Monster Hunter World: Weapons Guide – These are the 14 classes

In this guide, you will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the 14 weapon classes in Monster Hunter World. The weapons all have specific properties, combinations, and differ greatly in handling. You will also learn more about the different damage types that weapons can possess.

In Monster Hunter World, the hunter’s equipment is everything available to you in combat. There are no classic roles like healer, tank, or damage dealer. With your weapons, you always want to deal as much damage as possible to defeat the monsters.

This guide contains:

• A list of all 14 weapon classes in Monster Hunter World, with their strengths and weaknesses
• A brief introduction to the weapon class system
• A description of the damage types that weapons can inflict

Update August 10: This guide was originally published in February 2018 and was revised on the occasion of the PC release.

List of the 14 Weapon Types: Their Properties, Strengths, and Weaknesses

Now let’s get to the list of the 14 weapon classes. Below you will find an overview of the various weapons. It will cover the properties, strengths, and weaknesses of the weapons. Additionally, there will be a recommendation for which type of weapon is good for hunting which monsters.

Sword and Shield: Perfect starter weapon for beginners

As a perfect starter weapon for beginners, the classic combination of sword and shield is recommended. This allows players to both attack and defend. The biggest advantage is that items such as potions can still be used even when the weapon is drawn.

Normally, the weapon would need to be sheathed for this. The sword can be used for quick attacks and the shield blocks damage. With these properties, sword and shield give you more mobility, allowing you to better dodge the attacks of the monsters.

Advantages of Sword and Shield:

• Attacks can be blocked, and items can be used while blocking
• Fast attacks and good mobility
• Suitable as a support weapon, as items can be used with the weapon drawn

Disadvantages of Sword and Shield

• Low base damage

These monsters are good to hunt with Sword and Shield:

• Almost all.

Tip for Hunting: Due to the high mobility, you can easily evade the heavy attacks of slow monsters and defend yourself with the shield. You can also use the shield against the quick attacks of fast monsters.

Great Sword: Slow two-handed sword with high damage

Powerful, slow swings with massive damage compensate for the fact that the Great Sword offers little freedom of movement. Charged attacks in classic anime style allow for additional damage – and trust me, this one hurts! The charged attack has the highest base damage in the entire game.

The Great Sword is so powerful that you can even block attacks with it.

Advantages of the Great Sword:

• High damage for each hit
• The charged attack has the highest base damage in the game
• Can block attacks due to its size
• High reach
• The charged attack can knock down monsters

Disadvantages of the Great Sword:

• Extremely slow, making it difficult to dodge monster attacks
• While the charged attack is being charged, the hunter is easy to hit

These monsters are good to hunt with the Great Sword:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Rathian

Tip for Hunting: The Great Sword is particularly effective against monsters that stay on the ground. Rathian is a flying dragon, but most of her attacks take place from the ground.

Dual Blades: Extremely fast attacks with strong combos

Many fast attacks and high mobility characterize the light Dual Blades. When the hunter switches to Demon Mode, they unleash a storm of attacks on the monster while gracefully dancing around it.

Demon Mode enhances all the capabilities of the Dual Blades multiple times but also consumes a lot of stamina. Additionally, you must always stay close to the monster, as they have little reach.

The Dual Blades have low base damage but compensate for this with their fast attacks.

Advantages of the Dual Blades:

• Demon Mode brings highly effective combos with high damage. Even outside of Demon Mode, the combos are quite strong
• Element damage and abnormal status properties such as poison are common with the Dual Blades

Disadvantages of the Dual Blades:

• Short reach
• Cannot block attacks
• Stamina drains quickly
• Wear out quickly and often require a whetstone

These monsters are good to hunt with the Dual Blades:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath

Tip for Hunting: The high mobility of the Dual Blades should be fully utilized while hunting. Aim for quick attacks on the monsters’ heads, legs, and tails, and then quickly retreat.

Long Sword: Provides buffs and has many combos

Despite its length, the weapon is relatively fast and can perform a variety of long combos. The blade can even temporarily increase the attack power of the carrier to further increase the damage. Additionally, the Long Sword has high mobility. The improvements from buffs are also referred to as Elan Blade, granting the sword its true power.

Without the combos, the damage of the Long Sword is rather low. The combinations must therefore be used wisely, and above all, the Elan Blade mastered.

Advantages of the Long Sword:

• A good balance between damage, mobility, and speed
• A decent reach
• Elan Blade can become stronger over the course of the fight with effective use of buffs

Disadvantages of the Long Sword:

• Can’t block attacks
• The attacks are imprecise and extravagant

These monsters are good to hunt with the Long Sword:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Rathian
• Tobi-Kadachi

Tip for Hunting: Most monsters can be easily hunted with the Long Sword as it has a correspondingly long reach. Monsters that fly, like Rathian, can also be brought down with the Long Sword.

Spear: Great defensive weapon with high range

The spear is a great defensive weapon whose thrust attacks can be executed without having to open up cover for long. With the spear, both high and low attacks can be executed. This allows the spear to reach the weak points of monsters or easily break through their defenses.

The shield consumes stamina when you use it. However, you can still move with the equipped shield. This gives you the option to move towards the monster while it attacks. The basic combo of the spear should be used wisely as you are highly vulnerable if the attack misses.

Advantages of the spear:

• Strong defensive capabilities
• Can quickly counter monster attacks
• Decent attack power and high reach for melee

Disadvantage of the spear:

• Slow movements make dodging difficult. The shield must be used.

These monsters are good to hunt with the spear:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Rathian
• Rathalos
• Tobi-Kadachi

Tip for Hunting: The spear is excellent for defense against most monsters due to the shield. With the mobile attacks, monsters can also be brought down from the sky with it. Once the beasts are on the ground, a few swift attacks can be executed.

Gunlance: Lance with powerful projectile attacks

The Gunlance is an offensive weapon that resembles the lance but features powerful projectile attacks. With the projectiles, it can keep opponents at a distance.

However, reloading the projectiles takes time, giving the monster a chance to attack. Additionally, the temperature of the Gunlance needs to be monitored as this weapon can overheat with too many shots.

The Gunlance requires more planning and foresight than the regular lance. However, its projectile attack power is significantly stronger than that of the lance. The same rules apply to the shield as for the lance.

Advantages of the Gunlance:

• High reach and mobility
• Projectiles are excellent for hitting the specific weaknesses of monsters

Disadvantages of the Gunlance:

• Slow movement makes dodging difficult – just like with the lance
• Quickly becomes blunt with use of projectiles. Therefore, it must be sharpened often

These monsters are good to hunt with the Gunlance:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Rathian
• Radobaan

Tip for Hunting: The Gunlance can be used flexibly, making it effective against many monsters. The shield protects against heavy attacks, and the projectiles can sever monster parts with their force.

Morph Axe: Switches between sword and axe

The Morph Axe can switch between its axe mode and sword mode. The axe mode is powerful and has a great reach, while the sword mode is fast and can deliver explosive finishing blows.

• The axe mode is powerful and has a great reach. In this mode, the Morph Axe is a heavy two-handed weapon, restricting your movement.
• The sword mode is fast and can deliver explosive finishing blows. If you use the sword mode for too long, the Morph Axe will constantly lose more attack power.

The Morph Axe is most effective when you skillfully switch between the two modes. It is one of the most complex weapons in the game, as the transformation between axe and sword requires planning, and you should know the weapon well. Ideally, the switch between weapon types should occur after you have completed your combos.

Advantages of the Morph Axe:

• Has many combos that can trigger a chain reaction
• Flexible use due to the morph function
• Has high reach and mobility as an axe
• Has high damage as a sword
• Buffs and bonus effects can be applied through potions

Disadvantages of the Morph Axe:

• Requires a lot of planning and knowledge to be used effectively
• Provides no protection
• Low mobility in sword mode

These monsters are good to hunt with the Morph Axe:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Rathalos
• Tobi-Kadachi

Tip for Hunting: The Morph Axe is highly flexible, making it suitable for hunting all monsters. With the axe form, you have a great reach and can maintain distance. In sword form, you have the opportunity to get up close to the monsters when necessary.

Energy Blade: An evolution of sword and shield

The Energy Blade seamlessly switches between its mobile “sword & shield” mode and the powerful axe mode. Energy absorbed by the sword & shield can be unleashed with the axe, causing additional damage.

The Energy Blade can be seen as an evolution of sword and shield. You typically start your attacks with sword and shield, as in this form, you gather special energy while attacking. An energy bar indicates when the weapon is fully charged. Ideally, you should switch to axe mode at full energy and unleash it on the monsters.

Advantages of the Energy Blade:

• Allows for flexible use
• The axe form can deal extremely high damage
• Potions can be used to provide buffs for both forms

Disadvantages of the Energy Blade:

• If combos and the complex move set are misused, it can cost you dearly in battle

These monsters are good to hunt with the Energy Blade:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Radobaan

Tip for Hunting: The Energy Blade is particularly suited for monsters that are less mobile. Flying monsters also pose a challenge for the Energy Blade. With the strong axe attacks, you should try to hit the heads of large monsters. This can cause paralysis.

Hammer: Big and sluggish, but absolutely devastating

The hammer is large, powerful, and cumbersome. The strikes are slow but have a force that can stun even the largest creatures for a while when hitting the head. The hammer also possesses a powerful charged attack.

Monsters cannot defend against the hammer’s attacks when it is charged. It only takes a few charged attacks to instill fear in monsters. However, the hammer has a short range, is slow, and your hunter will also move slowly. The hammer’s attacks also require significant stamina.

Charged attacks should only be used when you can guarantee a secure hit.

Advantages of the Hammer:

• Delivers heavy and hard hits with a high base damage
• The high base damage can be increased with charged attacks
• The blunt attacks of the hammer can more easily stun monsters
• Despite its clumsiness, the hammer still offers decent mobility

Disadvantages of the Hammer:

• Cumbersome due to its weight, making timing attacks difficult
• Low reach

These monsters are good to hunt with the Hammer:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Rathian

Tip for Hunting: The hammer is well-suited for monsters that linger in one place for a long time. This allows you to better charge your attacks and execute the hefty strikes. If you are out on your own, equip your Palico with a good weapon. Then the cat can draw the monster’s attention while you hammer away at it.

Hunting Horn: The best support weapon in the game for co-op

The Hunting Horn is a blunt weapon with a large reach. When music is played, the entire hunter group benefits from status buffs.

As a weapon, the Hunting Horn plays similarly to the hammer, only with higher reach and more speed. The Hunting Horn also has less damage than the hammer. This weapon is more suited for co-op.

However, the Hunting Horn is complicated to learn as each buff has its own song. You will have to learn many combinations to use the Hunting Horn effectively. But once you master it, you can have a significant impact on the fight, and your group will love you. Additionally, the horn can still deal decent damage when the attacks land.

Advantages of the Hunting Horn:

• Attacks generate notes that create songs. The songs grant different buffs to the hunting group, such as increased damage
• Although it is a support weapon, the Hunting Horn can still deal decent damage
• Has blunt attacks, making it easier to stun opponents

Disadvantages of the Hunting Horn:

• Cumbersome, causing the attacks to be slow
• Complex weapon that is difficult to learn

These monsters are good to hunt with the Hunting Horn:

• Great Jagras
• Rathian
• Radobaan

Tip for Hunting: If you want to play the Hunting Horn solo, look for slow monsters. The attacks of the horn are slow and deal slightly less damage than most weapons. Weaker monsters pose no problem for the Hunting Horn.

Insect Glaive: Turns monsters into trampolines and comes with a pet

The Insect Glaive is a versatile weapon that allows you to leap and execute jump attacks at any time. Like pole vaulting, the hunter can launch themselves into the air and strike from all directions.

It may take some time to master the jump attacks – but once you do, you’ll hardly be on the ground and can bounce on the monster like a berserker, untouchable.

More on the topic

Monster Hunter World Guide: Everything about the Insect Glaive

von Leya Jankowski

With the Insect Glaive, you additionally control a Kinsect, a small bug that collects extracts from monsters. The extracts are converted by the Kinsect into buffs. Which buff you get depends on the part of the monster the Kinsect is shot at. Kinsects can be managed and further developed at the forge, allowing them to provide healing or paralyze monsters through appropriate upgrades.

The base damage of the Insect Glaive is slightly lower, but it is fast and arguably the most mobile weapon in the game.

Advantages of the Insect Glaive:

• Can attack from all directions
• Excellent for mounting monsters
• Fast attacks
• Has rapid combos
• Kinsect provides strong buffs that can compensate for low base damage

Disadvantages of the Insect Glaive:

• Cannot block attacks. Dodging through rolling and jumping is the only way to mitigate damage
• High mobility comes at the cost of stamina
• Low base damage
• Difficult to learn

These monsters are good to hunt with the Insect Glaive:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Radobaan
• Tobi-Kadachi
• Rathalos

Tip for Hunting: The Insect Glaive can be used against almost any monster due to its high mobility. It also serves as a particularly effective counter against highly mobile monsters like Tobi-Kadachi.

Bow: Arrows can be coated and trigger status effects

The bow has various shot types that you can charge for more attack power. By coating the arrows with one of numerous vials, you can inflict abnormal statuses like poison or paralysis on your targets.

The bow is a traditional weapon but can be used in a versatile manner in Monster Hunter World. It provides you with a vast arsenal of different debuffs and status effects that negatively impact monsters.

You cannot block damage with the bow, so you always want to keep your distance from monsters. However, you can shoot arrows at a rapid pace in various formations.

Advantages of the bow:

• Unlimited arrows
• Good choice for medium and long distances
• A lot of coatings can be used for arrows. The coatings usable depend on the bow
• Good for targeting monster weaknesses

Disadvantages of the bow:

• No option to block
• The bow’s melee option is mediocre

These monsters are good to hunt with the bow:

• Almost all

Tip for Hunting: Always try to keep your distance from the monsters and take advantage of the variety of damage types that the bow allows.

Light Bowgun: High fire rate with high mobility and status effects

The light bowgun allows for greater mobility and dodging opportunities as well as a relatively high fire rate. With it, you can excellently support the team, especially through the use of ammunition with abnormal status properties like poison. However, disadvantages include strong recoil and low ammunition capacity.

The light bowgun attacks can be charged, strengthening the attacks.However, charged attacks quickly deplete stamina. Some armors cannot be equipped when the light bowgun is equipped.

You can change the properties of a bowgun at the forge by having it modified.

Advantages of the Light Bowgun:

• High rate of fire with decent range
• Ammunition can trigger status effects and elemental damage
• High mobility
• Good support weapon

Disadvantages of the light bowgun:

• Low damage
• Small magazine
• No option to block attacks

These monsters are good to hunt with the light bowgun:

• Great Jagras
• Anjanath
• Radobaan
• Tobi-Kadachi

Are there only these 14 weapons in Monster Hunter World?

No. The 14 weapons are categories that should be considered as different classes. They all have different properties, strengths, and weaknesses.

Furthermore, you can also develop each of these classes into independent, new weapons. This depends on the materials you collect and which weapon you have forged at the forge.

There are many weapons in the weapon tree

If you collect enough bones, you can soon craft all 14 weapons in their bone variant and expand this type in the weapon tree. The same applies to scales, teeth, wings, fur, tails, and any other fragments you can collect from the monsters. Raw materials like metals can also be part of a new weapon.

Within these weapon categories, there is also a distinction between melee and ranged. Melee and ranged weapons have different bonuses when it comes to defense. Melee weapons are referred to as blade master weapons, while ranged weapons are known as shooter weapons.

The 11 melee weapons give bonuses against physical damage

Melee weapons reduce physical damage that you take as a weapon type bonus. Melee weapons allow you to get up close and personal with even the largest monsters, utilizing a variety of attacks and techniques.

If you repeatedly attack with a melee weapon, it reduces its sharpness. The lower the sharpness of a weapon, the more often its attacks will bounce off and become futile. You can restore weapon sharpness by using a whetstone from your inventory. Here’s a tip: With decorations and skills, you can even improve weapon sharpness.

The melee weapons include:

• Great Sword
• Long Sword
• Sword & Shield
• Dual Blades
• Hammer
• Hunting Horn
• Spear
• Gunlance
• Morph Axe
• Energy Blade
• Insect Glaive

The 3 ranged weapons give bonuses against elemental damage

Blade master weapons belong to the ranged category and reduce elemental damage that you take as a weapon type bonus. Ranged weapons allow you to maintain a certain distance from monsters while attacking them with ammunition that has various properties and effects.

Bowguns need to be reloaded occasionally, putting their users in danger. Bows do not need to be reloaded, but they consume stamina with every shot.

The ranged weapons include:

• Light Bowgun
• Heavy Bowgun
• Bow

The 3 weapon attack types explained: severing, blunt, and projectile

Weapon attacks are categorized into three types: severing, blunt, and projectile. They vary in effectiveness depending on the monster and monster parts.

Severing Attacks:

You can sever the tails of certain monsters by dealing enough damage with severing attacks. Severing attacks include those with weapons that have blades as well as thrust attacks with lances.

Blunt Attacks

Blunt attacks reduce a monster’s stamina, making it exhaust faster. If you deal enough damage to the head during this, the monster will be stunned for a short time. Blunt attacks include those with a hammer and strikes with a shield.

Projectile Attacks

Projectile attacks include shots from bowguns and arrows from bows. However, certain ammunition types can cause severing or blunt damage.

Weapons can trigger elemental damage

Your attacks vary in effectiveness depending on their elemental properties and the monster’s resistances. Each monster is assigned a specific element that is strong or weak against other elements. You can defeat a monster much more easily if you attack it with an elemental weapon it is vulnerable to.

Elemental properties are:

• Fire
• Water
• Thunder
• Ice
• Dragon

There are also abnormal status properties.

Abnormal status properties in weapons or items cause a status in monsters that weakens or restricts them. The higher the property value, the easier it is to inflict the status on the monster. Thus, poisoning a monster always deals damage, and paralysis restricts the creature’s movement.

Abnormal status properties include:

• Poison
• Paralysis
• Sleep
• Explosion

Weapon affinities roughly determine how much damage the weapon deals

Affinity roughly defines how much damage your weapon deals. Affinity is expressed as a percentage:

• An affinity of -100% means your weapon always deals less damage. A disadvantage compensated by various advantages like a weapon element or status changes.
• If the affinity is 100%, your weapon always deals more damage – as high affinity is very valuable, this may come with certain disadvantages.
• If the affinity of your weapon is 50%, then every second hit on average will deal more damage.

Always consider the overall package of your weapon – there is no single weapon that only has advantages and destroys everything. You must assess situationally which weapon is the best choice at any given time.