Hunting Horn Controls Guide - Combos, Changes, and New Moves

Hunting Horn Controls Guide for Monster Hunter Wilds (MH Wilds). Includes how to use hunting horn, combo, attacks, techniques, melody and moves, stances, and more!

Hunting Horn Balancing Adjustments

First Major Update

The first major update released on April 3, 2025 addressed a bug that caused simultaneous button presses to be unresponsive, for example when storing a Melody while setting an Echo Bubble.

Hunting Horn - How to Use

Learn to Play Music

What's important in using the Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds is knowing how to perform music. Learn to play melodies so you can strengthen yourself and your allies.

Step 1: Stock the Notes You Want to Play

▲Stock Attack Up (S) With White-Red-White

Check the melody guide display in the top-right corner of the screen first to stock your notes. The △ button, ◯ button, and △ + ◯ button have their own corresponding note, so pressing buttons in order allows you to stock them. The stocked notes will be shown in the top-left corner of the screen.

Step 2: Perform by Pressing R2

Once you've stocked notes, press R2 to Perform them and activate their effects. If multiple notes are stocked, you can choose the performance starting position by pressing R2 + △ or ◯. You can also enhance power and extend the effect duration using a follow-up combo like Encore and Performance Beat.

How to Use Performance Beat and Effects

To activate Performance Beat, press R2 when a shockwave is released from the Hunting Horn during Perform. This slight red glow of the Hunting Horn signals that Performance Beat was successful.

Constantly Buff Allies With Melody Effects

The best feature of the Hunting Horn is its ability to strengthen both the user and allies through performances. You can gain various effects such as increased damage, reduced damage taken, and more. Always fight with the melody effects active, and perform again immediately when they wear off to refresh them.

Place Echo Bubbles and Fight Within the Area

When placing Echo Bubbles, you'll receive special effects while staying within the range based on the type of Hunting Horn you're equipped with. While Performing with an Echo Bubble placed, reverb attacks will be emitted from the echo bubble, damaging nearby monsters. So fight within the range to maximize its benefits.

Can Stock Up to Three (3) Notes While Casting

When setting up Echo Bubbles, quickly press ◯, △, or △+◯ to store up to three Notes. Since you can stock the notes without having to perform an attack corresponding to each note, it's recommended to input the notes while placing the Echo Bubbles.

Utilize Special Performance to Fight

Special Performance is a technique used to activate unique melody effects that are set for each Hunting Horn. Special Performance remains available until activated once the note is stocked, allowing you to use it at your preferred timing. The Special Performance of the Hunting Horn weapon in the Beta version has "Offset Melody" that enables counterattacks.

Aim for the Head to Stun

Hunting Horn attacks deal blunt damage, so repeatedly hitting the head can stun the enemy, temporarily immobilizing it. Focus on targeting the head to create more opportunities for additional attacks.

Resistance Increases With Repeated Attacks

Monsters develop resistance to stun effects with each successive stun. Since it will be hard to stun them over time, the stun count you can achieve in a single battle depends on how accurate you can land attacks on the monster's head.

Use As Sub-weapon to Obtain Buff Effects

Equipping the Hunting Horn as a sub weapon allows you to apply buffs like Attack Up before the fight. Consider using the Hunting Horn as a sub weapon if you want to increase your damage of give buffs to the team.

Equip Hunting Horn As Main and Sub Weapon Is Also Good

In the released version, equipping a Hunting Horn as both your Main and Sub Weapon allows you to play and activate buffs that will remain even after switching. As an example, playing an ATK Boost melody with your sub-weapon works even if you switch to your main weapon to use a different melody..

Hunting Horn - Attack & Moves

Basic Controls

Left Swing (1st Note)

Right Swing (2nd Note)

＋

Flourish (2nd Note)

＋

Backwards Strike (3rd Note)

＋ ＋

Overhead Smash (3rd Note)

➡

＋ ＋

Hilt Stab (Follow-up)

---

Perform

➡

＋ or

Choose Starting Note

➡

Performance Beat

➡

＋

Encore

---

With Notes Stocked ＋ ＋

Special Performance

＋

Echo Bubble

➡

While Casting or or ＋ to Stock Notes

---

Hold ＋

Focus Strike: Reverb

Perform

With the latest update, you can now choose the starting position of the stocked notes for your performance. If multiple notes are stocked, you can perform them consecutively. Additionally, after performing, you can follow-up with powerful attacks through Performance Beat or extend and enhance effects using Encore.

Special Performance

Special Performances trigger the unique melody effects set for the Hunting Horn. In the Beta version, the Hunting Horn is equipped with the melody 'Offset Melody', enabling counterattacks. Additionally, once stocked, there is no need to perform the melody; pressing R2+△+◯ allows you to unleash it at any time.

Echo Bubbles

When within the range of Echo Bubble, you will gain the effect designated for each weapon. Additionally, it resonates as you perform and play notes, dealing damage to nearby enemies.

During Casting Player Can Stock Up to 3 Notes

During the motion of casting or installing the Echo Bubble, quickly press ◯, △ or △ + ◯ to stock up to 3 notes. Since you can stock notes without performing the attacks associated with each one, it's recommended to input these commands when placing the Echo Bubble.

Focus Strike: Reverb

Focus Strike: Reverb is the focused weakness attack of the Hunting Horn. During the attack, you can stock up to 5 notes by pressing ◯ or △ or ◯ + △. If activated at the right timing, the damage will increase.

Hunting Horn - Recommended Combos

High-Damage Combo Using Echo Bubble

To fully utilize the resonance of Echo Bubble, you need to stock 3 notes in advance. After stocking the notes, place the Echo Bubble and aim for the resonant damage through your performance. When performing with R2, timing the input with the activation of the melody effects will increase the damage, so make sure to keep that in mind.

Stationary Attack Combo

This is a combo for stationary attacks without changing your position. However, a drawback is that only the same notes will be stocked, so it's best to use this when you want to maximize your damage output.

Hunting Horn - New Attack Overview

Perform

You can now choose the starting position of the stocked notes for your performance. If multiple notes are stocked, you can perform them consecutively. Additionally, after performing, you can follow up with powerful attacks through Performance Beat or extend and enhance effects using Encore.

Special Performance

Special Performances trigger the unique melody effects set for the Hunting Horn. In the Beta version, the Hunting Horn is equipped with the 'Offset Melody' enabling counterattacks. Additionally, once stocked, there is no need to perform the melody; pressing R2 + △ + ◯ allows you to unleash it at any time.

Echo Bubbles

When within the range of Echo Bubble, you will gain the effect designated for each weapon. Additionally, it resonates as you perform and play notes, dealing damage to nearby enemies.

During Casting Player Can Stock Up to 3 Notes

During the motion of casting or installing the Echo Bubble, quickly press ◯ , △ or △ + ◯ to stock up to 3 notes. Since you can stock notes without performing the attacks associated with each one, it's recommended to input these commands when placing the Echo Bubble.

Focus Strike: Reverb

Focus Strike: Reverb is the focused weakness attack of the Hunting Horn. During the attack, you can stock up to 5 notes by pressing ◯ or △ or ◯ + △. If activated at the right timing, the damage will increase.

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