Skip To...
Whether you saw the trailers, been a fan of the series for years, or watched any of the raging YouTubers dying at the hands of that monster whose name sounds like baguette, let’s face it: we’re all new hunters in Monster Hunter Wilds. Many players will be jumping to this installment either with friends or alone. With a new world structure, more creatures to hunt, and a lot of slick moves to pull off, now’s the perfect time to become a hunter. However, if you’ve just gotten your hunting license, picking the right weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t the easiest task. For that reason, we’ve prepared a quick guide to help you choose the best one for you.
While we could do a questionnaire of sorts and lead you through many questions to pick your weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds, we prefer to list the easiest and most challenging weapons so you can pick the one that sounds most appealing to you. Also, keep in mind that while this is what we think about the weapons in Wilds, every giant sword is great in the right hands. So, follow the golden rule: use the one that looks more fun to you. But if you still need a push, let’s begin.
The Easiest Weapons To Use
Easy might be a subjective term. For some, the most difficult weapon might be a breeze to use. For others, it may not. Here, we’ll list the ones we think are the easiest to grab, especially if this is your first Monster Hunter game.
Sword and Shield
First, the Sword and Shield. For players who are not used to the oversized blades of the franchise, the Sword and Shield might be great options while they become familiar with all the rest. This weapon is amazing at many things. It provides two types of damage: blunt and slashing. It also provides an excellent guard thanks to its Shield. With a well-placed guard, you can even perform a devastating counter. Also, it has some easy combos to pull off that don’t require any over-the-top mechanics. All in all, we believe SnS is the ideal weapon for any new hunters.
Long Sword
Another great option is the Long Sword, especially in Wilds. Its gameplay loop is quite easy, and while it takes a bit to ramp up, once you get the hang of it, you’ll be doing some ridiculous damage. The weapon’s gimmick relies on performing your Spirit combo to fill up a gauge, and once it is read, you can spam a Crimson combo, which is new for this weapon in Monster Hunter Wilds. Furthermore, the Long Sword has other defensive options that rely on timed counters. While they are a bit hard to perform, if you nail one, you can stagger an enemy with ease.
Bow
Lastly, you have the Bow, which is another easy weapon to use. In Monster Hunter Wilds, the Bow can fire tracer shots that make your subsequent shots home in on where the tracer shot landed. This is easy for those getting the hang of the game’s mechanics without worrying too much about aiming. Plus, some shots lead to certain combos that aren’t difficult to perform. If you want to fight monsters from far away but also do a lot of damage, a Bow is an ideal choice.
So, let’s sum up before talking about other weapons. Sword and Shield are ideal for easy combos, two types of innate damage, and an excellent defense. Long Sword is fantastic if you want to do a lot of damage without worrying much about combos or mechanics. Finally, the Bow excels at ranged attacks without worrying about aiming or other systems like gauges.
The ‘Kind-of-Easy’ Weapons
Why do we call these “kind-of-easy” weapons? Because they aren’t as challenging as some, we’ll mention them later, but they still have a bit of a learning curve that might not be for everyone.
Dual Blades
Let’s kick things off with the Dual Blades. This is another excellent choice for players who don’t want to carry a huge blade around. These daggers attack fast and are able to inflict status effects fast. However, its Demon Mode can be challenging to some, especially with stamina management. In Demon Form, your hits land faster, and you can even unlock another form with deadlier combos. Yet, your stamina will deplete quickly, leaving you vulnerable to some attacks. Still, it is an excellent weapon for beginners, with some of the most fun combos in the game.
Great Sword
Some might not think the Great Sword belongs to this category, but we feel it is easy to use when timed right. And yes, this could be said about all other weapons, but the Great Sword doesn’t have a lot of complicated gauges or bars to fill. For starters, a Great Sword is all about charged attacks. You need to pay attention to the monster’s move to land a charge attack just when the creature is about to hit you. In truth, the Great Sword does devastating damage, but it isn’t for everyone due to its slow attack speed.
Hammer
The Hammer is in a ballpark similar to the one above. It is pretty destructive, but its attacks aren’t that slow and require a bit of timing. For instance, you charge the Hammer up to three times and even weave a few hits after a charged attack. However, you need to learn the monster’s moves almost perfectly if you want to make the most out of this weapon. It isn’t bad by any means, but it requires some practice to land that perfect “bonk.”
Heavy Bowgun
Lastly, the Heavy Bowgun is, to many, one of the weapons that does the most damage in the game. We think that is a bit debatable, but we won’t go into that rabbit hole. Still, it is true that the Heavy Bowgun packs a punch. Its Special Ammo is quite versatile and can even let you do some offset or counterattacks. You can even auto-guard in certain situations. However, it is a bit more complicated to use than the Bow, so that might deter a few.
In summary, Great Sword is fantastic for charged attacks with some defensive options. Dual Blades is the most accessible after learning how to manage your stamina. The Hammer is highly destructive but needs almost perfect timing when fighting. Finally, the Heavy Bowgun is extremely versatile but might take a while to use.
The ‘Highly Satisfying’ But ‘Not Good for Beginners’ Weapons
The rest of the weapons fall into a strange category. All of them are highly satisfying if you have the time to learn them correctly. And yes, we could say this about all weapons, but these ones are extremely challenging, especially for newcomers.
To name a few examples, let’s start with the Lance. The Lance is great at counter moves, attacks with a long reach, and a high defense. However, it has some of the trickiest combos in the game. The Gunlance is one of the most devastating weapons, but the micromanagement of all its gauges, ammo, and melee moves can be overwhelming. The Charge Blade has some of the slickest moves, but learning the mechanics of its two modes isn’t for everyone.
We don’t say you need to avoid these, but as a new player, you won’t have the greatest of time, and they might even frustrate you. However, this is only our list after trying some weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds and testing their new mechanics. The one we think is hard for us might be easy for you. So, don’t be afraid to take these guns, blades, and bows for a spin before you face your next big hunt.
