Despite being the most recent game in the series,Monster Hunter Wildsis a great entry point for newcomers. After the success of more accessible titles likeMonster Hunter WorldandMonster Hunter Rise,Monster Hunter Wildsmakes more effort to make its games more beginner-friendly. This doesn’t mean the game is too easy for series veterans, though, as hunters are still tasked with prevailing against the impossible odds that the franchise is known for.
While the game is much easier to get into, players may hit a hurdle when selecting their weapon.Monster Hunter Wildshas 14 distinct weapon types – arguably 15 with the recentStreet Fightercollaboration– and each has a different learning curve. Some are more difficult than others, but there is one specifically that can be a hard sell for some players: the Hunting Horn.
Hunting Horn Might Not Be for All Hunters
High Difficulty
Across the series, the Hunting Horn has been considered one ofMonster Hunter’s most difficult weapons to learn, and this remains true inMonster Hunter Wilds. While some players may find that the Charge Blade is more difficult to learn, the Hunting Horn is by no means aneasyMonster Hunterweapon. Hunters will want to practice with this weapon and manage their build effectively to use the Hunting Horn at its most optimal.
Though the Charge Blade has a relatively high skill floor that makes it difficult to learn, its complex and longer combos can become second nature with practice. The Hunting Horn is similarly difficult, but for the opposite reason; at its core, it is functionally similar to the hammer, but mastery of its unique music mechanics means that its skill ceiling can be quite high. Hunting Horn users must carefully consider their positioning and buffs to maximize their potential. Players looking toMonster Hunter’s Hunting Hornneed to think about what will be most effective against the game’s monsters, as well as the needs of their party.
Micromanagement
Once a player has learned one of the weapons in the game, they can apply their skills and use the same combos on any monster. However, theunique melodies of each Hunting Hornmean that users of this weapon aren’t afforded the same luxury. Instead, they need to adapt their attacks to ensure they are playing the correct notes to optimize their status effect, each of which is different depending on the Hunting Horn used.
Alongside making sure that the efficacy of all buffs remains at their highest, Hunting Horn players must also consider positioning.Echo Bubbles are a relatively new Hunting Horn mechanic, and the placement of these can be crucial to reducing hunt times. Actions performed within the Echo Bubble are much more effective, so it becomes the task of this weapon’s user to contain the monster within them. With all of these factors that Hunting Horn players need to juggle, the weapon requires efficiency and micromanagement that some players might not enjoy.
Hunting Horns are Well Worth It in Monster Hunter’s Cooperative Play
Supporting Role
While playing solo is possible inMonster Hunter Wilds, going on hunts and expeditions with friends is encouraged. UsingSOS flares, players can call upon Support Hunter NPCs for help or even other players to help them out with the game’s trickier hunts. No weapon fits the role of a support-type better than the Hunting Horn, focused more on increasing the party’s total damage output than just their own. Some players might enjoy assisting their team and providing support, but this isn’t the role for everyone.
Hunting Horn players can still get involved in hunting monsters and dealing damage, but their attacks will be focused more on the notes they play. Every aspect of theHunting Horn playstyle provides supportto the rest of the party, prioritizing the right buffs to give the team the best status effects for any situation.
Low Damage
Another reason why players may overlook the Hunting Horn is because of its relatively low damage output. Being a support weapon, it is great at boosting the effectiveness of other party members, but even with these buffs, the Hunting Horn user is still fairly limited by their damage output. It is possible to solo monsters with this weapon still, but it could take more time to complete any hunt. Because of this,Hunting Horn mains can take a different secondary weaponas a backup, carrying their buffs onto their other weapon and giving them the best of both worlds.
In a party, though, there is another way that players using the Hunting Horn can deal more total damage. Instead of carrying a different weapon type as a secondary, hunters could take two of the same weapons. Two different Hunting Horns mean twice as many melodies to play, and twice as many buffs. Their solo damage may still be low, but thestatus effectsof team members can quickly stack up, ending hunts very quickly.
Ridiculous and Impractical
Another reason why some players might not want to use the Hunting Horn is that, conceptually, it is ridiculous. The scale of Great Swords and the movement of the Insect Glaive can be more appealing to players who want to hunt in style, but the Hunting Horn is a lot less serious. It’s one ofMonster Hunter’s most impractical weapons, and some players may want to pick something else.
Though it is primarily a support weapon, the silliness of the Hunting Horn is one of its main appeals, heightened by some of the weapons’ designs throughout the series.
It makes theMonster Hunterexperience more amusing,having its most ridiculous weapon being one of the most difficult and supportive, but this might not be what all players are looking for.
The Hunting Horn inMonster Hunter Wildsis an incredibly effective weapon in the right hands, but it’s definitely not suitable for all playstyles. As well as being one of the most difficult weapons in the game to use, its focus more on support and managing buffs than dealing high amounts of damage can be unappealing to some players. TheHunting Horn’s complexities can be rewarding to master, but it isn’t the best fit for every type of player.
