A tier list for Monster Hunter World weapons largely depends on what you're facing and whether or not you're alone or with a party. Monsters vary greatly, and the weapon you use can determine if fights are very easy or very difficult.
All MH World weapons ranked - Tier List
If you're new to Monster Hunter World or just looking for a refresher on the best weapons the game has to offer, then this is the right place to come. I've been a player of the Monster Hunter series since its introduction back on the PlayStation 2, so the insight I have for you should undoubtedly be invaluable, especially if you're a new player.
As a disclaimer, my tier list is based on Ease of Use and Damage. All weapons in Monster Hunter World are completely viable, so even after going through this list, if you find yourself drawn to a specific weapon, I recommend sticking to it no matter what. Weapons in Monster Hunter World are complicated and require experience to master. They can all perform at a high level when played well.
S-Tier Weapons - Monster Hunter World
Longsword
In Monster Hunter World, the Longsword is the strongest melee weapon in the game when it comes to pure DPS due to its relative ease of use and potential to undermine natural obstacles for the weapon, such as bouncing via its Spirit Gauge Combo. This combo is the Longsword's bread and butter, and is required to perform at a consistent rate to make use of its exceptional DPS. It also has access to a strong counterattack ability as well as its signature burst attack, Helmsplitter. I recommend this weapon for both new players and veterans alike.
Heavy Bowgun
Unlike the Longsword, the Heavy Bowgun is significantly more difficult to use due to a number of factors. While it is a ranged weapon, to deal viable damage, you must remain within its Critical Distance for all of its differing ammo types. Speaking of which, the Heavy Bowgun makes use of several different ammo, based on which one you use, to deal its extreme damage. This ammo is finite and requires constant management of it to perform on every hunt. This is especially true for Heavy Bowguns that use elemental ammo, as those types are even more difficult to maintain.
However, if you can get past all the hurdles, the Heavy Bowgun is the highest-damage weapon in the game, provided you can properly maintain this beast and all its setbacks. The Heavy Bowgun is at its best when played with a party due to how clucky of a weapon it is. This weapon is for veterans only.
Bow
Bows are similar to Heavy Bowguns in that they are ranged and require a level of management for their ammo. However, this weapon is far more mobile than the Heavy Bowgun, making it easier to use in hunts. Bows have extremely high DPS when played well and very poor amounts when not. It also has to be mindful of Critical Distance to deal damage. Otherwise, your arrows will bounce off their targets.
The greatest detriment of the Bow is its high Stamina cost. Optimal DPS requires constant movement as the Bow has to build up charge stacks similar to how Greatsword does. However, this is done by interrupting standard arrow attacks with its mobility slide mechanic. Every slide requires stamina, and this cost is rather high. That is why I highly recommend using Dash Juice if you intend to play with Bow. While the Bow is easier to play than the Heavy Bowgun, I still recommend this weapon only to veterans used to the game's mechanics. The Bow can be played in Solo and Party play easily.
Hunting Horn
While not the highest damage weapon nor the easiest to use, the Hunting Horn is Monster Hunter World's only true support weapon—thus it belongs in the S-Tier. The Hunting Horn's buffs are extremely powerful and are capable of providing the equivalence of having certain skills (such as Ear Plugs). The type of buffs depends on which Hunting Horn is used, but most have useful skills for either general or very specific situations. Hunting Horn is likely the least used weapon in all of Monster Hunter World, but rest assured that if you decide to pick and master this weapon, you'll be desired in every party's group.
Hunting Horn is honestly not a bad weapon to begin the game with, as it has a completely viable moveset for damage, and the buffs are strong in both Solo and Party play. As such, I can recommend this weapon to new players and veterans alike. Be warned, new players, that there is a bit of a learning curve.
A-Tier Weapons - Monster Hunter World
Greatsword
In terms of raw burst damage, the Greatsword is the strongest weapon in Monster Hunter World. This is due to its signature True Charge Slash combo, which delivers an incredible payload of damage all at once. However, the Greatsword is also the clunkiest weapon in the game, as every attack and swing requires full commitment. The only leeway the Greatsword is given is its ability to cancel swings into a Tackle, which is its core defensive tool.
Tackle allows the Greatsword to drastically reduce damage taken during the animation, KO (Knock Out) monsters through high charge levels, and continue to charge swings without interrupting combos. It is integral to Greatsword gameplay.
In the original Monster Hunter, the Greatsword was the first weapon I learned how to play. It was very simple back then, only containing a few moves in its moveset, which would be used to create an infinite combo sequence. However, the Greatsword in Monster Hunter World is a very different beast despite still containing that same combo.
While I am hesitant to say this, I do recommend this weapon to new players and veterans. New players: be warned that this weapon is difficult to see results with early on. It is the very definition of high risk, high reward, so expect to fail a lot once you pick it up. This weapon is viable in both Solo and Party play.
Hammer
The Hammer is a great weapon to use in Monster Hunter World because of its great damage potential and ease of play. Due to being a blunt weapon, Hammer rarely has to worry about bouncing off a target when swinging thus its relative clunkiness is often offset by surefire damage. The Hammer plays sort of similar to the Greatsword but does not have to worry about extremely slow swings that need to be timed as much. It also doesn't have a crazy damage payload like Greatsword does.
However, where it shines is its ability to easily inflict the KO status effect on enemies by hitting them in the head several times. KO renders a monster immobile and unable to defend itself, allowing for a window of free damage for you and your entire party. It also has a relatively simple moveset, making it easy to pick up and play for the first time. All Monster Hunter weapons have a level of nuance, and that remains true for the Hammer, but its ease of play makes it simple for me to recommend this weapon to both new players and veterans of the series. The Hammer is viable in both Solo and Party play.
Insect Glaive
The Insect Glaive is a very complicated weapon with a lot of moving parts. Among all the weapons, it doesn't have the highest damage, but it has something no other weapon in Monster Hunter World has access to: Aerial Combat. Yes. The Insect Glaive is the most mobile weapon in the game, and its unique verticle mobility allows it to attack and evade at angles that are completely impossible for any other weapon. As I said, though, it is complicated.
The Insect part of the weapon's name refers to its companion Kinsect, which is a literal bug that flies around at your command. The Kinsect doesn't deal much damage, but it grants access to three powerful buffs that, when combined, allow the Glaive part of the weapon to function at its highest capacity. Getting these buffs requires some monster knowledge, as each buff is related to where the Kinsect bites a monster.
Generally speaking, the damage buff (Red) comes from a monster's natural weapons (mouth, claws), the mobility buff (White) comes from a monster's mobility-based features (wings, feet), and the defense buff (Orange) comes from a monster's natural defensive features (tail, body). You want to have the red and white buffs at all times, at the very least. Only with these buffs does the Glaive part of the weapon begin to function, which is where the damage of this weapon comes from.
It is this complication that lowers this weapon on this list, but know that mastery of the Insect Glaive rewards incredibly creative and mobile gameplay with high damage that won't disappoint. Naturally, I recommend this weapon only to veterans of the series. The Insect Glaive is viable for both Solo and Party play.
Dual Blades
Dual Blades are a set of fast attacking blades that cause small amounts of damage in very large quantities. It is one of the similar weapons in Monster Hunter World, making it easy to pick and play for most people. The core mechanic for the weapon is its Demon Mode, which changes its moveset almost entirely. You can enter this mode at any given time, but while in it, your stamina will begin to drain rapidly. Filling up the Demon Gauge allows you to use some Demon Mode combos and mobility options outside of Demon Mode itself at the cost of some of the Demon Gauge.
The core of DPS for Dual Blades is to be in Demon Mode as much as possible, which is why I recommend anyone attempting to play this weapon to utilize Dash Juice to make the process easier to manage. This weapon is viable in both Solo and Party play, and I can easily recommend this weapon to new players and veterans alike.
Lance
The Lance is the go-to tank-based weapon that is very safe and consistent no matter the enemy in front of you. Against the most oppressive beasts of Monster Hunter World, the Lance is often the solution for many players who have not entirely mastered whatever weapon they were using before. The Lance is the safe option because of how easy it is to play relatively well. For those who decide to focus on the Lance as their weapon of choice, it is an incredibly rewarding experience that your Party will love you for.
Gameplay with the Lance consists of tanking with the tower shield while spacing for distance, allowing the Lance to hit key portions of a monster. While it isn't the highest damage weapon, its performance is very, very constant, which some players may desire. Its greatest weakness is its lack of mobility, but you shouldn't need to move much anyway, as the Lance can block almost every attack in the game without any outside support. Due to these factors, it's easy for me to recommend the Lance for new players and veteran monster hunters. It is one of the most viable Solo weapons, and its bulk makes it viable in Party play as well.
LIght Bowgun
The Light Bowgun functions somewhat identically to its heavy counterpart. However, it trades raw damage output for significantly improved mobility. This improved mobility makes it considerably more viable in Solo gameplay and less so in Party play. However, understand that proper Light Bowgun play still rewards heavy damage output. For those looking to get into the world of Bowguns, the Light Bowgun is the best jumping point, as many of the lessons you'll earn playing this weapon will be useful for using a Heavy Bowgun as well.
That said, I recommend this weapon for new and veteran players. The biggest hurdle remains the ammo management component of the weapon.
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B-Tier Weapons - Monster Hunter World
Gunlance
The Gunlance is a weapon that is somewhat similar to the Lance in terms of gameplay but with some dramatic key differences. For one, the Gunlance comes with a gun attached, which is an implication of how the Gunlance is fundamentally different from a Lance. It trades some defensive utility (counters, Power Guard) for more offensive in the form of Shelling. The basic moveset is similar to a Lance, but it is the nuanced mechanics that make it an entirely different weapon.
Shelling is the term used to describe a Gunlance firing its gun. This attack deals True damage, which is damage that will never change no matter where a target is hit. It is very useful for attacking a monster where you cannot reach its weak point with the lance portion of the weapon. As it is a gun, it also has ammo for you to be concerned about.
However, unlike the other weapons that require you to manage ammo via crafting or buying it, the Gunlance's ammo is entirely built into the weapon and only requires you to initialize its Reload to get more of it. Each Gunlance has a different type of Shelling mechanic, which just changes how the gun on the weapon functions.
The Gunlance's most damaging attacks are its Wyrmstake Cannon, Wyrmstake Blast, and Wyvern Fire, all of which require some sort of resource to make use of. As you can see, the Gunlance is much more complex than the Lance in terms of moveset, which is why it is this far down on the list. The Gunlance is still a Lance at heart, making it a great choice for players looking to be a tanky sort of DPS. While it is a fairly complex weapon, I can recommend this one to both new players and vetearns alike because it is pretty easy to pick and do well with. Mastery requires some, just like every other weapon in Monster Hunter World, but it is worth trying out. It is viable in Solo and Party play.
Sword and Shield
Sword and Shield is a deceptively simple weapon, with only one portion of it being somewhat complex to work with. The core of the weapon is about using the sword portion to land consistent, constant combos on a monster. The weapon has an infinite loop that deals decent damage, but otherwise, the weapon is relatively lackluster on the surface.
Sword and Sheild has two advantages that make it worth using. First, it is one of the most mobile weapons in the game—most of its attacks have very little recovery delay after using them. This makes the weapon quite safe in most scenarios. The other advantage is its ability to use items while unsheathed. Typically, this second advantage is rather minor, but it does have nuanced use cases like being able to utilize Flashpods faster than any other weapon due to not needing to put it away.
The most complex part of the weapon comes from its Leaping Slash combo. This combo does insane damage but requires you to play a pseudo-quick-time event with perfect timing to land all this damage. Additionally, the combo roots you in place for quite a long time, meaning that if the monster retaliates or just moves away from you, you're losing DPS. All in all, the Sword and Shield is a solid weapon that doesn't excel at anything. It's perfectly viable for new players and veterans, but I'd argue it's more viable for veterans due to Leaping Slash. For Solo and Party play, it is perfectly serviceable, but I'd argue there are always better options.
Switch Axe
The Switch Axe is a high damage weapon with some significant nuance to it that makes it a bit complex to use. Essentially, the Switch Axe is two weapons fused together that can be swapped at any moment, mid combo. The Axe mode is your bread and butter. It features high damage slow swings that hit in a large area around you. It can be used at any time, and when landing its Wild Swing, Heavy Slam combo grants you a buff that allows you to make better use of your Sword Mode.
Speaking of which, the Switch Axe can morph into its Sword Mode, which is your core DPS mode. It features very fast swings that all deal great damage, but this mode can only be used while you have Sword Gauge. Sword Gauge recharges over time but depleting it will force you to reload it manually, which you never want to happen. While in Sword Mode, your prime directive is to land a powerful Elemental Discharge on your enemy. This is an extremely powerful attack and should always be strived for. However, it is not always viable to do so, as using it leaves you very vulnerable.
The Switch Axe's greatest folly is its extremely poor mobility, which holds the weapon back from the greatest. It is a very unsafe weapon because attempting to dodge while switching causes you to hop a very short range instead. By itself, this hop is a determinant of the weapon's functionality, but it can be somewhat mitigated by using the Evade Extender Skill, which improves the distance the hop will move you.
If you can get past the poor mobility of the weapon and can properly maintain its Sword Mode without forcing a Reload, then the Switch Axe is actually a DPS machine in capable hands. However, I can't recommend this weapon to new players. It is definitely a weapon for veterans only. The Switch is completely viable in Solo and Party play, provided you know what you're doing.
Charge Blade
The Charge Blade is, in my opinion, the most complex weapon in Monster Hunter World. It is rated this low on the list because of how complex of a weapon it is. Damage-wise, it is among the highest, but only for those who understand exactly how this weapon works at its core.
The Charge Blade is effectively two weapons combined like the Switch Axe: A sword and shield and a poleaxe. The weapon's namesake comes from its usage as a sword and shield. In this form, it must build up a special resource called Phials by hitting enemies. Once the Phials are built up, they must be loaded into the shield to make use of them.
With loaded Phials, you can empower the sword part of the weapon to deal Phial damage based on the type of Charge Blade being used. These loaded Phials can also be used to empower your shield, allowing you the ability to block attacks that normally wouldn't be possible to do so. The final use of the Phials is to load them all into the poleaxe mode to unleash the Amped Element Discharge, which is an extremely powerful attack.
I just paraphrased the basics of Charge Blade's game plan for you because of how ridiculously nuanced it is. For example, the Charge Blade has access to Guard Points, which are points in the middle of the sword and shield form's combos where attacks can be automatically blocked. Going into detail here about them requires a guide in itself, but know that if you're planning to master this weapon, you'll probably end up needing one in the end.
There is a lot to the Charge Blade, and unless you understand how most of it works, the Charge Blade's performance in the field will be lackluster for you. It is viable for Solo and Party play, but I don't recommend this weapon to new players. Even for veteran players, only jump into this weapon if you've got time to learn.
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Published: Jan 8, 2024 02:01 pm