Mastering Bow Techniques in Monster Hunter Wilds: Essential Moves and Combos

While close-range weapons excel in *Monster Hunter Wilds*, the bow emerges as a stellar choice for seasoned hunters. However, mastering it involves navigating a steep learning curve, making it essential for newcomers to grasp its mechanics before diving in.

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Unlike other weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds, the bow demands a keen focus on your stamina bar. Every attack you execute will drain some stamina, with light attacks consuming less, while charged attacks deplete a substantial portion of your stamina reserves.

To execute a basic attack, simply left-click on your mouse or press the R2/RT button on your controller. Delve into various combos such as Dragon Piercer or Thousand Dragons to enhance your combat prowess. Below are the controls you'll use when wielding 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 handling a bow in Monster Hunter Wilds, it's advisable to spend some time at the training ground. Here, you can experiment with different combos and familiarize yourself with the controls. It's not wise to engage in battles with monsters without a solid understanding of your weapon.

Related: Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Tier List (Best Weapons to Use)

Attack Monster’s Weak Spots

One of the bow's advantages is its ability to precisely target a monster's weak points. Utilize the Focus Fire: Hailstorm technique to fire arrows that automatically hone in on these vulnerable areas. Once you've focused your aim, red spots will highlight the monster's weak points. Simply hold down Shift or R1/RB to lock onto these targets and maximize your damage output.

Use Coatings

Coatings are a crucial element of the bow in Monster Hunter Wilds. These special concoctions can be applied to your arrows to enhance their effects. Your character will automatically generate coatings as you hit enemies with regular arrows, so no crafting is required. Keep an eye on the blue bar in the bottom right corner to track your coating gauge.

Your strategy should involve executing regular attacks until the gauge fills up. Once full, press R, Triangle, or Y to apply coatings to your arrows. Each bow can utilize two types of coatings from the following list:

• Power Coating – Boosts the overall damage of your arrows.
• Pierce Coating – Enables your arrows to pierce through armor with the Dragon Piercer ability.
• Close-Range Coating – Enhances your damage output at close range.
• Paralysis Coating – Gradually inflicts Paralysis on the monster.
• Exhaust Coating – Slowly induces Stun and Exhaustion.
• Sleep Coating – Gradually puts the monster to Sleep.
• Poison Coating – Gradually inflicts Poison.
• Blast Coating – Slowly inflicts Blast damage.

Use Tracer Arrow

The Tracer Arrow is another valuable asset when using the bow in Monster Hunter Wilds. This arrow adheres to the monster for a limited duration, causing subsequent arrows to automatically target the tracer. It's particularly effective for creating weak spots on the monster, though using it will consume some coating points, so use it judiciously.

Monster Hunter Wilds is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.