While close-range weapons are excellent, the bow in *Monster Hunter Wilds* offers a unique and rewarding experience, albeit with a challenging learning curve. New players should take the time to understand its mechanics to maximize their effectiveness in battles.
Monster Hunter Wilds Bow Weapon Guide
Unlike other weapons in *Monster Hunter Wilds*, the bow demands careful attention to your stamina bar. Each attack consumes stamina, with light attacks using less and charged attacks taking a significant toll. To execute a simple attack, you can left-click on your mouse or press the R2/RT button on your controller. Additionally, you can explore various combos, such as Dragon Piercer or Thousand Dragons. Below are the controls for using a bow:
| Combo | PC | PlayStation | Xbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Attack | Left-click | R2 | RT |
| Charged | Hold left-click | Hold R2 | Hold RT |
| Aim / Focus | Hold right-click | Hold L2 | Hold LT |
| Quick Shot | F | O | B |
| Power Shot | F + F | O + O | B + B |
| Arc Shot | Right-click + Left-click + F | L2 + R2 + O | LT + RT + B |
| Charging Sidestep | Right-click + R | L2 + X | LT + A |
| Dragon Piercer | R + F | Triangle + O | B + Y |
| Thousand Dragons | Right-click + R + F | R2 + Triangle + O | RT + Y + B |
| Select Coating | Ctrl + arrow up or down | L1 + Triangle or X | LB + Y or A |
| Apply Coating | R | Triangle | Y |
| Ready Tracer | Left-click + E | L2 + R2 + Square | LT + RT + X |
| Focus Fire: Hailstorm | Right-click + Shift | L2 + Hold R1 | LT + Hold RB |
If you're new to the bow in *Monster Hunter Wilds*, it's highly recommended to practice in the training ground. Here, you can experiment with different combos and familiarize yourself with the controls. It's not advisable to engage monsters in combat until you're confident with the bow's mechanics.
Related: Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Tier List (Best Weapons to Use)
Attack Monster's Weak Spots
A significant advantage of using the bow is the ability to target a monster's weak points with ease. Utilize the Focus Fire: Hailstorm technique to launch arrows that automatically lock onto these vulnerable areas. Once you focus your sight, red spots will appear on the enemy, indicating weak points. Simply hold down Shift or R1/RB to target these spots effectively.
Use Coatings
Coatings are a crucial element of the bow in *Monster Hunter Wilds*. These special concoctions enhance your arrows without the need for crafting. Your character will generate coatings as you hit enemies with regular arrows, which you can monitor via the blue bar in the bottom right corner of your screen.
To use coatings, continue performing regular attacks until the gauge is full. Then, press R, Triangle, or Y to apply the coating to your arrows. Each bow can utilize two types of coatings from the following list:
- Power Coating – Increases the overall damage of your arrows.
- Pierce Coating – Enhances the Dragon Piercer ability to pierce through armor.
- Close-Range Coating – Boosts your close-range damage.
- Paralysis Coating – Gradually inflicts Paralysis.
- Exhaust Coating – Gradually inflicts Stun and Exhaustion.
- Sleep Coating – Gradually inflicts Sleep.
- Poison Coating – Gradually inflicts Poison.
- Blast Coating – Gradually inflicts Blast.
Use Tracer Arrow
The Tracer Arrow is another valuable tool in your bow arsenal. This special arrow adheres to a monster for a limited duration, causing subsequent arrows to home in on the tracer. It's particularly useful for creating weak spots on a monster. However, be mindful that using a Tracer Arrow consumes coating points, so use it strategically.
Monster Hunter Wilds is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
