Ah yes, a tier list! Don’t we all love tier lists? Ladies and gentlemen, hunters of all ages, welcome to another Monster Hunter weapons tier list! We all have our favorites, our mains, and what is considered meta, and isn’t it fun talking about these glorious weapons and ranking them all as we see fit?

Most of us would definitely also want to look cool while hitting ferocious monsters with these tools, do it in the least possible time to brag to our friends or bonk them with the most ridiculous-looking weapons (I’m looking at you, Juicy Well-Done Hammer). While all weapons are definitely viable, a bit of background on each weapon will definitely give us a reason to try them out. After all, there are 14 weapon types in the game and that is definitely higher than it actually sounds.

Let’s rank them all based on the highest damage possible within the fastest time, ease of use, and, of course… style!

 

Solo Play Tier List:

S-Tier:

• Greatsword
• Longsword
• Light Bowgun
• Heavy Bowgun
• Bow

A-Tier:

• Dual Blades
• Lance
• Gunlance
• Hammer
• Switch Axe
• Charge Blade

B-Tier:

• Insect Glaive

C-Tier:

• Sword and Shield
• Hunting Horn

 

Co-op Tier List:

S-Tier:

• Hunting Horn
• Light Bowgun
• Heavy Bowgun

A-Tier:

• Sword and Shield
• Hammer
• Switch Axe
• Bow

B-Tier:

• Greatsword
• Dual Blades
• Lance

C-Tier:

• Longsword
• Gunlance
• Charge Blade
• Insect Glaive 

Just to reiterate, all weapons are viable. Some may be hard to master, but the payoff is worth it, and some are easy to pilot with average damage.

Let’s start off with my first main weapon in the series.

 

Greatsword (Solo  S-Tier/ Co-op B-Tier)

As the first flagship weapon in the Monster Hunter series, the greatsword deserves to be mentioned first. It’s a slow weapon that may turn off some of the new players in the series, but it definitely (I mean, DEFINITELY!) makes up for the damage it does with each swing. This is more significant for this title, now that actual damage numbers appear on our HUD that previous titles withheld.

The downside of this is that you’ll feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders whenever the weapon is unsheathed, making you vulnerable to attacks. Yes, you can guard attacks with this weapon, but it still knocks you back and leaves you vulnerable to additional multiple attacks.Not to mention that guarding greatly lowers your weapon's sharpness. 

The greatsword, although intimidating, can be classified as a beginner's weapon. The hit-and-run strategy ensures that you avoid heavy and significant monster attacks while dealing massive damage in and out.This goes hand in hand with monster knowledge. Being able to predict monsters' attacks helps with this tactic, as you can do level three charged attacks to the head and have a big chance to flinch the monster once you familiarize yourself with it.

The introduction of the True Charged Slash (TCS) will somehow make the hit-and-run tactic less effective or meta, due to the fact that you have to chain your slashes in succession to access this godly move. But still, this weapon trains your eyes to look for opportunities to hit your single slashes, roll, and bounce out of the monster's field of attack. By the way, the greatsword’s TCS gives the most single hit damage in the game and is perfect for waking up a sleeping monster by hitting it in its most vulnerable part (90% of the time, that's the head).

Solo play is where this weapon excels the most, since you're the only hunter in the area, the monster's attacks and movements will be predictable. You can easily avoid them, or if you're feeling brave, spank them with charged attacks while they flinch.

When playing with other hunters, the greatsword will be less effective because their focus will be spread thin. I'll never forget the times I played with heavy bow gun users and had to run toward the monster for their tail only to have them focus on the other hunter on the other side of the area. It’s not all bad, though, when it comes to co-op hunts for the greatsword, as having the monster focus on other hunters gives you an opening for tail cuts and focusing on breaking other monster parts.

Pros:

• Basic moves make it easy to wield for most players.
• High-damage attacks mean fewer instances are needed to land attacks, so sharpness is less prioritized. 
• As a last resort, its weapon guard can lessen the damage you get from most attacks.
• The shoulder tackle mechanic is a pseudo-flinch-free guard if timed right and can shave off some frames when initiating a TCS.
• True Charged Slash deals the most single-hit damage in the game and is extremely satisfying!

Cons:

• You move like a turtle whenever the weapon is unsheathed.
• Charged attacks take an eternity without the proper armor skills or slinger ammo.
• Easy to use but hard to master. Waiting for level 3-charged attacks is as appealing as putting in the single power ring.You’ll have to know when to settle for a level 2 charged attack.
• The focus skill level 3 is "almost" always prioritized for this weapon to be in optimal condition. 

 

Longsword (Solo S-Tier / Co-op C-Tier)

The weebiest weapon in the game. It is almost impossible to join a random quest without a longsword wielder, and that's understandable! It looks flashy, and you feel like you're the protagonist in an anime that just never gets hit by the opponent. Its fluid strikes and combos are just some of the reasons why it was my main in Freedom Unite.

In World, this beast of a weapon had the potential to shoot up to the roof.Several countermoves have been added, as well as the most badass move in the game (in my opinion), Helm Breaker (provided you have a level in your Spirit Gauge). If you’re a Rurouni Kenshin fan, you must have already seen Kenshin’s Rytsuisen (Dragon Hammer Flash in English). So you use the monster’s body as a platform to catapult yourself into the air, and then you slash downward without bouncing. It’s a devastating one-strike multiple-hit move that gains more damage whenever you have your Spirit Gauge at white, yellow, or red, and in all cases, you’d want your gauge to be red for optimal damage. (How much more anime do you want?) To turn your spirit gauge red, you must either hit a monster with the final hit of your spirit combo or counter with the Iai Slash. It’s a counter wherein you’ll have to press the designated combo at the last moment before you get hit. In second place for the game's most badass move is also the longsword called the Iai Spirit Slash. You’re going to have to do the special sheath stance and, like with the Iai Slash, press the designated button at the last minute to avoid damage, deal a ton of damage, and increase your spirit gauge by one level.

With all that said, you can imagine the fluid combos that this weapon offers as well as its style. So the gist of this is, you level up your spirit gauge to red using Iai Slash, Iai Spirit Slash, or the Spirit combo. When you reach red, you perform the Helm Breaker. Rinse and repeat.

Its basic moves are simple to remember, and it has an infinite number of combos. The attack speed is above average and is effective for severing monster tails. But still, the main headline of this weapon is the number of countermoves that it offers. Mastering the countermoves of this weapon can be very challenging. You will need to master all of the monster's moves to achieve peak performance with this weapon. It’s that challenging. But with that challenge come high rewards. You’ll never get hit (except for chips or environmental damage) or flinch or get knocked on your butt if you master this weapon.

Like the greatsword, this weapon is best used on solo hunts. The monster is predictable since it’ll only target you, giving you more opportunities to counter.

The only downside of this weapon is during co-op hunts, it is most likely that you’ll flinch other hunters (along with shelling gunlance users) while attacking the monster, thus requiring everyone to have at least one level of the flinch-free skill because of its wide attacks. 

Pros:

• Most counter moves in the game.
• Fluid moves mean infinite combos.
• Challenging yet rewarding play style.
• You can't get more anime than this!
• Its quick and multiple hits make it ideal for elemental damage and status effects.

Cons:

• Takes a lot of practice to master.
• Almost 80% of the public games have a longsword user.
• Sharpening will be required on a regular basis due to the fast attack speed.
• Risky counters are tempting to take to gain style points.

 

Sword and Shield (Solo C-Tier / Co-op A-Tier)

If you want a weapon that lets you use items while unsheathed, run while unsheathed, sharpen while unsheathed, inflict status effects, or even KO monsters, then this is the weapon for you. Because of this, this weapon opens up for multiple builds, be it a support build, a status build, or sometimes even a KO build. 

The common misconception about the sword and shield is that it is a beginner's weapon. Most likely because it has been the game's default weapon since the first generation.

A weapon with great versatility, probably the highest overall rating within the game, the sword and shield have respectable damage to go along with them. It's got above-average attack speeds that make it a viable element and status weapon, not to mention the shield bash that can cause KO as well (think of it as a hammer that bonks monsters' heads).

While the weapon does have easy-to-learn combos, the sword and shield shine the most in their utility. You can spam heal, dispel status, and sharpen while running and having your weapon unsheathed. For the weapon to be optimal, you will need a deep understanding of how the hunt goes. It is worth noting, though, that most items will require the wide-area armor skill for the effect to be shared among the team. 

Personally, I wouldn't underestimate its potential for status infliction. I once inflicted paralysis five times in a hunt with this weapon, so imagine how much utility this weapon offers. If you’re aiming to KO the monster, it is worth noting that your shield moves should be aimed at the head for them to proc, just like a hammer or a hunting horn’s blunt damage. The introduction of the Perfect Rush combo through the Iceborne expansion gives this weapon, a much-needed damage boost, and style points.

Unfortunately, due to the difference in damage output between other weapons, this weapon will be at the bottom of this tier list when it comes to solo quests, but it is definitely a sight when it comes to co-op.

Pros:

• Ultimate utility weapon.
• High mobility and fast attack speed make for good status and elemental attacks.
• Shielding blocks most attacks as a last resort.
• The Perfect Rush combo feels satisfying to pull off and makes up for the mediocre attack rating.

Cons:

• It's not the best shielding because it drains your stamina and causes chip damage.
• Will need a great understanding of each hunt to be optimal.
• It takes a lot of time to complete hunting quests when doing them solo.
• The Perfect Rush combo requires a certain amount of timing to pull off but is worth it when mastered.

 

Dual Blades (Solo A-Tier / Co-op B-Tier)

Dual Blades are one of Monster Hunter's fast-attacking weapon types. Rapid combos, lightning-fast dashes, and a badass mode that allows you to dish out incredible damage while also running around like a character straight out of Naruto Though the damage on a per-hit basis is lower than the heavy-hitting weapons, the damage from this weapon comes from quick, successive attacks. It is capable of high burst damage while also using those fast combos to take advantage of the monster's elemental weakness or apply an abnormal status effect. 

With probably the highest damage potential in the game, wielding this weapon also gives you godlike speeds while in Demon Mode through its dashes. To gain access to this, you’ll have to fill up the demon gauge by hitting the monster. Once in Demon Mode, everything you do is faster at the cost of stamina. Much like the bow, this weapon also requires stamina management to achieve optimal results. If you feel lazy, though, you can just pop a dash of juice to solve the stamina problem.

The Dual Blades have plenty of moves, but one worth noting is the Heavenly Blade Dance. Similar to the Hammers’ Spinning Bludgeon, you’ll need to be on a ledge or a slope while in Demon Mode and press an attack button, and voila! Anime vibes!

A certain disadvantage of the Dual Blades is that the Demon Dance, which is your main move to increase your Demon Gauge, requires a lot of commitment. While doing the move, you’ll be stuck in the animation for a significant amount of time until it's finished. The range is also one of the shortest in the game, but the mobility easily makes up for it. 

Pros:

• Highest DPS potential in the game.
• Fast attacks and high mobility.
• A must pick for elemental and status builds.
• Levi Ackerman approves of the Heavenly Blade Dance.

Cons: 

• There are no defensive mechanics other than dashes and rolls.
• It eats up a lot of sharpness due to the attack speed.
• You’ll have to be close to the target due to its range.

 

Lance (Solo A-Tier / Co-op B-Tier)

Poking monsters since 2004, this is definitely the game's main tank weapon. Its guard mechanic is simply the best in the game, and it not only has the best shield guarding but also counter moves.

The bread and butter of this weapon is its triple poke combo, which requires minimum commitment due to its low frame count. If things go south, you can hop in between those pokes to avoid them or reposition yourself. Just rinse and repeat. It also has a counter-effect in which you get a free guard up skill for the duration.

You may feel like a turtle while unsheathed, but the shielding definitely makes up for it. You can basically guard all, and I mean all, attacks with the guard up skill, such as Teostra's Nova.

If you’ve watched Heath Ledger’s "A Knight’s Tale" and loved the jousting in the movie, then you’re in luck. Yes, you can joust with this weapon without the horse. This is good for closing the distance with the monster and is a multiple hit move. 

All you have to do with the lance is poke until the hunt is over. This weapon is so simple that, over time, it gets dull since all you do is poke all day with mediocre damage. What this weapon offers is comfort and safety, and it gives you extra confidence to face monsters head on. 

Pros:

• One of the easiest weapons to master with its simple moveset.
• The Lance’s shielding is second to none.
• Fast attack animations meanmeans less commitment when poking.

Cons:

• Can send your friends flying away when they get hit by your Dash attack.
• Poking all day gets stale and repetitive.
• Needs the evade extender skill in order for the hops to be significant in maneuvering.

 

Gunlance (Solo A-Tier / Co-op C-Tier)

The Lance’ pyromaniacal brother, the Gunlance, is a long, piercing weapon capable of firing explosive rounds and combos. Its shield is similar to that of the lance, but it lacks counter abilities.This lets you stand your ground with the monster, guard attacks, and go boom boom on the monster right after.

The Gunlance has a distinct shelling mechanic that allows you to deal close-range damage regardless of the monster's defense.This means you can be anywhere near the monster and dish out consistent damage all throughout the hunt (provided you have good weapon sharpness). Shell lancing also depletes the weapon's sharpness, so this is something that a gunlancer should manage. Compared to the lance, this weapon has high-damage combos that can be combined with its shelling. 

A move also unique to the Gunlance, and one that is a personal favorite of mine, is the Wyvern's Fire. You'll charge your gunlance for a certain amount of time, point it in any direction you want, and BOOM! Michael Bay will undoubtedly applaud this method of waking up monsters with multiple Mega Barrel Bomb+ planted in their heads.Be aware that you cannot spam this glorious maneuver since it needs to recharge after each instance. This downtime will be visible if you shine a red light on the weapon itself.

Yes, it has poking moves, but shelling is the main reason you’ll be using a gunlance. I primarily use its poking moves to close the distance with the monster and use shelling damage once I'm within striking distance.

It loses sharpness much faster than the Lance and lacks the short-distance dash attack. Shelling also requires a bit of management since shooting with an empty magazine can leave you in a long, vulnerable, and annoying animation. When you hit your fellow hunters with your shelling, you'll often send them flying.

Pros:

• EXPLOSIONS! EXPLOSIONS EVERYWHERE!
• They are quite simple moves and easy to remember.
• Shielding is on par with the Lance.
• Consistent shelling damage that disregards the monster's defense values.

Cons:

• Requires sharpness and bullet magazine management.
• Shelling’s damage is capped and cannot be further improved by armor skills other than artillery.
• Fewer options than the Lance in terms of mobility. 

 

Hammer (Solo A-Tier / Co-op A-Tier)

The hammer is best described by the word "fun." For years, the hammer doesn't get the love it deserves, but for this title, I believe it has made its way back to the top. It used to be a slow and heavy weapon, but in World and Iceborne, this bonking weapon of gods evolved into a multiple-hitting machine. 

The main purpose of the hammer is to bonk heads all day long. Each KO that you proc on a monster is just bliss. Add the bonking sound it makes with each hit, and you’ll be addicted to this spinning bludgeon of death. With the addition of the Spinning Bludgeon attack, you’ll hit the monster multiple times, just like Sonic the Hedgehog while charging in a sliding animation. You’ll have to be running along a slope to do this though, and it is very addicting, though you just have to be mindful of the sharpness as it depletes fast whenever you do this.

I'm not sure how, but this iteration of the hammer makes sniping heads much easier. Another addition to this weapon is the Big Bang combo wherein you spam the circle button (for PlayStation) and just bonk the monster like a literal meat tenderizer. Need tips on being a hammer bro? Simply go uga buga on the monster's head with the Spinning Bludgeon until the beast is KO'd, then go ham on the monster's head with the Big Bang combo (similar to the Randy Orton punt kick but hits multiple times).Rise and repeat. Easy right?

The overall reason for this weapon's A-tier status is the number of KOs per hit it provides. You’ll get at least 4 knockdowns per hunt with this weapon and so far the maximum I got is 6 when aimed at the head properly. The hammer also inflicts exhaust damage that drains the stamina of the monster with each hit, so watch out for that drooling monster animation for free hits.

Since it’s a blunt weapon, severing tails is just impossible which is the only downside of this weapon overall. 

Pros:

• KO King of weapons. Lights out for the monsters.
• Not only is it a KO-inflicting machine, but it also does massive damage.
• Above average mobility. (You can charge your hammer while running, making it perfect for sniping heads.)
• The Spinning Bludgeon is super fun and makes you feel like a kid on a playground slide and spin all day.

Cons:

• Cannot sever tails
• Head sniping is a must to optimize this weapon.
• There is no guard ability.
• Most of the attacks are short-range. 
• The best combos have long animations and require a lot of commitment, leaving you vulnerable.
• You’ll still need a whetstone to "sharpen" this blunt weapon.

 

Hunting Horn (Solo C-Tier / Co-op S-Tier)

The hunting horn, like its cousin the hammer, is a blunt weapon with an arsenal of support moving through its songs. Arguably the ultimate support weapon in the game, the hunting horn can heal, and buff certain stats of nearby hunters.

The support abilities of the Hunting Horn are just half of what it can really do. It smashes horns like a bulldozer, exhausts monsters, and has a long reach compared to the Hammer. It also has an overhead attack with a long range and can attack your six. With the right combination of attacks, you’ll get access to the weapons songs that buff hunters in the area. 

Be reminded that each horn’s buff is different from other horns, so picking the right one for each quest is quite vital. The Encore is this weapon's ultimate move, as it plays all the weapon buffs at once. Although the animation is quite unforgiving, it is all worth the risk. 

An obvious downside of this weapon is when playing solo, you only buff yourself, so only half of its potential is reached. Being a blunt weapon also means it cannot cut tails, and most of its attacks and songs require commitment due to long animations and leave you vulnerable. Like the Hammer, this weapon doesn't have a lot of defensive options and can only rely on rolls.

The fluidity of the moves, the utility, and the buff that go along with them are what make it a must-pick in each quest whenever you’re hunting with a group. 

Pros: 

• Buffs all day, baby!
• Can KO or exhaust monsters with ease.
• Some Hunting Horns look like electric guitars and even play the appropriate music when triggering buffs.
• You’ll standout in each gathering hub. TRUST ME!

Cons: 

• Defensive options are limited.
• 99% of the attacks are blunt and only one move can cut a tail.
• Sharpening a blunt weapon doesn't make sense.
• Playing solo cuts the weapon's potential to 1/4.

 

Switch Axe (Solo A-Tier / Co-op A-Tier)

It's got agility, big attacks, two modes of play, and can go BOOM BOOM while being aggressive. A powerful weapon that uses momentum to switch between its two modes, the axe, and sword. Axe mode offers great mobility and high-reaching attacks, while sword mode offers great damage and allows hunters to dip into its phials for additional damage, be it raw elemental or status. One of the most stylish weapons when used correctly, you can switch between the two modes with utmost fluidity while dishing out incredible damage numbers.

At first, I was a bit intimidated when it was first introduced in Tri, since it looks like a technical weapon (the Charge Blade was not yet introduced during that time). But once I got hold of it, it turned out to be quite simple. The key to this weapon is the switching mechanic that is seamless whenever you press the switch button. It is important to know that you can switch between modes anytime during a combo (provided you have enough energy on your phial meter). You can increase this meter by landing attacks while in axe mode and then switching to sword mode to access its amazing attack power and its phials.

Minds Eye is also available in sword mode, making it ideal for infinite combos without the risk of your weapon bouncing. When crafting switch axes, you'll come across various phial types such as element, power, dragon, paralysis, and exhaust. Make sure that you use the optimal phial for each hunt. You'll also fill up your sword meter while in sword mode, which when full allows you to enter the amp state, which further buffs your attacks and explodes two phials instead of one.The weapon's ultimate move is the elemental discharge, and when you're in the amplified state, this lets you mount the monster, force-feed your weapon to it, and unleash an explosion. Definitely one of the coolest moves in the game!

With this much damage and utility potential, you will have to manage your phial meter. Attacking in sword mode depletes the meter, and when you run out, you’ll do a long reload animation and leave you vulnerable to attacks, so managing this is vital. A pro tip I can give a new Switch Axe user is each time you’re about to empty your meter during sword mode, do not hesitate to press the switch button to enter axe mode because switching is seamless with this weapon. 

To summarize, think of the Switch Axe as a Gunlance with greater mobility and flashier moves.

Pros:

• One of the best-looking and most damaging finishers in the game.
• Possibly the most powerful DPS in the game.
• Fluid attacks mean longer combos and higher DPS.
• Intimidating at first, but a very simple weapon after a few hunts.

Cons:

• There are not a lot of defensive options.
• Will require a lot of sharpening.
• The best moves take a lot of time to complete.

 

Charge Blade (Solo A-Tier / Co-op C-Tier)

The game’s swiss army knife, the Charge Blade, is similar to the Switch Axe with its dual mode mechanic. This weapon is the most technical of all weapons in the game, but once mastered, it can be very rewarding. The main difference between the two would certainly be the Charge Blades’ shielding ability.

You'll begin with the sword and shield mode and can change to the axe mode at any time.Under "sword and shield" mode, you’ll get fast attacks and can block most attacks. While landing attacks in this mode, you'll be charging your phials, which is necessary while in axe mode.After filling up your phial meter, you can now transfer the phials to your shield and grant a defensive increase to it. Since your shield is basically your axe as well, when you switch to axe mode, your damage is also buffed.

You also have the choice to transfer them into your sword instead, gain the mind's eye armor skill, and give each sword attack a phial explosion. 

Under axe mode, your attack damage is boosted at the cost of speed, and when phials are transferred to it, it makes it glow red, further boosting the damage as earlier mentioned. You’ll be able to use your phials in this mode, which can either dish out elemental or blunt damage depending on the phial type.

Once your shield is glowing red and you have phials available, you’ll gain access to the Super Amped Element Discharge, or SAED. It is a very powerful windup move that also has a shockwave follow-up. You’ll just have to be mindful of the animation for this move, as it is long and the reach is quite long, so you’ll have to aim it properly to make it worth it.

The only reason I couldn't put it in the S-Tier is because of the mechanics it requires to achieve its full capabilities. A very technical weapon indeed, this one requires a lot of practice, but once mastered, you’ll be handing out free naps to all monsters in your path. 

Pros:

• One of the highest DPS potentials in the game
• A high DPS weapon with a shield that can guard against most attacks.
• Can exhaust and KO monsters using phials.
• You can just SAED the monster all day and complete the quest.

Cons:

• The most technical weapon in the game.
• One of the longest sheathing animations in the game.
• Attacks require a lot of commitment, so you’ll need the foresight to reach this weapon's true potential.
• The requirements to gain access to SAED are quite many, and sometimes they feel like a chore.
• Can often send your hunting party flying when hitting them with certain attacks.

 

Insect Glaive (Solo B-Tier / Co-op C-Tier)

A weapon of two parts, the insect glaive is probably one of the most creative weapons Capcom has designed for this game. There’s the glaive that does fast attacks and gorgeous aerial moves, which is also your main source of damage. There's also the kinsect used to boost the glaive’s attack damage, speed, and stamina.

The way that this works is that your kinsect, mounted to the arm opposite your glaive-wielding arm, can be ordered to go towards the monster, extract its essence (red, white, or orange depending on the monster part the kinsect hit), and call it back to gain its buff for a limited time. Red is for power, white is for speed, and orange is for knockback resistance. Once you collect those three infinity sto.. I mean essences, you get a temporary boost in all three categories for an extended amount of time. By the way, you can also get a green extract for minor healing. 

Collecting the three essences also significantly upgrades your glaive moves, making it a must. As a 4U glaive main, a quick tip is to first take the red and white buffs, then make your kinsect absorb the orange essence, but don't absorb it yet. Take advantage of the buff for a while, and then call your kinsect back just before your red and white buff runs out. Since the orange doesn't really buff your moves and stats, think of it as an extender for your white and red essence, giving you more uptime with the massive buff. 

Kinsects also come with their own stats, which you can boost in the smithy. You can make its hits land harder, or faster, or increase the essence buff time.

The glaive is a fast attack weapon with moderate damage, and its main attraction would be its aerial attacks after a glaive jump. You’ll basically fly through the air as you dish out multiple but kind of niche attacks, but you'll be avoiding some attacks from the monster with high maneuverability. If you want to reach this weapon's maximum damage potential, you’re better off grounded, as the aerial attacks aren’t that significant.

This is one of the most controversial weapons (if not the most) in this iteration of the weapon. I originally ranked the weapon as a C-Tier for solo and co-op play because of its niche weapon damage. 

IG mains, please hear me out.

As mentioned earlier, this weapon requires the Kinsect buff, which for me feels like a chore in this game, especially in co-op quests, because the damage buff you get after collecting essences feels lacking. Yes, you look good, yes, you have a pet bug, and yes, you can fly 70% of the hunt, but Capcom did a massive damage nerf on aerial attacks on this weapon, which is its main attraction, that up to this day, I can’t understand. 

Then I remembered: in 4U, this weapon, like the charge blade, was broken (both received fair balance nerfs in GenU). It felt like a big letdown for me because this was my main for the past two main titles. If you disregard the past two games, it really isn't that bad. You’re still a mounting god. You still get that quick attack speed (great for elemental and status attacks), and you get to spend more time in the air, safe, laughing, and watching your friends grounded and blasted to smithereens.

Pros:

• Graceful moves make for excellent hunting.
• The kinsect is a unique mechanic of the weapon and can trigger minor healing.
• Top 3 in elemental and status weapon choice.
• Can mount monsters even in areas without ledges or slopes. 

Cons:

• Next to the Dual Blades this weapon requires a lot of sharpening.
• Ground attacks are a lot more reliable than aerial attacks, which is their main selling point.
• In terms of damage, essence grabbing feels like a mini-game with an underwhelming prize.

 

Light Bowgun (Solo S-Tier / Co-op S-Tier)

Is often seen as a support weapon due to its mobility and the variety of ammo it can carry. It is important to understand that it is more than just that since you can build around elemental or even raw damage. It is one of the most agile weapons in the game, which makes it an excellent entry point to bowguns if you’re used to the movement of fast melee weapons.

Much like its cousin, the Heavy Bowgun, the LBG is best for kiting monsters while evading attacks. To maximize its damage, you must be within the ammo critical distance, which is quite simple while wielding this agile weapon.

All you have to do is point and shoot like a seasoned Call of Duty veteran with this until the monster goes down. Evading attacks and aiming at monster weak points is quite easy. The advanced part of this weapon is toggling between ammo types and managing the magazine while on the run. 

Going back to your camp is a new option in this title, and the bowguns indirectly received a significant buff. You can now replenish ammo in camp, allowing you to take advantage of scarcely powerful ammo such as Sticky and Wyvern ammo.

One of the technical aspects of bowguns is the ability to customize the gun to your liking.You can pick between a silencer or a long barrel mod that helps you choose between power and ease of use. Please take note that each LBG behaves differently, and it varies in reload speed, recoil deviation, and the ability to run while shooting or reloading, making you a literal gunsmith while optimizing this weapon.

Because of the nature of bowguns, armor skills and builds play a big role in the bowgun family, so make sure to optimize your armor sets before each hunt and be ready to save multiple loadouts for bowguns. (I currently have 18 loadouts saved for bowguns.)

Pros:

• One of the highest mobility weapons in the game.
• A wide range of ammunition capable of stun, exhaustion, or application of abnormal status
• Can easily focus on a specific monster weakness.
• The point-and-shoot mechanic is quite simple and can consistently dish out damage.
• The sliding reload makes you look like a seasoned gunslinger.

Cons:

• When compared to other weapons, you'll have to spend more time honing your armor skills.
• Ammo management is necessary. 
• If you miss shots, you might be obliged to return to camp to replenish ammo.
• Will need a lot of gold and frequent item management.

 

Heavy Bowgun (Solo S-Tier / Co-op S-Tier)

As the name implies, this is the bigger version of the Light Bowgun. You’ll be moving slower while the HBG is unsheathed, but the payoff is worth it. It has significantly high attack damage and artillery fire focused on gunning down monsters from a distance. Think of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3, holding a casket while mowing down police cars.

Like the LBG, this is a point-and-shoot weapon that is easy to grasp. Due to the high attack values of the HBG, it specializes in dishing out raw damage, although the status ammo is a delightful addition. Arguably the weapon with the highest damage potential throughout the entire game, this is one of the top three choices of speedrunners, or maybe even the top two. 

Again, ammo management and a lot of armor and gun tinkering would be a downside with this weapon, just like the LBG.

Aside from mobility issues, another factor that separates it from its little cousin is its option to have a shield. With proper armor skills, you can shove monster attacks away with ease and continue shooting, so imagine the uptime you can have with this weapon. I remember when the Kulve Taroth event quest was released; everyone was using the Glutton HBG due to its large clip size, close to nonexistent recoil, and one of the highest damage ratings in the HBG category that caused endless monster flinches. I've been in quests where the monster only did one attack due to flinches from four Glutton HBG hunters.And yes this is not a typo. Monster: One. Attack. Flinch. Quest: Complete.

Having it under the S-Tier for both co-op and solo categories was the easiest decision while putting up this list.

Pros:

• The best DPS weapon in the game, in my opinion.
• Like the LBG, you’ll have an arsenal of ammunition available to you in a hunt.
• Focusing on a weak monster part has never been this easy, especially while having a shield mounted.
• Sticky ammunition and Wyvern Fire damage can be further increased with the artillery skill.
• Mounting a shield makes you feel like an unstoppable, walking, breathing battle tank.

Cons:

• You’ll be extremely slow with this weapon unsheathed.
• One of the slowest sheathing/unsheathing animations in the game
• Will also require a lot of gold when building armor for this weapon.
• Requires you to set up ammo crafting shortcuts and utilize this feature more than any weapon in the game.

 

Bow (Solo S-Tier / Co-op A-Tier)

The bow, one of the three ranged weapons in the game, is one of the most fun weapons in the game. I love being able to dodge around the map and fire arrows at the monster and look cool doing it. The versatility, damage, and mobility of this weapon are top-class. 

It can be quite intimidating for beginners at first when you see veteran bow mains do speedruns, but once you pilot this S-Class weapon, your confidence will skyrocket because, in reality, the bow handles easier than it looks. Trust me, you’ll be pulling off those Legolas moves in no time.

This iteration of the bow has changed quite a bit and now has the ability to charge your shots by one level just by dodging  (...or sliding?) in between shots. This makes for a more fluid hunt compared to the past titles, and it plays like a ranged greatsword wherein you’ll have to charge your bows first to reach optimal damage. 

Its bread and butter, often referred to as "bow dancing," is quite simple. You charge or fire a shot, do a power shot, dodge, rinse, and repeat. Keep in mind that all of these moves require stamina, so some management skills will come in handy.A Dash Juice or Wiggly Litchy can be consumed to improve stamina management. 

Pro-tip: If you're using Dash Juice, you’ll only need Constitution Level 3. Anything above will just go to waste since stamina consumption reduction is capped at 50%.

The Focus skill then was a necessity for the bow, and now it has become an optional skill primarily due to the fact that you can just dodge to charge your shots, thus increasing your damage uptime. Hunters can opt to slot in the constitution and/or stamina surge since it offers a lot more comfort while hunting.

The coatings are still present in this game, which give useful buffs. Although scarce, it is pretty negligible (if you’re not a speedrunner) due to the damage uptime of this weapon. You’ll also have to be at medium range from the monster compared to other ranged weapons to obtain critical distance and achieve maximum damage from all your shots.

Pros: 

• Unlimited arrows means constant DPS.
• Its coatings provide a lot of utility.
• You’ll definitely look good while bow dancing.
• Fast attacks mean high elemental or even raw damage potential.
• Simple access to various monster parts

Cons:

• There is no guard mechanic.
• The majority of the coatings are scarce.
• Stamina management is important, and the dash juice no longer gives unlimited stamina.
• It can be very expensive to make an optimized build.

Please see this as a guide to which direction you’d like to focus more on. All weapons are viable and fun! It’s just that they excel in different areas, and of course, the preference factor plays a big role in each hunter. Best advice? Try them all and see which one speaks to you the most. 

 

Also be sure to check out these articles:

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• 10 Things We Love About Monster Hunter World
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• MHW Best Longsword Builds [Top 7]
• [Top 10] MHW Best Elemental Weapons
• MHW Iceborne Best Heavy Bowgun Builds [Top 7]
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• MHW Tier List Iceborne (MHW Best Weapons)