focus mechanic has it slam the head of the Hunting Horn unto a wounded monster then proceeds to do a guitar solo where you can input each of the different notes five times. The key to consistently hitting all five notes is to input each note separately and avoid spamming the button.

In certain situations, you can also pseudo-parry a monster's attack by hitting a monster's wounded spot at the right place just before getting hit. You will reduce the damage you receive for a significant amount during the duration of the guitar solo.

How to Use Hunting Horn

How to Use Hunting Horn


Understand the Note System

Input Note
PS4 - Triangle Button Note 1
PS4 - Circle Button Note 2
PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Note 3

The core mechanic that the Hunting Horn uses is its ability to play notes with each of their attacks on the meter found below the Sharpness meter. Each Hunting Horn has their own set of notes, meaning every Hunting Horn is composed of different songs you can play during the hunt!

Compose Melodies for Different Buffs

After understanding how to play notes and stack them up on the meter. Lining up and combining different notes will allow you to perform distinctive songs that provide buffs to you and your allies.

The only universal buff that each Hunting Horn has is the Self Improvement buff, where you get increased movement speed and an innate Mind's Eye.

For reference, you can see the melodies your Hunting Horn can play by checking the top right portion of your screen. Each song has its respective notes that you need to play in order.

Perform Your Heart Out

Input Action
PS4 - R2 Button Performs an attack and plays the song lined up to activate the buffs associated with it.

After lining up a total of three songs, you can then perform the songs to apply the buffs to you and your allies. You can find your lined-up songs on the right side of your Note Meter. Depending on what move you used last and your directional input, the attack that comes with the performance also changes!

While performing, you can use either Performance Beats or Encore depending on what you want to achieve!

Move
Input
Use
Performance Echo
PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Use this to play another song on the list.
Encore
PS4 - R2 Button
Use this if you want to perform only one song but immediately perform it again for increased buffs.

Hunting Horn Controls

Basic Controls

Action Button
Left Swing PS4 - Triangle Button
Right Swing PS4 - Circle Button
Flourish
PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Circle Button
Backwards Strike
PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Overhead Smash
PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Hilt Stab
(Only after an attack)
PS4 -  Left Stick (Back) + ( PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button)

PS4 -  Left Stick (Back) + PS4 - Triangle Button

PS4 -  Left Stick (Back) + PS4 - Circle Button
Perform PS4 - R2 Button
Performance Beat After Performing
PS4 - R2 Button
Encore After Performing
PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Echo Bubble
PS4 - X Button + PS4 - R2 Button
Special Performance
PS4 - R2 Button + PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button
Focus Strike: Reverb
PS4 - L2 Button + PS4 - R1 Button

Any attack input 5 times

Hunting Horn Best Combos

Poke Combos

Combo Input
(PS4 -  Left Stick+PS4 - Triangle Button) →PS4 - Circle Button or (PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Circle Button)

If you are facing a monster known for its speed and relatively quick attacks that leave little-to-no windows to punish, use either of these attacks to sneak in some damage.

Punish Combos

Combo Input
(PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button) → (PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button)

Whenever a monster uses a long-winded attack that results in them recovering for a while, use this combo to punish them.

Quick Basic Note Stack Combo

Combo Input
(PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button) → (PS4 -  Left Stick+ PS4 - Circle Button ▶︎ PS4 - Circle Button) → ( Back PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button)

Note: ▶︎ means while in transition to Flourish's second attack.

To efficiently stack up your basic notes and set up future songs, use this combo with the hilt stab as it expends the least amount of time possible to stack notes.

Echo Wave Combo

Combo Input
(PS4 - X Button + PS4 - R2 Button ▶︎ PS4 - Triangle Button ▶︎ PS4 - Circle Button ▶︎ PS4 - Circle Button ) → (PS4 -  Left Stick + PS4 - Triangle Button) → (PS4 -  Left Stick+ PS4 - Circle Button ▶︎ PS4 - Circle Button) → PS4 - R2 Button ▶︎ PS4 - R2 Button ▶︎ (PS4 - Triangle Button + PS4 - Circle Button)

The point of this combo is to fully utilize Echo Bubbles and Echo Wave to deal as much damage to a downed monster as possible.

Basic Toppled Combo

Combo Input
PS4 - Triangle ButtonPS4 - Circle ButtonPS4 - Triangle Button Repeatedly

As an alternative where you cannot easily access Echo Waves, you can instead opt to cycle triangle and circle to do the basic infinite combo.

Hunting Horn Tips

How to Use Hunting Horn



Always Keep Self Improvement Active

As a general rule while playing Hunting Horn, make it a habit to always keep Self Improvement active. For the most part, it should be in your best interest to integrate Left Swing or Hilt Stab between your combos to actively line up Self Improvement!

Maximize Flourish Effectiveness

Flourish allows you to sneak in one extra note input of your choice on its second attack. When the Hunting Horn is swung upwards for its second attack, press whatever note you want and it should appear on the Note Meter.

As an additional tip, you can cancel the first instance of the attack by dodging If you feel like you are about to get hit by the monster!

Utilize Spacing Appropriately

The best asset of a Hunting Horn is not solely due to the buffs it provides, but its mobile nature that allows you to reposition quickly and punish accordingly! Always exploit this asset and you will see a quick improvement in your hunts with the Hunting Horn.

Make Use of Hilt Stabs

While the Hilt Stab deals miniscule amounts of damage, it more than makes up for the utility it provides during a hunt! A long-time user of Hunting Horn makes use of this underrated move in a variety of ways:

  • Play any notes in a fast manner as an extension.
  • Helps to line yourself up to monsters when out of position.
  • Used to unconventionally sever monster parts since it deals slashing damage.

Monster Hunter Wilds Related Guides

Monster Hunter Wilds - Weapons

All Weapons and Guides

All Weapon Guides

All Weapon Types
Great SwordGreat Sword Long SwordLong Sword Sword & ShieldSword & Shield
Dual BladesDual Blades HammerHammer Hunting HornHunting Horn
LanceLance GunlanceGunlance Switch AxeSwitch Axe
Charge BladeCharge Blade Insect GlaiveInsect Glaive Light BowgunLight Bowgun
Heavy BowgunHeavy Bowgun BowBow

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