Unleash your inner hunter in Monster Hunter Wilds by mastering the art of wounding monsters-target glowing red scars that mark vulnerable spots, then execute Focus Strikes to deal devastating damage and stagger your prey. Whether wielding a mighty greatsword or a precise bow, learning how to see and exploit wounds will turn the tide of any hunt, unlocking rare materials and critical openings for victory.
How to see and target wounds in Monster Hunter Wilds
To see and target wounds in Monster Hunter Wilds, you need to first inflict damage repeatedly on the same part of a monster’s body until a wound forms. These wounds appear as glowing red patches once fully developed and can be revealed by activating Focus Mode-hold the left trigger (Xbox), L2 (PlayStation), or Mouse Button 4/Left Alt (PC) to enter this mode. Focus Mode highlights wounds, allowing you to lock onto them with a reticle. You can then perform a Focus Strike by pressing the right bumper (Xbox), R2 (PlayStation), or Left Shift (PC) to deal enhanced critical damage to the wound, which can stagger the monster and cause parts to break off, yielding extra materials. Wounds persist for about 30-40 seconds and can be created more quickly by mounting the monster, especially on its back. Using Focus Mode and targeting wounds is key to maximizing damage and controlling the battle effectively.
In any monster fight, you’ll be able to enter your focus mode by holding left trigger. Focus mode isn’t just for aiming slinger ammo; it allows you to put a reticle and somewhat direct your attacks, even when wielding a melee weapon.
If you’ve managed to direct a few hits to the same spot, entering focus mode will allow you to see a monster’s wounds. These wounds live up the video game cliché and glow red, making them very easy to see and target.
While in focus mode, hitting right bumper – which would normally put away your weapon – will cause your hunter to do a Focus Strike, a special wound-targeting attack that does extra critical damage. Hit a wound enough and it will burst, which will cause the monster to stagger for a second or two as well.
This could even cause a piece of the monster, like its tail or fangs, to break off, which will give you a little pop-up notification and cause a monster part to drop on the ground for immediate collection.
You can also inflict wounds on the monster’s back while mounting them, usually doing two to three wounds before you run out of stamina. (We have a helpful guide with tips on how to mount monsters during a fight, too.)
The takeaway: While it might not always be practical to stay in focus mode, make sure to flip back and forth to see where the monster is wounded, and make attacking those wounds a priority to speed up the fight. If you’ve managed to wound a monster higher up on its body where your weapon doesn’t reach, you could try to stun it and knock it over by targeting its head. Or consider carrying a secondary weapon on your Seikret with a longer reach or some range.
How can I quickly identify glowing wounds during battle in Monster Hunter Wilds
To quickly identify glowing wounds during battle in Monster Hunter Wilds, enter Focus Mode by pressing the left trigger (L2). Fully formed wounds will then glow red, making them conspicuously visible and easy to target with your reticle. These wounds appear after repeatedly hitting the same spot on a monster until a white scar forms, then an open wound with a red glow emerges, which Focus Mode highlights in red. Targeting these glowing wounds deals bonus damage and allows you to perform a Focus Strike (L2 + R1) for a powerful attack that can stagger the monster and break parts. For Tempered Monsters, wounds glow blue instead of red and appear on massive white battle scars that must be specifically targeted to trigger blue wounds. Keeping Focus Mode active during the fight helps spot these wounds and openings created by monster attacks that can also be exploited with Focus Strikes.
How do I distinguish blue wounds from regular scars on tempered monsters
To distinguish blue wounds from regular scars on Tempered Monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds, focus on the monster’s large white or grey battle scars, which are the key indicators. These scars appear as massive white or grey patches on the monster’s body and are the only places where blue wounds can be triggered. When you use Focus Mode (L2) and aim at these battle scars, they will glow blue instead of the usual red seen on regular wounds. This blue glow signifies a blue wound on a Tempered Monster, which can be exploited for massive damage and rare rewards. Unlike regular wounds, you cannot trigger blue wounds anywhere else but on these specific battle scars. Successfully breaking these blue wounds yields valuable materials like Wyverian Bloodstones and Artian Weapon Components.
