In Monster Hunter Wilds, which is set to be released in 2025 for Steam and PS5, you will be able to choose from a variety of weapons and weapon types for monster hunting: Which ones there are and how they influence your gameplay, you will find out here.
How many weapon types are there? Monster Hunter Wilds includes all 14 weapon types from its predecessor, Monster Hunter: World. Some of them have already been introduced by developer Capcom in short trailers. So far, no completely new weapon types have been announced.
With our directory, you can quickly jump to the individual weapons and see which ones will make it into the game:
Why are the weapon types so special? By choosing a weapon type, you also decide on a certain playstyle in Monster Hunter – this was already the case in Monster Hunter: World, and it doesn’t seem that Wilds wants to change anything about this principle. So we assume that the weapons will take on very similar roles as in World.
We will now show you all known weapons in detail and explain what makes them special.
Great Sword
The Great Sword – if you can still call this massive metal club a sword – deals a lot of damage and has a decent range. Its high mass also allows you to block attacks. However, all of this comes at the cost of speed.
Since good positioning is crucial with the Great Sword, it is less suited as a beginner weapon – but it wasn’t too hard to learn in the predecessor either.
Long Sword
If you want to slash monsters like an anime character, then the Long Sword is just right for you: It not only has style but is also significantly faster than the Great Sword, with similarly good reach.
The Long Sword forgives many mistakes compared to some of the other weapons, making it more accessible for beginners. However, for stronger attacks, you will probably need to learn attack combos again.
Sword and Shield
The ability to perform quick attacks and block enemy attacks made Sword and Shield the perfect beginner weapon in Monster Hunter: World. Additionally, this is the only weapon type that allows you to consume items like healing potions even while drawn.
The only disadvantages of Sword and Shield are limited range and the generally lower damage compared to other melee weapons.
Dual Blades
This weapon type sacrifices any defense at the altar of higher DPS. While individual hits deal less damage, the damage numbers can soar in the so-called Demon Mode.
The Dual Blades will most likely be among the melee weapons with which you can be the most mobile. However, you will also be among the most vulnerable with them.
What is the Demon Mode?
The Demon Mode increases the attack speed and damage of the hunter, allowing Dual Blade users to deal high damage in a very short time, especially when they hit a weakness of the monster with their attacks.
Spear
The Spear is for those who prefer to let the monster come to them rather than run towards it. It has a very good range for melee weapons and is perfect for defense thanks to the included shield.
However, when drawn, you will move very slowly with the Spear. Therefore, good positioning will likely be important here as well. Additionally, this weapon type offers a variety of powerful counterattacks that must be practiced.
Gunlance
The name says it all: The Gunlance combines the gameplay of the Spear with the option to shoot monsters from a certain distance. However, you should not expect a pure upgrade to the Spear, as the moveset will likely be too different.
Furthermore, your reload pauses give the monsters an opportunity to strike back. So you will have to choose wisely when to reload.
Morphing Axe
This is one of two weapon types that combines two different weapon types: In this case, it is a Great Sword and a slower but even deadlier Axe.
In Monster Hunter: World, this weapon had the ability to charge elemental energy and unleash it in wide-ranging attacks. However, it was not directly clear how this will be possible in Wilds from the trailer.
Energy Blade
The Energy Blade can be wielded either as a Sword and Shield or as an Axe. In its Sword and Shield form, we will again absorb energy, which can be released for increased damage with the Axe.
Energy Blade and Morphing Axe are not suitable for beginners, even in Monster Hunter Wilds. So far, it does not look like Capcom made them less complex for this game.
Hammer
The Hammer was a cumbersome weapon with a very short range in its predecessor, which it compensated for with enormously powerful blows. If you hit a monster with it on the head, it will wish it had never encountered you.
Hunting Horn
The Hunting Horn is a bagpipe that can be used to bash monsters. It can play various songs that grant different status buffs. Since these also affect other hunters in the vicinity, the Hunting Horn is the only real support weapon in the game.
If this still hasn’t convinced you to at least try the weapon, it could be added that its attacks have quite a good range.
Insect Glaive
With this weapon, you will be the most mobile in the wild, as you can also use it like pole vaulting to reach higher places. You should not underestimate attack speed and range either.
Additionally, you will be accompanied by a small bug – called Kinsect – which can grant you various buffs in battle. The biggest drawback of the weapon is that you cannot block with it.
Bow
The Bow is a traditional ranged weapon and will likely be quite easy to learn. It has a simple attack pattern that doesn’t require much practice. Additionally, you will again have various types of ammunition available (by the way, for all ranged weapons) to exploit the monsters’ weaknesses while staying at a distance.
The trailer for the Bow has already showcased some new abilities, including homing arrows and strong multi-shot attacks.
Light Bowgun
The light bowgun will probably stand out again due to its fast firing rate and high mobility compared to the other ranged weapons. However, with regard to damage potential, another ranged weapon takes the lead.
Heavy Bowgun
The heavy bowgun is slow but allows you to deal heavy damage to monsters from a great distance. With a shield mounted on the barrel, you can even block attacks, allowing you to participate in close combat as well.
Another feature that all weapons could benefit from is the so-called Focus Mode. With this new mode, Capcom intends to make battles more precise, enabling you to place attacks better and highlight wounds on monsters that can be targeted for higher damage.
