Wild Heartsis another fantastic addition to the monster-hunting sub-genre of games (even with the performance issues) and has its own slew of unique weapons for players to master. On release, the game is set to have 8 different weapons to choose from with 5 of them being craftable in Chapter 1 of the game’s main story. And, withcontent after launch already promised, who knows if more (and how many) will be added further down the road.
RELATED:Game Characters With The Power Of Reincarnation
There’s theKarakuri Katana, Nodachi, Bow, Bladed Wagasa, Canon, Clawblade, Karakuri Staff,andMaul.The Maul, in particular, is an interesting choice of weapon as it is by far the heaviest and most ‘impactful’ of all the options. But, there is a bit of a learning curve to using it, so let’s go overWild Hearts’Kemono-slaying hunk of metal, in-depth.
Maul Weapon Overview
So, how exactly is the Maul different from all the other weapon options inWild Hearts?For one, it’s gigantic and slow.It sacrifices all types of speed (attack speed, animation speed, etc) for raw damage and high-impact attacks.And, unlike other slow weapons or even Hammers in other games, the Maul inWild Heartshas a ton of reach, as long as players correctly trigger the effects of its Maul Extended attacks.
That said, the Maul is not a weapon that players can just spam inputs on and excel with. The rhythm game-esque timing it requires between inputs to extend the combos as well as the hilt of the Maul means that players will need to be very precise and intentional with their inputs.
Additionally,it’s very easy to take unnecessary hits from a Kemono while using the Mauldue to its long animations and the fact that the player is ‘locked in’ for a lot of them, so knowing when there’s an opening and not getting too greedy also matters a lot. But, there’s a lot to master while using this weapon, and if players do so, they can decimate Kemono faster than almost any other weapon can.
Basic Maul Combos
Disclaimer: As there are different inputs for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Keyboard, Inputs are expressed as Attack 1 (A1), Attack 2 (A2), and Special Attack (SA). Any ‘+’ symbol usage will indicate pressing both inputs at the same time.As far as Basic Combos go, the Maul has a standard three-hit Attack 1 combo, an auto-jumping single-hit Attack 2, and a whirlwind-spinning Special Attack. To break it down further, the Maul has:
Advanced Maul Combos
All of these, however, can be interrupted by or extended bythe Maul Extension system. Basically, if a player presses thePower Smashinput right as their Maul flashes orange at the end of an attack animation, they’ll see that the hunter extends the hilt of the Maul before the next attack animation. Then, right after, if they press another Attack input, the hunter will unleash a new attack with a Maul that reaches much further than usual. With the new mechanic in mind, the ‘advanced’ Maul attacks include:
The most unique combos on here are of course the repeatable Extended Smash Burst 2 attack that branches off from the initial Power Smash.If players keep pressing the Special Attack input at the right time during Extended Smash burst 2, they can keep the spin going for as long as their stamina lastsor choose to end the combo with a spinning slam using theExtended Smash Burst 2 + Finisherseries of inputs. Additionally, many of these can be linked to each other as long as the last hit in the attack string gives the same ‘flash’ that indicates it’s Maul Extendable.
Basic & Advanced Maul Combo Mechanics
Now obviously, mastering the timing of theseMaul Extensioncombos is a large portion of the Maul’s ‘Advanced Mechanics’. But, that isn’t all that it has. Here are a few more advanced concepts players should take note of when using the Maul:
How To Utilize It In Actual Combat Against The Kemono
Now these combo lists and conceptual discussions are all well and good, but how is a newcomer actually supposed to use this massive thing in combat? Well, here’s the general overview of what to keep in mind during combat.
Why Pick The Maul Over Everything Else?
And finally,why should players pick the Maul over any of the other 7 weapon options inWild Hearts?What does this weapon offer that other weapons don’t? What types of players are drawn to a weapon like this? Well:
And that’s about it as far as the Maul is concerned. Of course, after some more time this weapon will have been properly dissected and min-maxed in its proper usage by the player base. But, for now, this should help new playersafter the game’s releaseor players trying out the 10-hour trial quickly get used to this immensely enjoyable weapon choice.
Wild Heartslaunches February 16 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
