Monster Hunter Wilds is bringing back all the weapons we know and love, but some hit harder, slash faster, or just feel way cooler than others. Whether you love crushing skulls with a Hammer, slicing through monsters with a Great Sword, or raining arrows from a distance with a Bow, picking the right weapon can make or break your hunt. And with Wilds adding new mechanics, every weapon feels more dynamic than ever.
Monster Hunter Wilds: How to Hunt With Friends
Nothing brings players together more than hunting monsters with each other.
Of course, no weapon is entirely bad — every single one is a beast in the right hands. But let’s be honest: some just shine brighter. Maybe they’ve got better mobility, more damage potential, or simply feel more satisfying to use.
10Switch Axe
Axe and Sword Combo
TheSwitch Axeis a weapon that refuses to be boxed into a single playstyle. One moment, you’re swinging massive, sweeping axe strikes, carving through monster hide like a force of nature. The next, you’re slicing everything in your path with its sword mode.
Axe Mode is where you get reach and fluidity, allowing you to control space with wide, powerful swings. It’s fantastic for positioning, building up your gauge, and keeping up relentless pressure on a monster that just won’t sit still. But the real magic happens when you morph into Sword Mode. Suddenly, your attacks become faster, sharper, and enhanced by whatever phial effect your weapon carries.
9Sword and Shield
Balances Offense and Defense
This dynamic duo allows you to strike swiftly, guard effectively and maintain agility, making it a top choice for beginners. TheSword and Shieldlets you dance around monsters, slicing and dicing at high speed while staying light on your feet. You’re not locked into slow wind-ups or heavy recovery times, meaning you can get in, deal damage, and get out before the monster even knows what hit it.
Best Weapons for Beginners in Monster Hunter Wilds
Many new players will be joining the hunt, but which weapons will be the best to start with?
Plus, unlike most weapons, you don’t have to sheathe to use items. That means mid-battle healing, buffing, or even tossing traps without breaking your attack rhythm. Defense-wise, the shield may not be as sturdy as a Lance or Gunlance, but it gets the job done. It’s perfect for blocking smaller attacks and giving you just enough breathing room to reposition.
8Dual Blades
Require a Lot of Stamina to Wield, But Deal Heavy Damage
If you’re the kind of hunter who thrives on speed and relentless offense, the Dual Blades will fit like gloves in your hand. They’re one of the fastest weapons in the game, allowing you to chain together rapid attacks that can overwhelm even the toughest enemies.
Just like the Switch Axe, the Dual Blades have two modes, but the Demon Mode is where the magic truly happens. Activating this mode consumes stamina but significantly boosts your attack speed and power. But then, the Dual Blades lack defensive options like blocking, making evasion your primary means of avoiding damage.
7Heavy Bowgun
More Firepower Than the Light Bowgun
If swords and lances feel too up close and personal for your taste, then why not stand back, lock and load, and let the explosions of the Heavy Bowgun do the talking? This weapon is for those who believe subtlety is overrated, and the only language enemies understand is sheer firepower.
The Heavy Bowgun is really heavy and slow, so every shot matters, and knowing when to fire can mean the difference between a triumphant takedown or getting pancaked by an angry beast. It’s a high-risk, high-reward weapon that demands patience and positioning.
6Charge Blade
Advanced Sword and Shield Combo
At first glance, the Charge Blade might seem like an elegant sword-and-shield combo, great for slicing, dicing and blocking with ease. But this weapon has a trick up its sleeve. Every swing builds up energy, filling glowing phials of raw power waiting to be unleashed. And that’s where the real fun begins.
With the flick of a switch, your sword and shield merge into a monstrous axe, and those stored-up phials turn into pure devastation. One well-timed Elemental Discharge sends a shockwave of destruction straight into your target, blowing them off their feet.
Unlike other weapons that let you mindlessly swing away, the Charge Blade demands mastery. Do you stay in Sword and Shield mode, patiently charging up for that perfect moment? Or do you unleash your inner berserker and let loose with high-damage axe combos that leave the battlefield in ruins? The best hunters learn to balance both, dancing between defense and offense.
Short, But Can Knock Down Just About Any Monster
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like an unstoppable wrecking ball, crashing through monsters with pure, unfiltered power, then the Hammer is what you need. There’s no finesse here, no delicate slicing or fancy flourishes — just you, a massive hunk of metal, and the primal satisfaction of slamming it straight into a monster’s skull.
Every time you land a well-placed headshot, there’s a solid chance you’ll send your target toppling over, dazed and drooling, giving you all the time in the world to line up your next devastating blow. Mobility might seem like a problem with such a massive weapon, but the Hammer isn’t as slow as it looks. It has a unique move called the Charged Step, which lets you dodge while maintaining your charge. That means you can sidestep incoming attacks without losing momentum, putting yourself in the perfect position to keep the pressure on.
Mobility is Where the Bow Shines
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as unloading a rain of arrows while your target flails around, trying and failing to land a hit on you. Mobility is where the Bow really shines. Unlike heavier weapons you’re not stuck in place after an attack. Instead, you’re able to fire and move seamlessly, weaving between a monster’s strikes while keeping up a relentless barrage of arrows. Quick steps and dodge rolls let you stay just out of reach.
Monster Hunter Wilds: Bow Guide
The Bow has received some new and interesting new tricks in this newest iteration.
One of the best things about the Bow is the sheer variety of ways you can customize your playstyle. Coatings let you tweak your arrows on the fly, adding effects like increased damage, paralysis, poison, or even explosions. The Bow isn’t a weapon for the impatient. It’s not about swinging wildly and hoping for the best—it’s about calculated aggression, perfect timing, and knowing exactly when to unleash.
For Stabbing and Blowing Up Monsters
If you’ve ever thought, “Why settle for just stabbing a monster when I could also blow it up?” then the Gunlance is for you. This beast of a weapon is what happens when someone decides a regular lance just isn’t destructive enough. So now you get all the defensive perks of a traditional lance, but with the added bonus of turning monsters into fireworks.
The heart of this weapon is shelling — the ability to fire off explosive rounds straight into a monster’s hide. These blasts ignore defense and monster parts, meaning even the toughest, most armored beasts won’t be able to shrug off the damage. If you like the idea of standing toe-to-toe with a monster, shrugging off its attacks, and then responding with an earth-shattering explosion to the face, then the Gunlance is the weapon for you.
2Long Sword
For Those Who Love Counterattacks
If the Great Sword is about raw, earth-shattering power, theLong Swordis about finesse — like turning combat into an art form. What really makes the Long Sword so satisfying is its counterattack potential. If your timing is on point, you can sidestep an incoming attack and immediately punish the monster with a well-placed slash. It’s a high-risk, high-reward playstyle but there’s no better feeling than dodging a devastating blow by a fraction of a second and countering with a perfectly executed strike.
At the heart of the Long Sword’s magic is the Spirit Gauge, a mechanic that rewards aggressive, well-timed attacks. Every hit fills the gauge and once it’s charged, you can unleash devastating Spirit Blade moves. But here’s the real beauty: landing a perfect Spirit Roundslash levels up the gauge, turning it from white to yellow, and then to red—the peak of your power. When your gauge is glowing red, you’re not just hitting harder; you’re practically slicing through monsters like they’re made of paper.
1Great Sword
Heavy, But Offers Staggering Damage
The Great Sword isn’t some dainty little blade you swing around like a kitchen knife. It’s a pretty heavy weapon, but every hit lands with the force of a meteor, sending monsters stumbling if you time it right. It’s a great weapon for beginners, as it doesn’t take much to master.
The real beauty of the Great Sword is in the satisfaction of landing those fully charged strikes. Few things in gaming feel as good as winding up a True Charged Slash, watching the animation build, knowing that if it connects, it’s going to hit like a truck. Sure, you have to be patient. Sure, you have to read the monster’s movements like an open book. But when you finally see that huge chunk of damage pop up on the screen, it’s all worth it.
Monster Hunter Wilds
10 Best Monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds, Ranked
Ranked list of the best monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds. Prepare for epic battles with these formidable creatures that every hunter must face!
