The Hand Cannon is the only other ranged option inWild Heartsbesides the Bow. And, despite the fact thatit’s unlocked further into the game, other than the fact that both weapons fire projectiles (usually from a safe distance), that’s about where their similarities end. Compared to guns or ranged weapons in similar monster-hunting titles, the Hand Cannon might seem pretty simple as it has a standard shot and a mortar shot, but that’s about it, at least at a surface level.
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Of course, there are also the weapon’s interactions with all the Basic Karakuri inWild Heartsand the whole Fortified Shot buildup system which is by far the most visually bombastic weapon attack in the entire game. Then, on top of all of that, the Hand Cannon also has three gauges to keep an eye on, the Heat Gauge, the Charge Gauge, and the Ki Base Gauge. So taking all these mechanics that, on their own, are relatively simple, and putting them together into one weapon (AKA the Hand Cannon) means that this weapon choice actually has a lot higher of a skill ceiling than one might expect, especially ifthey didn’t go through its tutorial properly.
Basic Hand Cannon Mechanics & ‘Combos’
Let’s be blunt,the Hand Cannon doesn’t really have ‘Combos’ as other weapons do, it’s a big gun that can do different things depending on the input or Karakuri, but none of them naturally combo together outside of maybe the sequence of different inputs needed to fire a Fortified Shot. Still, it’s worth going through all its individual mechanics, one by one so that players know which ones to use in specific scenarios.
This may seem like a lot of info to learn and memorize,especially two Chapters into the game, but it’s actually very simple in practice. Basically,players have a standard fire, a placeable (or fireable) ammo recharge aura, an ‘ultimate’ attack, and a couple of easy Gauges to keep track of.In general, the ‘basic’ loop of Hand Cannon gameplay revolves around peppering the Kemono, building up heat, hitting them with a Fortified Ki Base, and then looking for the right moment to commit to the Fortified Shot. There’s obviously a lot of room for individual playstyles, but this is where it all usually branches from.
Advanced Hand Cannon Mechanics & ‘Combos’
The Fortified Shot is the Hand Cannon’s most reliable damage-dealing option, and Hand Cannon players should always be aiming to get as many Fortified Shots off as possible. But, it’s not all their gameplay is based around and there are multiple methods, plans of attack, and even Skills to activate the Fortified Shot faster.
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For example, the Hand Cannon is one of the better weaponsto prove the whole Karakuri systemOmega Force added to the monster hunting sub-genre is worthwhile. It actually has some pretty interesting interactions with differentBasic Karakurithat give it more utility against certain Kemono and methods of building Heat extra fast. So, here are some ‘more advanced’ key mechanics and Basic Karakuri interactions that players will want to know about ASAP:
Some More Tips Focused On Hand Cannon Mechanics
There are, of course, more systems and mechanics to the Cannon’s gameplay outside of Karakuri attacks and general gunfire. Here are a few extra tips that are bit a more system or mechanically focused:
How To Fight Kemono With The Hand Cannon
There aretwo main ‘branches’ of buildsHand Cannon players can go for,builds centered around firing off as many Fortified Shots as possible, andbuilds based on hovering around nearly maxed Heatand using Regular Shots or Crate-Karakuri Attacks to deal steady yet impressive damage. Either build is absolutely applicable to use, but their gameplay differs quite a bit. Fortified Shot-focused builds are a lot more focused on building Heat from a safe spot while high-Heat builds are a lot more up close and personal with the Kemono thanks to their Crate Karakuri attacks.
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Now, that’s a lot of theory crafting and explanation about how to use the Hand Cannon, which is all well and good. But, how does the moment-to-moment gameplay of a Hand Cannon user actually work? How are people supposed to make split-second decisions with this thing, especially during solo play? Well:
And, one of the most important things to remember is not to rush too much inWild Hearts. Kemono don’t seem to heal outside of active combat, the Cannon can remain in its pre-Fortified Shot state for multiple minutes at a time, and Ki Bases don’t just ‘fade away’ after a short duration. This allows Cannon users to focus on repositioning perfectly and setting up the perfect moment for that juicy Fortified Shot.
Why Choose The Hand Cannon?
And finally, why even choose the Hand Cannon? What does the Hand Cannon have over the other 7 weapons inWild Hearts? Why should players pick it and what type of person is it most suited for? Well, first off, it’s a perfect weapon for players who:
Basically, it’s for people who like the concept of a ranged weapon in a monster-hunting game, but aren’t big fans of bows.And that’s about everything for the Hand Cannon inWild Hearts. Of course, as of the time of writing this, the game has only been out for a little more than a week, so it’s almost a sure thing that there will be more tricks and tips figured out about this weapon as time goes on. But, for now, this is about everything a player should need to know before fully committing to the Cannon as their weapon of choice.
Wild Heartsis out now on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S
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