Hello and welcome, We hope you find this WILD HEARTS™ – Fusion Karakuri and Dragon Karakuri guide useful.

Basic Karakuri

The Celestial Thread Constructions

The most unique feature of Wild Hearts, the basic karakuri form the building blocks of construction to enhance (and sometimes interrupt) your hunts. Each one you summon costs Celestial Thread. The diamond on the bottom of your screen will show much you have left.

If you find yourself running low on Celestial Thread, activate your hunter’s vision. Nearby trees or rocks will be highlighted that can be chopped or mined for more. If you jump onto a large kemono and activate Hunter’s Arm on a glowing green area, you’ll end up with double your maximum amount of thread; a ma*sive boost. Interacting with a karakuri tsukumo shrine will also give you the same Hunter’s Arm effect.

You will gain Celestial Thread over time by damaging large kemono, which provides a slow stream of thread back. If you take advantage of a large opening, you’ll gain decent amount of thread.

Basic karakuri remain indefinitely on the map if not destroyed, so pathways, bridges, stairways, platforms, and such will stay there between hunts. Building a base on a platform built entirely out of crates is possible. However…

There is a maximum limit per map, but it’s difficult to reach in normal gameplay. You would have to actively try to reach the limit, upon which the oldest karakuri will be destroyed first to make room for any new ones you make.

Crate

Celestial Thread Cost: 1

Unlocked: In the tutorial

The most basic of all karakuri. It builds a solid block that can be walked on. It springs slightly when jumped off of, giving you extra height and changing your weapon moveset for that jump. Crates can quickly be built upwards in stacks of threes, or slowly built horizontally while standing on them to build bridges. Small attacks can be blocked by the crate. The smaller of the large kemono, like the Ragetail, can nullify their charge attacks by blocking them with a crate. This will leave them vulnerable.

Spring

Celestial Thread Cost: 2

Unlocked: Defeat a Ragetail

The spring is a bounce pad that will quickly launch you in any horizontal direction. This can be great for traversing small pits without having to jump. In combat, this can be used offensively by lunging at a kemono with a special attack done mid-launch from a spring. It can also be used defensively by quickly pushing you out of the way of a dangerous attack, as not only is it a quick traversal, it gives you more invincibility frames than a standard dodge.

Torch

Celestial Thread Cost: 1

Unlocked: Defeat a Kingtusk

A torch has many uses. Approaching a torch will push your character forward, making an arcing fire attack. This is a decent attack in it’s own right, but it also adds fire damage to your weapon for a short time. You can climb multiple torches on top of each other, but it’s less effective than jumping from crates. Some hidden areas are blocked off with vines, which you can burn away to gain access.

Glider

Celestial Thread Cost: 3

Unlocked: Defeat a Spineglider

A handheld glider that flies upward like a helicopter when held. You can place it on the ground and approach or deploy it immediately mid-air. The glider can take you far distances and can be re-used if picked up again soon after landing. It will destroy itself after a short time on the ground.

Celestial Anchor

Celestial Thread Cost: 3

Unlocked: Purchased in Karakuri Menu

A flexible pole struck into the ground with ample amounts of celestial thread available for movement. Activating this gives your hunter powerful movement capabilities, which significantly affects defensive and offensive maneuvers. Your moveset is different while flying through the air, so give it a try!

Stake

Celestial Thread Cost: 2

Unlocked: Purchased in Karakuri Menu

A platform with a grapple hook in front, which can be used to launch a hunter forward into a kemono for damage and repositioning.

It can also be used to launch into a wall, or simply placed while climbing, to allow scaling of tall cliffs with ease.

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You can only have four of these basic karakuri equipped at a time. You switch them out from the equipment menu at Natsume or at a Field Forge.

Aside from their straightforward individual uses, your selected four will indirectly choose the fusion karakuri you have available. It’s a good idea to experiment with different loadouts to see what fits your playstyle and cover various bases. For example, you generally want to keep at least one fusion karakuri that can affect flying kemono, and having access to at least one of the two healing fusion karakuri will help out in quests that limit your healing water.

It is best to get used to the idea of using karakuri in combat and grow familiar with the flow of combat. Kemono in this game, especially late game, are incredibly fast and aggressive, even by monster hunting standards. Wild Hearts expects you to use karakuri wisely to give yourself breathing room from their relentless attacks and grant opportunities to fight back.

Fusion Karakuri – Part 1

These more advanced karakuri are built by building basic karakuri in a certain order. The basic karakuri will then transform to a specific powerful tool with highly specialized uses.

You will unlock fusion karakuri by meeting the following criteria:

1. You currently have all required basic karakuri equipped for that hunt
2. You are hunting a specific large kemono
3. That specific kemono will prepare to do a specific attack
4. If in multiplayer, you must be the target of that specific attack
5. You must be on the ground when the moment triggers, otherwise it instantly cancels

If those conditions are met, the sound of a water drop will play, the screen will desaturate, and time will slow down. Follow the button prompts to build the basic karakuri used to create the fusion karakuri. If successful, you’ll create it and successfully counter the kemono’s attack in spectacular fashion.

What if you fail, or you were playing multiplayer and weren’t the one to unlock it?

Don’t worry, you’ll get more chances. If the kemono does the attack again with you as the target, you’ll get another try. If not, you can always unlock it later the next time you face that type of kemono.

Unlike basic karakuri, fusion karakuri is temporary and will disintegrate after a set amount of time pa*ses or if they’re destroyed by kemono.

Bulwark

Combo: Crate x6 (Crate → Crate → Crate → Crate → Crate → Crate)

Celestial Thread Cost: 6

Inspiration Kemono: Kingtusk

A strong wall able to block charges and projectiles. You are able to climb and jump off of it like a 3-stack of crates for offensive combos. In multiplayer, it’s a good idea to build a bulwark to protect yourself when reviving others.

Pounder

Combo: Spring x3 (Spring → Spring → Spring)

Celestial Thread Cost: 6

Inspiration Kemono: Spineglider

Conjure a giant hammer that smashes down with tremendous force. Deals high amounts of pummel damage, which can blackout (stun) monsters if hit on the head. Can break structures like Spineglider towers in combat, or break down stony walls to open up new pa*sageways or secret rooms.

Healing Mist

Combo: Glider x3 (Glider → Glider → Glider)

Celestial Thread Cost: 9

Inspiration Kemono: Lavaback

Healing water is dispensed from this incense burner, slowly healing all hunters in a medium range for a decent while. The Healing Mist is invulnerable when deploayed and cannot be broken by kemono early.

Elemental Lantern

Combo: Crate → Glider → Crate

Celestial Thread Cost: 5

Inspiration Kemono: Gritdog

When placed, an Elemental Lantern sits dormant until a hunter gets hit by a large kemono’s attack that dealt elemental damage. The Elemental Lantern then activates, shielding the hunter from the attack. Elemental Lantern will remain in effect for a short while. Like the Healing Mist, it cannot be destroyed by kemono.

Star Bomb

Combo: Spring → Torch → Spring

Celestial Thread Cost: 5

Inspiration Kemono: Sporetail

A bomb set to detonate after a few seconds, dealing fire damage and inflicting some aflame ailment buildup on all kemono and hunters within its explosion radius. It will detonate early if a kemono touches it or if a hunter attacks it. Like the Pounder, it is able to break down stone walls to open up pa*sages.

Firework

Combo: Torch x6 (Torch → Torch → Torch → Torch → Torch → Torch)

Celestial Thread Cost: 6

Inspiration Kemono: Dreadclaw

It acts as a bright flare to stun any kemono that see it, interrupting attacks. It is particularly effective against flying kemono currently in the air, as it will knock them down and leave them vulnerable. Unlike restraining effects from other fusion karakuri, the fireworks remains fully effective no matter how many times a kemono is knocked down.

Fusion Karakuri – Part 2

Shield Wall

Combo: Crate → Spring → Crate

Celestial Thread Cost: 4

Inspiration Kemono: Goldshard

Akin to the Bulwark, the Shield Wall blocks charging kemono and projectile attacks. It is much, much sturdier than the bulwark, but collapses quickly over a few seconds. If you know the timing right, the resulk is like a Bulwark that is cheaper and deploys faster.

Repeater Crossbow

Combo: Glider → Stake → Glider

Celestial Thread Cost: 8

Inspiration Kemono: Fumebeak

A crossbow that aims at a large kemono and fires barbed arrows repeatedly into the target. Good for damage dealing fast targets. Also especially effective against flying kemono.

Chain Trap

Combo: Stake x2, Crate, Stake x2, Crate (Stake → Stake → Crate → Stake → Stake → Crate)

Celestial Thread Cost: 10

Inspiration Kemono: Deathstalker

An una*suming pressure plate appears on the ground and remains there for a long period of time. If a kemono lands on it, a fierce volley of harpoons spring out and pin it in place for a long period of time. A powerful tool, but loses effectiveness if used repeatedly. Be prepared for frustration when a kemono dances around it without triggering the trap.

Healing Vaporizer

Combo: Torch → Celestial Anchor → Torch

Celestial Thread Cost: 6

Inspiration Kemono: Sapscourge

The Healing Vaporizer sits dormant for a short bit before releasing a powerful burst of healing to all hunters in the area, curing wounds and a single status ailment. It also leaves behind a short healing over time effect to all affected.

Harpoon

Combo: Spring x2, Stake, Spring x2, Stake (Spring → Spring → Stake → Spring → Spring → Stake)

Celestial Thread Cost: 12

Inspiration Kemono: Amaterasu

When deployed, a ma*sive harpoon emerges from the ground and automatically takes aim at the nearest kemono. It fires at a high speed, dealing heavy damage and pinning the kemono in place. Effective at bringing flying kemono down. It doesn’t hold kemono for as long if used repeatedly. The harpoon can miss if the target is particularly evasive.

Pile Driver

Combo: While climbing on kemono, Stake x2 (Stake → Stake)

Celestial Thread Cost: 4

Inspiration Kemono: Amaterasu

Unlike all other fusion karakuri, the pile driver is built directly on a large kemono while climbing on it. It’s inconsistent and difficult to apply, but once it does, it emits a large green glow on the affected area. It severely reduces the kemono’s defense there, so it’s advisable to focus attacks while it lasts.

Celestial Cannon

Combo: Celestial Anchor, Torch, Celestial Anchor x2, Torch, Celestial Anchor (CA → Torch → CA → CA → Torch → CA)

Celestial Thread Cost: 14

Inspiration Kemono: Golden Tempest

A large energy cannon that fires directly ahead after a short delay. The initial impact is weak, but a while later the projectile detonates in a ma*sive blast for devastating damage. Best used at the start of a hunt before the kemono is aware of your presence. Use a karakuri tsukumo shrine beforehand to obtain more thread beforehand and fire two at once!

Celestial Shield

Combo: Celestial Anchor, Crate, Celestial Anchor x2, Crate, Celestial Anchor (CA → Crate → CA → CA → Crate → CA)

Celestial Thread Cost: 14

Inspiration Kemono: Emberplume

Much like the Elemental Lantern that protects against elemental attack, the Celestial Shield protects hunters from normal physical attacks. After absorbing some damage, it will take a short amount of time to recharge before it can absorb an attack again.

Having trouble building fusion karakuri?

Here are some tips to help out:

• Memorize the thread requirements of a fusion karakuri before building. Nothing is worse than building a Celestial Cannon at the perfect moment only to realize you’re one thread short.
• Practice the button combination until it becomes second nature. Panic invites mistakes.
• Are your basic karakuri coming out diagonally or otherwise out of place? Break the habit of moving while building and learn to stand still for fusions.
• Are you playing multiplayer and fusions aren’t coming out right? It’s likely the lag, and unfortunately the best solution is to pace your building slower so each input goes through.
• Recognize the best times to use fusion karakuri. Any karakuri you summon too early or too late end up wasted, taking up thread that could have been used more effectively later.
• Ensure you’re in the right location for building fusions. Aside from the pile driver, most fusions are best built on solid, flat ground in front of you. Low ceilings, slopes, or other obstructions can cause the build to fail.

Nigiri21Sushi – [twitter.com]  made this wonderful quick reference for fusions.

Dragon Karakuri – Part 1

Unlike Basic Karakuri and Fusion Karakuri which require celestial thread to build, Dragon Karakuri draw their power from the environment, which requires Dragon Pit energy. As mentioned before in the exploration part of the guide, opening up Dragon Pits and upgrading them gives you more elemental energy to work with, and in turn, opportunities to build more bases, more elaborate traversal systems, and resource gathering automation. It’s well worth the investment.

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To unlock dragon karakuri to be used in the first place, you first need to collect Kemono Orbs dropped in combat against large kemono. Then, go to the karakuri tree in the menu to unlock them through “awakening”. In the above example, I can make my paddle scoops pick up more fish by spending 700 Kemono Orbs.

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When placing Dragon Karakuri, you can place them almost anywhere, provided you have enough energy and a flat piece of ground to place it on. In the above example, I’m placing a Field Forge, which requires 15 Water Energy. The box on the right is showing I’ll go from 35 available Water Energy to 20. If placed, I can destroy it at any time to get that Water Energy back.

This following list is not comprehensive, but it will cover most important ones.

Dragon Karakuri

 

Base Building

 

Hunter’s Tent

Elemental Power Cost: 50 Earth (5 Earth if placed in “ideal spot”)

A tent is the heart of your base, the fast travel spot and respawn location should you be knocked out in combat. Two spots in each zone are considered ideal for tents, which reduces the cost by 90%. One is always the one you start with, and the other must be found. Place tents wherever you think is best.

Tents can be placed cheaply in Minato, but have no effect as you cannot travel to tents there.

Campfire

Elemental Power Cost: 10 Fire

Campfires are where you create or join online lobbies. You can also upgrade your Tsukumo here. A campfire can be found in your home in Minato as well to perform these same functions. If you don’t plan on using lobbies and your Tsukumo is fully upgraded, these are no longer needed.

Field Forge

Elemental Power Cost: 15 Water

The Field Forge allows you to create new weapons and armor while out in the field, or change out your equipment for others you’ve already made. You can do nearly everything here that Natsume the Blacksmith can do. You don’t have to keep these at camp; any time you want to change loadouts, place one down, make the switch, and destroy it. The portability is useful.

Hunting Tower

Elemental Power Cost: 15 Water

Hunting Towers show the silhouette of every large kemono in its range, depicted on the map screen. It pays to have enough coverage for the whole map, but if you place too many the map becomes unreadable. The towers can be upgraded to show off Tsukumo, Scroll, and Talisman locations.

Traversal

 

Flying Vine

Elemental Power Cost: 15 Wood

One of the most versatile and useful traversal methods. This zipline can fire a good distance away, allowing fast travel between two locations both ways. If the either part of the zipline gets destroyed, the zipline resets but can be redeployed without issue. You can use the Flying Vine to attack kemono, but it’s not very effective.

Enhanced Flying Vine

Elemental Power Cost: 20 Water

The first of the “alternate” dragon karakuri. Despite the name and in-game description, it functions identically to the normal Flying Vine. It just looks different and has a different energy cost. Use both Flying Vines to make an interconnected travel network for fast, easy access to various parts of the map.

Launcher

Elemental Power Cost: 10 Fire

The Launcher has two potential uses: the first is as a combat karakuri. You can stand behind the launcher and place Basic Karakuri into it, where it will launch the contents at any large kemono in front of it. It’s not very effective, though. The second use is to launch yourself – stand on top of it and it will propel you forward. Use it to cover medium gaps that are too far for springs but too close for Flying Vines.

Wind Vortex

Elemental Power Cost: 10 Wind

The Wind Vortex is a straightforward fan that throws you upward. If you jump into it alone, your movement will be slow and restricted, but it can get you high up steep cliffs as long as the destination isn’t too far from the wind current. If you jump into it with the Glider basic karakuri, you’ll be given a great boost in height with more maneuverability.

Roller

Elemental Power Cost: 40 Fire

This mono-wheel vehicle allows fast travel along the ground. Best placed right outside camps where you have long stretches of ground to cover. You don’t have fall damage while riding it, so feel free to take any plunge if it will get you to your destination faster. You can run over small kemono or collide with large kemono, but the damage isn’t great.

Dragon Karakuri – Part 2

Food Processing

 

Ingredients Chest

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wind

You’re going to end up with a lot of food items throughout the game. Place extras in these chests. They’re useful early on when you don’t have much food space, and useful later on when you have food processing setups at your bases.

BEWARE: Don’t place these at Natsume’s elevation in Minato or anywhere with direct line of sight to it. There is a good chance they’ll be destroyed in the story and lose all their contents.

Communal Ingredients Chest

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wood

Functions identically to the normal Ingredients Chest, but has a different elemental cost, looks different, and other players in your lobby can take items from them. Good for sharing ingredients or fully cooked items between friends.

BEWARE: Don’t place these at Natsume’s elevation in Minato or anywhere with direct line of sight to it. There is a good chance they’ll be destroyed in the story and lose all their contents.

Drying Rack

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Fire

The first cooking implement you’ll unlock, and an important one. It’s often the first step to cooking any ingredients you like the stats of. See the food section later in the guide for how to best make use of these.

Pickling Jar

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Water

A cooking implement used to combine base ingredients with a seasoning to create food with various effects. Used for more complex recipes.

Vermilion Pickling Jar

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wind

Identical to the regular Pickling Jar, but with a different cost and look. Other players in the lobby can make use of it.

Fermenting Cask

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Fire

Another cooking implement meant more for getting rid of unwanted ingredients to make seasoning. This is used for more complex recipes.

Vermilion Fermenting Cask

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Water

Same as the regular Fermenting Cask, except with a different cost and appearance. Other players in the lobby can use it.

Smoker

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wood

The final part of cooking, which usually makes a cooked item strictly better. Unlike other cooking implements which have different numbers of inputs and outputs, Smokers only take in and output one item at a time.

Vermilion Smoker

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Fire

Identical to the regular Smoker, with a different cost. Other players in the lobby are able to make use of it.

Dragon Karakuri – Part 3

Item Collection

 

Wildlife Cage

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wind

Throughout the game, you’ve collected small creatures and placed them in your inventory. They don’t do much until you place small creatures into a Wildlife Cage. After a while, the creature inside will give you an item. You can find a list of what you gain from each type of critter in the item compendium. You can have a maximum of up to 3 Wildlife Cages or Pens per map.

Wildlife Pen

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Water

Much like the Wildlife Cage, you put larger creatures into the Pen. After a while, the creature inside will give you an item. Check the item compendium at the bottom of the guide to find out what you get from each critter. You can have a maximum of up to 3 Wildlife Cages or Pens per map.

Tsukumo Food Shrine

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Fire

The Food Shrine generates raw ingredients that can be found in the map and stockpiles up to 9 of them for you to pick up. They give mostly vegetables and a few grains, but you can rarely get salt and other spices for cooking more specific foods. These are also a good way to pa*sively get rare ingredients like Bulbous Turnips or Gem Rice.

Tsukumo Ore Shrine

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wind

The Ore Shrine generates stone, ore, and other related items that can be found in the map. Like the Food Shrine, it can hold a maximum of 9 before you have to loot it for it to generate more.

Celestial Tsukumo Shrine

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Wood

The Celestial Tusukumo Shrine can only give you 1 offering at a time. When taken, it grants you a full Hunter’s Arm benefit – that’s double your maximum capacity for Celestial Thread as well as any extra Hunter’s Arm benefits you have on weapons, armor, or talismans. Great for starting a hunt with extra thread for a Celestial Cannon alpha strike, or for restocking when you’re critically low.

Paddle Scoop

Elemental Power Cost: 30 Water

Unlike all other Dragon Karakuri, this must be placed in shallow water. Once deployed, a paddle scoop will leave the dock you placed and begin to gather/generate up to 9 fish at a time. It will only give you one type of fish specific to that body of water.

Miscellaneous

 

Training Bear

Elemental Power Cost: 10 Fire

Interacting with a Training Bear opens up a menu that gives you multiple training options to customize your training experience. You can practice weapon combos, karakuri combos, dodging timing, and so on. The tutorials offered from the Training Bear are more in-depth than the one you get from first equipping a weapon.

Looking Gla*s

Elemental Power Cost: 15 Water

The Looking Gla*s allows you to change your character name or return to the character creator, allowing you to make adjustments or create an entirely new look. Since it’s likely to rarely be used, it’s best not created until needed, or perhaps placed in Minato if you have the Water energy to spare.

This WILD HEARTS™ – Fusion Karakuri and Dragon Karakuri Guide is now complete. We would appreciate hearing from you if you have any questions or suggestions on how we may improve this post. Thank you very much; I hope you have a fantastic day! We are indebted to ̧҉ ҉Minorou ꧁💀꧂, whose perceptive guide served as the impetus for this one. Don’t forget to add us to your bookmarks if you enjoyed the post; we update regularly with fresh stuff.