With its latest entry, Monster Hunter returns with a more interactive, fast-paced approach to the series. With the switch to free mobile games, the franchise offers a unique 1v1 gameplay mechanic of hunting down beasts. The game is similar to Pokémon Go in that rather than catching beasts, you will need to deal as much damage as possible to them before they attack. As there are six weapon types in the game, players will want to choose the best weapon depending on the monsters they are facing and their playstyle.
Monster Hunter: What Weapons Should You Use?
You can choose from six weapons: Sword & Shield, Great Sword, Long Sword, Hammer, Light Bowgun, and Bow. Which is best depends on your play style and damage output. The different Weapon Types offer their own unique movesets and mechanics for utilizing in battle in comparison to the others. Our recommendation for the best weapon to use is the Sword & Shield, Long Sword, and Light Bowgun. We would rank Sword & Shield first, Light Bowgun second, and Long Sword third if we created a ranking. Here are some reasons why these are the best to use.
Swords & Shields, Bowguns, and Long Swords: Why You Should Use Them
We recommend the easiest to use and master, with high damage output, and offers a great experience when solo grinding. It is best to use weapons such as Great Sword and Bow if you want something that requires skill and patience to master. There are different skill moves for each Weapon Type that can take out a huge chunk of health from your opponent, though some require a lot of timing and accuracy to be effective.
The Sword & Shield is incredibly easy to use, and it deals decent damage with every hit. In addition, it features more fast-paced attacking and defensive moves that make it easy to evade the monster’s strikes and attack after repositioning safely. Easy to master, quick to use, and offers damage right away. Using combos allows you to climb your enemy and air attacks such as slams allow you to return to ground combat. By utilizing the Shield, you are able to defend yourself, as well as evade attacks by performing dodge rolls.
Next, we have the Long Sword. While harder to master and requiring timing to execute most hits, the damage is higher than that of the Sword & Shield. Using its charge attack, you can counter an enemy’s attack or completely avoid it, as you can fly past the enemy’s body midattack animation and avoid its impact. Additionally, this Type offers range, so you have more time to evade attacks when you are far away from the enemy.
Lastly, the Light Bowgun is equipped with a range of ammunition that can aid you in dealing damage from a distance. Due to its higher damage output and faster fire rate, this weapon is much more effective than the Bow. Bowguns reload quite slowly so be sure to pay attention to what the enemy in front of you is doing so you don’t take unnecessary damage.
Great Sword, Hammer, and Bow Disadvantages
While we have explained why you should use the Sword & Shield, Bowgun, and Long Sword, we want to explain why the other weapons are not as effective. For beginners, the Bow, Great Sword, and Hammer are much harder to use and master. Although the Great Sword and Hammer offer high damage right from the start, they aren’t as movable as other weapons, which can lead to you getting hit mid-attack animation or just after you swing. Using these two weapons requires great timing and memorizing all of your attack moves so that you know how much damage you can deal before you have to evade an attack. With these weapons, you can easily get hit, while the three we recommended above offer quick and easy escape.
Finally, the Bow has a very limited damage output compared to other Weapon Types, especially without the ability to execute combos. Bows can be quite difficult to use effectively, as they do not offer the same combination and special moves as the other Weapon Types. Since the majority of your general damage output is significantly lower than that of the other weapons in the game, you will frequently find yourself needing to use patience and repositioning rather than punishing the enemy by moving in close or timing your unique attack at the ideal time.