Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Tier List: Ranked Worst to Best
What makes Monster Hunter titles popular globally is their combat mechanics, which heavily rely on different weapons. In Monster Hunter Wilds, there are a total of 14 weapons, each with unique abilities and playstyles. In this Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon tier list, we will rank the worst to best weapons available in the game.
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Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Tier List
This tier list is ranked based on various aspects, including difficulty, damage potential, overall usefulness, and effectiveness in solo play. It’s important to understand that tier lists are subjective. What makes a weapon good actually depends on several factors:
With that in mind, there are no truly “bad” weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds—if you master a weapon, it can actually be incredibly powerful.
14. Insect Glaive
The Insect Glaive’s Kinsect lets you gather extracts from monsters that buff your abilities. Red extract boosts attack power, white makes you faster, orange adds defense andprevents you from flinching, and green heals you. The Insect Glaive is great for mounting monsters, too.
Here are some tips for Insect Glaive users:
13.Light Bowgun
The Light Bowgun (LBG) fires rapidly, making it great for applying status effects and elemental damage. It also has Wyvernblast mines that explode when hit, adding extra damage. Compared to the Heavy Bowgun (HBG), the LBG focuses more on support and crowd control instead of raw power. Because of this, playing solo with the LBG can be harder than with other weapons.
Here are some tips for Light Bowgun users:
12. Gunlance
The Gunlance’s shelling actually ignores monster hit zones. It will keep dealing fixed damage regardless of the monster’s defenses. Its Wyvern’s Fire attack delivers a strong blast but has a cooldown. In Monster Hunter Wilds, the Gunlance got a major mobility boost, making it more agile than ever—an upgrade the weapon really needed. However, there are still better weapons to use; that is why we put Gunlance in B-tier for now.
Here are several tips if you are planning to use Gunlance in Monster Hunter Wilds:
The Lance is thebest defensive weaponin Monster Hunter Wilds, offering the strongest guard in the game. It can block and counterattack, while its charge move helps with repositioning and mounting. However, in solo hunts, moving around can be tricky. But when facing a monster head-on, no weapon does it better.
Tips for Lance users:
10. Dual Blades
The Dual Blades’ Demon Mode lets you unleash rapid attacks but drains your stamina. Filling the Archdemon gauge allows you to keep some of these powerful moves even after exiting Demon Mode. Known for speed and aggression, Dual Blades have the highest elemental DPS of any weapon.
Helpful tips for Dual Blade users in Monster Hunter Wilds:
9. Sword and Shield
The Sword and Shield is the jack-of-all-trades in Monster Hunter Wilds, offering versatility that few weapons can match. Its biggest advantage is the ability to use other items without putting the weapon away, making it easy to heal, set traps, or use tools quickly. As the second-best support weapon after the Hunting Horn, it’s great for helping the team while staying in the fight.
When played correctly with perfect combos of Perfect Rush, the Sword and Shield can become the highest damage-dealing weapon in a hunt. If every combo hit lands, it can even surpass the Longsword in damage output. Here are some advices for Sword and Shield users:
The Hammer’s charged attacks allow you to deliver powerful blows to a monster’s head, potentially stunning them and creating openings for your team. Its power charge mechanic adds extra damage and prevents bouncing off hard parts.
Some great Hammer playstyle you can note:
7. Hunting Horn
The Hunting Horn’s melody system allows you to play songs that buff yourself and nearby hunters. In Monster Hunter Wilds, its combat capabilities have been enhanced while maintaining its support role.
If you are using Hunting Horn in the game, remember these strategies:
6. Charge Blade
The Charge Blade’s phial system lets you store energy in sword mode, then release it in devastating explosions in axe mode. Its Super Amped Element Discharge (SAED) can deal massive damage in a single burst. The Charge Blade is also the second-best elemental damage weapon, just behind Dual Blades.
How to master the Charge Blade:
5. Switch Axe
The Switch Axe transforms between axe and sword modes, each with distinct advantages. In axe mode, you gain mobility and reach, while sword mode offers higher damage and phial effects. The Zero Sum Discharge allows you to latch onto monsters for a powerful explosive finisher. This makes Dual Blades the best weapon for farming specific monster parts, thanks to their rapid attack speed and high elemental damage output.
Tips for Switch Axe users:
4. Heavy Bowgun
The Heavy Bowgun is the tank of the ranged weapons, offering powerful ammunition options at the cost of mobility. It specializes in dealing sustained damage from a distance. Its special ammo types like Wyvern Fire and Cluster Bombs can deal significant burst damage, while its shield mods allow for some defensive capability.
Some tips and tricks for Heavy Bowgun users:
The Bow is listed as the top ranged option in Monster Hunter Wilds. This weapon is great for applying elemental damage from a safe distance. Its charging system allows for sustained DPS while maintaining full mobility. The addition of specialized coatings also gives the Bow incredible versatility, letting you apply status effects or focus on pure damage. What makes the Bow stand out in Monster Hunter Wilds is its new homing arrow skill, which deals a ton of damage and is incredibly satisfying to watch.
Key strategies if you want to use Bow in the game:
2. Longsword
Being fan-favorite for years, the Longsword gives you an exceptional combination of offense, defense, and mobility. What makes the Longsword special is its Foresight Slash and Special Sheathe counters, which allow you to evade attacks while building up your spirit gauge. A properly executed counter can transition directly into your powerful Spirit Helm Breaker, dealing significant damage.
Tips for Longsword users:
1. Greatsword
The Greatsword is the quintessential Monster Hunter weapon, delivering massive damage with each swing. What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in raw power. The Greatsword’s playstyle revolves around charging your attacks to unleash devastating blows. You’ll spend most of your time predicting monster movements and positioning yourself for the perfect strike. A well-timed True Charged Slash can deal more damage in a single hit than almost any other weapon in the game.
What makes the Greatsword the best of the best, is its combination of incredible damage potential and reliability in solo hunts. It becomes even stronger in Monster Hunter Wilds with the addition of Focus Mode, allowing users to actively change direction while charging a True Charge Slash.
Some advice you can use if you are wielding the Greatsword:
The best weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds is ultimately the one that feels right in your hands. While this tier list can guide you toward potentially stronger options, your personal skill and comfort with a weapon matter more.
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Don’t be afraid to keep on choosing and learning with different weapons as you progress through the game. What feels awkward at first might become your favorite with practice. We all know thatMonster Hunterhas always rewarded hunters who take the time to master their chosen weapons.
Shida Aruya
Shida is a gaming writer at TechWiser who loves getting comfy with a good book. When she is not writing, you’ll catch her growing crops in Stardew Valley and Fields of Mistria, or exploring Fortnite. For Shida, nothing beats a day split between reading books and playing games.
