Wild Hearts | Sapscourge Monster Guide

Want to learn everything about Sapscourge, one of the tougher early-game monsters in Wild Hearts? Well, this guide will teach you the monster's entire moveset (as well as how to counter each move), what weapons and elements work best against it and some general advice on how to approach dealing with the Sticky Trickster.

Wild Hearts Sapscourge Monster Guide

Koei Tecmo’s newest game, Wild Hearts, is an innovative spin on the classic Monster-Hunter formula. With a bunch of new creatures to hunt, interesting environments to explore and the strange concept of Karakuri to unravel, there’s plenty to be excited about. Especially when it comes to the creatures you’ll be put up against. 

Sapscourge is one of the many monsters you’ll find yourself fighting early on in Wild Hearts. Despite being one of the first hunts you undertake in the game, Sapscourge can be surprisingly difficult. Between the powerful attacks that can easily daze you, sticky sap that you need to be constantly aware of and a large model that can often get in the way of your vision, you’re in for a wild ride with Sapscourge.

Here is the Monster Guide for fighting Sapscourge in Wild Hearts. This will include a breakdown of all of Sapscourge’s moves and abilities, what weapons and elements work best again it and the general strategy for fighting the Sticky Trickster.

Want more Wild Hearts content and articles? You can find more here on KeenGamer:

  1. Wild Hearts | Human-Path and Kemono-Path Affinity Explained
  2. Wild Hearts | How to Make the Best Weapons (Weapon Upgrade Guide)
  3. Wild Hearts | Master of the Skies Achievement/Trophy Guide

Sapscourge Information

Sapscourge can be found in the Harugasumi Way area of the map, and you have to defeat one to progress the main story of Wild Hearts. It has a Wood Attribute, meaning that it will take increased damage from Flame attacks.

In terms of Ailments, Sapscourge is extremely weak to four of them – Burning, Fatigue, Frozen and Entangled, to be precise – but it is strong against Poison. Here is the effectiveness of each of the main elements against Sapscourge: 

  • Wood: 2-Stars (Not Very Effective)
  • Flame: 4-Stars (Very Effective)
  • Water: 2-Stars (Not Very Effective)
  • Wind: 2-Stars (Not Very Effective)
  • Earth: 3-Stars (Effective)
Sapscourge Bio

Sapscourge Bio

It should also be noted that one of the special things about Sapscourge is its signature sap. Several of its attacks will fling this sticky orange pollen around the arena and, if these attacks hit, you too will be covered in this sap. While the sap is on your character, they will be slowed significantly and will eventually become stuck in place for a moment. This leaves you very vulnerable, giving Sapscourge ample time to wind up an attack. Use a Spring Karakuri to remove the sap and save yourself an embarrassing cart.

The softest parts of Sapscourge’s body are the Head, Tail and Body. You’ll want to pay particular attention to the Head (as this is where you will be able to deal the most damage) and the Tail (as cutting this part off will limit what kind of attacks it can perform). Additionally, Sapscourge is weakest at Slashing weapons (the Karakuri Katana, Nodachi, etc.) so consider using either of those if this monster is giving you a hard time.

Monster Attributes

Monster Attributes

Sapscourge Parts

There are five main monster parts that you can harvest from a Sapscourge:

  • Sapscourge Leaf Beard
  • Sapscourge Horn
  • Sapscourge Amber
  • Sapscourge Tail
  • Rare Sapscourge Sap

Except for the Rare Sapscourge Sap, you can determine at least one kind of drop from every Sapscourge hunt by focusing on specific parts of its body. These will appear on the ground as glowing green pick-ups, or as parts of the monster’s body that can be harvested for resources.

The Leaf Beard will drop by repeatedly attacking Sapscourge’s head, the softest part of its body and where you will also deal the most damage. The Horns are similarly obtained from attacking the head, with enough damage sundering each of the Sapscourge’s two horns from its body (which then have to be harvested to get the rewards). Lastly, the Amber comes from repeatedly attacking the monster’s body whereas the Sapscourge Tail can be completely dissected from the monster, just like with the Horns.

These items are all extremely useful in the early game, either for creating stronger weapons or for crafting pieces of the Young Samurai Body Armour.

Monster Moveset

The following section will detail all of Sapscourge’s main moves and abilities. These don’t have a set pattern, meaning that the monster could combo any number of these together. 

Paw Smash: Sapscourge will raise its left front leg before quickly slamming it down and repeating this attack with the right arm. Evade to the side and let Sapscourge move forward, giving you ample access to its body and tail. Dodging directly backwards will put you in the path of the second swing, so be sure to go either left or right.

360 Spin: The monster will do a 360-degree spin, extending its tail in hopes to connect with you. It will then flop on its back for a few seconds, giving you a good opportunity to sneak in a few extra hits.

Tail Smack: If you are standing behind Sapscourge, it will sometimes smack down onto the ground with its tail. Dodge to the left or right as the attack is coming down.

Sideways Roll: Sapscourge will raise the legs on one side of its body, then roll to the side. This attack covers a lot of ground so, when dodging, be sure to do it away from the monster and not into the path of the attack (which can still connect and deal full damage). It can also do this from both sides depending on where you are, so pay attention. 

Forward Roll Attack

Forward Roll Attack

Forward Roll Attack: Sapscourge will roll itself into a ball before moving towards its target. After a few seconds, it will suddenly leap forward and bellyflop onto the ground. Use the Spring Karakuri to easily dodge away. Failing to do so has a high chance of causing you to blackout and be left vulnerable.

Charge Rush: After rearing back for a brief moment, Sapscourge will charge forward at high speeds, ending the run with a leaping jump. Simply dodge to the left or right when you see this attack coming, then sneak in behind the monster for some free easy hits.

Deafening Clap Combo: Sapscourge will stand up on its hind legs and then lunge toward the ground with a clap. If you are too close, this attack will deafen and stun you for a moment, in which time Sapscourge will rise on its tail and come down upon you. Fortunately, the stun will ware off just as the attack is about to connect, giving you a brief moment to either or parry.

Sap Barrage: Sapscourge will gather sap between its hands before flinging them at the player. This is similar to the sneeze attack, but instead of one large projectile, this attack is made up of five smaller ones. These projectiles don’t travel as far and cover a wider area: simply step back and wait for them to fall helplessly towards the ground before rushing in. 

Sap Sneeze: After pausing, Sapscourge will shake its head back and forth for a moment before sending out a singular large blast of sap towards its target. This deals a single chunk of high damage as well as applying sap to the target.

Sap Barrage

Sap Barrage

Enrage

When Sapscourge takes enough damage, it will Enrage. It will signal this by letting out a roar, which is your opportunity to quickly get away with a Spring Katakuri or a sliding dodge. Sapscourge will enter the Enrage state by spinning a circle before smashing the ground and causing a detonation of sap.

Enraged 360 Spin: A variant of the Sapscourge’s spin attack with an added layer of sap. Now, the attack generates a ring of sap around Sapscourge, which will stay in place for a few seconds and inflict you with slow should you stand in it.

Enraged Forward Roll Attack: A variant of Sapscourge’s forward roll. While rolling, the monster will now leave a trail of sap behind it and the bellyflop is accompanied by a large explosion of sap. The sap can make evading this attack a bit trickier if you’re too close to Sapscourge, so stay well back until the end of the attack.

Quick Grab: Sapscourge will stand up and rub its hands against its cheeks before pouncing. If it catches you, it will stuff you into its mouth and cover you in sap before throwing you into the ground. This attack can be hard to see coming thanks to Sapscourge’s large size and messy appearance, so if you see it begin to stand on its rear legs make sure to back away as quickly as you can. Another way to interrupt this attack is to stack 3 Block Karakuri in its path, causing it to bang its head and cease the grab. 

Gobble Grab

Gobble Grab

Sapscourge Strategy

There are a few reasons why Sapscourge can be an annoying fight, even if it is an early-game monster. 

For one, it has a relatively large model with a lot of detail and clutter thanks to the wood, pollen and leaves that adorn its body. This can make figuring out the monster’s telegraphs kind of tricky, especially when some moves have similar tells (for example, Sapscourge stands on its hind legs for both the Quick Grab and Sap Barrage attacks). It also has a lot of attacks to punish you if you overcommit. Whether it’s the roll attacks, the spin or the clap, Sapscourge will punish you at close range if you’re careless.

To mitigate this, wait for openings in Sapscourge’s attacks to strike. There are many opportunities after the monster performs an attack where, for several seconds, it will lay helplessly on the ground or be otherwise immobile. These are the best chances to rush up and deal some great damage as you won’t be in fear of retaliation. If you’re too far away, make use of the Spring Karakuri to dash towards the monster and get some hits in. Once you see it begin to stand back up, dodge away quickly and await the next opening. 

Final Blow Delivered

Final Blow Delivered

If you’re using either the Karakuri Katana or the Nodachi, focus on the tail. Their Slashing damage will make short work of it, hindering Sapscourge for the rest of the fight (such as when it uses Deafing Clap where, after the initial clap, it will fall helplessly onto its back without a tail to support it). Similarly, if you’re using the Maul focus primarily on the head to deal massive amounts of damage with a high chance to knock it down. Piercing weapons like the Bow or Wagasa don’t have any significant advantage, but both have either the range or the agility to duck in and out of Sapscourge’s attacks without the fear of retribution. 

All together, Sapscourge is a monster that will teach you about patience and the power of the Karakuri. It can be easy to get a bit drunk on the speed and power of Wild Heart’s weapons, but if you rush in without first assessing the monster you’re hunting, things will go downhill fast. For Sapscourge in particular, it will teach you the importance of waiting for openings as opposed to just blindly rushing in, while also showcasing the power of Spring Karakuri to avoid attacks and get back into the action fast. 

The Beast is Felled

The Beast is Felled

Keep calm, learn the monster’s moves and, eventually, the Sapscourge will fall. That was everything you needed to know to take on the Sapscourge in Wild Hearts. Good luck, Hunters!

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