How Offset Attacks And Power Clashes Work In Monster Hunter Wilds

Every Monster Hunter game has its own unique weapon combos, and Monster Hunter Wilds is no exception. Once you’ve gotten a handle on focus mode and monster wounds, you might want to start digging deeper into your weapon’s combos to see what kind of new techniques have been added.

A hunter standing before a rathalos in monster hunter world, hunters battling magnamalo in monster hunter rise, and a rajang in monster hunter, left to right.

Every Monster Hunter Game In Chronological Order

Monster Hunter continues to be well and alive after almost two decades. With so many titles, it can be confusing to know how to play them in order.

There are two particularly useful moves in Wilds called Offset Attacks and Power Clashes. While not every weapon has access to these moves, those that do have an incredible new tool to use against aggressive monsters in the Forbidden Lands. Read on to find out how to execute these powerful new attacks.

What Are Offset Attacks?

A hunter performing an offset attack in Monster Hunter Wilds. — via Capcom

Offset attacks are moves that require precise timing and are used to stagger or offset a monster’s attack. Executing an offset attack right as a monster attacks with a certain move will redirect the monster’s momentum in another direction, or possibly even knock it over. When this happens, you will resist or avoid taking damage from the attack and game hyper armor, which temporarily makes you uninterruptable and gives you damage reduction.

Much like status effects, monsters will build up a tolerance to offset attacks the more often you perform them. So while the first offset attack you perform might knock the monster over, it might take three more successful offset attacks before the monster is knocked over again.

The Doshaguma armor set bonus, Doshaguma’s Might, temporarily grants attack +10 after a successful power clash or offset attack.

While many physical attacks can be offset, every monster has its own unique offset conditions, so you’ll have to experiment with timing to find which attacks can be offset and which can’t. When you perform a perfect offset, you’ll hear a chime and see a bunch of orange particles explode out of your weapon. The monster will then either be knocked back or staggered.

The weapons that can perform offset attacks are the Great Sword, Switch Axe, Hunting Horn, Hammer, and Heavy Bowgun. Some weapons have a specific offset attack, while others have their offsets built into other combos. Here’s how to perform an offset with each weapon.

Weapon	Offset Attack	Inputs
Great Sword	Offset Rising Slash	Hold Y/Triangle+B/Circle to charge up and release right when the monster attacks.
Switch Axe	Axe: Offset Rising Slash	Press Y/Triangle+B/Circle when the monster attacks, then follow up with Y/Triangle for a heavy slam or RT/R2 for morph slash, transitioning into sword mode.
Hunting Horn	Offset Melody	Create an Echo Bubble RT/R2+A/Cross, then press Y/Triangle+B/Circle to perform the Offset Melody (only available on specific Hunting Horns).
Hammer	The final hit of the standard combo Mighty Charge Upswing Spinning Bludgeon	Press Y/Triangle three times, the third hit is the offset Press Y/Triangle+B/Circle and release during the upswing, must be at charge level 3. Press Y/Triangle+B/Circle after attacking, the final hit of the spin will offset.
Heavy Bowgun	Wyverncounter Ignition	Hold LT/L2+Y/Triangle to charge up. Must be in Ignition mode.

What’s A Power Clash?

A hunter performing a Power Clash in Monster Hunter Wilds. — via Capcom

Guarding against certain monster attacks with exact timing will activate a perfect guard. When this happens, you will hear a chime and see white particle effects explode out of your shield. Sometimes, depending on the monster’s attack, this will initiate a Power Clash. When this happens, your hunter and the monster will match in strength, and your hunter will then toss the monster back and sometimes knock it down.

Like offset attacks, monsters become more resistant to Power Clashes the more often you use them. Your first Power Clash on a perfect guard is all but guaranteed, but subsequent Power Clashes will require multiple perfect guard to activate.

The Sword & Shield, Lance, Gunlance, Charge Blade, Great Sword, and Heavy Bowgun can all perform the Power Clash. Here’s how you activate this move for each weapon.

Weapon	Inputs
Sword & Shield	Hold RT/R2, then Y/Triangle to Counterslash.
Lance	Hold RT/R2, follow up with RS/R1+Y/Triangle to dash, then Y/Triangle to Shield Attack or B/Circle to Leaping Thrust.
Gunlance	Hold RT/R2, then Y/Triangle for Overhead Smash.
Charge Blade	Hold RT/R2, then Y/Triangle for Savage Axe Slash.
Great Sword	Hold RT/R2, then Y/Triangle to Kick.
Heavy Bowgun	B/Circle+Y/Triangle (cannot auto-guard).

You may have noticed that Long Sword, Dual Blade, Glaive, Light Bowgun, and Bow do not have Offset Strikes or Power Clashes, but don’t worry, all of those weapons have some neat new tricks of their own.