In Monster Hunter Wilds, a new mechanic allows you to wound the monsters you hunt and then target those wounds to deal significant damage and weaken them. Here’s how you can focus on and attack these injuries effectively.
Inflicting Wounds in Monster Hunter Wilds
In Monster Hunter Wilds, you can create wounds on monsters by repeatedly attacking a specific body part until it becomes exposed and turns red, making it more vulnerable to damage. By doing this, you can open multiple wounds on different areas of the monster, such as its legs, tail, or even head—where some creatures are especially weak.
Once the wounds are created, the key is to find an opportunity to target them using Focus Mode’s staggering attacks for maximum impact. For parts like claws, legs, or the midsection, continuous damage will cause them to become slightly scarred before eventually turning red, signaling their weakened state.
Another highly effective way to create wounds in Monster Hunter Wilds is by using the Mounting mechanic. This allows you to open two or three wounds on the monster’s body before executing a finisher to stun it. This technique is particularly useful for quickly wounding the upper body, tail, or head, making it easier to focus your attacks on these vulnerable areas.
Using Focus Mode
During any monster encounter, you can activate Focus Mode by holding the left trigger. While it’s commonly used for aiming slinger ammo, Focus Mode also lets you place a reticle and guide your attacks, even with melee weapons. If you’ve successfully landed multiple hits on the same spot, entering Focus Mode will reveal the monster’s wounds, allowing you to target them more effectively.
Although staying in Focus Mode at all times may not be practical, be sure to switch back and forth to identify wounded areas on the monster. Prioritising those wounds will help you speed up the fight.
Note: In Focus Mode, pressing the right bumper—normally used to sheath your weapon—triggers a Focus Strike, a powerful attack that specifically targets wounds and deals extra critical damage. Landing enough hits on a wound will eventually cause it to burst, staggering the monster for a second or two.
Targeting Wounds in Monster Hunter Wilds
Targeting exposed wounds is almost essential, as it creates more DPS windows for you and your teammates to deal significant damage to monsters during hunts. It also helps tenderise and wear them down instantly, especially when they’re in a frenzied state. In fact, it’s often best to target wounds during this state, as it can potentially stagger them.
Occasionally, wounds may appear in hard-to-reach areas, such as the upper part of a monster’s wing, which can happen with creatures like Arkveld or Rey Dau. More importantly, beyond making fights easier, the game actively rewards you with extra monster materials when wounds are destroyed.
If this happens, take your time to reach those spots and use long-reach weapons like the Greatsword, Gunlance, or Bow to target them efficiently. Finally, with multiple inflicted wounds, particularly on the tail, you’ll find it much easier to break parts and collect the materials you need, making farming feel smoother and more efficient.
