The Wounds System in Monster Hunter Wilds is certainly a standout among the new mechanics introduced. The most flashy one, however, has to be Power Clash. Going toe-to-toe and counterattacking a giant beast is sure to inject some hype into any hunt. However, this is yet another feature that isn’t entirely spelled out and has led to some confusion over how exactly it works. If this mechanic has had you scratching your head, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve laid out everything you need to know to use this exciting new counterattack move.
How do Power Clashes work?
Triggering a Power Clash is a two-step process that requires you to guard against a certain number of attacks first and then guard against a specific attack as a follow up. Naturally, you’ll need to be using a weapon that can guard. That might all sound a little confusing at first, so let’s break down what that all means.
If you’re new to the Monster Hunter series, you might not be aware that there are quite a few hidden gauges/thresholds. Mounting and status ailments are two notable mechanics that use them; Power Clashes are now another one. Repeatedly guarding against monster attacks will build up toward the Power Clash’s hidden threshold. I can confirm from my own experience that using the basic guard does the job just fine, although it has seemed like landing Perfect Guards results in Power Clashes being triggered sooner.
This all leads to the second step. Once enough attacks have been guarded against, you need to guard against a monster’s specific attack(s) to pop the Power Clash. The good news is that each applicable monster has multiple moves that will count. Forearm slams and smaller charges are usually the ones to watch out for.
After triggering a Power Clash, you’ll need to mash Triangle/Y in a quick time event. Press it enough to counter the monster and knock it down for some free hits. Just take note that while you can Power Clash again in the same fight, each subsequent time will require you to guard far more attacks to fulfill that first step. Unless you have a build with set skills to take advantage of this mechanic, it’s likely not worth triggering it more than twice.
Which monsters can you Power Clash with?
I wouldn’t blame you for assuming that you can Power Clash against most or every monster in the game. The unfortunate news is that you can only do it to a handful, and a couple are just different variants to boot. Here are the monsters that you can currently use Power Clash against:
- Ajarakan
- Arkveld
- Blangonga
- Chatacabra
- Doshaguma
- Guardian Arkveld
- Guardian Doshaguma
- Uth Duna
Which weapons can Power Clash?
Another shortcoming of Power Clashes is that they can’t occur with every weapon. You’ll need to use one that can guard to trigger it. In the weapon select menu, the bottom of each one’s description will mention if they’re capable of guarding. We’ve also included the applicable weapons in a list below:
- Charge Blade (Shield Mode only)
- Great Sword
- Gunlance
- Heavy Bowgun (Auto Guard will count)
- Lance
- Sword & Shield
Power Clash is a fun addition to Monster Hunter Wilds that is guaranteed to make any of your co-op friends pop off with excitement. Fingers crossed that Capcom adds plenty more monsters that we can use this against, or maybe even update some of the current ones. Is it too much to ask to lock heads and counterattack a giant fire-breathing chicken? I’d like to think it isn’t.
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