Which Monster Hunter World weapon class is right for you?

For those looking for a reliable and strong weapon to take care of any and all monsters, look no further than the Greatsword. A Monster Hunter classic, the Greatsword relies on pure strength and charge attacks to rain powerful blows on any monster that gets in your way; but be careful not to be overcome by a mobile enemy.

A variation on the classic "oversized sword for hunting giant beasts", the Longsword boasts solid damage like its fellow sword types, mighty combos, excellent evasive capabilities, and the best range of any melee weapon. Whether you're fighting a Jagras or a Rathalos, the Longsword ensures that you'll be able to take it down without a single KO- provided you have what it takes to harness the weapon's full potential.
(Plus, it looks really cool.)

For those who prefer raw power over any fancy footwork, the Hammer is the ideal weapon. With some of the best damage available in the game, the Hammer is sure to make quick work of your next prey. When using the Hammer, you can charge, allowing you to remain mobile without putting off your next attack by too much. For added functionality, hitting a monster in the head with the Hammer allows you to stun it, leaving nothing in between them and your unstoppable flurry of blows.

For those who prefer a more strategic and skillful playstyle when hunting, the Charge Blade offers a powerful combination of a sword, shield, and axe. By far more complex than melee weapons like the Hammer or the Greatsword, the Charge Blade relies on phials to store energy, which can be used in a variety of ways to enable stronger attacks. For the hunter who is willing to study the strategies available to them in order to conquer any obstacle, there is no better weapon than a Charge Blade.

With more versatility than any of its melee cousins, the Switch Axe offers a varied and engaging playstyle for any hunter. As the name suggests, alongside its axe form, this weapon can transform into a mighty sword and perform explosive combos. If you're a firm believer in offense as the best defense, and want a weapon that requires true skill to wield, the Switch Axe is for you.

The perfect combo for a jack of all trades, a Sword and Shield is a great choice for any hunter, whether they've just picked up the series or played since the PS2. It offers high levels of utility and reliability. Alongside balanced stats and evasive capabilities, the Sword and Shield is unique in that the Slinger, MHW's unique new tool, can still be used while the weapon is unsheathed. Stun a monster or start a chain reaction of toppling rocks- knowledge of the environment will be very beneficial. With its simple-to-understand combos, respectable offense and defense, and impressive mobility, the Sword and Shield allows any monster hunter to become great.

One of the more technical weapons, the Hunting Horn is a grossly undervalued tool in the hunter arsenal. While it may satisfy the traditional 'bard' role for Monster Hunter, it's far more than a support weapon. The Hunting Horn offers two main benefits. Firstly, like the Hammer, the Hunting Horn offers substantial blunt damage. And secondly, by performing specific combinations, the Hunting Horn can provide buffs to all hunters through song, from small health boosts to speed increases. In any team, the Hunting Horn is sure to be the core.

A combination of swift attacks and swifter evasion, the Dual Blades are the perfect weapons for a hunter who'd rather be avoiding damage instead of absorbing it with a shield. Their damage output is considerable, and the quick attacks allow for fast reaction times. On top of that, hey charge up energy when attacking, which can be used to enter the powerful Demon and Archdemon modes, which increase your speed and strength for a time as well as unlock powerful combos, allowing you to dispatch monsters with ease and grace.

One of the more recent additions to the series, the Insect Glaive is a tool of acrobatic prowess. It allows a hunter to propel themselves into the air, enabling a skilled Glaive user to keep themselves in the air indefinitely, and mount monsters with ease. Additionally, a Glaive user can use their Kinsect, a tool which can provide support through healing and buffs as well as inflict status effects and damage on monsters. For a hunter looking for aerial superiority, the Insect Glaive is a must.

Other hunters can have their fancy combos and dodge rolls- but when the going gets tough, who's going to be picking up their slack?
That would be the Lancer.
While the attacks of the Lance are slow, and make mobility difficult, the defensive capabilities offered by the lance are incomparable to any other weapon. For the hunter who'd rather play smart win than look cool and lose, slow and steady with the Lance wins the race.

A notoriously difficult weapon to master, the Gunlance offers the defense of the Lance with offensive capabilities of a weapon more akin to the Heavy Bowgun. It can perform simple melee attacks, like its gunless counterpart, but that's not all; At close range, the Gunlance can fire high-damage shells at the risk of losing Sharpness at an accelerated rate. When the battle's at a climax, use Wyvern's Fire- an explosive attack of immense power. For a truly dedicated hunter, the Gunlance is a mighty choice.

If an FPS is more your speed than a JRPG- or if you're just looking for a weapon with great versatility- the Light Bowgun might be the weapon for you. It offers a wide variety of ammunition with different effects like Pierce and Spread, with a longer range and higher mobility than the Heavy Bowgun, along with the ability to place Wyvernblasts: small explosives that can be triggered by attacks or monsters to add another layer of damage. For the modern hunter, the Light Bowgun is a classic but great option.

If melee weapons don't have the range you want, but the Light Bowgun just doesn't have the kick you're after, the Heavy Bowgun forms the perfect middle ground of versatility, range, and raw power. With a variety of ammo types boasting varying effects, it's a weapon that offers slow but spectacular attacks. For a hunter after a ranged weapon with true destructive force, there is no better choice than the Heavy Bowgun.

A classic ranged weapon, the Bow is a weapon made for hunters ready for a high-skill, high-versatility playstyle. Arrow coatings allow for many varying effects, even compared to the many ammunition types of the Bowgun. The precise aim allows you to target certain weak points with ease. Unlike other ranged weapons, it can also perform a variety of combos, charging up mighty multishots or raining projectiles from above, allowing for a hunter's skills to truly shine. For a hunter who's interested in efficiency, no matter what the monster may be, the Bow is the perfect high-skill weapon.