Monster Hunter Wilds, Exhaust Status, Explained

Using a loadout with the highest damage numbers isn't always the best thing to do in Monster Hunter Wilds. Players who don't plan on speedrunning a hunt have a lot of other options to consider, such as builds using abnormal status effects like Exhaust.

Exhaust is one of the lesser-known status ailments in MH Wilds. Unlike Poison, Paralysis, and Sleep, Exhaust isn't found as a weapon stat or an elemental damage type, and yet, it can be just as useful as all three of those once players know how to take advantage of it.

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By Stephanie Watel

What is Exhaust in Monster Hunter Wilds?

MH Wilds drooling Chatacabra — Monster Hunter Wilds Exhausted Chatacabra

As its name implies, Exhaust is a status effect that tires monsters out. Once it triggers, your target will get staggered, opening them up to follow-up attacks and putting them in an Exhausted state. You'll know that a monster is Exhausted if it is visibly drooling. A drooling dinosaur icon will also appear next to their icons on the map.

When a monster is Exhausted, it will become significantly slower and less aggressive, and in some cases, it will be unable to perform certain attacks. For example, an Exhausted Rathalos in MH Wilds won't be able to spit fireballs — instead, it will only blow out smoke. The Exhausted state will last for a short duration, after which the monster will return to its normal behavioral patterns.

How to Exhaust Monsters

MH Wilds Exhaust Phial Switch Axe description — Monster Hunter Wilds Exhaust Phial Switch Axe description

Exhaust is built-up by hitting monsters with Blunt damage. Nearly every weapon has an attack that deals Blunt damage, though the most obvious one is the Hammer. As long as you hit a monster with Blunt damage, it will eventually become Exhausted. All weapons that can deal Blunt damage or inflict Exhaust are:

Hammer
Hunting Horn
Lance (Shield Bash)
Sword and Shield (Shield attacks)
Charge Blade (Guard Points, Impact Phials)
Switch Axe (Impact and Exhaust Phials)
Greatsword (Tackle, Side Blow)
Insect Glaive (Blunt Kinsects)
Bow (Arc Shot)
Light Bowgun (Bash)
Heavy Bowgun (Bash)

Hitting a monster's head with Blunt damage will also build up a hidden Stun bar. Filling this bar up will knock the monster down.

Some ranged weapons can be loaded with Exhaust Ammo/Coatings. Hitting monsters with these will deal raw Exhaust damage, which means you can still tire monsters out without having to manually bash them with your weapon or use Bow's Arc Shot attack.

The Charge Blade and Switch Axe are also very good at exhausting monsters as long as you're hitting them with attacks that discharge Impact or Exhaust Phials:

Charge Blades deal Phial damage when using Axe Mode's Circle/B/RMB attacks and either of its Elemental Discharge attacks.
Switch Axes deal Phial damage in Sword Mode when the weapon's Amp Gauge is full.

Exhaust Skills

The Stamina Thief skill increases the amount of Exhaust built up by your attacks, though you need to use attacks that build Exhaust in the first place. If you want to focus on Exhaust as a core part of your build, this is the best skill you can get.

In previous Monster Hunter games, the Punishing Draw skill also added Exhaust damage to weapon draw attacks, despite the skill's description saying it only adds stun. This may still be the case in MH Wilds, but such a claim is yet to be proven.

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