Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn Guide

Every day is a good day to bonk, bash, and blast some monster skulls! In this Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn guide, we’re diving deep into the art of smashing heads while keeping your team in top shape.

Hunting Horn has to be one of the trickiest weapons in the franchise, which is why it is often avoided by the new players. It’s got a seemingly unrecognizable mechanic, and by the looks of it, it’s only good for buffing fellow hunters instead of dealing damage. If these are the thoughts you had when considering picking up Hunting Horn, you could not be more wrong. Yes, Hunting Horn buffs you and other hunters, but it can deal so much damage that you can use it solo to absolutely bully monsters. And as for the difficult mechanic, once you understand how the weapon works, its fighting style is actually really fun! So, don’t worry because in this Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn tutorial, we’ll explain everything!

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Read our other articles:

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• Best Armor Sets
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• Beginner's Guide

Core Hunting Horn Mechanics

A huge part of why so many new hunters don’t know how to use Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds is because they see an absolutely awful amount of input commands and weird UI elements that appear on the screen when you equip this weapon, it makes you want to put it away immediately.

In reality, though, Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn mechanics are pretty simple. But first, let’s start with a table of controls so that you know what you’re dealing with.

Action	Xbox	PlayStation
Left Swing (White Note)
Right Swing (Red Note)
Flourish (Red Note)	+	+
Backward Strike (Yellow Note)	+	+
Overhead Smash (Yellow Note)	++	++
Perform (Triggers all melodies)
Performance Beat (Basic Perform)
Encore (Extends buff duration)
Special Performance (Melody effect)	++	++

It might seem like too many Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn controls to learn at first glance, but as we keep telling you - it ain’t that bad! BLOG20

Notes, Melodies, and Performances

The way this weapon works is you have notes assigned to your attack buttons. Each time you attack, the corresponding note gets saved on the note board. If you press these notes in the correct order, it’ll make up a melody, and you can save up to three melodies on the note bar. 

Those notes don’t disappear from the note board until you perform them. So, the second thing to do is to perform the Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn melodies you have stored to trigger their effects.

You have three notes that you can play

1. White Note – Y
2. Red Note – B
3. Yellow Note – Y + B

Each note is, of course, an attack that you can perform even with the directional input. Here’s a list of all the melodies you can play and what they do:

You can queue up to 3 of these melodies and then Perform them by pressing to trigger the effects in the same order as they’re stored.

Encore – Extending and Boosting Buffs

Once you’ve performed your stored melodies, you have the option to Encore by pressing again at the end of the performance. This allows you to maximize the impact of your buffs and extend their duration.

How Encore Works:

• After triggering your melodies with , press again before the animation finishes to Encore.
• This will extend the duration of all active buffs, ensuring you and your team benefit from them longer.
• Some melodies gain enhanced effects when performed with an Encore. For example, Self-Improvement not only increases movement speed but also grants the Mind’s Eye effect, preventing attacks from bouncing off monster hide.

Using Encore efficiently helps keep your buffs active for longer, reducing downtime and allowing you to focus on attacking. The timing is crucial, so make sure to press at the right moment to get the full benefit.

Perfect Timing for Extra Damage

Performances in Monster Hunter Wilds come with a timing-based mechanic that lets you deal extra damage. As you perform melodies, your Hunting Horn will enter an animation where it plays each stored melody. Near the end of this sequence, your weapon will briefly glow white—this is your cue to press again at the perfect moment.

If timed correctly, this results in a powerful follow-up attack that enhances your damage output. This follow-up is called Performance Beat. Missing the timing won’t cancel the performance, but you’ll lose out on the additional hit and damage bonus. This mechanic encourages rhythm-based precision, rewarding players who can land well-timed inputs with stronger attacks.

One of the coolest Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn tips is that you can chain multiple melodies for extra damage, making your Hunting Horn an even greater offensive tool while still buffing your allies.

Additional Hunting Horn Mechanics

With this arsenal of performing melodies and going for Encore for extra damage is not the end of it. How would you like some AoE damage now? Hunting Horn has one more core mechanic that you should be using basically all the time in a fight.

Echo Bubble – Remote Buffing and Damage

The Echo Bubble is a unique Hunting Horn mechanic in Monster Hunter Wilds that enhances both buffing and offensive potential. Activated by pressing + , it places a floating bubble on the battlefield that provides continuous support and extra damage.

Key Features of Echo Bubble:

• Buffing Zone: While inside the Echo Bubble’s area, you gain movement speed and evasion buffs, making it easier to dodge and reposition. BLOG20
• Remote Damage: Any time you play a note, the Echo Bubble will resonate and deal damage to nearby monsters—no matter where you are.
• Multiple Bubbles: You can have up to three Echo Bubbles active at once, creating a persistent damage source that adds pressure to the monster.
• Melody Setup: While casting an Echo Bubble, you can also input notes, allowing you to prepare melodies during bubble placement for smoother transitions into performances.

Since you can place up to 3 of these bubbles on the ground, and they will deal damage as you press your Monster Hunter Wilds Hunting Horn notes (attacks), the amount of area that deals damage is so big that you don’t even need to aim to hit the monster! Plus, if you’re quick, you can store more notes during the bubble “casting” animation. This means you can immediately follow up with a performance once the bubble is placed, making the transition seamless.

Offset Attack (Counter Mechanic)

The Offset Attack is a new feature introduced in Monster Hunter Wilds that allows all weapons to counter enemy attacks. However, the Hunting Horn’s Offset Attack has unique mechanics that set it apart from other weapons, making it an essential tool for both offense and defense.

How It Works

1. Play the Offset Melody (Yellow → Red → Yellow → White) to store the counter.
2. Unlike other melodies, the Offset Melody remains stored until you activate it, meaning you can prepare it in advance.
3. Perform the Offset Attack (+ + ) when a monster is about to land a heavy attack.
4. If timed correctly, it interrupts the monster’s attack and deals massive damage.

So, just remember that while it’s kind of difficult to pull it off successfully, this Offset Attack doesn't consume the Offset Melody on Performance.

The Hunting Horn’s Offset Attack is one of the most versatile counters in the game, allowing players to control fights with stored counterplay while still dealing solid damage. It rewards smart preparation, precise timing, and aggressive counterattacks.

Mounted Combat & Seikret Riding Attacks

The Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds allows you to play notes and perform melodies while mounted, making it a powerful tool for setting up buffs before battle.

1. Play notes while riding by pressing , , or + before an attack. This lets you store melodies while approaching a monster.
2. Queue different notes before the attack animation finishes, allowing for fast melody setups.
3. Perform melodies while mounted by pressing , buffing yourself and allies before dismounting.
4. Seikret Dismount Attack ( + ) deals high mounting damage, making it an effective way to start a fight.
5. You can jump off the Seikret and attack mid-air, playing a note or performing an attack as you land.

By taking advantage of these mechanics, the Hunting Horn can buff teammates before combat and set up powerful opening attacks, making it one of the best weapons for mounted play.

Conclusion

The Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Wilds is a unique mix of offense and support, capable of stunning monsters, dishing out heavy damage, and keeping your team buffed at all times. While its mechanics may seem complex at first, mastering note management, performance timing, and Echo Bubbles will allow you to maximize both your personal damage and team utility.

With the addition of Offset Attacks, Focus Strikes, and mounted note-playing, this version of the Hunting Horn is more dynamic than ever. Whether you prefer brawling up close, setting up traps of Echo Bubbles, or countering monster attacks with precision, the Hunting Horn is a versatile and deeply satisfying weapon that rewards players who take the time to learn its rhythm.

Once you get comfortable with its mechanics, you’ll find yourself not just supporting but dominating hunts with a mix of powerful strikes and perfectly timed buffs.

F.A.Q