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From the moment players enter the monster-filled world ofWild Hearts,there is little doubt that the game aims to provide a real challenge. With a game loop inspired by popular hunter-style games, players learn quickly not to underestimateWild Hearts' ‘kemonos.’ Players unfamiliar with this game style will likely face a steep learning curve, but even veterans of the genre may have trouble with the games hardest bosses.
While the first kemonos the player will face are certainly not easy, it is the early encounter with theKingtuskthat demonstrates how players may have to rethink their approach. Acting as the game’s first ‘boss,’ this kemono is a ferocious enemy, seemingly never giving the player time to react, let alone plan.But as is customary with the hunter genre, every enemy has a weakness, and learning to exploit the Kingtusk’s is the quickest way to achieve victory.
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Where to Find the Kingtusk in Wild Hearts
The initial Kingtusk fight often begins in the central-eastern region of Harugasumi Way, though it is possible for the kemono to travel along a pre-determined path that covers several parts of the region. No matter where the fight starts, it will end up passing through several key areas. The game does a decent job of teaching the player to hunt quest-specific kemono using theHunting Tower.This will track the Kingtusk, allowing the hunter to hold L2 and reveal the trail directly to the boss arena.UseWild Heartsfast-travelsystem to quickly reach the camp closest to the Kingtusk.
What Armor is Best for Fighting the Kingtusk?
First Fight:
The first time the player fights the Kingtusk, they will not have a wide range of armor to chose from. Given that the Kingtusk uses the wood-based attack style, which is identified by a small leaf symbol, the player should choose the armor that best defends against that. Remember, inWild Hearts, armor ratings can go below 0, making it possible for players to have weaknesses.
The only starting armor with any wood-type damage resistance is theFresh Fernset, though some players may have better armor based on their own progression rate. Defeating kemono will usually unlock new armor, so take a look at what is available at the forge before heading out on the hunt.Many ofWIld Heartsupgrade materialswill not be available until later in the story, but there are some craftable items in the early-game.
While the player will be extremely limited in what they can bring into the first fight with a Kingtusk, each subsequent battle will be slightly easier as better weapons, armor, and karakuri become available.
How to Defeat the Kingtusk Boss in Wild Hearts
Given that this is one of the earliest fights in the game, many of the helpful weapons and karakuri will not yet be available to the player. This makes the fight considerably more difficult, but not impossible.
Kingtusk Weaknesses:
Looking at the Kingtusk breakdown, it’s clear that they have some key weaknesses. The first thing most players will notice is that the Kingtusk is extremely vulnerable to fire, but without any elemental weapons or karakuri thisearly inWild Hearts’story, that will have to be set aside.
For now, notice that the beast is equally weak to blue slash (swords) and green pierce (bow,wagasa) type weapons. At this point in the game, that will be theKarakuri Katanaand theNodachifor the sword-type, and theBowandWagasafor the piercing-type. With a system of one-to-five stars, both types are rated at four stars, so it will really come down to play-style. The Kingtusk is much less vulnerable tobludgeoning weapons like the Maul.
The Kingtusk’s head is by far the most vulnerable point on its body, with a five-star rating. Be careful when heading in to attack at close range as the massive tusks can do considerable damage, and take very little damage themselves. All other body parts have a three-star vulnerability rating.
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How to Defend Against the Kingtusk’s Attacks
The Kingtusk has a wide range of attacks, mostly using its body to bludgeon the hunter into submission.ThoughWild Heartsdoes not utilize health barsfor its kemono, they do have two distinct stages that the player can use to judge where the fight is at. The ‘enraged’ state is distinguished here buy a red aura, glowing orange tusks, and a generally more aggressive demeanor. Use the following tactics to avoid taking damage whenever possible:
Using Karakuri Against the Kingtusk:
How to Fight the Kingtusk in Co-Op Mode
Players who are struggling to defeat the Kingtusk may want to consider asking for assistance from other hunters.Wild Heartsallows teams of two or three playersto take on missions and hunts throughout the entire game. Use the following methods to ask for help:
These will be the best options for this specific task, though players have several more options for either joining a session or requesting help. Using thePlay Onlinesection in the camp fire menu allows hunters to search for the exact sessions they’s like to join.Hunter’s Gatesallow the player to join other sessions from within the world.
Fighting the Kingstusk Again
Once the Kingtusk has been defeated, players will move on tothe next section ofWild Hearts, but that doesn’t mean that they are done with the Kingtusk. Given that the beast supplies several important upgrade materials, hunters are likely to engage with the kemono multiple times. Here are some key thought to keep in mind for the next Kingtusk fight:
Wild Heartsis available now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
