How to Use Bow in Monster Hunter Wilds: Moves and Combos

The bow in *Monster Hunter Wilds* is an excellent choice for players who enjoy precision and strategy, though it comes with a challenging learning curve that new players must navigate. Understanding the mechanics of the bow is essential for mastering this weapon.

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Screenshot via The Escapist

Unlike other weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds, the bow requires careful management of your stamina bar. Each attack consumes stamina, with light attacks using less and charged attacks depleting more. To execute a basic attack, you'll use the left-click on your mouse or the R2/RT button on your controller. The bow also offers several combos, such as the Dragon Piercer and Thousand Dragons, which can enhance your combat effectiveness. Here are the controls for using the bow effectively:

For those new to the bow, it's highly recommended to visit the training ground in Monster Hunter Wilds. This allows you to practice various combos and familiarize yourself with the controls before engaging in actual combat.

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 more effectively. Utilize the Focus Fire: Hailstorm technique to automatically lock onto these vulnerable areas. Once you've focused your aim, red spots will highlight the weak points on the enemy. Simply hold down Shift or R1/RB to target these spots accurately.

Use Coatings

Screenshot via The Escapist

Coatings are a crucial feature 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 effectively, continue with 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 penetrate armor.
• Close-Range Coating – Boosts damage at close range.
• 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 arrow sticks to a monster for a limited time, allowing subsequent arrows to home in on the tracer. It's particularly useful for creating and exploiting 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.