Monster Hunter: World is Capcom’s most popular title from the franchise that lets players hunt ferocious monsters in the New World. The game lets players experiment with the 14 weapon types available.
Get ready for the ultimate MHW weapons tier list!
Every player will have their preferred weapon based on their playstyle. This is because every weapon is different and also comes with its advantages and disadvantages. You might prefer faster weapons that prioritize DPS while others want bigger, slower weapons that deal more single hit damage.
In Monster Hunter, your weapon is truly your best friend as they’ll be there for you in every hunt. Therefore, it’s important to pick the right one. Here, we’ve come up with a list with the most updated MHW weapon info so you’ll find out the rank of every weapon in the game from best to worst.
Our list will focus on weapons for both solo and multiplayer. Note that this list is based on our preferences, so your list may differ from ours. You may like a certain weapon more than another, but another player ranks your least favored weapon higher. This is the beauty of the game as everyone will have different experiences wielding different weapons.
Summary of MHW Weapons Tier List
Solo Tier List
C - Tier
- Hunting Horn
- Sword & Shield
B - Tier
- Lance
- Dual Blades
- Gunlance
- Insect Glaive
A - Tier
- Hammer
- Switch Axe
- Light Bowgun
- Bow
S - Tier
- Great Sword
- Long Sword
- Heavy Bowgun
- Charge Blade
Multiplayer co-op Tier List
C - Tier
- Long Sword
- Charge Blade
- Dual Blades
B - Tier
- Great Sword
- Lance
- Gunlance
- Bow
A - Tier
- Hammer
- Switch Axe
- Sword & Shield
S - Tier
- Heavy Bowgun
- Light Bowgun
- Insect Glaive
- Hunting Horn
Before we start, we recommend any hunter when doing co-op to slot in Flinch Free 1 so your combos won’t be interrupted when other players are doing their combo. Once you’ve slotted that on, we can begin the list.
14. Sword & Shield (Solo C-Tier | Co-op A-Tier)
Versatile King of Monster Hunter World
The Sword and Shield is up first and ironically, it’s considered the worst weapon in the game. We think it's a highly versatile weapon as it offers both defensive and offensive gameplay styles. The S&S is also the only weapon that lets players drink potions and other items without needing to sheathe them.
It’s mostly criticized for the lack of power, which is a huge letdown when playing solo. However, it’s a game changer during co-op as its ability to throw bombs and drink potions on the go can support your team. It also has decent KO and stun damage which is helpful when multiplayer.
Pros
- Offers decent attack and defense
- Supports the entire party
- Offers various effects
Cons
- Poor overall damage
Best Sword & Shield in the game: True Fatalis Sword
13. Hunting Horn (Solo C - Tier | Co-op S - Tier)
Now this is Death Metal music!
The Hunting Horn is undoubtedly the weakest weapon in Monster Hunter: World due to its low speed, damage output, and lack of defensive options. This weapon doesn’t offer any decent combos that deal massive damage, and it will make you a sitting duck when hunting solo.
The hunting horn is clearly a weapon that’s only supposed to be used during co-op as it helps assist your teammates in many situations. It’s a great choice for playing multiplayer due to all the buffs and heals it offers to your team, along with some good KO damage, making it a top-tier weapon for co-op.
Pros
- Does KO damage
- Heals and buffs teammates
Cons
- Slow attack speed
- Poor damage
- Poor animation
Best Hunting Horn in the game: Fatalis Menace Wailer
12. Dual Blades (Solo B - Tier | Co-op C - Tier)
This weapon lets you run like Naruto and make other badass Ninja moves.
The Dual Blades are the smallest sets of swords in the game and are also considered the fastest weapon due to their fantastic attack speed. Because of this, you can take down monsters alone with ease.
The Dual Blades let you execute two different modes called the Demon and Archdemon, both offering impressive combos. However, these modes consume a lot of stamina, so players need to be careful with them. Also, it's a weapon that doesn’t offer any defensive move except dodging.
It’s considered a C - Tier for co-op as the Dual Blades doesn't really offer any uses for teammates. It may help players attack enemies quickly but doesn't offer anything to assist your team.
Pros
- Fastest Attack Speed
- Decent combos
Cons
- Consumes much stamina
- Poor range
- Not much use in multiplayer co-op
Best Dual Blades in the game: Kulve Taroth Dual Blades
11. Lance (Solo B - Tier | Co-op B - Tier)
Knight in shining armor with impeccable defense.
Ever want to look like prince charming rescuing his damsel in distress? The lance will make you look exactly like one! It’s only missing a stallion, though. It has a long piercing weapon that lets you reach and attack the enemy’s weak points. However, it doesn't rank higher on our list because of its low attack power and poor movement, which makes it difficult to evade monsters’ attacks.
When doing co-op, the lance’s fantastic defensive abilities will come in handy during more difficult hunts as it can block those normally unblockable attacks from the most powerful monsters. Its attacks also don’t interfere with your teammates much. Overall, it's a great choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-use weapon that doesn’t require any hard combos.
Pros
- Excellent defensive options
- Great reach
- Simple movesets
Cons
- Slow animations
- Limited movements
Best lance in the game: True Fatalis Lance
10. Gunlance (Solo B - Tier | Co-op B - Tier)
Another knight in shining armor, but with added explosions on top.
The Gunlance is a unique weapon that also offers a long piercing weapon but allows you to deal explosive rounds at each combo. Like the lance, it provides some great defensive moves but poor mobility. But despite its flaws, it's one of the few weapons that can slice through a monster’s defense while dealing tons of explosive damage.
When Iceborne arrived, the Gunlance earned a new ability, “Wyrmstake Blast,” which multiplies the damage even further. Unfortunately, this weapon takes time to master and you won’t be doing enough damage unless you execute the right combos. During multiplayer, your crew can get caught in the large explosions you make.
Pros
- Decent damage
- Great defensive options
- Explosive moves that ignore the monster’s defense
Cons
- Poor mobility
- Your squad can get hurt from the explosion
- Every blast consumes your shells and weapon sharpness
Best Gunlance in the game: True Fatalis Gunlance
9. Insect Glaive (Solo B - Tier | Co-op S - Tier)
King of Aerial Combat
The Insect Glaive is easily one of the unique weapons in Monster Hunter: World. The reason is that it's the only weapon that consists of aerial attacks and offers some interesting mechanics, like controlling a Kinsect pet which lets you obtain essence from different monsters.
This weapon lets you mount monsters easily, which is extremely useful in multiplayer. In addition, its aerial attack helps you ensure your team below is attacking the target from all sides. However, the biggest downside of this weapon is its low damage output. And managing essences with the Kinsect may be a little complicated for starters.
Pros
- Offers Aerial combat
- Helps your teammate mount monsters
Cons
- Poor damage output
- Uses plenty of stamina
- Always need to manage essence
Best Insect Glaive in the game: True Fatalis Dyaus
8. Switch Axe (Solo A-Tier | Co-op A-Tier)
Best of both worlds - Axe & Sword
If you want a large weapon that transforms between axe mode to sword mode mid-combo, the Switch Axe is for you. As seen in the name, the Switch Axe lets you switch between a sword and an axe.
The axe form offers great mobility and excellent range. But the sword mode is where all the damage comes from. It’s one of the most stylish weapons in the game as the combos let you switch from one form to another flawlessly while adding some explosions at the end of the combos.
However, it is a little tricky to master and doesn’t offer many defensive options which will make you vulnerable to monster’s attacks.
Pros
- Great reach with axe mode
- Offers elegant and stylish combos
- Amazing DPS potential
Cons
- Poor defensive options
- Difficult to use
- Sword mode depletes sharpness quickly
Best Switch Axe in the game: True Fatalis End
7. Bow (Solo A - Tier | co-op B - Tier)
Some serious Robin Hood vibe is going on here.
Ever want to be Hawkeye from the Avengers? Or perhaps Alloy from Horizon Forbidden West? Then you should try out the bow! Even though the bow is labeled as long-ranged, it's more of a mid-ranged weapon, as you must keep your ideal distance to do effective damage.
It's a weapon that offers excellent utility for solo and multiplayer and has great mobility for a ranged weapon. Even if you’re not into ranged weapons, the bow offers some interesting combos that are hard-hitting just like some of the melee options. This weapon consists of light and charge attacks that allow you to deal KO damage, which is useful when playing in multiplayer.
The catch for bows is that your stamina will be drained like running water. And it’s important to maintain stamina to perform powerful combos and dodge monster attacks. Also, you must always hit your enemy’s weak spots, or your attacks will all go to waste.
Pros
- Excellent mobility
- Great damage output potential
- Offers ranged attack with combos that can KO monsters
Cons
- Consumes plenty of stamina
Best Bow in the game: Kjarr Bow King
6. Hammer (Solo A-Tier | Co-op A-Tier)
Putting nails (heads) in the coffin.
The hammer is a blunt weapon that requires you to aim for the enemy’s head. It offers one of the biggest single-hit damage in the game and does plenty of KO damage, which gives you the advantage of knocking down monsters to unleash all-out attacks.
It’s known as the KO king, and for a good reason. Unfortunately, the hammer can be difficult to control, and you can accidentally interrupt your teammates and even send them flying during mid-combo.
Another con when playing multiplayer is that hitting the enemy’s head isn’t as easy as during solo due to the unpredictability of co-op hunting. This will cause you to run back and forth before finally landing a hit on the monster’s skull.
However, aiming for the monster’s head is much easier after Iceborne, as you can aim the clutch claw, which sends you flying onto your prey’s helm. The hammer is also fun to use on slopes where you can pull off a spinning bludgeon when sliding.
Pros
- Can KO monsters easily
- Great overall damage
- Offers decent mobility for a heavy weapon
Cons
- Only effective when hitting heads
- Extremely short range
- Still requires sharpening even though it's a blunt weapon
Best Hammer in the game: Fatalis Demolisher
5. Charge Blade (Solo S - Tier | Co-op C - Tier)
If you’re playing this game for 300 hours, 200 of it will be used to learn this weapon.
Similar to the Switch Axe, the Charge Blade is also a transforming weapon that lets you transform your sword and shield into one giant axe, each offering its own benefits. However, it's likely the most technical weapon in the game and requires you to memorize its moves even to do a basic combo.
The weapon’s default form is a sword and shield, which offers fast attacks and excellent defense options. This form lets you charge your phials to do extra explosive damage and boost your defense. On the other hand, the Axe form is a little slower, but it's the form where you can unleash the weapon’s burst mode, which deals tons of damage.
Overall, the Charge Blade has ridiculous damage output potential, but its complexity may scare newer players. And it can be frustrating due to the time needed to charge up the weapon and do effective combos.
Pros
- High DPS and burst damage
- Cool finishers and combos
- Excellent defensive options in Sword mode
Cons
- Takes forever to master
- The best combos require long animations, which leaves you vulnerable
Best Charge Blade in the game: Kjarr Strongarm
4. Light Bowgun (Solo A - Tier | Co-op S - Tier)
Light and agile version of its bigger brother, the Heavy Bowgun.
The Light Bowgun is anything but dealing light damage, as the weapon is capable of depleting a good chunk of the enemy’s health from a distance. Indeed, the damage doesn't compare to the Heavy Bowgun, but the Light Bowgun has better mobility and lets you reload quicker, even on the run.
This weapon consists of extremely simple combos, as all you need to do is reload, aim, and shoot. The only complicated thing about it is its variety of ammo and armor skills you want to go for. The Wyvernblast skill is an ammo type that’s only available for Light Bowguns, which are planted mines that can be triggered by the player or monster.
When playing the light blowgun, ammo capacity may be an issue, and you need to ensure you’re hitting the right spots. Other than that, there really isn't any other long-ranged weapon with this much mobility.
Pros
- Great mobility
- Excellent range
- Offers great utility for solo and co-op
Cons
- Limited ammo capacity
- Not the most damaging long-ranged weapon
Best Light Bowgun in the game: Fatalis Depth
3. Long Sword (Solo S - Tier | Co-op C - Tier)
Slice and counter like you’re a character from Demon Slayer.
The Long Sword is considered the most stylish and elegant weapon in the game as it lets you wield a far-reaching sword with speed, power and cool finishers. The weapon isn’t hard to master while also capable of delivering satisfying damage numbers.
The Long Sword has a unique system called a Spirit Meter, which increases as you perform combos. There are 3 tiers to this meter which are white, yellow, and red. White is considered the weakest, while red is the strongest. Players must always maintain the red-colored Spirit Meter to maximize damage output. This is also the tier you’ll want to unleash the Spirit Helm Breaker, a stylish, anime-style finisher that does a lot of damage when hit.
Other moves such as the Iai slash, are also just as stylish. However, the Long Sword’s movesets are considered high-risk/high reward as if you fail to land a hit, you may need to build up your Spirit Meter again. It also doesn't offer much utility in multiplayer and interrupts your teammates’ combos when hit.
Pros
- Anime-tier flashy moves
- Offers great raw damage and mobility
- Offers high reward when landing risky moves
Cons
- Missing your combo can be frustrating and punishing
- Attacks can interrupt your crew when playing co-op
Best Long Sword in the game: Fatalis Zaggespanon
2. Great Sword (Solo S - Tier | Co-op B - Tier)
Big numbers are everything when you’re a Great Sword main.
The Great Sword is on the front cover of the game for a reason; it's been in the series from the start and is an icon of popular RPGs. It is my favorite weapon because I have been a fan of Great Swords since Final Fantasy VII and I love seeing high attack numbers in just a few hits.
The best Great Swords can deal up to 2000 damage in one single hit. This lets you take down a monster quickly during a flawless run. Many new hunters may get turned off due to the weapon’s slow speed, and its most damaging attacks require some long charge time. Indeed, it takes some time to get used to using this giant slab of metal (or bone), but the result will be worth it.
The Iceborne DLC lets players do even more damage. Yes, you heard that right, MORE DAMAGE with the Great Sword! It lets you charge into the True Charge Slash faster with the help of the slinger shot.
However, players may be annoyed with the Great Sword during co-op as enemies won’t always target you. Indeed, you can help your party when monsters are asleep and give them a nice slicing wake-up call, but this doesn’t happen so often.
Pros
- Biggest raw damage in the game
- Excellent range
- Simple movesets
Cons
- Slow charging speed
- Landing charge attacks require perfect timing
Best Great Sword in the game: Black Fatalis Blade
1. Heavy Bowgun (Solo S - Tier | Co-op S - Tier)
“Say hello to my little friend!” - every Heavy Bowgun main
The Heavy Bowgun is likely to be the best-ranged weapon in MHW. This is because of the amount of damage potential while being at a safe distance from monsters. Unlike its little brother, the Light Bowgun, the Heavy Bowgun doesn’t give you that high mobility but offers status alignments, elemental damage, and raw damage into the hunt.
When using this weapon, you’ll need to know the amount of damage it does at specific ranges. Indeed, players still complain about it having low ammo capacity, but you can simply go back to the camp and reload.
During multiplayer, you can aim for the monster’s weak point from a safe distance when your party is busy hitting the target with their melee weapons. The Heavy Bowgun really has no weaknesses except for its mobility and ammo, but these problems have quick solutions.
Pros
- Lets you hunt from a safe distance
- Amazing damage
- Easy to learn
Cons
- Low mobility
- Limited ammo
- Needs the right build for maximum damage
Best Heavy Bowgun in the game: Vor Buster
