[Monster Hunter March] Top 14 Monster Hunter Weapons · 11:06pm Mar 5th, 2018
Yeah, we're doing this now.
Welcome to Monster Hunter March, where I do a series of countdowns every Monday for the rest of March. Will I be consistent? Probably not, given my previous track record. Will I find more M words to put into the description? Maybe.
See what I did there?
Monster Hunter is a cherished series to me. I've been a fan since 3 Ultimate and I've only grown to enjoy the franchise more since then, so obviously within those six years of hunting I've grown to love and hate some aspects of it. I could do another top 10 monsters list, because by God I need to redo my old one, but let's begin by listing off my favorite weapons in the game.
Weapons are one of the three primary parts of any Monster Hunter game, the others being armor and, of course, the monsters themselves. There are 14 types of weapons in the games as of right now, and I've played every single one, for better or for worse.
Yeah, the title of this list is a little misleading. I don't like every single weapon, in fact I actually hate some of them. Now I'm going to be going through each one and explaining my thoughts on them, from my least favorite to my absolute favorite. Really this should be called Kamek's thoughts on Monster Hunter weapons, but I don't really care.
Keep in mind that I haven't played World yet, so if any issues with weapons here have been addressed in that game, good for them but I have no experience with them. I'll be discussing Guild style with these weapons as I haven't played these weapons using other styles and we'd probably be here all day if I included them. Also this is purely my opinion, but I think we should all know at this point that saying that hasn't stopped anyone from criticizing before.
Okay, enough warming up, let's kick it!
Number 14
Lance
I tried with all my heart to like this thing and I just can't, it sucks really bad. I have no idea how people enjoy using this thing, but if you like it then more power to you.
Everything about the lance works against the player. Basically it's designed to be a weapon more on the defensive side of combat, and I can respect that. The only issue here is that it's TOO defensive. I can deal with slow weapons, believe me, but the lance is so goddamn slow and heavy that you can't even roll. You can roll with literally every other weapon, why not lance type weapons?
The lance forces you to be right in front of the enemy, which wouldn't be so bad if you had a big ass shield, which wow look at that you do! A shield that leaves you stuck for a second if a monster hits it and causing you to lose your opportunity to hit it back unless the monster is really big and really stupid.
But the biggest issue with the lance is the mobility. You can barely move when holding a lance as hinted at when I brought up rolling, but it gets so much worse. If blocking is too slow for you, Capcom gave you the option of sidestepping out of the way. Two problems with this: one, the sidestep is so pathetically short that you might as well not be moving at all, and two, if you're not quick enough you leave your entire backside open for attack. It sucks.
This weapon definitely takes some skill to use, that's for sure, however I can't recommend it because using a lance doesn't maximize your damage output. Then again neither does some of the weaker weapons, but literally every other weapon has a different means of boosting their power, and the lance just... doesn't.
Number 13
Heavy Bowgun
When you think of gun, what's the first thing you think of? Quick to kill with? Effective as a weapon of choice? All of these things are dashed when you bring the heavy bowgun into the picture.
I'm not saying all guns need to be fast to be effective. In fact, a slower weapon usually means more power behind it, and while this is the case with the heavy bowgun it just has so many things other ranged weapons do better. Like, it has so many good things about it that are immediately dashed by horrible things, and it sucks because the heavy bowgun does deal a lot of damage from a distance but it's so inconvenient that it hurts.
A recurring issue with all bowguns really is the extreme amount of customization it offers. Why do I say issue? Wouldn't customization be good? In a game where the whole point is to fret over obtaining monster parts to upgrade your weapons, adding an additional thing to worry about isn't exactly helping us. But whatever, I'm sure people like this kind of customization.
What I know for a fact people don't like is having to choose between attack or defense. The heavy bowgun is the only ranged weapon that allows the player to attach a shield, which sounds great on paper! However, in order to use this shield, one must remove their upgrade that strengthens shots. That's not cool, especially in this game where other weapons have both a strong attack and a shield.
Oh, and the trade-off for a higher ranged attack power is that it's elemental attack sucks. Thanks previous games for ruining whatever chance the heavy bowgun had to inflict elemental damage! And to top all the inconveniences off, the reloading takes too long. I get it's a heavy bowgun, but it just feels awkward the first few times you do it and annoying every time afterwards.
Number 12
Bow
The bow is one of the most basic hunting tools of history, as well as the most flexible. That hasn't really changed here in Monster Hunter, but the weapon is marred by little inconvenience that all come together into one big unfortunate weapon.
At a glance, the bow looks pretty cool! It has unlimited ammo and can use different coatings to replace items in your pouch, like a paintball coating or tranq coating. The bow also has the ability to either do a power shot or a flurry of raining arrows on a monster depending on the type of bow you have, and unlike the bowgun you have quick melee attack should things get dicey. Already this sounds great, right? Here's where we start getting into the major issues with the bow.
I don't know if it's simply because I'm primarily a blademaster in the games and I can't really use ranged weapons effectively, but aiming with the bow is a bitch, especially when you're trying to activate your charged special attack. In order to rain down arrows on your opponent, they have to be directly underneath the red targeting circle or it won't do max damage. And aiming the targeting circle is tricky because it's directly in front of you. This isn't Pokémon where tapping a direction turns you in that direction, and it can be frustrating at times.
Not every coating can work for every bow, which I get mechanically to still have a use for items, but even going by Monster Hunter logic that makes no sense. An arrow can be dipped in literally anything and it'll work, why not here? But the absolute worst thing about the bow is the inconvenient means of reloading, having to push multiple buttons after doing a certain action, and that's not even mentioning having to reload a coating every time you want to use a new one when bowguns do that shit either automatically or far easier. That's bullshit, bow.
Still, it can cut off tails, so if you like ranged weapons and want that precious tail part for your armor, this is probably the weapon for you.
Number 11
Light Bowgun
Gee, can you tell I'm not a huge fan of ranged weapons? All of them this far down the list, but I do enjoy using the light bowgun more than the others simply because I don't have to put up with a majority of the bullshit the other ranged weapons have.
The light bowgun is quick to fire and quick to reload. Bam! Immediately better than the heavy bowgun in that regard. The light bowgun also offers much better elemental damage, which is great because this thing can't hurt other monsters for shit. Instead, the light bowgun relies on status ailments for whittling down a monster's HP, which can be great for regular monsters, but not super fantastic for elder dragons. As late in the games as they are, it's still an issue.
Like the bow, it uses different shots for different things, like paint and tranqs as well as new things like recovery shots and buff shots. I feel as if this handles it better as reloading the light bowgun isn't infuriating like reloading the bow. Furthermore, one can use a scope to aim better than the bow, and said scope has a zoom function which can add to precision, though the controls are inverted so be wary of that. The level of control the light bowgun offers over the other two let's me recommend this over the others in a heartbeat.
However, I did say a majority of the bullshit from the previous ranged weapons was gone. The light bowgun shares it's customization with the heavy bowgun and it cannot cut off tails, and you may have heard it a few times already but there's a reason why they call it the LIGHT bowgun. It won't be doing a ton of damage. Because of this I see it as more of a support weapon, but if you're more of a supportive kind of person on a team and like keeping a distance while still helping to deal damage, much like my sister, this is a good pick. Be mindful of it's quirks though.
Number 10
Long Sword
The long sword is a fast and precise weapon that is flexible with most play styles as either a potshot hunter or an aggressive attacker. It's great for veterans of the sword and shield who want a new challenge or beginners who just want to get right into the fun, but I'll try and keep this segment brief.
I have no goddamn idea how to use this thing.
I've tried learning all I can about the weapon and unlocking it's full potential, I've watched others play the long sword in trying to understand how they properly play it, and I've attempted pressing every button on my 3DS but to no avail. I simy cannot get this thing to work in my favor. I suppose that simply means the long sword isn't for me, but I feel ashamed I don't know everything I can about it.
So, sorry about that, long sword mains.
Number 9
Hunting Horn
The hunting horn I've always been told is a better version of the hammer that can utilize stat boosts. I've also seen a meme going around about how people say the hunting horn sucks and a pro hunting horn main plays a video of them wrecking ass with it. But as prime and spicy as those memes are, I didn't enjoy playing the hunting horn.
Basically, it's a hammer that can play music and buff allies. That's it, really. Of course it's how you use this simplicity that real power emerges, but the hunting horn has a lot of issues of complexity that I didn't agree with. It actually shares a major complaint I have with the bowguns, what with worrying about something other than monster parts, though instead of being able customize like the bowguns every hunting horn has set notes it can play. This can ruin some strategies if you want a stronger weapon but it doesn't have the notes you want, and on top of that can just be kind of annoying.
So why is it higher than the bowguns? It's a hammer, and I love smacking stuff with a hammer. Plus I find it extremely amusing how a big bad monster is getting beaten up by what's essentially a musical instrument. And all that on top of it being arguably the best support weapon if someone knows how to use it. All in all a good weapon, just not the weapon for me.
Number 8
Insect Glaive
One of the newer weapons, and it's nice to finally have a sharp pointy stick that doesn't come with a shield if you ask me. I enjoy playing the insect glaive sometimes, but given the choice I probably wouldn't voluntarily do it again.
The insect glaive is a fast weapon that hits hard, which is always a nice combination. It also has the ability to launch the player in the air to perform aerial attacks, which can lead to mounting a monster and overall be generally helpful. Using the aforementioned insect, or kinsect in this case, you can launch it out at a monster's body and receive boosts in attack, defense, speed or even something else depending on where you hit it. For this, the insect glaive works for both aggressive blademasters and reserved supportive types. Already this is sounding flawless, right? Well actually yeah, it kinda is, and it's one of the biggest downsides to the insect glaive.
Many people have called this weapon overpowered for a reason, and using it just seems to create a massive advantage for you over the monster. Even in locations where jumping and performing an aerial attack with other weapons isn't possible, the glaive can still do it, being able to constantly mount a monster and then kill it quickly using the buffs you got from it. Where's the fun in that again? I suppose there's fun in watching a monster helplessly struggle to fight you off, but then that kinda makes you the monster here.
To add insult to a fully functional arm, the insect glaive has one of the most needlessly complex means of upgrading a weapon ever. Why? I guess it's to sway people from not using it, but we all know that hasn't stopped anyone before.
I'd recommend this to very new players to the game. It's fun to use for sure and it helps players get a feel for combat, but after that if you want to see the challenge the games have to offer and not get bored with how powerful you are, use a different weapon.
Also, you get like three of them during the low rank adventure of 4 Ultimate. Ouch.
Number 7
Charge Blade
I cannot express how fun the charge blade is to use. It feels good to control and offers not one, not two but three different ways a person can play. The charge blade is the weapon I enjoy using the most when with friends as I can turn the tides in battle for our benefit. In high rank anyway.
The charge blade is basically a sword and shield combined with a switch axe and lance, but without the lance's bullshit. Using charge phials, a person can boost their charge in sword mode and then absolutely crush monsters in axe mode by expending these phials into powerful attacks. But wait, it gets better! On the third phial attack, you can charge your shield and increase your axe's power by 30%, and deal even more damage to a monster. You though Great Jaggies went down easy with bigger weapons? You ain't seen nothing yet. I enjoy every second playing with the charge blade. Again, on high rank.
Low rank charge blade is beyond overpowered for it's own good. Because the majority of monsters you'll fight are smaller, the charge blade can slice through them like butter. But it gets worse. The Tetsucabra, a rather big monster for rank 3 that usually takes me fifteen minutes to beat with a switch axe, takes me less than five with a charge blade. That's insulting overpowered.
Adding to this disappointment is the lack of diversity with the charge blade. Like there are next to no new charge blades during most of low rank. This is an issue shared with the insect glaive, though when the switch axe was introduced it had the same problem which has now been fixed, so I expect in the future the charge blade and even the insect glaive should get new designs.
Basically, the charge blade is super fun for higher rank monsters, but don't bother using it for low rank if you actually want a challenge.
Number 6
Hammer
Now we're getting into the stuff I really like using through my entire hunting adventure! Remember when I talked about the hammer in the hunting horn section? Now we get to talk about it here. Woohoo!
The hammer hits hard. Very hard. It is one of the only two melee weapons that can inflict impact damage and it's hard shape means it rarely gets deflected, if ever. If players are having trouble with a particularly hard but still breakable part of a monster, like the Barroth's head for example, just whip out your hammer and fun times will be had by all! Except maybe for the Barroth. The hammer is also exceptionally easy to move around with for heavy weapons and can be redirected with ease.
The hammer also features a charging mechanic that allows for a player to execute different attacks such as a heavy swing or a roundhouse swing, which is admittedly hard to recover from but regardless still awesome. As mentioned before, the hammer can cut through enemy defenses like they were nothing, and as such it's a great weapon for new players to use to get past some early game bullshit like the Qurupeco and yes, for as awesome as it is, the Barroth.
However, the hammer comes with some downsides as well. For starters the hammer's pathetically short range gives it little flexibility. It's good at one thing and one thing only, and that's smashing things. Nothing wrong with that of course, but if you were looking for some groundbreaking and complex strategies with this thing, you'd best look somewhere else. Furthermore, the hammer requires to be sharpened by whetstones. But why tho? A hammer isn't a sharp object, it's a blunt weapon that hurts things by smashing their faces. I'd be okay with this if the hammer could actually cut things, like tails. So if you want those precious tails, you have to use a different weapon. Sorry, hammer mains. Thankfully sharpness only affects it's power and not if the hammer will bounce off a monster's hide.
All that said, the hammer is still fun and a great weapon to use if you're tired of your sword bouncing off another monster. Give it a shot if you haven't already!
Number 5
Gunlance
Surprised to see this so high up on the list? After I chewed out the lance so much you'd think I'd have similar things to say about the gunlance, but no. In my eyes, the gunlance does everything the lance should have done.
The gunlance plays similarly to the lance, what with it taking a more defensive position. While it's certainly not as defensive as the lance, it can still block some heavy hits. The gunlance, as the name implies, is a lance combined with a gun. Only in Monster Hunter, an I right? It can use gun shells in conjunction with stabbing something with a long pointy stick, and these shells are unlimited as well as exceptionally easy to reload, though they're not ranged like other guns. In using these shells alongside your weapon, you can do a massive amount of damage to a monster if you're good enough.
Many of the same issues reside here with the gunlance as it did with the lance. It's slow, you can't roll and blocking staggers you for a moment. However, the gunlance has something the regular lance didn't: mobility. Your sidesteps are much longer now, eliminating most chance of a monster hitting you from behind and you not being able to do much about it. Furthermore, while it's still a slow weapon, it feels faster than the lance and thus more manageable.
This is what the lance should have been like, minus the whole gun aspect because that's the gunlance's thing. While it still takes some skill to use, I'd recommend this over the lance any day. Basically, it's a lance that's better than a lance in almost every single way. If you're curious about using a lance type weapon, then use this one, I implore you.
Number 4
Great Sword
There's a reason this is, or at least was, the most popular weapon; no further introductions needed, the great sword is just really fun to use.
At one point I disliked using the great sword because it felt really, really heavy. Like heavier than the switch axe and way heavier than the hammer. Yeah it did a lot of damage, but if I couldn't move then there was a serious problem. But come Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and the great sword feels lighter but just as powerful. I don't know if it's my imagination, my training with the switch axe or if Capcom really did lighten the sword, it feels great to swing around and punish foes with it.
The great sword is essentially a big ass sword that's slow but deals a ton of damage if it hits. It has your standard regular attack, a sweeping attack and the truly unique block, no shield needed. Though this does wear down your blade's sharpness, that's a small price to pay for arguably the best block in the game. Fireballs, tail attacks and more can't get through your impenetrable defenses and it's great. The great sword also has a charge attack which can be charged up to three levels for a devestating blow.
As mentioned before, the great sword is slow. Even with the slightly added mobility introduced in 4 Ultimate, the weapon is still goddamn slow. If you're going into this weapon with the belief you can just plow through a quest, you'll be met with disappointment. You need to use extreme precision to land a hit with this thing, though patience will absolutely be rewarded, in spades even!
This is usually the first weapon people pick when they're starting their adventure, and I don't blame them. The thing is fun to use, exceedingly so, but just remember to have patience when using it, especially for some of the faster monsters.
Number 3
Dual Blades
Using two swords in any media is awesome, no one can deny this. Even if you think something else is cooler, everyone can agree there's something both gracefully and deadly about dual blades, and Monster Hunter's interpretation is no different.
The dual blades are usually the third weapon of choice for any up and coming hunters due to their look and speed. They strike fast and have a knack for elemental attacks, as some dual blades are able to use multiple elements to attack, though usually this is just one primary element and a status ailment. Still, the ability to have two elements is an attractive feature.
However, that's not the main reason I love the dual blades. In conjunction with their speed, they have an ability called Demon Mode which increases your attack power and speeds up your movements to even greater heights. Hitting the monster enough times while in this mode will activate Archdemon Mode when Demon Mode is deactivated, which doesn't have the attack boost but retains the same speed and dash animations of the aforementioned mode. Using this over and over again is not only satisfying, but also incredibly fun as well.
This is usually the part when I talk about the negatives of a weapon, and the dual blades do have a few. For starters, Demon mode uses stamina to stay active. This means rolling and dodging out of the way of an oncoming attack can prove to be difficult, despite the added mobility. Archdemon mode fixes this, but the slog to get there is a long one. Furthermore, the sharpness of the swords is garbage. Because you're essentially using two swords, the sharpness wears down faster and thus hitting a monster's weak point won't last very long. These are both common issues with the dual blades, but both can be easily solved with a sharpening skill and some dash juice.
The dual blades are also incredibly weak, but they more than make up for it with their incredible speed. Basically for every bad thing they have, there's an alternative or a remedy for it, and that's why I love using the dual blades.
Number 2
Sword and Shield
The very first weapon every hunter begins with at the start of the game. It's a weapon so basic that a baby could use it, so then why is it so high up on the list? Because it's damn good, that's why.
The sword and shield is what it says it is: a sword and shield. It's simple and easy to use, and more than likely if someone doesn't like the great sword they'll probably find enjoyment out of using such a basic weapon. But that's literally it; the sword is such a basic weapon that it has nothing more to it. It deals a good amount of damage and is exceptional at causing status ailments, but other than that there's no way to power it up and make you feel like a badass. That being said, it truly is how you use the sword and shield where it finally begins to shine.
Well placed strikes at a monster can leave them asleep or paralyzed long enough for you to put down bombs and blow it to smithereens. You can also block an attack and immediately strike at the enemy for a powerful counterattack. Or you can even go full aggressive and use every combo and button you can to whittle the monster's HP down. The sword and shield are so flexible that you can play any part of the team with them and still be a great help, whether you're a support type or an offensive type it all goes with this weapon.
The sword and shield has no downsides, mostly. It's short and the shield can't block every attack, but these are small issues to the amount of flexibility you get with these two iconic weapons. I absolutely recommend using these things if you're just trying to get a feel for how Monster Hunter works, and if you're a veteran then you can use the different combos the sword and shield has to offer. It's the everyman's weapon, and it's damn fun to use!
Also it's ProJared's favorite weapon, so bonus points for that!
Number 1
Switch Axe
Try to act surprised for this one, seriously. A switch axe main telling you how much he loves the switch axe? Yeah, never heard that one before. Thankfully you don't have to act surprised, because I'll tell you why this weapon is good; really good.
The switch axe is one of the most simple weapons to use. It can either be a giant axe that's more mobile but hits slower, or a giant sword that it's faster but is less mobile. Either way they deal the same amount of damage, although the sword is unaffected by monster hard parts. It's exceeding easy to switch between the two, sometimes mid combo if you're good enough, and in sword mode you can charge up an explosion attack that deals massive damage.
And that's just about it, really. The switch axe is simple, effective and doesn't need any further explanation to use, making it a very, very good weapon for newcomers to use. One unfortunate thing about the switch axe is that it has no block, but this is greatly made up for with one of the best rolls in the game, able to immediately start attacking again after dodging an attack.
The switch axe is also long in axe mode, meaning you can hit monsters that are slightly further away if you jump off a ledge. This leads into the best part about the switch axe: it's balance. As easy as it is for players to use it, serious skill is required to maximize damage, but never in a way that feels unfair to you or even the monster. You can blindly swing it around or you can use the disadvantageous slowness to your benefit, timing the monster's attacks with yours. Nothing is more satisfying than striking just as a monster finishes its attack, with it unable to do anything to stop you.
I cannot sing enough praise for this weapon. If you're new to Monster Hunter and need a good intro into handling weapons, this is the one. And if you're tired of swinging wildly, advanced techniques are available for veterans as well. It's simple yet complex. It's heavy hitting but not overpowered. It's just a super balanced weapon and I love it for that.
How'd you like the list? If you have any ideas for a future list, put them down in the comments below and I'll try to make them, no promises. Though since I have no fucking clue about what I'm going to be doing for this March, strap in because it's gonna be a long ride.
Oh also, I still haven't played Monster Hunter World, even though I want too. I simply don't have a PS4. Damn you, cruel world!
Nice to see what you think of all the weapons, world has changed much of them especially the with all the ranged weapons.
4810780
Oh thank God. I couldn't bear using them in other titles. Glad they've changed for the better.
4810800
I know right? I actually find myself using the Heavy Bowgun ever so often.
Nice list Kamek, and honestly yes the Insect Glaive is OP, but there are still some disadvantages to it. Hitting certain monsters with the Kinsect is hard with or without marking them. Also staying mounted becomes progressively harder. Also the jumping helps most of the time...unless your also fighting something that flies. Anyways great list Kamek.
4812699
Thank you! Yes, I know mounting can get harder to do if you do it over and over again, but not impossible. I'm willing to bet some Insect Glaive mains know how to properly mount a monster without worrying about falling off. It's all about the experience when it comes to Monster Hunter.
Also good to see you again! You kinda went off the map for a bit.
4813935
Sorry about that. I've been rather busy.