The thrill of the hunt is only as good as the weapon in your hands. In Monster Hunter Wilds, that thrill gets amplified with every dodge, parry, and perfectly timed swing. Whether you're a veteran of the series or just now joining the hunt, knowing which weapons dominate the current meta can make all the difference between carving the beast or being its next meal.

This tier list ranks the best weapons in Monster Hunter Wilds as of 2025, factoring in damage output, versatility, learning curve, and how they stack up in solo versus multiplayer hunts. Let’s gear up.

Weapon effectiveness in Monster Hunter Wilds isn’t just about numbers. It’s about synergy—how a weapon interacts with new monsters, environments, and mechanics. The open-world elements and dynamic weather systems in this entry mean weapon choice can now hinge on more than raw DPS.

That said, the tier list below reflects current gameplay trends, efficiency, and flexibility based on early access previews and community testing.

These are the weapons that dominate nearly every hunt. They're powerful, adaptable, and reward players who take time to master their timing and combos.

• Long Sword 
  Elegant, fluid, and lethal. The Long Sword is the poster child of graceful combat. It excels at slicing through monsters with its Spirit Gauge mechanics, allowing skilled players to deal huge burst damage with the right timing.
  Pros: Excellent reach, counter options, stylish combos, solid solo play.
  Cons: Requires tight timing for maximum DPS, can be overused in multiplayer.
  
  

• Light Bowgun
  Quick, strategic, and great at supporting allies. The Light Bowgun brings speed and versatility to ranged combat. With its rapid-fire and status-inflicting rounds, it's ideal for exploiting elemental weaknesses or locking monsters in place.

  Pros: High mobility, great for status effects and elemental weaknesses, ideal for support roles.
  Cons: Lower raw damage output, ammo management needed.

• Switch Axe
  The best of both worlds—this hybrid morphing weapon shifts from axe to sword with ease, delivering wide swings and elemental explosions. In Wilds, its mobility enhancements shine even more.

  Pros: Fluid movement between modes, strong burst damage, synergizes with Wilds’ terrain.
  Cons: Can be punished during transformations, moderate learning curve.

These weapons may not outshine in all scenarios, but they're consistently strong and ideal for both solo and team play.

• Great Sword
  This weapon is about patience and payoff. The Great Sword hits harder than any other, especially when charged to full. Ideal for part breaks and punishing openings.

  Pros: Massive damage per hit, excels at monster knockdowns and part breaks.
  Cons: Very slow windups, requires precision and patience.

• Hunting Horn
  Once overlooked, now a multiplayer favorite. Its melodies boost team performance while dealing surprising amounts of damage. The Wilds version adds smoother flow and better animations.

  Pros: Party-wide buffs, better attack speed than in past titles, underrated damage output.
  Cons: Combo memorization is key, less intuitive for beginners.

• Charge Blade
  One of the most complex weapons in the series, combining sword and shield with an explosive axe mode. When charged correctly, it unloads some of the game’s most devastating attacks.

  Pros: Powerful defense and explosive offense, strong in skilled hands.
  Cons: High complexity, difficult to master.

Great in the right hands or specific encounters, but may require more effort to shine.

• Dual Blades
  These are relentless. With Demon Mode activated, they become a blur of blades and elemental fury. Perfect for up-close aggression.

  Pros: Fastest attack rate, high elemental synergy, great for aggressive players.
  Cons: Burns stamina quickly, risky for new players.

• Bow
  A precision weapon that thrives on elemental matchups and status coatings. It rewards timing, positioning, and resource management.

  Pros: Excellent precision and elemental potential, good mobility.
  Cons: Complex coating system, stamina-heavy.

• Gunlance
  Think of it as a tank with an explosion in its hand. Gunlance players use its shield to block and its shells to blast through defenses.

  Pros: Shield and burst combo, excels at staying in the pocket.
  Cons: Low mobility, positioning is everything.

Not weak, but currently underperforming due to changes in monster behavior or mechanics.

• Lance
  Built like a wall, the Lance is made for tanking. It offers precise pokes and incredible guarding power, but struggles with repositioning.

  Pros: Strongest defense, good poke potential, thrives in solo tanking.
  Cons: Very slow, lacks offensive flexibility.

• Insect Glaive
  Once the king of aerial combat, it now finds itself less relevant due to grounded monster patterns. Its kinsect system still adds depth.

  Pros: Vertical control, unique aerial options.
  Cons: Kinsect buffs are tedious, mobility less relevant in Wilds.

• Hammer
  The KO master. It excels at stunning monsters with charged headshots, but its limited reach can be a dealbreaker.

  Pros: Great for KO damage and stuns.
  Cons: Limited range and versatility, relies on stagger windows.

With Monster Hunter Wilds introducing full-scale open-world hunting zones, the shift in monster behavior and environment means weapons that capitalize on mobility and range are more valuable than ever.

Elemental matchups have become more tactical. Monster habitats react dynamically to weather changes—think sliding down mud slopes or leveraging sandstorms for stealth. Weapons with strong adaptability (like the Switch Axe or Light Bowgun) thrive in this chaotic playground.

Some weapons shine more with friends:

• Solo MVPs : Long Sword, Great Sword, Switch Axe

• Multiplayer Staples : Hunting Horn, Light Bowgun, Charge Blade

If you're playing with randoms or coordinating team roles, factor in crowd control and support value.

• Start with a weapon that feels natural. Smooth flow > raw damage.

• Use training areas to experiment with combos before heading out.

• Adapt your loadout based on monster type and terrain.

• Stick with your weapon long enough to unlock deeper mechanics.

There’s no wrong answer in Monster Hunter Wilds—only different playstyles. Every weapon can shine with enough dedication. But if you’re looking to climb the ranks, our tier list gives you a head start.

So, which weapon will you bring to the Wilds?