Everyone picking up Electronic Arts and Omega Force’s latest monster-hunting title, Wild Hearts, is likely to want the best weapon upgrades. Because the game’s best weapons accommodate different skills, this answer depends on one’s play style. And while Wild Hearts does a lot of different things with its eight major weapon types, some of their upgrades are better to get early than others.
Thanks to the ability to make Forges in the field, players struggling to take down a monster can change tactics by swapping their weapons and armor mid-hunt, leaving players only to wonder where to play Wild Hearts right now. Weapons in Wild Hearts can be improved at Forges once players have acquired enough Inherent and Inherited skills. With the first weapons players can get in Wild Hearts being the Karakuri Katana, Nodachi, Bow, and Maul, players are likely to get the upgrades for them first as well.
How to Get the Best Weapon Upgrades in Wild Hearts
Using an Arms Forge, players can create different versions of their weapons, each with different skills. When it comes to selecting upgrades, players should focus first on getting S-tier upgrades, which increase attack, stamina, and weapon-specific gauges, and A-tier upgrades, which support health, resistances, and weapon-specific movesets.
As players make these improvements and unlock more weapons in Wild Hearts, they can focus on getting B-tier upgrades to make their gameplay more effective. Below are the best upgrades players can get for the first available weapons in Wild Hearts and short descriptions of their effects.
Karakuri Katana Upgrades
For players sticking to Wild Hearts‘ starting weapon, here are the best upgrades they can get:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Duel Master |
Boosts Release Gauge by 10% |
|
A-Tier |
Final Blow |
Boosts Attack Power against toppled Kemono |
|
B-Tier |
Reutilization |
Recovers a small amount of Karakuri thread when a conjured Karakuri is dismantled |
|
Karakuri Coordination |
Fury boosts the power of attacks incorporating basic Karakuri |
Nodachi Upgrades
For players who craft this greatsword in Wild Hearts, here are the best upgrades they can get for it:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Iai Art |
Reduces Stamina consumption by 10% |
|
A-Tier |
Steely Iai |
Prevents reeling from attacks when charging |
|
Strong Arm: Spirit |
Boosts chance of landing Critical Hits when Hunter’s Arm is activated |
|
|
B-Tier |
Battle Swordsmanship: Ironclad |
Prevents reeling while unleashing Attack 1 or Attack 2 |
Bow Upgrades
For players who prefer a ranged weapon in Wild Hearts, here are the best starter upgrades:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Able Archer |
Increases the number of Haya arrows players can fire after a successful combo execution |
|
A-Tier |
Slight of Hand: Fury |
Boosts attack after conjuring a Karakuri |
|
B-Tier |
Verve |
Boosts Attack and Defense when at max health |
Maul Upgrades
For players hoping to smash enemies with this gigantic hammer in Wild Hearts, here’s how they can upgrade it:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Helve Extension Training |
Prevents reeling when attacking with extended Maul |
|
Extended Rap |
Boosts attack with extended Maul |
|
|
Rapid Halt |
Makes it harder to lose stamina after a successful Aerial Helve Extension |
|
|
Shockwave |
Makes it easier to render Kemono unconscious with extended attacks |
|
|
A-Tier |
Flame Wielder |
Makes it possible to set Kemono ablaze by landing successive strikes |
|
Tunnel Vision |
Makes Extension harder to achieve, but boosts Attack if Extension is successful |
|
|
B-Tier |
Power Smash Boost: Attack |
Boosts Power of spinning attacks with extended Maul |
|
Fillip |
Inhibits Stamina loss when health is low |
Bladed Wagasa Upgrades
For players interested in using this bladed umbrella or beating Kingtusk in Wild Hearts, here are the first available upgrades:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Sublime Dance |
Lengthens amount of time before Spindance Gauge begins to fall |
|
Dodge Master |
Lengthens the window of time for a successful Parry |
|
|
Time Changer |
Lengthens amount of time that Temporary Boosts remain in effect |
|
|
A-Tier |
Spindance Saver |
Inhibits Spindance Gauge depletion while the weapon is stowed |
|
Recovery Boost |
Increases amount of Health recovered |
|
|
B-Tier |
Fusion Stalwart |
Inhibits stamina depletion after conjuring Fusion Karakuri |
|
Stowed Weapon Boost: Ironclad |
Reduces injury while the weapon is stowed |
|
|
Heavenly Dance |
Makes Spindance Gauge fill more readily |
Hand Cannon Upgrades
For players who unlock this weapon in Chapter 2 and use it to beat Goldshard in Wild Hearts, here’s how they can best upgrade it:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Destruction Art |
Makes all parts of Kemono easier to destroy |
|
Stowed Weapon Art |
Increases the speed of stowing a weapon |
|
|
High Spirits |
Reduces Heat Gauge level at which Cannon goes into Thermal Runaway |
|
|
Speed Charge |
Makes Charge Gauge fill more readily |
|
|
A-Tier |
Speed Build |
Speeds up deployment and removal of Ki bases |
|
B-Tier |
Volley |
Makes faster Salvos possible when Charge Gauge is above empty |
|
Speed Heat |
Makes Heat Gauge fill more readily |
|
|
Thread Thrift |
Reduces Charge Gauge depletion |
Claw Blade Upgrades
For players that unlock this weapon in Chapter 2 of the anticipated 2023-released Wild Hearts, here’s how they can successfully upgrade it early:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Core Boost |
Increases maximum Stamina |
|
A-Tier |
Blaze Recovery |
Speeds up recovery when set ablaze |
|
B-Tier |
Fleet Foot |
Boosts attack for a while after Sliding Dodge |
Karakuri Staff Upgrades
For players who want this easy-to-use and highly damaging weapon in Wild Hearts, here’s how they can upgrade it early:
|
Tier |
Name |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
S-Tier |
Kaleidoscope |
Lengthens amount of time before Mutation Level resets |
|
Transformative Strike |
Increases starting Mutation Level |
|
|
Transformative Guard |
Boosts Defense on every Mutation Level increase |
|
|
A-Tier |
Combined Arts: Attack |
Boosts all Power Attacks by 10% |
|
Destiny |
Provides a chance of reducing Injury in Wild Hearts |
|
|
B-Tier |
Poison Wielder |
Provides a chance to poison Kemono by landing successive strikes |
|
Water Wilt |
Occasionally reduces Kemono’s Water Resistance when making Water-based Attack |
|
|
Fire Wilt |
Occasionally reduces Kemono’s fire resistance when making Fire-based Attack |
-
Wild Hearts
- Platform:
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, Steam, Epic Games Store
- Released:
- 2023-02-17
- Developer:
- Omega Force
- Publisher:
- Electronic Arts
- Genre:
- Action RPG
- Multiplayer:
- Online Co-Op
- Engine:
- Katana Engine
- ESRB:
- T
- Summary:
- Wild Hearts is a new action RPG similar to Capcom’s Monster Hunter from Omega Force, the team behind the “Warriors” subgenre of video games. Players will create their own protagonists as they enter the land of Azuma, a lush, multi-biome world filled with destructive monsters known as the Kemono. In this Japan-influenced world, players will fight alone or co-operatively in teams of up to three online against beasts inspired by Japanese mythology, utilizing unique armor, weapons, and mountable gear to take them down.
- Mode:
- Single-Player, Multiplayer
