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Monster Hunter World: Weapon Tier List For Beginners

mhw tier list

Monster Hunter World has an extensive list of weapon classes to choose from. With the game’s 14 weapons, each with a unique mechanic of its own, it's daunting for new players to pick a weapon that is right for them. Since the game is all about preparation, each weapon excels at some scenarios and struggles in others, making the weapon balance fair for everyone. When choosing a weapon, you must learn how it’s intended to be used and what it excels at. This tier list ranks the weapons based on its accessibility and intuitive design.

Beginner-Friendly Weapon Tier List

S-Tier

  • Sword and Shield
  • Longsword
  • Dual Blades
  • Heavy Bowgun
  • Light Bowgun

A-Tier

  • Greatsword
  • Hammer
  • Bow
  • Insect Glaive

B-Tier

  • Hunting Horn
  • Lance
  • Gunlance

C-Tier

  • Charge Blade
  • Switch Axe

To explain why each weapon is placed in their respective tiers, these weapons are chosen based on their mechanical complexity, ease of use for the player, and their skill floor capability. These are judged to see if that weapon meets all three criteria to be beginner-friendly. Here are the explanations for why each weapon is on that list.

S-Tier

Sword and Shield: This weapon sits at the top for its overall versatility with its moveset and ease of use. It has a simple moveset to understand with no unique mechanics to keep track of. The weapon also has great mobility and a decent defensive option with the shield. Hunters can even use items without the need to stow the weapon, as its shield provides a free hand for the hunter to use consumables. Despite its simplicity, it still has enough nuances and a high skill ceiling that veteran players still use this weapon despite knowing enough to try out better options.

Longsword: With its perfect balance of mobility and offensive capability, it is the perfect weapon for beginners who want to deal good damage while using a more reactive playstyle. Longswords have good reach, an easy-to-pick-up Spirit Gauge mechanic, and burst potential that attracts many new players to it. The weapon has wide arcing swings that make it forgiving when it comes to hitting weakspots.

Dual Blades: Speed and sustained DPS is the name of the game for the Dual Blades. This weapon has the fastest combos out of all weapon types and keeps you constantly engaging enemies. The Demon mode mechanic can be summed up in a few words: deal damage, activate Demon mode, and deal even more damage but in a faster manner. Stamina management is the biggest issue for this type, but with enough stamina-based skills, this downside can be remedied. Players who want to keep on the offensive will love the Dual Blades

Heavy Bowgun: When monsters have many devastating melee attacks, keeping to range is your safest option. With the Heavy Bowgun, you are given plenty of ranged options. Since this weapon can switch from machine gun, sniper rifle to mortar modes, all you need to do is point and shoot. Heavy Bowguns can reliably hit weakspots since trying to connect a melee isn’t an issue. Ammunition is the only thing you need to keep track of, as there are different ammo types such as ones that deal status effects, elemental damage or increased piercing functionality.

Light Bowgun: As the lightweight sibling to the Heavy Bowgun, the Light Bowgun trades damage for more mobility. This weapon is reliable for constantly applying status effects and staggers with its high rate of fire. While the Heavy Bowgun is slower to use, the Light Bowgun benefits from having a faster movement speed and better dodge window. Ultimately, picking the LBG or HBG is a matter of personal preference.

A-Tier

Greatsword: One of the most iconic weapons in the series, the Greatsword exemplifies the game’s core gameplay, which is all about preparation. Greatsword’s combos are very simple to understand, but much of its difficulty stems from its extremely slow swing speed, especially when dealing with agile monsters. It has the highest damage per hit in the entire game, making this weapon highly rewarding for players putting in the time. The weapon is placed in A tier as the inputs aren’t as hard as actually connecting hits.

Hammer: The impact version of the Greatsword, the Hammer swings just as slow with an alternate moveset. This weapon has the best stun and knockout capability but cannot cut tails. The Hammer is slightly more forgiving than the Greatsword, being able to deal damage more constantly while keeping monsters pinned with its high stagger values. It’s a great alternative to the Greatsword if breaking parts and staggering is what you’re looking for.

Bow: Between all the ranged weapons, the Bow has the highest damage potential out of the ranged options. To compensate for its sheer DPS, it has the shortest range and has little to no utility compared to the bowgun family. Reloading is not an issue with this weapon, but it has little more going for it in terms of mechanics. This weapon has a charge mechanic where the shot can be held to deal more damage but will sacrifice your mobility. Think of the Bow as a pseudo-melee weapon with its own inputs while being in relatively close range to the monster you hunt.

Insect Glaive: Where the Dual Blades excel at horizontal movement, Insect Glaive is the king of the skies. This weapon allows for plenty of aerial-based combat as the player can launch themselves by vaulting upwards with the glaive. Its unique mechanic, the Kinsect, can be launched at a monster to leech its essence and give it to the player for a buff. When using this weapon, mounting a monster for a knockdown is your primary goal since you can make jump attacks without needing accessible terrain. It takes a bit of getting used to for new players, but with enough investment, this weapon can be fun to use.

B-Tier

Hunting Horn: The premiere support weapon in the game. The Hunting Horn can turn the tide of any hunt, especially when you’re with friends. This weapon provides buffs only seen in consumables and is infinitely refreshable with its Melody mechanics. Fellow hunters will always be glad to have a Hunting Horn user by their side. However, grasping its Melody system takes a bit more brainpower, especially when fighting solo since you’re trying to juggle between killing a monster and giving yourself the right buffs. If you’re a beginner and you pick up a Hunting Horn, it might be best to put some time in the practice area to learn how to wield this weapon properly.

Lance: This weapon provides the most tanking utility in MHW. Much of its power comes from its ability to block most attacks and quickly counterattack with a mighty jab. The mobility of this weapon is quite slow, which balances out its superb defensive capability. It also has the highest weapon reach, as the tip of the Lance extends a bit further than the weapon’s model. Newer players may struggle with this weapon at first since learning when to attack and when to block and avoid is a key aspect of fighting a monster. However, timing your blocks and jabs well makes a world of difference in slaying a monster.

Gunlance: Take everything you know about the Lance, then add a burst and reload mechanic to it. That’s the Gunlance. Despite being nearly identical, the Gunlance has more swings to its moveset than thrusts, It also sports a shorter range than the Lance. With the gun, this weapon can deal more burst damage but requires commitment to the animation of shooting its gun and reloading it after expending all shots in its magazine.

C-Tier

Charge Blade: The Charge Blade is two weapons in one class, sporting a sword and shield in its base form and an axe in its charged form. To charge this weapon, you must deal damage with the base sword and shield to gain Phials. After gaining Phials, you must store them into the weapon as when it’s overcharged, attacks will bounce off regardless of sharpness. These Phials can be used to either charge the shield for more resistances or for making a massive elemental discharge attack with the Aze Form. This weapon is mechanically complex and is only for more advanced players who know what they’re doing. However, this weapon can output serious elemental and physical damage, as well as enhanced defenses once the Phial mechanic is utilized to its fullest potential.

Switch Axe: This weapon comes in two modes: The base sword form and the axe form. Much like the Charge Blade, dealing damage with the axe will store energy that allows the transformation to occur. While in axe form, the weapon can initiate a massive elemental discharge attack that deals heavy damage. Both forms have their own movesets, which will be difficult for new players to learn, as there is much to juggle in a fight especially with the axe form. Veteran players flock to this weapon for the high skill expression that this weapon provides, dealing great burst damage to

Monster Hunters caters to every type of player with its selection of weapons. No class dominates the other, as Capcom takes great lengths to maintain their balance. What the weapons offer instead is a different way to play the game, as even the humble Sword and Shield and the support leaning Hunting Horn can still deal good damage, once enough preparation is made. Ultimately, the best weapon in Monster Hunter World is the one that caters to your playstyle the most, as every class is viable for all throughout the game, from start to Master Rank.

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