Whichever weapon you decide to use out of this list, it's important to note that every single weapon is finely balanced and are all viable in taking you through the whole game.

Additionally, you're able to pick and choose what weapon you want to use at any time, meaning you're never locked into any particular weapon - useful if you're looking for some variety.

Some weapons dish out huge amounts of damage and require charging and phial management, others are more familiar hack-and-slash types. Ranged weapons also exist, with different ammo types enabling you to dish out different amounts of elemental damage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=37&v=nmJ1CViqI8M

Weapons fall into one of three attack types: Cutting (Sever), Blunt and Ammo. Monsters' resistance and vulnerability to these types will vary by body part. Players can deal extra damage if they target a part that is more vulnerable to their weapon's type of attack.



Cutting Attacks
Sword slashes, lance thrusts, etc: Can be used to cut the tails off certain monsters.




Blunt Attacks
Shield bashes, hammer smashes, etc: Reduces Monster Stamina and stuns them if hit on the head.



Ammo Attacks
Projectiles, Arrows, Bowgun: Special properties depending on the attack.

The Long Sword (太刀 Tachi) is a weapon in Monster Hunter that’s always been known for it’s quick attacks, long reach, and mobility. While not a master in any of these departments, it’s proficiency in all three allows you to string together fluid motions while staying evasive enough to avoid attacks and eventually take down your target. Continue reading for an in-depth tutorial on Monster Hunter World's Long Sword!

• The Long Sword has a huge reach, allowing you to land hits, even if you are not in the perfect position.

• Fast attacks allow you to fill up your spirit gauge and execute your spirit combo, which in turn allow you to charge up the gauge up to 3 times, buffing your weapon in the process.

• Long range and high amounts of slash damage make the Longsword a perfect option for getting tail cuts on flying wyverns or monsters.

• Fast rolling evasion and the fade slash allow you to reposition yourself, with the roll even allowing yourself to roll out of some combos.

• Spirit Helmbreaker is flashy, and does hefty damage, automatically refilling your spirit gauge upon hitting it.

• In summary, the Long Sword is easy to pick up, due to its versatility and all-round capabilities - just keep an eye on your spirit gauge to maximise its potential (and not hit your teammates in multiplayer!)

The Sword and Shield (片手剣 Katateken) is Monster Hunter’s original beginner Weapon, and for good reason. With great mobility and the ability to guard, it’s very forgiving; its basic combos are easy to memorize and hard to botch, and it’s the only weapon that lets you use items without having to sheathe it.

• Fast, fluid combos that allow you to dip in and out of the hunt.

• Ability to use the Slinger and other items while the weapon is drawn.

• Despite its short range, the charge slash allows you to perform a followup jumping slash, letting you mount monsters easier.

• Setting up the Charge Slash should be the way that you play the Sword and Shield, with the combo flurries serving as additional damage, should you need it.

• We'd say the Sword and Shield is the perfect entry point for beginners.

Dual Blades (双剣 Souken), or 'DB' (previously known as Dual Swords or 'DS') In Monster Hunter, Dual Blades are the choice of weapon for those who think that the best defense is slashing into a monster so fast it doesn’t know what hit ‘em. With no way to block incoming attacks, these weapons instead offer hunters maneuverability instead, with its Demon and Archdemon Modes further enhancing attacks.

• Fast and stylish, the Dual Blades are perfect for getting Tail Cuts on Monsters.

• Demon Mode (activated with the right trigger after your gauge is full from dishing out combos) allows you attack faster, as well as getting hyperarmour from smaller enemies, but drains your stamina. Consuming Energy Drinks and Dash Juice allows you do dish out huge amounts of damage, mitigating the stamina loss.

• While Demon Mode is activated, you'll be able to fill up the Demon Gauge, which will then trigger Archdemon Mode, which gives you a slightly different moveset with powerful moves and incredible range, which you can use by pressing Circle or Triangle and Circle (or B and B and Y on Xbox).

• The weapon flows well, allowing you to wail on a monster while simply monitoring Demon and Archdemon modes.

• Great for aggressive players, who want a fast weapon with lots of options.

The Bow (弓 Yumi) One of three ranged options in Monster Hunter, the Bow offers the opportunity to stay relatively far out of combat, while dealing targeted damage to whatever part of the monster you wish. One of the most simple weapons in terms of combos, this one is most about stamina and item management while dealing your damage.

• Swift and fluid, the Bow allows for a huge amount of speed, damage and versatility, while also having a fair bit of range.

• Bows do not use ammo, but coatings, which allow you to add elemental or abnormal damage effects. Crafting these coatings should not be too hard, and items are supplied through gathering common items throughout the world.

• Charging your shots allow you to do higher damage, with charges decreasing your stamina.

• You're able to pull off a special shot - varying from bow to bow - so make sure to try out a few different bows to find one that fits your playstyle.

• With huge versatility and speed, the bow is an excellent weapon for newbies wanting to get stuck into the action and deal devastating status effects.

The Light Bowgun (ライトボウガン Raitobōgan) is a bowgun that allows you to move around at a normal running speed. You can un/sheathe it faster than a heavy bowgun due to the clear weight difference. Due to its compact size, it does not come with as much firepower as its larger counterpart. Most hunters prefer light bowguns because of the fast movement and reloading speed. Light bowguns are usually easy to make and master.

• The light bowgun has the advantage of being easy to handle without restricting the movement of the user during combat.

• The Light Bowgun also is more elemental than its counterpart, the Heavy Bowgun. Heavy Bowgun is usually used as a "Main Gunner," while the Light Bowgun is support.

• With light bowguns you can fire a plethora of elemental damage such as Thunder, Ice, and Water. With the Heavy Bowgun, you use Crags and Clusts, the main "Powerhouse" bullets.

• The Light Bowgun is capable of using these too, but many prefer Heavy Bowgun over Light for these shots.

The Great Sword (大剣 Daiken), classic weapon first introduced in Monster Hunter, weapon capable of dealing massive damage. As a weapon which has its own depth of usage and requires a certain amount of training to be able to master and fully use. Great Swords require a certain amount of experience to wield properly and master. To a novice, they may seem very slow and unwieldy. However, in the hands of an experienced hunter, they can prove very useful with a very nice damage output.

• Deals out the most amount of damage from a single weapon in the game.

• Slow movement while unsheathed allows you to perfectly position yourself to hit the monster in weak areas.

• The new shoulder barge attack allows you to follow up with a quicker attack and also "absorbs" an attack from a monster.

• Charge Attacks should be used as often as possible, in order to use the weapon to its full potential.

• While powerful, the Greatsword requires you to master perfect positioning and evasion to get the most out of it.

The Hammer (ハンマー Hanmā), the ultimate evolution of sticks with a rock on the end, the Hammer is fast, hard hitting weapon. The Hammer deals only blunt damage which makes it perfect for dealing stun damage and knocking out the monster. The Hammer's basic attacks are surprisingly fast for such a heavy weapon, and deal quite a bit of damage. They also have high chaining potential, very good at hitting the same spot over and over again, like the monster's head to rack up stun damage.

• Despite being a slow weapon, the Hammer allows you to charge up and knock out monsters with ease.

• Blunt Damage is excellent for breaking off Monster Armour, especially with a fully charged attack.

• Following up a charge attack will allow you to follow up with additional Hits from the Hammer, which is essential when trying to KO a monster or topple it.

• Evasion windows are small, but essential when respositioning yourself to do damage in critical areas.

• The Hammer is a great choice for those of you who are patient over everything else. It's satisfying to use and the payoffs are huge when fighting certain monsters.

Lances (ランス Ransu) are long weapons that can strike from a distance. The lance is always accompanied by a large shield which generally grants a powerful defense against most attacks. Although slow and difficult to travel with, the weapon's damage output can be impressive. Lances have different moves, such as the upstab, forward stab, and charging attack. Lances are one of the only weapons that can attack and block at the same time.

• While slow, the Lance is all about positioning yourself in a monster's weak point and holding your ground with the shield while you hit it.

• With high and low thrusts, you can combo together attacks to swipe across a long range.

• Counterthrusts are used to essentially parry a monster's attack and attack back.

Gunlances (ガンランス Ganransu), also known as GL, are long, piercing weapons with a mechanism inside which can fire an explosive round, allows you to take on the tank role in Monster Hunter should you choose to. A large shield allows you to be on the front lines defending yourself from even the heaviest of attacks while the lance pokes, prides and explodes monster parts from behind the safety of your shell.

• The Gunlance has huge defensive capabilities, helping you to keep monsters at bay.

• Slow movement and guarding makes positioning and evasion key to using this weapon.

• Different Shell types allow for a huge spread of close-range options, dependent upon what kind of weapon you have equipped. Normal Shell types offer the most ammo, Long has the longest range and Wide has the biggest 'scatter' spread damage, however is limited in Ammo.

• Different Shell types allow for a huge spread of close-range options.

• Wyrmstake cannon follows up shelling attacks, which hits multiple times and explodes, which is great for breaking off monster parts.

• While different from all other weapons, the Gunlance is excellent for use in a team, with no lengthy combos to remember, and is great for getting up close and personal.

The Heavy Bowgun (ヘビィボウガン Hebyibōgan) is the ranged weapon of choice for those who wish to have as much firepower as they can, while still maintaining some distance. While much slower than their Light Bowgun cousins, they are the only ranged weapon that allows a shield to be attached, giving them guard capabilities. For an experienced gunner, this is more of a restraint since you can only attach a power barrel OR a shield.

• A powerful ranged weapon.

• Bullets allow for flexible gameplay such as hitting elemental weak points or piercing damage.

• Shield attachment can block weak blows and help protect against some roars and flashes.

Insect Glaive (操虫棍 Sōchūkon: also known as "Insect Taming Staff", "Insect Operating Rod", "Neopteron Handler", and "Insect Rod") Insect Glaive will give you more verticality than any weapon in the game, allowing you to stay in the air during combat, while constantly doing mounting damage to whatever beast is unlucky enough to get in your way.

• This offers a huge range of mobility, which can allow for incredibly easy monster mounts.

• The Kinsect can be sent out to extract elements from the Monster, which can buff you mid-hunt, by combining different types of Kinsect Extracts.

• Red Extract gives you an Attack Buff, Orange a Defense Buff, White for Movement Speed and Green for greater healing. These can stack together and allow for a powerful range of buffed combinations.

• The Kinsect can be sent out to extract elements from the Monster, which can buff you mid-hunt.

• Airborne combos make this great for fighting flying monsters and Wyverns with an airborne vault attack.

• Air Dashes make for incredible mobility, and is great for reacting quickly to monsters. Combos can additionally be performed if an Air Dash is followed up for an attack. Combining this with Energy Drinks or Dash Juice helps to mitigate stamina usage.

• Surprisingly beginner friendly, and is great for getting out of the way of larger monsters quickly.

The Switch Axe (スラッシュアックス Surasshuakkusu; known as Slash Axe in Japan) is all about maximizing your combos and chaining hits. It’s a very Bloodborne-esque weapon in that it is one weapon that con be morphed between two forms, similar to the Charge Blade in that regard. Hunters who use the Switch Axe prefer a weapon that can be slow, but fast when needed, deal damage intermittently or can unload at a moments notice.


Axe Mode

• Axe Mode combos allow for wide reach, whether you're dealing with multiple small monsters or looking to hit a flying monster.

• Your basic infinite combo is great for building up meter to get to Sword Mode.

• It should primarily be used for building up the meter into Sword Mode, or evading while sheathed.

Sword Mode

• Sword Mode allows you to use the weapon's innate Phials which can range from Power, Exhaust and Elemental, dependent on what you have equipped, which can deal huge damage when fully discharged using Triangle and Circle (or Y and B on Xbox).

• Slow movement is made up for with the sidestep, which is excellent for repositioning mid-battle.

• Using your Sword Combos allows you to enter 'Amped State' - Where your Sword will glow and deal additional Phial Damage.

Charge Blade (チャージアックス Chājiakkusu) If weapons like Dual Blades and Switch Axe are about continuously cycling through an elevated state of the weapon, then Charge Blade is about saving that elevated state for when it most matters. It gives you the best of both worlds in terms of the small hack and slash damage of the Sword and Shield and the huge sweeping damage of the Great Sword. One of the most technical weapons of the game, it hard to master, but the payoff is explosive.

• Charging up Element Phials allows you to enter Axe Mode, which you can discharge for huge amounts of damage.

• You are able to charge up your attacks with a huge amount of options in Sword and Shield mode, which should be the primary mode for this weapon, then utilising Axe Mode in order to discharge all of your innate Phials.

• Phial Types (Elemental or Abnormal Damage) are dependent upon what kind of Charge Blade you have equipped.

• A wide and varied combat style means that the Charge Blade can be used with great evasion skills.

The Hunting Horn (狩猟笛 Shuryōbue) Perhaps you may be coming into Monster Hunter: World from other RPG’s and wondering this weapon may just scratch that itch. A cousin of the Hammer, the Hunting Horn also does blunt damage with large slow swings, however, you can also use it to apply buffs to your teammates ranging from Health Up to Wind knockback resistance. Play strong good hunters! You’re doing us all a favor.

• Although somewhat perceived as a support weapon, the Hunting Horn is easy to play with solo.

• Performing different songs and combos are easier than ever with the guide in the top right during hunts.

• Provide a huge amount of buffs, boosts and more to your character and party through performing songs on the horn.

• Similar to the Hammer, the limited speed and moveset of the horn allows for huge amounts of blunt damage.

• While it really comes out in multiplayer, this more advanced weapon can be an invaluable asset to any team.