Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn: Weapon Guide

Everything you need to know about the Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds, including the basic combos, Focus Strike, and more.

The Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds should not be overlooked, even if you plan to play the game solo. Although the weapon was primarily devised for co-op, in the latest Monster Hunter title, the Hunting Horn has received some major improvements, making it worth considering even for solo players.

The Hunting Horn is only a melee weapon with some pretty decent damage-dealing potential, but it also serves as a tool to provide you and your team with passive buffs. However, as was the case in MH World and Rise, mastering the Hunting Horn takes quite a lot of work. Not only do you need to learn the weapon’s rather large combo list, but you also need to learn the proper timings for Encore.

That said, for MH Wilds, Capcom has made some pretty cool adjustments to the Hunting Horn, making it much more “newcomer-friendly.” Here’s everything you need to know about the Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds, including its basic combos, Offset Attacks, Focus Strikes, and more.

How To Use Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds (Image via Capcom)

The Hunting Horn, at its core, is a weapon type that’s very similar to the Hammer. It is a blunt weapon that’s most effective at stunning monsters and breaking their armor. However, unlike the Hammer, the Hunting Horn does not dish out nearly as much raw damage. In fact, in terms of DPS, the Hunting Horn is somewhat similar to the Charge Blade, albeit without its elemental properties.

The Hunting Horn’s most unique aspect is its ability to provide a constant stream of buffs. Using different notes, you can provide yourself and your team with attack power, defense, and even stagger potential buffs. Furthermore, the Hunting Horn can be used to place Echo Bubbles, which further enhances the weapon’s abilities.

The Hunting Horn shines the most when used in co-op. It essentially works as a support weapon, which is also capable of dealing quite impressive damage. Furthermore, the Hunting Horn in MH Wilds comes with its own Offset ability, which makes it viable for solo players. Although the weapon’s combos can look intimidating, they are quite simple to learn. Here’s a look at basic combos for the Hunting Horn:

Combos	Button Combinations (PlayStation/Xbox)
Left Swing	Triangle/Y
Right Swing	Circle/B
Flourish	LS+Circle > Circle > Circle+Triangle/LS+B > B > Y+B
Backwards Strike	Triangle+Circle/Y+B
Overhead Smash	LS > Triangle+Circle/ LS > Y+B
Hilt Stab	LS (back)+Circle/LS (back)+B
Perform	R2/RT
Perform Melody	R2+Triangle+Circle/RT+Y+B
Encore	Triangle+Circle (while performing a Melody)/Y+B (while performing a Melody)
Echo Bubble	R2+Cross/RT+A

Hunting Horn Offset and Focus Strike in MH Wilds

Offset Melody (Image via Caocom) — Offset Melody (Image via Capcom)

The Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds, much like the Great Sword, comes with an Offset Skill – Offset Melody. The Offset Melody can be played independently of the Encore to counter a monster’s attack and also deal a ton of damage.

The timing for the Offset Melody is very precise, and as such, it requires a bit of practice. It should be noted that in order to perform the Offset Melody, you need to be within an Echo Bubble. Furthermore, the Hunting Horn also has a Focus Strike – Reverb. The Focus Strike not only damages wounds; it also deals knockback to the monster, making them prone to stagger. Here’s a look at the Focus Strike and Offset combos for the Hunting Horn:

Combos	Button Combinations (PlayStation/Xbox)
Offset Melody	R2+Triangle+Circle (within Echo Bubble)/R2+Y+B (within Echo Bubble)
Reverb	Hold-L2+R1/Hold-LT+RB

The Hunting Horn is a pretty powerful melee weapon and also one that offers a very unique playstyle. Although it has received some major uplift in terms of its Melodies and combos, it’s still far from being an ideal beginner pick.