Which Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Is Right For You?

So you’ve booted up a Monster Hunter game, and you have to choose your weapon class. That seems easy enough, yes? In most games, this is a simple process, but in Monster Hunter, it’s less like you’re choosing a weapon and more like you’re choosing a character in a fighting game. Actually, even that doesn’t quite properly explain it because your entire control scheme and feel in the game is stipulated on the weapon class you choose. It’s much more akin to choosing which gaming experience you want your Monster Hunter experience to feel like. Ninja Gaiden? Dark Souls? Guitar Hero? Devil May Cry? Horizon: Zero Dawn? Gears of War? Ghost of Tsushima? Your weapon choice doesn’t simply change a moveset, it changes the game.

Naturally, choosing the correct weapon class is going to make a difference in your enjoyment of the experience. But if you are new to the series or have very little experience, how are you to know which weapon will suit you best on your hunts?

---

Fear not, for I have compiled a list that focuses exactly on this. I won’t get into the greater details of the weapon classes here (no explaining SAED for Charge Blade and such) as the focus is to describe the type of experience that each weapon class may deliver to different types of gamers. It’s a brief guide to help you reach the best weapon choice for you. With that in mind, and without further ado, let’s get you equipped with the correct armaments.

Bow

Best weapon for elemental range and daring escapes

For those wishing to channel their inner Aloy or Katniss, the Bow is for you. It is a ranged weapon that fires arrows, and those arrows can be tipped with different elements as the need arises. It keeps you at a decent range, but you generally have to be closer than the Heavy and Light Bowguns for optimal damage. Still, it offers range away from the jaws of monsters as you unload an impressive amount of damage. It’s also more mobile than the Bowguns, making it a great choice for those that want ranged combat with a lot of mobility.

– 3 Strengths –

1. High mobility
2. Great elemental options
3. Mid-range prowess

– Major Weakness –

• Requires anticipating monsters as you must aim well for high damage while also staying clear of the beast’s path of destruction

Charge Blade

Best weapon for complexity and intelligent tactics

If you want a weapon that has you consistently thinking, with tons of depth and an atomic bomb of a payoff, the Charge Blade is your bag, baby. As one of the most complex of all of the Monster Hunter weapon classes, it takes some practice to understand its intricacies. It’s also one of the combination weapons, switching on the fly from a more mobile sword mode to a slower and more deliberate axe mode. There is also a guard capability, but the majority of your time will be focused on building phials by using the sword mode, and then switching to axe mode to spend those phials, allowing for that aforementioned atomic payoff. If complexity and payoffs are your thing, give Charge Blade a go.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Complexity keeps you engaged while handling different circumstances
2. Building up phials to unleash devastation on the monster leads to one of the finest payoffs of any weapon class
3. When used effectively, Charge Blade has some of the highest damage output, if not THE highest, in the game

– Major Weakness –

• When building up phials, if the monster runs or if you miss your payoff blow, it severely hampers your overall damage output

Dual Blades

Best weapon for flashy combos and quick dodging

If you’re looking to turn off your brain a bit and simply mash your way to victory with quick combos and lightning-quick mobility, it’s time to dance with the Dual Blades. That’s not to say that there is no complexity; all Monster Hunter weapons hold a lot of depth, but it’s possible to forego a lot of that with the Dual Blades if you so choose. To get the most out of them, however, you’ll want to work on knowing your combos and learn how much time they take in relation to a monster’s actions. Also, Dual Blades class has a “Demon Mode,” which enhances your moves at the cost of a constantly-draining stamina bar. For quick, flashy action, the Dual Blades may be right for you.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Fastest melee class by far
2. Easy to pick up and use
3. Almost always has escape options

– Major Weakness –

• Requires constant upkeep and combo execution to maintain high damage numbers

Great Sword

Best weapon for high-damage hit-and-run tactics

This behemoth packs a wallop, but it also comes with the need to learn proper positioning so that the monster doesn’t catch you in a slow animation. The Great Sword class has great range for the melee classes, and with its excellent sheathing bonuses, which power up your weapon after you sheath it and then attack with it, it’s all about hit and run with this class. There are some combos that hit for ridiculous damage if you topple or stun the monster and have the time, but most of your time will see you running to the best position to unleash an attack. And when you do attack with these colossal Great Swords, they bring the hurt!

– 3 Strengths –

1. High raw damage
2. Great melee range with excellent wake-up and sheathing properties
3. Easy to understand and execute

– Major Weakness –

• Slow attack animations leave you wide open, making it essential to know when to strike

Gunlance

Best weapon for those who want explosive options and prime defense

If you enjoy devastating things with cool melee weapons while also firing mortars and lasers at them, Gunlance has you covered. It even has a portable shield that you can hide behind when the need arises, and it’s quite a strong shield that can be upgraded via your build to block nearly anything. Each Gunlance will be either “Normal,” “Wide,” or “Long,” and each changes the number of shells before reloading, along with different effective ranges for the shells. Also, Gunlance replaces your ability to dodge with a quick-step ability which isn’t that great for outright avoiding big attacks, but it allows you to reposition, which is the key to making Gunlance the spectacle that it can be.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Options from melee and longer range
2. Excellent defensive capabilities
3. Easily blows off and breaks parts of a monster

– Major Weakness –

• Inability to properly dodge means proper positioning is crucial

Hammer

Best weapon for those that take things head on and want to feel the “oomph” of devastating blows

Hammer users know one thing: aim for the head. That may be a dangerous place to take a stand, but it’s also where the Hammer class shines. By smashing and obliterating the heads and faces of the monsters, Hammer users routinely topple the monster, allowing for many opportunities for themselves and any other players to bring the pain. Hammer users still need to know when to get out of harm’s way, of course; knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em is the hallmark of every great Hammer user. The slower speed of the mighty Hammers means that you commit to every blow, whether in glory or in shame. Landing a colossal knock out blow to a monster never gets old to those of the Hammer.

– 3 Strengths –

1. The K.O. king as it consistently knocks out the monster
2. High raw damage output
3. Wrecks the head of a monster

– Major Weakness –

• Reliance on headhunting means Hammer users are often in the path of danger

Heavy Bowgun

Best weapon for those preferring to bring a gun to a monster fight

Though it’s the slowest of the ranged weapon classes, Heavy Bowgun is often highly sought after due to some creative build options that allow for impressive damage while keeping hunters far away from razor-sharp teeth. Each Heavy Bowgun has its specialty as far as ammo is concerned, with some being great for certain elementals, some being more useful at closer or longer ranges, and other characteristics. Due to the slower speed, players have to understand a monster’s tendencies and utilize items and traps to compensate, but those equipped with this knowledge will find that they are downing monsters with greater speed and efficiency than other classes. Knowledge is power to the Heavy Bowgun user.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Highest potential damage output of the ranged classes
2. Often well out of range of a monster’s claws and teeth
3. The only non-melee class with a shield

– Major Weakness –

• Due to the speed it takes to reload and to get into or out of certain attack positions, Heavy Bowgun users are often left open to attack

Hunting Horn

Best weapon for support and healing

The Hunting Horn player is a rare breed. Consistently found on the bottom of “Most Used” charts, choosing the Hunting Horn is choosing a unicorn. But it’s a pony that every group will be happy to see, especially if you know what you’re doing. As one of the most unique weapons you’ll use, it’s often misunderstood and quickly left behind. But, essentially, it’s an instrument, for music and for laying the smack down. Each attack is also a type of note, and by playing those notes in a certain order and “performing,” different effects occur, like extra damage, elemental protection, healing, and so forth. Different Hunting Horns have different songs they can play, and a good Hunting Horn player will employ a combination of songs and tactics against different monsters to an impressive degree. If you want an extremely rare weapon class that gets all the praise from a group, Hunting Horn players are always in demand.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Best support class in town
2. Versatile options for any occasion with “free” on-the-go buffs and healing
3. A rare breed with underrated attack power

– Major Weakness –

• The need to play songs means that not only will attack power suffer without utilizing them, but they can also leave you open as you perform the songs

Insect Glaive

Best weapon for lovers of aerial combat with options from all ranges

As a symbiosis of insect and weapon, the Insect Glaive demands that you understand this importance. If you focus on only one, you leave so much potential behind. But when Insect Glaive users use their bug to extract essences from monsters and then use them to empower the Glaive, unlocking more moves with speed and grace, it’s quite a sight to behold. As a user of the Insect Glaive, you will often be found in the air, pole-vaulting atop the monsters to exact airborne devastation, often mounting the poor beast for even greater gains in the process. It’s also a fairly quick weapon, and though it’s damage may not seem as great as other weapons, the constant blows married with the essence and powder extractions from your bug ensure that the Insect Glaive is always firing from all angles.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Versatility from all ranges
2. Airborne combat makes mounting monsters an easy task
3. High maneuverability and easy positioning around the battlefield

– Major Weakness –

• Constant need to keep essences topped off requires skill in aiming along with extra resources for upkeep of the insect

Lance

Best weapon for those who know that the best defense is the best defense

Lance users know that they’re not winning any attack awards, and they don’t care. The Lance isn’t about putting up the highest damage numbers, although Lances can certainly bring it when they need to. No, the Lance user is wondering why the other classes spend more time on their backs than in the fight. As the de facto defensive powerhouse, Lance users are more about reacting than acting, allowing the monster to make its mistakes and then pouncing when they do. The range of the Lances allow the poking to occur at a relatively safe distance, and the shield is the best in the business, urging the monsters close for a nice impalement. If you want to survive everything, tanking the mightiest of foes behind a virtual fortress of defense, give Lance a try.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Best defense of all classes
2. Long and safe melee range
3. Very stout and reliable class; highly survivable

Major Weakness

• Lower damage output can make shorter timed quests more difficult

Light Bowgun

Best weapon for gunplay with mobility

While lighter and somewhat less powerful than the Heavy Bowgun, the increased mobility of the Light Bowgun allows for some quicker escapes while still employing the ammo options of its heavier counterpart. Acting as a happy medium between the Heavy Bowgun and the Bow, the Light Bowgun is much closer to the Heavy Bowgun-style, just with more maneuverability. It gives you range and grants a way out of danger when things get heated, so if run and gun is more your speed, Light Bowgun is your vice.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Great balance of mobility and range
2. Able to stay out of harm’s way while utilizing ammo types for all situations
3. Easy to use and handle

– Major Weakness –

• Least overall damage of the three dedicated ranged classes

Longsword

Best weapon for fantastic swordplay with a balanced playstyle

You are the greatest samurai who ever lived. You know this, and so do your foes. There is a type of honorable dancing that comes with your hunts, and that dancing is done with your Longsword. Not only does the Longsword class offer fantastic power and great melee range, but it does so with style and grace. You feel like you are fighting with the honor of your ancestor spirits, and that ties directly into the gameplay mechanic that powers the Longsword. As you fight, you build up your spirit gauge, granting access to spirit moves and combos, and knowing how and when to use these is crucial for the Longsword, with parries and counter attacks being key to high damage. There’s a reason so many choose the Longsword when hunting their monsters, and if you choose it, you, too, will understand.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Great balance of versatility and power
2. Excellent parry and counter-attack options
3. Very forgiving due to range, sharpness prowess, and fluid combat flow

– Major Weakness –

• Knowledge of monster’s attack timing is essential for efficient use of the Spirit Gauge to maximize damage through counters and parries

Switch Axe

Best weapon for barbarian types that want to use an axe and a sword

The Switch Axe is unique, and it is a joy to use when you understand the flow. It is a weapon class that transforms from an axe to a sword, and while that may sound like the Charge Blade, they are each quite different. With the Switch Axe, you will begin in axe form, the quicker but less damaging of the two forms, and you will be building a phial meter as you chop apart your foes. Once that meter reaches a certain threshold or beyond, you may switch to sword mode and truly bring the pain. This is a “feel” weapon in that the more you practice with it and understand its progressions, the better you’ll be able to tame it and know exactly when and how to make it sing, realizing how much phial meter is left without needing to check and changing forms as the occasions and opportunities arise. Choose Switch Axe for a stylish barbarian slugfest that brings the pain and the fun.

– 3 Strengths –

1. Wild swings with great range and damage easily break parts off of a monster
2. Switching from axe’s flashy combos to sword’s monstrous blows allows for fantastic versatility
3. Excels at combat against flying foes

– Major Weakness –

• Runs through sharpness meter quite quickly, and high sharpness is required for efficiency with phial damage

Sword and Shield

Best weapon for those who value extreme utility with balanced melee and defense options

As a bit of a “jack of all trades” weapon, the Sword and Shield seems deceptively basic at first. When you understand how much utility and build options you have as a Sword and Shield user, however, you’ll wonder why so many pass it by. You have terrific defense with your shield. You have excellent attack and combo options with some nifty high-flying action mixed in to boot. And, by the way, you are the only class that doesn’t need to sheathe their weapon in order to use items. This provides utility options that would make Batman blush. You can become a support for your team that would rival the Hunting Horn by adding the Wide-Range and Free Meal skills to your build, and you can still keep your attack numbers high since your weapon will be at the ready. You can also build for offense, defense, elemental…the options are nearly limitless with Sword & Shield, so pick it and get creative!

– 3 Strengths –

1. Extreme utility due to items being usable while weapon is out
2. Fantastic offensive, defensive, and support build options and playstyles
3. Easy to use with decent mobility and shielding capabilities

– Major Weakness –

• Requires skill and technique to reach full potential due to shorter range and lower per-hit damage

---

So this has been a quick overview of each weapon class. It’s meant to quickly direct and guide you to your optimal weapon class, but there is obviously so much more to dive into with these. As such, we’ll break down each in depth specifically for Monster Hunter Wilds after it releases. Until then, please use this quick guide to assist you in which armaments will work best for you, and we hope to see you out there in the wilds with us. Happy Hunting!