Monster Hunter Wilds is only a few months away now, and a lot of hunters are already whipping out their whetstones and sharpening their tools ahead of facing some of the series' most threatening monsters yet. If it's your first time delving into a Monster Hunter game, or if you're looking to try a new approach to the hunt this time around, your first port of call will be your weapon. And we all know that Monster Hunter isn't shy in giving us a lot of variety.
Knowing which weapon to choose can be a very daunting process. Luckily, Monster Hunter Wilds gives you a chance to try different weapons out before your first hunt, but until you're face-to-face with a Chatacabra you'll want to feel confident and comfortable in your weapon choice. To be honest, even as someone who's been playing for years the second I want to try a new weapon out I feel inundated with options.
We think that the vast majority, if not every weapon has already been announced for Monster Hunter Wilds, so we can help you understand what weapon does what, and you can make the best decision for you. Unless they pull out some serious curveballs a few months ahead of launch, this is everything you need to know about the weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds without trialing them yourself.
Great Sword
- Range: Close
- Guard: Able
The Great Sword is a hefty weapon that is capable of delivering staggering, hard-hitting attacks. But, the weight of this gargantuan blade also means it is a lot slower than other weapons available. If your preferred method of approach is landing blunt, strategically timed attacks resulting in big chunks of damage, rather than a quick flurry, then the Great Sword is a good companion. Plus, its ability to guard comes in handy when you don't quite land a blow in time and need some extra protection from an oncoming attack.
Long Sword
- Range: Close
- Guard: Unable
A Long Sword cannot guard you from any attacks but it does allow countering and also gives you more freedom to string combos together in comparison to a heavier weapon. It won't deliver as much damage in a single hit like a Great Sword, for example, but a well-timed combo can be pretty devastating for your opponent. Certain attacks will also help to fill your Spirit Gauge, which will give you the chance to inflict more damage when your Gauge turns red.
Sword and Shield
- Range: Close
- Guard: Able
If you want to fight valiantly, it's hard to resist choosing the Sword and Shield. Not only does this set look the part as you ride into battle, but it works a charm for anyone looking to prioritise defense as well as attack. The sword is a fairly basic weapon, but the shield is where this choice shines. The shield can be used to protect you, while also being used as its own weapon when needed. It's neither heavy nor incredibly light which makes it a good all-rounder if you're a bit unsure of your ability to dodge roll at first.
Dual Blades
- Range: Close
- Guard: Unable
The Dual Blades are designed for rapid attacks. They do little damage per hit, but the amount of hits you can land in one sequence is what makes this weapon worthwhile. If you're used to swift movement, quick attacks, and inflicting status effects to help you take down whatever beastie you've come up against then the Dual Blades tick every box. But, I am a little biased as this has been my go-to weapon for the majority of Monster Hunter games I've played.
Hammer
- Range: Close
- Guard: Unable
Much like the Great Sword, the hammer is a heavy, blunt weapon. It's very slow in its attack delivery, but its power can be overwhelming. With that said, the Hammer still gives plenty of opportunity for you to dodge roll or zip out of the way to help you evade any serious damage. You can charge up attacks to make them even more powerful, and if you inflict enough damage to the head of the monster with these powerful swings you can stun them.
Hunting Horn
- Range: Close
- Guard: Unable
f you want to be the bard of the group, then the Hunting Horn is your perfect weapon. Your attacks are blunt and may occasionally stun the monster you're fighting, but the melodies you can perform are what make the hunting horn a good choice. Each melody will give you (and your teammates) a buff such as attack power to help your hunt, and you'll be able to plant 'Echo Bubbles' around the map to give special effects to different areas. Mastering the Hunting Horn takes some work, but if you're willing to dedicate the time it's a fantastic tool to help you and your team.
Lance
- Range: Close
- Guard: Able
The Lance offers powerful thrusting attacks which are incredibly quick to pull off, meaning you've got a lot of opportunities to dodge and evade after a successful hit. The length of the weapon also gives you a good chance to keep some distance between you and your opponent, which is helped massively by the amount of defensive moves the Lance already offers. On top of its ability to guard, the Lance also has several moves that counterattack to open up vital windows for you to land devastating blows during a fight.
Gunlance
- Range: Mid
- Guard: Able
If you want your Lance to have slightly more range, then the Gunlance is worth picking up. As its name suggests, it offers a similar set of attacks as the Lance, alongside its range and quick speed. But, on top of that, you gain the ability to fire explosive shells from a distance so you don't risk losing all your health in one hit by charging in, pardon my pun, all guns blazing. The only downside is this weapon does rely on precision and planning slightly more than something like the Hammer, which is much more hands-on, but it's just something you get the hang of the more time you spend with it.
Switch Axe
- Range: Close
- Guard: Able
Generally, if someone tells me they don't know what sort of weapon they want to play, I point them in the direction of the Switch Axe. Rather than being tethered to one weapon, you can inflict as much damage as possible using either its axe mode for ranged, harder-hitting attacks, or dashing in with your weapon in its Sword mode for a flurry of much faster but much closer hits. One thing to note though is this weapon cannot guard, so you'll need to be constantly on your toes and ready to roll if a monster feels particularly enraged.
Charge Blade
- Range: Close
- Guard: Able
Similar to the Switch Axe, the Charge Blade can morph between two different forms: Axe mode and Sword mode. Axe mode will dish out heavy hard attacks, but this time they can be made more powerful by the damage you deal when your weapon is in Sword mode. During Sword mode, the attacks you deliver will charge up phials which can be unleashed during Axe mode to land more brutal attacks. It's a more tactical version of the Switch Axe, so requires a little more planning, but the damage you can pull off makes it all worth the effort.
Insect Glaive
- Range: Close/Mid with Kinsect
- Guard: Unable
Next to the Dual Blades, the Insect Glaive is one of my favourite weapons. You can keep your distance while still dealing reasonable damage, and use your weapon to vault into the air to land more intense attacks upon landing. But, on top of its range, the Insect Glaive also comes with a controllable Kinsect you can send out into the battle to do your bidding. Whether you're using this mobile insect to lure your monster into a trap or you're using it for some all-important additional damage, it's a very valuable tool to have on hand. You can also gain some powerful buffs by harvesting monster extract, and every little helps.
Light Bowgun
- Range: Mid
- Guard: Unable
The Light Bowgun is a mid-range weapon that fires a variety of ammo, so you can decide whether you want to litter your enemy with rapid attacks and chip away at its health, or set up a more intense shot if you've got the opportunity. Its priority is quick attacks, otherwise, your best bet is testing out the Heavy Bowgun if you want something with a little more bulk. Unlike its heavy counterpart, the Light Bowgun also makes life easier when you need to evade attacks quickly with a dodge roll despite the fact it can't guard.
Heavy Bowgun
- Range: Long
- Guard: Able
In comparison to the Light Bowgun, the Heavy Bowgun is a long-range weapon that lets you hurl ammo from a safe distance. If standard ammo isn't enough, you'll also be able to use energy to activate Ignition Mode and fire a special, more powerful ammo that causes additional damage. This weapon is not as easy to maneuver with, but it comes with an auto-guard function (and of course, you can guard manually too) which will help you reduce any damage you might fall victim to.
Bow
- Range: Mid
- Guard: Unable
The Bow is another mid-range weapon that's perfect for anyone who doesn't want to get up close and personal with a monster or waste any precious moments readying a shot from far away. It's easy to manoeuvre with so if you do get caught in the crossfire you'll be able to make it out with one piece. You can also charge your arrows to increase your damage and can mark monsters with a Tracer to help your arrows hone in on it in case your aim isn't up to scratch. The Tracer will also explode to cause additional damage to the monster after a period of time, or if you land enough damage on it.
