Monster Hunter Wilds Weapon Types: Which of the 14 to Pick

The melee weapons

• Great Sword — slow, huge committed hits, charges for massive bursts. Rewarding but punishing if you misread a monster.
• Long Sword — builds a spirit gauge for stronger hits; mobile and popular.
• Sword & Shield — fastest, can use items without sheathing, blocks. The most forgiving starter.
• Dual Blades — high-speed multi-hit, demon mode for sustained damage.
• Hammer — blunt, knocks out heads, huge Focus Strike burst.
• Hunting Horn — buffs the team with songs while dealing blunt damage.
• Lance — full defence, can attack from guard; safe and methodical.
• Gunlance — shells plus a shield; explosive, self-contained.
• Switch Axe — swaps between axe and sword forms for different rhythms.
• Charge Blade — stores phials, releases big bursts; deep but powerful.
• Insect Glaive — aerial, gathers kinsect buffs, very mobile.

The ranged weapons

• Light Bowgun — mobile ranged, status ammo, kneeling shots.
• Heavy Bowgun — slow, big damage, shield and special ammo.
• Bow — trick shots and coatings, fully mobile, no ammo management.

How to pick

Try each in the Training Area at the Windward Plains Base Camp before committing — see combat basics. If you want a recommendation, Sword & Shield, Long Sword, and Dual Blades are the gentlest on-ramps, while Great Sword and Charge Blade reward patience. Ranged players usually start with the Bow or Light Bowgun. Every weapon is viable, so pick the one you enjoy, not the one a tier list calls strongest. For “which is actually best in Wilds,” read the best weapon overview. Once you have a main, the elemental vs raw guide and armor skills guide tell you how to build around it, and weak points and hit zones shows where to aim.