Monster Hunter Wilds offers players a dynamic hunting experience, where choosing the right weapons and strategies can make all the difference. One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal are elemental weapons. Mastering their use is crucial for dealing with different monsters' weaknesses, maximizing your damage output, and making each hunt more efficient.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about using elemental weapons effectively in Monster Hunter Wilds, from understanding the mechanics to choosing the right weapons for specific monsters. Plus, we’ll provide insights from the community to enhance your strategies.
Understanding Elemental Weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds
Elemental weapons deal additional damage based on the element they are imbued with. These weapons are especially useful when hunting monsters that have specific elemental weaknesses. There are five elemental types in Monster Hunter Wilds:
- Fire
- Water
- Thunder
- Ice
- Dragon
Each monster has different elemental resistances, and exploiting these weaknesses with elemental weapons can significantly increase the damage you deal. To fully utilize elemental weapons, it’s essential to know when and how to deploy them during your hunts.
How Elemental Damage Works
Elemental damage is calculated by combining the weapon’s elemental attack value with other modifiers. Here’s a basic breakdown of how it works:
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Elemental Attack: This is the value that indicates how much elemental damage your weapon can inflict. Higher elemental attack means more potential damage.
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Sharpness: The sharper your weapon, the more effective your elemental damage will be. For example, a fully sharpened weapon will deal more elemental damage than a dull one.
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Monster’s Weaknesses: Each monster has a specific elemental weakness. When you attack a monster with a weapon that matches its weakness, you can deal more damage. Understanding these weaknesses is key to maximizing your elemental weapon’s effectiveness.
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Hitzone Value: Certain parts of a monster’s body are weaker to specific elements. For example, a monster’s head may be more vulnerable to thunder damage, while its tail may have high resistance to fire damage. Always aim for the parts with the highest hitzone value for maximum elemental damage.
Elemental Damage Formula:
Elemental damage is calculated using the formula:
(Elemental Attack / 10) × Sharpness Modifier × Hitzone Value × Quest Modifier × Critical Modifier = Elemental Damage
This formula shows how various factors like elemental attack, sharpness, and the monster’s hitzone values come into play when calculating the total damage output.
Weapon Types and Elemental Affinity
1. Fast Weapons (e.g., Dual Blades, Sword and Shield)
- Pros: These weapons hit rapidly, allowing you to stack elemental damage quickly. Weapons like the Dual Blades and Sword and Shield are excellent for exploiting elemental weaknesses due to their fast attack speed.
- Best Use: Ideal for monsters with weaker defenses against elemental damage. Fast weapons help you apply consistent elemental damage over time.
2. Slow Weapons (e.g., Great Sword, Hammer)
- Pros: While slow weapons may not deal elemental damage as quickly, they make up for it with high raw damage output.
- Best Use: These weapons are more effective when focused on raw damage or when using status effects. However, pairing them with elemental weapons can be beneficial for certain monsters that have significant elemental weaknesses.
3. Long-Range Weapons (e.g., Bow, Light Bowgun, Heavy Bowgun)
- Pros: These weapons can apply elemental damage from a distance, making them great for attacking monsters while avoiding their powerful close-range attacks.
- Best Use: The Bow and Bowguns are excellent for hitting monsters from afar and inflicting elemental damage over time. These weapons are particularly useful for taking down flying or highly mobile monsters.
How to Choose the Right Elemental Weapon for the Job
Choosing the right elemental weapon depends on the monster you are hunting. Each monster has a different elemental weakness, and you’ll want to craft or select weapons that exploit these weaknesses for maximum damage.
1. Research Monster Weaknesses
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Hunter’s Notes: Use the Hunter’s Notes to research each monster and determine its elemental weaknesses. Some monsters are weak to multiple elements, while others may have high resistance to specific ones.
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Hitzone Values: Pay attention to the hitzone values listed in the Hunter’s Notes. Some body parts are more susceptible to elemental damage than others. For example, a monster’s head may be more vulnerable to fire or thunder attacks.
2. Craft Elemental Weapons
At the Smithy, you can craft weapons imbued with different elemental properties. It’s a good idea to craft a variety of elemental weapons, so you’re always prepared for whatever you encounter in the wild. For example:
- Craft fire weapons for monsters like Rathalos or Anjanath.
- Craft water weapons for monsters like Barioth or Tobi-Kadachi.
- Craft ice weapons for monsters like Legiana or Teostra.
Make sure to adjust your elemental weapon set based on the monsters you'll face in a given hunt.
Strategic Tips for Using Elemental Weapons Effectively
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Buffs and Armor Skills: Equip armor with skills that boost elemental attack or affinity. Skills like Weakness Exploit or Elemental Boost can increase your elemental damage potential, making your attacks even more powerful.
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Mind Your Sharpness: Always keep an eye on your weapon’s sharpness. Dull weapons deal reduced elemental damage, so be sure to sharpen them regularly.
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Monitor Status Effects: While elemental weapons deal consistent damage, status effects like Poison, Paralysis, and Blast are also powerful tools. Balancing between elemental damage and status effects is key for maximizing your total damage output.
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Elemental Discharge (For Sword and Shield): If you’re using a weapon like the Sword and Shield, make sure to utilize its elemental discharge moves, which release a burst of elemental damage when executed correctly.
Community Insights and Support
The Monster Hunter Wilds community is full of passionate hunters who share their experiences and strategies. Here are some useful tips from the community:
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Reddit: Many players share their experiences with elemental weapons on the Monster Hunter subreddit. You can find specific strategies for various monsters, weapon builds, and insights into which elemental weapons work best for specific hunts.
- Check out the Monster Hunter Reddit community for discussions on elemental weapon strategies.
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Forums: On forums like GameFAQs and Steam Community, hunters often post their guides and build recommendations. You can find detailed posts discussing which elemental weapons work best for high-difficulty hunts.
Conclusion
Using elemental weapons effectively in Monster Hunter Wilds requires understanding the game’s elemental mechanics, researching monster weaknesses, and selecting the right weapons for the job. Whether you’re using fast weapons to stack elemental damage or slow weapons for raw power, the key is to adapt to your opponent’s weaknesses.
By following this guide and engaging with the Monster Hunter Wilds community for support and tips, you’ll be well-equipped to make the most out of your elemental arsenal.
Related Articles:
If you're looking to optimize your Great Sword in Monster Hunter Wilds, understanding the best talismans is essential. Talismans provide vital boosts to your weapon’s performance and can significantly enhance your hunting capabilities. For a detailed breakdown of the best talismans suited for the Great Sword, check out our Best Talismans for the Great Sword in MH Wilds: A Comprehensive Guide.
Additionally, collecting Wyvern Gems is a critical part of upgrading your gear and crafting powerful weapons. If you’re struggling to farm them efficiently, our Master Wyvern Gem Farming in MH Wilds: Drop Locations & Pro Tips guide will give you all the tips and locations to make your gem farming much more effective.
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