Wild Hearts: Karakuri Staff – Usage, Mechanics and Combos Guide

The Karakuri Staff is one of the most creative weapons Wild Hearts has added to the monster hunting subgenre.

This weapon, unlike all the others in the game, can transform between four different weapons. The fifth form is used as a special attack. When used properly, the Karakuri Staff is capable of delivering some of the highest DPS (damage per second) in Wild Hearts and still look stylish.

To help hunters who find this weapon too difficult to use, let’s take a closer look at it.

Karakuri staff – the most deceptive weapon

Wild Hearts - Close-up of a player using the Juggernaut Blade against a Bear training dummy

The Karakuri Staff is the most deceptive weapon in Hearts of the Wild. When players watch others use it, it seems like it takes a long time to enter it, but it’s actually a fairly simple weapon. For starters, it’s best not to think of the Karakuri Staff as 5 separate weapons, but rather as one weapon that switches between different “forms” during combos.

Once players get to grips with the mechanics of switching weapons, they create a bar to use the full Juggernaut Blade combo, and this rotation is the main game loop of the weapon.

The Karakuri Staff is a weapon that rewards players for entering the right time just like the Hammer, but not as easily. While it’s possible to just spam with an Attack 1 input and randomly use the Weapon Change Special Attack to switch between weapon lines, it won’t build up a lot of Juggernaut blade counter this way.

Basic mechanics, systems and combinations of the Karakuri Staff

Wild Hearts - Shots of attacks with all 4 of Karakuri's main weapons

The Karakuri Staff, like the other two weapons unlocked after the first chapter, has Attack 1 and Attack 2. However, since both of these moves depend on the weapon being used, the only permanent mechanic between them is the Special Attack: Weapon Mutation.

Since Karakuri has attack patterns for each of the five weapons, and players can vary these attacks depending on how long they complete the Mutation combo, the list of basic attacks can seem overwhelming. However, don’t forget that the purpose of these weapons is to constantly switch between them, so players don’t have to worry so much about each individual attack:

Weapon name	Attack 1	Attack 1 (x2)	Attack 1 (x3)	Attack 2	air attack
long staff	Downswing	Single hit	N/A	Jump kick	air descent
Double Fang	Jump Slash	double cut	Spin Slash	Jump spin slash	Air cross section
giant shuriken	hack	N/A	N/A	Throw forward	Jump Sweep
fighting pike	cut down	N/A	N/A	Agile lunge	air descent

Now, in addition to the general attack patterns for each weapon form, the Karakuri Staff also has all the standard unique attacks that come with each weapon. These include a running attack, an attack performed after a sliding dodge, and all of Karakuri’s basic attacks. Karakuri’s basic attacks are a bit advanced, so we’ll save them for later, but here are the names of each unique attack, as well as what weapons they use:

Running Attack 1: Double Slash Up (Long Staff)
Running Attack 2: Throw Forward (Giant Shuriken)
Glancing Attack: Scissor Slash (Double Fangs)
Scabbardless Attack 1: Double Slash Up (Longstaff)
Scabbardless Attack 2: Lunge (War Lance)

Finally, I’ll answer some questions you may have about the Karakuri Staff counter and the weapon based on it, the Juggernaut Blade. This is the main incentive for players to use weapon mutations at the right time (during the orange flash). A meter rises above the player’s health bar, and “Special Attack” + “Attack 2” can be pressed at different points on the meter to summon the juggernaut blade for one to three hits. Let’s explain a little more:

Special Attack + Attack 2: Whole body wave slash (0-3 meters)
Special Attack + Attack 2 (x2): Full Body Wind Slash (4-7 meters)
Special Attack + Attack 2 (x3): Whole Body Air Split (Max Counter)
Special Attack + Attack 2 (in the air or after jumping off the Karakuri box): Full body strike

Advanced mechanics, combos and strategies for using the Karakuri Staff

Wild Hearts - some examples of some of the more advanced attacks using the karakuri staff

In addition to variations in attack names and inputs, Karakuri Staff’s attacks also change depending on how far into the Weapon Mutation combo the player has gone without running out of time or being interrupted.

Although Attack 2 does not change at any point, if the player stops attacking after switching to Variation 2 Giant Shuriken, they will find that their Attack 1 is completely different until they put away their Karakuri Staff. For those wondering how long this combo and weapon variation lasts before reverting back to the standard rotation and moveset, the full version looks like this: Staff, Fangs, Shuriken, Pike, Staff, Shuriken, Fangs, Pike, Shuriken.

The number of Attack 1 hits required to trigger the Orange Mutation Flare Combo is changing: the first version of the Giant Shuriken required two Attack 1 hits instead of one, and so on. Usually the player doesn’t get to this state during a Kemono fight, and if they do, it’s pretty easy to just keep hitting Attack 1 until the flash appears. But it’s a mechanic that’s still worth knowing about.

In addition to the basic Karakuri, “advanced” combinations of the Karakuri Staff consist of attacks using the basic weapon mutation. However, there aren’t many options for players to complement these attacks other than throwing in Attack 2 from time to time before throwing it again. With that in mind, let’s take a look at each base weapon mutation and the weapon used when performing it:

Krat’s downward piercing attack and Cola Karakuri: War Pike Flash can land multiple hits depending on the player’s stance, height, and Kemono size.
Spring Karakuri: Twin Fang Loop is a horizontal attack in which the player flies forward while rotating their fangs. The attack deals multiple hits while flying past the monster. This attack is useful against large Kemono such as Kingbeast.
Karakuri Sky Thread Glider and Anchor: Longstaff Strike is a vertical spinning attack that delivers multiple hits similar to the flash of a war lance.
Karakuri’s First Torch Attack: Inferno of the Blade Wheels is the opening entry to Torch Attack, in which the hunter throws a flaming giant shuriken in a manner very similar to Throw Forward 2.
The second attack “Karakuri Torch” is activated if the player performs a Weapon Mutation after the Inferno Blade Wheel at the right time. This is a spinning long staff attack where the player moves forward while spinning their flaming staff, dealing multiple hits before striking the staff in a fiery vertical arc.

How to use the karakuri staff for hunting

Wild Hearts - Hunter using War Pike jump attack against Kingtusk

How to effectively use Karakuri Staff against Kemono. While it’s nice that the weapon can latch on indefinitely if players keep doing Mutation combos, Kemono is definitely not going to sit around and take all the hits without moving. So what attacks, combos, or general strategies seem to be the most useful in a fight against Kemono? Here are some general thoughts and other pro tips:

Create a counterstrike against an enemy attack using as many weapon mutations as you can, but don’t be afraid to dodge a cancel roll or even cancel the Karakuri creation animation (this mechanic is still unknown to many) if an enemy attack is coming.
The Karakuri Staff is another weapon that uses Karakuri-based basic attacks.
Both Karakuri Torch attacks are useful for creating a small number of quick counters against the Juggernaut.
Giant Shuriken Attack 2 (or just Attack 2 if the staff is difficult) is a fantastic poke option for Kemono that can punish hunters who get too close.
Power Armor is present in the Nimble Lunge War Pike’s animation, allowing players to use it to quite reliably “trade” hits with the Kemono.
The third hit of the Juggernaut Blade combo, Full Body Air Cleave, is one of the strongest single attacks in Wild Hearts, so it should be reserved for use against lesser capable Kemonos like Lavabacks or Golden Tempests. However, combinations of single and double strikes are still worth using often against these monsters.
If a kemono has lost its freedom, be it a chain trap or a karakuri harpoon, staff users should immediately use their Juggernaut blades.
When the juggernaut’s blade meter is full, it lasts approximately 30 seconds. Thus, there is little incentive to use it as soon as possible when the maximum counter is reached.
Karakuri staff hunters are among the fastest and most agile hunters with cocked weapons. This is done by the developers to encourage players not to hide the staff too often. Instead, try to use normal karakuri and well-timed throws to avoid attacks rather than hiding as often as possible.

What archetypes are associated with the karakuri staff and why?

Hearts of the Wild - Use Torch Longstaff Attack and Draw Juggernaut's Blade

But what attracts players to the staff of Karakuri? And is it worth waiting for the end of the first chapter to get it? Well, it depends on each individual player. But mostly they are those who fall into one or more of these categories:

People who are attracted to visually impactful weapons.
Hunters who want the flexibility of a versatile weapon.
The Juggernaut Blade, which was first shown in the Hearts Wild trailer, immediately caught the attention of viewers.
People who prefer both short and long options.
Players who prefer to have options in almost any situation.

The Karakuri Staff Staff is a relatively simple weapon masquerading as something far more complex. It’s not for everyone, but for those who doubt this weapon or need some extra credibility, here are some key points:

The Karakuri Staff is one of the most visually impressive weapons in the game, with the character moving around and attacking with a variety of weapons before swinging the Juggernaut’s ridiculously large blade.
This is a powerful combination of mobility, high damage and unique attack patterns.
The Karakuri Staff makes weapon upgrades more visually appealing, as each upgrade changes the appearance of all five weapons, including the juggernaut blade.

Wild Hearts is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.