Hunting Horn Overview

Posted by Yodi Dady on 22:57 with No comments

The Hunting Horn (狩猟笛 Shuryōbue) is a weapon first introduced in the second generation of the Monster Hunter series. It is similar to the Hammer in that it does impact damage and can stun a monster when it connects with the head. 

Initially, the Hunting Horns were weaker than the Hammer, as per the damage formula. Even attacks which the two appear to share, such as the Superpound (Triangle+Circle), were weaker on the Hunting Horn. What makes the Horn different from the Hammer is the Recital ability which is triggered by pressing the "R" button.
As of Portable 3rd, the damage formulas have been changed and the Hunting Horn actually puts out more sustained damage than the hammer. The hammer still does more burst damage and more KO damage, but the HH's sustained is far superior. Each Horn has a different set of three color specific notes.These notes can be combined in various ways to create various effects, which mimic items such as Demondrug and Psychoserum, among others.

Notes

  • All of the note combinations and note sets can be found in the weapon menu
  • One important armor skill for HH users is Flute Expert. The Flute Expert skill adds one minute to the duration of every effect that the Hunting Horn creates with its music.
  • Though extremely unused, it is possible to attack using recital mode. Ironically, this is the most powerful attack for the Hunting horn. 

Let’s start with the basics: the horn is basically a hammer in that it has very high attack and has big swings that can KO monsters. However, unlike hammer, it has no charge system. Each attack you do (X, X+A, and A) each register a color on your sheet music on top of the screen. Once you have registered notes that trigger a set effect they light up. Press R to play the song and gain the effects. We are talking BIG effects like attack up large and HQ ear plugs. Of the coast is clear, press R again during playing to do the song one additional time, stacking the effect. The effects of songs typically last 2 minutes but if you activate horn maestro (only 5 gems needed) songs last for around 3 min. Each horn has a set of different songs but all share the same one: X, X. This makes you move faster with your weapon out, in fact, faster than any other weapon. You’ll be running around like an SNS wielder!

All you really have to do is play that first song and you can battle without playing anything. Once you get used to it you can learn to use the other songs. Note that when you play a song you’ll start with an attack, this is great to knock away small enemies beforehand. Attack wise, A button does a golf swing. This is used to KO enemies and is fast. The unique thing about horn is that you generally want to face to the right when in front of a monster. This is because the golf swing and other big move (listed below) are swing over your head and of you are facing right you’ll smack monsters right across the face. The A swing is slightly curbed so 30-45 degree and to the right should be just enough to place a face smash when in from of an enemy.

X button neutral is just a normal swipe, not used much except when string notes for songs. Hold forward and press X though and you’ll do a forward down smash. This is a great pounding strike and relatively fast. X+A does a huge over the head swing. Because it’s over the head you want to be either facing right as mentioned above, or facing the same direction of the monster (get under it and do the move and you’ll smack it right in the face!). If you press forward while hitting X+A you’ll do a devastating swing then pound. This is very similar to the super pound the hammer does only you do not need to charge at all. Do this when the face is in front and you have 1.5 seconds to get it off.

And that’s all! It’s fun, powerful, and really unique. I hope you give it a try. Once you get good you’ll naturally choose attacks in the right order to activate songs while you battle. It creates this meditative state of mind when you are in the flow like that.

- Note about strategies:
 
There are a few main ways to fight. One is to primarily use A and aim for KOs and when the monster is down, go to its head and use the forward plus X+A to pound it in. Using forward +X on occasion to do a forward smash.

The other is walking around the monster until you can get in front if it, facing to the right (your left hand facing its head) and pressing X+A to deal a powerful over the head face smash. Same strategy as the above but harder since X+A is a bigger motion but stronger and easier to kill monsters faster.
Finally there is open style. Once you master the horn you’ll be in total freestyle mode, knowing when to get in the big X+A smash and when to smack it with A or X. You’ll even know which attacks each song your weapon will do when you start to recite and will KO enemies while belting out attack up

- Pros and Cons :

Advantages

  • Longer reach than Hammer.
  • Recital has different uses, from attack and defence boosts to elemental resistances, healing and the power to negate some status effects and tremors.
  • Recital songs get even stronger in G rank.
  • Has cutting damage by using the Forward Stab attack. (MHP3rd, MH3U and MH4. only)
  • It is stronger than the Hammer in MHP3rd, MH3G and MH4.

Disadvantages

  • Does not have charged attacks.
  • Weaker than Hammer in the other previous series in which it is present. (MHFU, MHF2, MH2, MHF, MHG.)
  • It has no guard.
  • It's attacks are a bit slower than the Lance, Gunlance, and Long Sword.
  • Due to long range and varying attacks, not as precise as the Hammer when targeting monster weak points.
- Tutorial for Beginner Hunter (by GaijinHunter)
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