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Setting up the best Bow build for any situation in Monster Hunter World Iceborne can be a headache. Similar to Dual Blade, the long-range weapon relies heavily on each monster’s weak spots/hitzones and their Elemental weaknesses. Not to mention that you also have to apply Coating often to amplify your damages. Making building Bow sets somewhat complicated as well as a time and Zenny-consuming endeavor. Nevertheless, we’re here to help and will present you with the best templates for Bow builds in each Hunter Rank.
Monster Hunter World: Base Game Bow Builds
Low Rank
| Slot | Set 1 | Set 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bow | Any | Any |
| Head | Rathian – Health Boost 1 | Rathian – Health Boost 1 |
| Chest | Butterfly – Health Boost 1 | Butterfly – Health Boost 1 |
| Arms | Ingot – Health Boost 1 | Ingot – Health Boost 1 |
| Waist | Jagras – Fortify 1 | Paolumu – Divine Blessing 1 |
| Legs | Ingot – Defense Boost 1 | Gala Suit – Divine Blessing 1 |
| Charm | Defense Charm – Defense Boost 1 | Defense Charm – Defense Boost 1 |
For Low Rank, the best Bow build you can make in Monster Hunter World is by maximizing your defenses or survivability. Just use this period as the tutorial; learn your weapon’s as well as monsters’ movesets and weaknesses to prepare you for High Rank.
Fortify is extremely useful if you end up being killed/carting often since it boosts your Attack and Defense every time you fall. Other than that, grab the Bow with the highest damage and upgrade your armor to its highest defense.
High Rank
| Slot | Dragon Piercer Set | Power Shot Set | Stamina Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | – Tobi-Kadachi – Diablos – Any Elemental Bow | – Tobi-Kadachi – Diablos – Any Elemental Bow | – Tobi-Kadachi – Any Elemental Bow |
| Head | Azure Rathalos β – Critical Boost 1 | Azure Rathalos β – Critical Boost 1 | Tobi-Kadachi α – Constitution 2 |
| Chest | Rathalos β – Weakness Exploit 2 | Rathalos β – Weakness Exploit 2 | Rathalos β – Weakness Exploit 2 |
| Arms | Anjanath β – Special Ammo Boost 1 | Teostra β – Weakness Exploit 1 | Odogaron α – Constitution 1 – Critical Eye 1 |
| Waist | Azure Rathalos α – Windproof 2 – Piercing Shots 1 | Odogaron β – Critical Eye 2 | Leather Belt α – Stamina Surge 1 Nergigante α – Attack Boost 2 – Stamina Surge 1 |
| Legs | Rathalos Alpha α – Jump Master 1 – Weakness Exploit 1 | Lavasioth β – Spread/Powershot 1 | Rathalos Alpha α – Jump Master 1 – Weakness Exploit 1 |
| Charm | Special Shot Charm – Special Ammo 1 Blessing Charm – Divine Blessing 1 | Fitness Charm – Constitution 1 Blessing Charm – Divine Blessing 1 | Fitness Charm – Constitution 1 |
Once you’re in High Rank, exploiting monsters’ elemental weaknesses and weak spots becomes crucial with Bow. Tobi-Kadachi tree is considered to be the best all-rounder Elemental Bow since a lot of monsters are weak against Thunder. For raw damage, you can use Diablos tree but you need to alleviate its minus Affinity with Critical Eye.
Basically, you want to maximize Critical Boost and Weakness Exploit for the critical bonus from Affinity. Then slot in Bow Charge Plus or Special Ammo if you use Dragon Piercer and/or Thousand Dragons often. The bonus Rathalos Mastery from 4 or 2-piece Raths is extremely useful for the Critical Element, which buffs your Element damage. The Stamina Set base can be used in case you want something comfier, along with Health Boost, Divine Blessing, and Evade Extender.
Monster Hunter World Bow Build for High Rank Post-Kulve Taroth/Behemoth/Arch-Tempered
| Slot | Fire Set | Water Set | Ice Set | Thunder Set | Dragon Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | Kjarr Bow “King” | Kjarr Bow “Water” | Kjarr Bow “Stream” | Kjarr Bow “Spark” | Kjarr Bow “Decay” |
| Head | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 | Kushala β – Ice Attack 2 | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 |
| Chest | Nergigante α – Stamina Surge 2 – Agitator 1 | Nergigante α – Stamina Surge 2 – Agitator 1 | Nergigante β – Weakness Exploit 2 | Nergigante α – Stamina Surge 2 – Agitator 1 | Nergigante β – Weakness Exploit 2 |
| Arms | Drachen α – Critical Eye 2 – Attack Boost 1 | Drachen α – Critical Eye 2 – Attack Boost 1 | Drachen α – Critical Eye 2 – Attack Boost 1 | Drachen α – Critical Eye 2 – Attack Boost 1 | Vaal Hazak γ – Dragon Attack 3 |
| Waist | Zorah γ – Bombardier 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Zorah γ – Bombardier 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Zorah γ – Bombardier 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Zorah γ – Bombardier 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Xeno’Jiiva γ – Critical Boost 1 |
| Legs | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 | Zorah γ – Blast Attack 2 – Critical Eye | Teostra γ – Critical Eye 2 | Xeno’Jiiva γ – Critical Boost 1 |
| Charm | Blaze Charm III – Fire Attack 3 | Flood Charm III – Water Attack 3 | Frost Charm III – Ice Attack 3 | Shock Charm III – Thunder Attack 3 | Master’s Charm III – Critical Eye 3 |
If you’ve farmed Kulve Taroth, it’s time to focus on monsters’ Elemental weaknesses. With Kulve Taroth’s Kjarr Bows, you can finally ditch Rath pieces for Critical Element. With Decorations, you’ll want to maximize:
- Critical Eye.
- Each Element Attack (Fire, Water, etc), depending on your Bow and set.
- Slot in Spread/Power Shots, Bow Charge Plus, and/or Normal Shot.
Don’t forget to bring Dash Juice and eat for Felyne Black Belt for the Stamina bonus.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Expansion Bow Builds
Early Master Rank
| Slot | Kulve Set | Standard Set |
|---|---|---|
| Bow | – All Kjarr Bows | – All Elemental Bows |
| Head | Hornetaur β+ – Weakness Exploit 1 – Dragon Attack 1 | Azure Rathalos β – Critical Boost 1 |
| Chest | Kulu-Ya-Ku α+ – Stamina Surge 1 – Critical Eye 2 | Rathalos β – Weakness Exploit 2 |
| Arms | Drachen α – Critical Eye 2 – Attack Boost 1 | Kulu-Ya-Ku α+ – Critical Boost 1 – Pro Transporter 1 Jagras α+ – Evade Extender 2 – Recovery Up 1 |
| Waist | Hornetaur β+ – Weakness Exploit 1 | Hornetaur β+ – Weakness Exploit 1 |
| Legs | Barroth β+ – Stun Resistance 2 | Barroth β+ – Stun Resistance 2 |
| Charm | Fitness Charm III – Constitution 3 | Fitness Charm III – Constitution 3 |
In case you have Kjarr Bows, they can still be used comfortably until MR★3 or so. You just need to change your armor for the much higher defense stats as well as their Decoration slots. For the Arms slot, personally, I like using the Great Jagras piece for the Evade Extender.
Monster Hunter World Iceborne Bow Build for Mid-Late Master Rank Pre-Safi’Jiiva/Kulve Taroth
| Slot | Kulve Set | Standard Set | Velkhana Set | Namielle Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | All Kjarr Bows | – Coral Pukei-Pukei – Glavenus – Legiana/Shrieking Legiana – Tobi-Kadachi | – Coral Pukei-Pukei – Glavenus – Legiana/Shrieking Legiana – Tobi-Kadachi | – Coral Pukei-Pukei – Glavenus – Legiana/Shrieking Legiana – Tobi-Kadachi |
| Head | Fulgur Anjanath β+ – Weakness Exploit 1 | Azure Rathalos β – Critical Boost 1 | Velkhana α+ – Divine Blessing 2 – Coalescence 1 | Velkhana α+ – Divine Blessing 2 – Coalescence 1 |
| Chest | Rathalos β+ – Weakness Exploit 2 | Rathalos β – Weakness Exploit 2 | Velkhana β+ – Quick Sheathe 2 | Velkhana β+ – Quick Sheathe 2 |
| Arms | Odogaron α+ – Constitution 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Odogaron α+ – Constitution 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Odogaron α+ – Constitution 2 – Critical Eye 1 | Teostra β+ – Weakness Exploit 1 |
| Waist | Odogaron β+ – Critical Eye 2 | Odogaron β+ – Critical Eye 2 | Odogaron β+ – Critical Eye 2 | Namielle α+ – Constitution 2 – Stamina Surge 1 |
| Legs | Barroth β+ – Stun Resistance 2 | Barroth β+ – Stun Resistance 2 | Barroth β+ – Stun Resistance 2 Yian Garuga β+ – Critical Eye 2 | Namielle β+ – Stamina Surge 2 |
| Charm | [Element Attack] Charm III – [Element Attack] 3 | [Element Attack] Charm III – [Element Attack] 3 | [Element Attack] Charm III – [Element Attack] 3 | [Element Attack] Charm III – [Element Attack] 3 |
Once you reach MR★4 at around MR 13, you can start ditching your High Rank set pieces and Kjarr Bows. The best crafting Element Bows are Glavenus and Legiana trees but if you need Water and Thunder, Coral Pukei and Kadachi are adequate enough. As usual, you’ll want to maximize or add these skills with Decorations:
- Critical Eye.
- Weakness Exploit.
- Spread/Power Shots.
- Bow Charge Plus.
- Normal Shot.
When you can start farming Velkhana and other Elder Dragons, you can replace the head and chest pieces. The Namielle + Velkhana set can be somewhat comfy with high Stamina Surge levels, but the damage is somewhat lackluster. Considering you won’t have access to Elemental Charm V until later in the expansion.
Pre-Safi’Jiiva/MR Kulve Taroth/Alatreon
| Slot | Fire Set | Water Set | Ice Set | Thunder Set | Dragon Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | Glavenus | – Guild Palace – Coral Pukei-Pukei | Barioth/Frostfang Barioth | Furious Rajang | Blackveil Vaal Hazak |
| Head | Silver Rathalos α+ – Fire Attack 2 – Windproof 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Windproof 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Windproof 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Windproof 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Windproof 2 |
| Chest | Silver Rathalos α+ – Critical Boost 2 – Fire Attack 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 2 |
| Arms | Furious Rajang β+ – Stamina Surge 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Slinger Capacity 3 | Furious Rajang β+ – Stamina Surge 2 | Kirin β+ – Thunder Attack 3 | Furious Rajang β+ – Stamina Surge 2 |
| Waist | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 |
| Legs | Silver Rathalos α+ – Fire Attack 2 – Slinger Capacity 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Slinger Capacity 2 Raging Brachydios β+ – Weakness Exploit 2 Yian Garuga β+ – Critical Eye 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Slinger Capacity 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Slinger Capacity 2 Raging Brachydios β+ – Weakness Exploit 2 Yian Garuga β+ – Critical Eye 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Slinger Capacity 2 |
| Charm | Master’s Charm IV – Critical Eye 4 | Flood Charm V – Water Attack 5 | Master’s Charm IV – Critical Eye 4 Frost Charm V – Ice Attack 5 | Master’s Charm IV – Critical Eye 4 | Wyrmsbane Charm V – Dragon Attack 5 |
This set can be skipped if you don’t have trouble farming Safi’Jiiva, MR Kulve, and Alatreon. But if you want to take things slow, then let’s break them down quickly.
The 4-piece Silver Rathalos is needed for the True Critical Element and Slinger Secret bonus. Slinger Capacity and the Secret are useful to bump up your Thousand Dragons damage, which is more effective than Dragon Piercer. Just like before, consider these Skills to buff your attacks as well:
- Critical Eye.
- Weakness Exploit.
- Each Element Attack (Fire, Water, etc), depending on your Bow and set.
- Health Boost.
- Spread/Power Shots.
- Bow Charge Plus.
- Normal Shot.
Monster Hunter World Iceborne Bow Build for Post-Safi’Jiiva/MR Kulve Taroth/Alatreon
| Slot | Alatreon Set | Safi Set | Dragon Set | Raw Blast Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | – Kjarr Bow – Safi Hellbow (Fire) – Safi Boltbow (Thunder) | – Kjarr Bow – Safi Hellbow (Fire) – Safi Boltbow (Thunder) | Alatreon | – Safi Shatterbow (Blast) – Raging Brachydios |
| Head | Alatreon α+ – Resentment 3 Critical Eye 2 | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Evade Window 1 – Critical Boost 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Windproof 2 | Silver Rathalos α+ – Fire Attack 2 – Windproof 2 |
| Chest | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Blight Resistance 1 – Critical Boost 1 | Safi’Jiiva α+ – Blight Resistance 2 – Critical Boost 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 2 | Silver Rathalos α+ – Critical Boost 2 – Fire Attack 2 |
| Arms | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Blight Resistance 1 | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Blight Resistance 1 | Furious Rajang β+ – Stamina Surge 2 | Furious Rajang β+ – Stamina Surge 2 |
| Waist | Alatreon α+ – Attack Boost 4 – Dragon Resistance 3 | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Evade Window 2 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 | Silver Rathalos β+ – Critical Boost 1 – Windproof 1 |
| Legs | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Critical Boost 1 | Safi’Jiiva β+ – Critical Boost 1 | Alatreon α+ – Defense Boost 3 – Dragon Attack 4 | Silver Rathalos α+ – Fire Attack 2 – Slinger Capacity 2 |
| Charm | Fury Charm V – Resentment 5 [Element] Charm V – [Element] Attack 5 | Fury Charm V – Resentment 5 [Element] Charm V – [Element] Attack 5 | Master’s Charm V – Critical Eye 5 | Challenger Charm V – Agitator 5 |
These last postgame Monster Hunter World Iceborne Bow builds are the best ones to fully realize your Elemental attacks. For the Safi Bows, you want to fill the Awakening slots with Element VI and V buffs to maximize your damages. The Raw Blast set can be used when your target has low Elemental hitzones and if it’s more effective to damage them through raw damages. Below are the Armor Skills that you should consider when using these postgame sets:
- Critical Eye.
- Weakness Exploit.
- Each Element Attack (Fire, Water, etc), depending on your Bow and set.
- Resentment can be used as an Element Attack alternative since you’ll have lots of red health with the Safi set.
- Health Boost.
- Spread/Power Shots.
- Bow Charge Plus.
- Normal Shot.
- Stamina Surge Level 3.
- Divine Blessing Level 1.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
