Can a Hunter ranger, can the Horde Breaker feature target a creature within 5 feet of any target attacked that turn, or only the most recent target?

Question

I play a Hunter ranger using longbow attacks in a D&D 5e game. I'm trying to understand how the Horde Breaker feature works.

Say there are two targets within 5 feet of each other in one area (Target A&B). Then there are another two targets within 5 feet of each other in another area (Target C&D). I have both the Extra Attack and Horde Breaker features. I attack Target A, then with my Extra Attack I attack Target C.

Now I want to use Horde Breaker. Can I select Target B from the first duo? Or must I select Target D from the second duo because that was my last attack?

---

In another scenario, there are two targets within 5 feet of each other in one area (Target A&B), then there is another target about 20 feet away by itself (Target C). I attack Target A, then with my Extra Attack, I attack Target C. Do I then forfeit using Horde Breaker because I didn't use it to attack Target B?

Answer 1

Horde Breaker must be used on a target adjacent to the one attacked last, not any one that has been attacked during your turn.

The Hunter ranger's Horde Breaker option for the Hunter's Prey feature states:

Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.

Assessing your scenarios:

1. If you choose to use Horde Breaker after attacking Target A and then C, you must use Horde Breaker on target D, if you use it at all. This is because Horde Breaker doesn't say "within 5 feet of a target"; it says "within 5 feet of the original target" - and the original target is the one you attacked to trigger Horde Breaker.

2. Yes, you would forfeit Horde Breaker if you don't use it on target B before you attack target C.

In the case of this subclass feature, you will want to use it against an adjacent target before you make any further attacks.

Additional note, as it says "a weapon attack", this means you can not only use ranged and melee weapons, but also use unarmed strikes and attacks with natural weapons (such as claws), since they also count as weapon attacks.