Monster Hunter World is getting closer and many gamers are approaching the most famous hunting game series for the first time with this title. Therefore, we have decided to offer you a guide whose purpose is to introduce the 14 weapons present in the game and what are their pros and cons in terms of gameplay. This way, you get an idea of which weapon you want to use first.
However, we recommend that you spend enough time with the weapon you try, regardless of the pros and cons that we will list. A first approach is not enough to understand if the weapon is actually valid for you, therefore it would be better to face at least a couple of missions and practice in the training area, before discarding the equipment in question. In addition, in the training area, you can see the keys to press to trigger combos or special attacks.
Sword and Shield
One of the most basic weapons for those who approach Monster Hunter and one of the most recommended to get started. The attacks with the blade are of the cutting type and rather quick, while with the shield it is possible to cause more damage from impact, at the expense of greater slowness. The shield can also be used to defend against some physical attacks, but it does not protect against elemental damage such as fire rays and the like.
This equipment has a function that no other weapon has: the use of objects while the sword is unsheathed, unlike other weapons whose holstering is necessary in order to use the objects. Unfortunately, the sword and shield loses power and range, as the damage caused is not the best and other weapons in general have a greater range. The wide variety of elemental swords can partially overcome the damage problem.
+ Ability to parry attacks
+ I use objects with an unsheathed weapon
+ Quick attacks and good evasion
- Weak guard compared to other weapons
- Damage inflicted not by the best
Greatsword
The Greatsword is one of the most powerful weapons in terms of damage dealt and is often a favorite of hunters who prefer to hurt a lot in a simple way. Being very large, this weapon also allows you to parry attacks of various types, at the expense of its sharpness and a small amount of life that will go away anyway. Powerful and capable of being charged in stages to increase the amount of damage dealt, it loses a lot of mobility, revealing itself to be one of the slowest weapons in the game.
+ Massive damage, among the highest in the game when making a full charged shot
+ Possibility of parade
+ Wide range
+ Charged shots can knock monsters out or even knock them down
- Very little mobility, making evasion difficult too
- The charge of the broadsword makes the hunter uncovered, who must reload the attack if hit
Double Blades
These weapons are suitable for those who prefer a quick approach to fighting. The highest mobility in the game and a disproportionate amount of hits in combos, but to deal massive damage you need to be very close to the monster, which exposes the hunter to almost constant risk. Dodging is the only way out of monster attacks, as there is no way to parry. The double Blades take advantage of the "Demon Mode", which once activated enhances the weapon parameters, both physical and elemental, for a short period of time.
+ Excellent mobility
+ Considerable amount of hits in combos, which go hand in hand with the additional damage in case of double elemental blades
+ Many double blades have elemental abilities or status
- Minimum radius
- No parade
- Resistance bar to always keep under control
Long Sword
Quick weapon and capable of inflicting considerable damage, but it needs a correct use of its combos and its peculiarity, the Spirit Blade, to actually function correctly. The correct execution of combo more easily fills the gauge of the spirit bar which allows the activation of the Spirit Blade by completing the combo with R2. Good range and excellent efficiency, but you have to be practical and above all precise in the execution.
+ A good combination of damage and mobility
+ Discreet range
+ The Spirit Blade proves to be a source of massive damage when unleashed at the peak of its functionality
- No parade
- It requires precision
spear
A versatile weapon for both attack and defense, but leaves something to be desired in terms of evasion. Its attacks have a good range and are able to accurately hit the part of the monster you intend to hit and its shield - although it consumes resistance to use - allows both a good block and a slight mobility, allowing you to defend yourself while we head towards the monster. Peculiarities of this equipment are special move with the charge and the counterattack with the shield, but both require precision and timing.
+ Good for parrying and counterattacking if you know the timing
+ Fair range and attack
- It makes dodging difficult, forcing the hunter to use the shield often
Shotgun Launcher
As the name already suggests, it is similar to a spear that allows you to fire explosive bullets capable of causing powerful damage to monsters. When using this weapon there is an indicator relating to its temperature, which increases as bullets are fired and this will cause the weapon's sharpness to decrease. Knowing how to adapt to this compromise is the best way to know how to use this weapon, with greater power than the normal Lancia, but with the need for greater consideration. The shield is instead the same in all respects to that assigned to the normal Lance.
+ Good range for a really powerful weapon
+ Bullets deal massive damage in parts where monsters are weak and unstoppable
- Poor evasion, like the spear
- The constant use of bullets will require the use of more whetstones
Sword-Ax
Now let's move on to something more cumbersome than the previous weapons shown. The Switch Ax must be used correctly to be sure not to waste time. This weapon can transform from a huge two-handed ax to a sword. The ax is used to charge an indicator and when it is at its maximum you can use the sword mode in the most efficient way. The phase in which the sword is used allows you to unleash an elemental discharge capable of inflicting considerable damage, but you need to have the aforementioned bar to the maximum, to do serious damage. Sword mode is also particularly slow, while that ax - when used alone - is unable to reach the pinnacle of damage this weapon can do. Only after spending time and effort will the player be able to unleash the latent power of this weapon.
+ Easy to chain combos
+ Supplied bottles add offensive, elemental or status buffs
+ Very effective and powerful weapon
- Need for practice to master it correctly
- No parades and little mobility
Charged Spad-Ax
Using this weapon properly is one of the most difficult challenges for beginners, and it certainly requires a certain familiarity with the gameplay. Given that the transformation from the ax to the sword and shield will take longer than the normal Sword-Ax, it is necessary that the hunter knows how to anticipate. Finally, it will be necessary to collect energy to fill the vials present in the interface and then release them in elemental discharges in the ax mode. Alternatively, it is also possible to load the supplied shield always through the vials to strengthen the parade, protecting the hunter from explosions and not making him knock to the ground.
+ Ax mode has monstrous offensive potential
+ The bottles make a great buff
+ Versatile
- Complicated to use
Hammer
Devastating impact weapon, capable of hitting even the hardest parts of monsters heavily until they break, but its slowness requires timing and precision. Charged hammer attacks are among the most powerful hits in the game in terms of HP damage and if used in the right way they can cause monsters to “Stun”, which will fall to the ground for a considerable amount of time. In addition to slowness, its low range will also be a small obstacle for those who intend to use this weapon.
+ A not indifferent attack base, which grows more and more with charged attacks
+ You can run with the gun unsheathed
+ Ability to stun monsters with attacks
- Slow to the point of needing good timing in general
- Short range of action
Hunting horn
From hammer-like modes - but faster and with greater range at the expense of offensive - it proves to be the perfect weapon for multiplayer. Its only penalty is the time it will take you to practice the real engine of this weapon: its melodies. Each hunting horn allows the reproduction of certain notes which, if carried out in the right order, activate certain buffs of any nature to the entire hunting party. However, each combination corresponds to a different buff, so you'll have to memorize the order of the notes and remember which effect it corresponds to. Once you learn how to use this tool well, you will be able to turn the tide of an entire mission as you will be indispensable for an entire team.
+ The notes are performed with attacks that still damage the enemy
+ Possibility to stun the monster with the right attacks, like with the hammer
+ The support potential of this weapon is better than any other buff
- Slow attacks
- Not recommended in single for those who are not experts
Insect Falchion
One of the weapons introduced in the most recent chapters of the series, it allows you to jump freely using it as a pole and ride monsters much more easily and frequently. Along with the dual blades, it's the fastest piece of equipment in the game, but it takes a lot more practice than these due to the Kinsetto. The latter can be thrown towards the enemy monster in order to add buffs to the normal attacks of the glaive. The indicator in the interface displays which extracts have been collected. Depending on the color of the extract, different buffs are used: red for the attack, white for the speed and height of the jumps, orange for the defense. By combining the extracted extracts it is possible to amalgamate the buffs. Finally, it should be noted that the Kinsetto must be "improved" as if it were a real part of the equipment, as well as the buffs obtained from its extracts.
+ Excellent mobility
+ The ability to jump makes it easy to ride monsters
+ Discrete combos
+ Great Buffs received by Kinsetto
- Frequent reduction in stamina
- No parade
- Regular damage not the best
bow
The most basic ranged weapon of those in World. Less cumbersome than crossbows, it still has good firepower and flasks capable of applying various kinds of debuffs to monsters. Arrows in equipment, although they don't do a lot of damage, are endless. As it is easy to assume, there is no chance to parry with this weapon so it is highly recommended to stay at a due distance. However, it is possible to make a melee attack when jumping off a ledge and pressing triangle to attack - this attack is also the only way to ride monsters - in the direction of the monster. Finally, it is possible to release a volley of arrows, given by a trajectory similar to that of the mortar. The ideal distance is reached when the luminous circle on the ground, indicating the destination of the arrows, changes from white to orange.
+ Infinite normal ammo
+ Debuff and Status via flasks
- No chance to parry blows
Light Crossbow
Of the two crossbows present in the game, this allows greater freedom of movement and a faster fire, but much weaker than that of the heavy crossbow. The amount of ammunition available is limited compared to the bow, but the firepower is greater and there are really many types of bullets suitable for many monsters and in different circumstances. Between elemental bullets, status, cutting and piercing, the Light Crossbow is a very versatile weapon whose variants also depend on the specific weapon, depending on the monster from which it was crafted (A light crossbow crafted by the parts of the Rathian, for example, it will have much faster bullets on flaming ammo).
+ Rapid fire
+ Excellent mobility
+ Great variety of bullets available
- Reduced power compared to the Heavy Crossbow
- No chance to parry blows
Heavy Crossbow
As the name suggests, it is a “thicker” variant of the weapon discussed above. Incredibly powerful, takes longer to fire and makes mobility slightly more limited. If you intend to use this weapon for a long time keep in mind that you will have to manage the stocks of special bullets, precisely making new ones whenever you need them, through the system of "combinations" present in Monster Hunter World. The variety of bullets is similar to that of the light crossbow, so you can carry whatever you need depending on the mission. At the Heavy Crossbow it is possible to mount - if you have the materials - a support shield. Finally, this weapon has a special barrage of bullets very similar to that of a turret, but its duration depends on how full the gauge located under the ammo is.
+ Massive damage
+ Long range
+ Great variety of bullets available
+ Optional shield allows parry
- Slow to reload and in motion
- Bullet handling is a bit expensive
We hope this guide has given you a clearer idea of what weapons are like in Monster Hunter World for those unfamiliar with the game or series. Monster Hunter World will be available worldwide from January 25, 2017 on Playstation 4 and Xbox One and later, in the fall, for PC. If World is your first title, the Beginner's Guide is for you!
► Monster Hunter World is an Adventure-Action game developed and published by Capcom for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 26/01/2018
Monster Hunter World is a game to own at all costs: we decided to evaluate it with a 95%, if you are interested in learning more you can read the Monster Hunter World Review
