There’s nothing worse than swinging your weapon at a monster, expecting a good hit—only for your attack to bounce off like you just smacked a brick wall. If that’s been happening to you in Monster Hunter Wilds, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Weapon bouncing is one of those mechanics that can catch new players off guard. It happens when your weapon gets too dull to cut through a monster’s tough hide, making your attacks way less effective (and honestly, sort of embarrassing). But the good news? There’s an easy fix which is to keep your weapon sharp at all times. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly why weapon bouncing happens, how to keep your weapon sharpness in check, and some pro tips to make sharpening faster so you don’t get caught off guard mid-hunt.

Why Do Weapons Bounce in Monster Hunter Wilds?

So, why do your attacks sometimes bounce off a monster like you’re swinging a foam sword? The answer is weapon sharpness. Every melee weapon in the game has a sharpness meter, which you’ll find just below your stamina bar in the top-left corner of the screen. As you attack, that sharpness meter slowly drains, and once it gets too low, your weapon starts struggling to pierce through tougher monster parts. That’s when you get the dreaded weapon bounce. Here’s a quick breakdown of what the different sharpness levels mean:

• Green or Higher – You’re golden. Your weapon is in top shape, cutting through monsters like butter.
• Yellow – You’ll still do decent damage, but if a monster has armored parts, you might start bouncing a bit.
• Orange – Uh-oh. Your damage is dropping, and bouncing attacks are happening way more often.
• Red – You might as well be slapping the monster with a pool noodle. Almost every attack will bounce, and your damage is practically nonexistent. If you notice your weapon sharpness dropping into yellow or orange, that’s your cue to do something about it before things get worse.

How to Stop Your Weapon from Bouncing

If your weapon keeps bouncing, there’s really only one solution: sharpen it!

How to Use a Whetstone

Every hunter gets a Whetstone early in the game, and you’ll probably get a quick tutorial on how to use it. If you forgot (or skipped through it), here’s a refresher:

1. Hold L1 (LB) to open your radial menu.
2. Press down on the D-pad to open the equipment menu (unless you’ve customized it).
3. Tilt the right stick up to select the Whetstone and let go. Your hunter will kneel down and start sharpening, which takes about four cycles to fully restore your weapon’s sharpness. While it does sound easy, it does come with a small perk, it leaves you vulnerable to attacks. So if a monster is nearby, you’ll need to be smart about it.

Sharpen While Riding Your Seikret

One of the best new features in Monster Hunter Wilds is the ability to sharpen your weapon while riding your Seikret. This makes sharpening so much safer since you can create distance between you and the monster before sharpening up. To do this, first press up on the D-pad to call your Seikret. Then mount up and move to a safer location. After which open your radial menu and select the Whetstone. This can come in handy if you’re in the middle of a fight and you don’t have the time to pause. And if a monster runs away, you can whet while running it down.

How to Sharpen Weapons Faster

Sharpening is tedious, and in a fight, time is valuable. Happily, there are two ways to hasten it:

• Speed Sharpening Skill – Some armor sets come with this skill, which reduces the number of sharpening cycles. Max it out, and you’ll sharpen almost instantly.
• Felyne Polisher – This is a food buff you can get from cooking two Courage-tagged ingredients. It shaves off a sharpening cycle, making the process faster.
• Whetfish Fin – This rare consumable lets you sharpen in just two cycles instead of four. You can get it by fishing for Whetfish, but unlike Whetstones, these actually get used up. Using these methods can make a huge difference, especially in tougher fights where every second of downtime puts you at risk.

Need a Stable Server for Multiplayer? Try ScalaCube

If you’re playing Monster Hunter Wilds with friends and want a smooth, lag-free experience, setting up a dedicated server is a great option. That’s where ScalaCube comes in. ScalaCube offers fast, stable servers that make multiplayer a breeze. Scalacube offers low latency, so you will not get randomly disconnected or interrupted by frustrating lag spikes in the middle of a hunt. And, they have DDoS protection, so you don't have to fear interruptions due to outside attacks. They support a staggering array of games, and their installation process is quick and simple. If you're the type of person who wants absolute control of your online gaming time, ScalaCube is the place to go.

FAQs

Can I sharpen my weapon anytime in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Yep! You can sharpen your weapon whenever you want, Just don’t do it when you’re about to get smacked in the face by a charging monster.

Do ranged weapons need sharpening?

Nope! Only melee weapons lose sharpness over time. If you’re using a bow or a light bowgun, you don’t have to worry about sharpening at all.

Does weapon sharpness affect elemental damage?

Yes! A dull weapon doesn’t just lose physical damage—it also reduces the effectiveness of any elemental effects it has. Keeping your weapon sharp means both your raw and elemental damage stay at their best.

Can I stop my weapon from losing sharpness?

Not entirely, but there are skills that slow down sharpness loss. Handicraft increases your overall sharpness bar, while Protective Polish temporarily stops your weapon from losing sharpness right after sharpening.

Conclusion

Weapon bouncing can spoil your hunt if you’re not paying attention. But the moment you understand how it works and how to sharpen it at the right time, you’ll have no problem keeping your weapon in shape.

Sharpen your weapon often! Don’t wait until your weapon is completely dull—make it a habit to sharpen up whenever you have a moment, especially while riding your Seikret. And if you really want to stay efficient, look into skills like Speed Sharpening and Protective Polish to make the process even smoother.

Now that you know how to keep your weapon in top shape, you’re all set to take on whatever Monster Hunter Wilds throws at you.