Monster Hunter World: The Basics, Part-1

July 2, 2019

With the newest (paid) expansion of MHW – Iceborne coming soon, I decided to make a tutorial for players new to the game, although the later parts might have MAJOR spoilers. That being said, let’s start!

What is Monster Hunter:World?

Released on 26th January 2018, Monster Hunter:World is an open-world RPG developed by Capcom for the PS4, Xbox and later for the PC in August of 2018, winning the Game Awards for the Best RPG game of 2018.

A Kulu-Ya-Ku, one of the introductory monsters of the game.

As the name implies, the game is mainly about hunting monsters along while doing various other quests on the way. While this may seem to get boring over time, MH:World manages to keep you entertained with the roster of monsters present in the game, be it a Great Jagras or a Nergigante(along with a pickle with anger issues). It is the first of the Fifth Generation of Monster Hunter Titles(with the first generation starting from Monster Hunter for the PS2 back in 2004.

one of the loading screens in the game. This one appears upon completing certain missions.

The starters – Character customization and weapon types

Monster Hunter:World allows you to create your own character/”hunter” and offers a myriad of customization options(including facial sliders) to do so. This along with an option to customize your armor from HR(High Rank) allows for your character to be truly unique. Then there are the Palicoes.

A Hunter’s best friend – a Palico.

Palicoes are cat-like creatures which act as the hunters’ companions and hunt monsters alongside them. The game gives you the option to customize your palico as well, which will stay alongside you throughout the entirety of the game. Palicos can also be assigned weapons and armor as well, and can use specific gadgets once they are unlocked (note: you only start off with the palico gadget “vigorwasp spray”). Along the way, you’ll meet other “palico-like” creatures, known as grimalkynes. Each area has one type of grimalkynes, but more on that later.

  • Hammer
  • A Hunting Horn

Now, onto the weapons. There are 14 types of weapons in the game, all with their own specific movesets and uses. For example, the Dual Blades allow for quick and fast movements at the cost of giving up a guard/shield mechanism, while the lance is usually quite a defensive weapon made for tanking hits from monsters.

Each weapon has has its own pros and cons. Down below is a list of all the weapons with their pros and cons-

Ranged Weapons –

Bow –


The Bow is a versatile weapon thanks to its variety of Shots, including the long-ranged Arc Shot and the damaging Power Shot, and allows its user to be highly mobile as they fire off coated arrows as support.

in-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Great mobility and strafing moveset.
  • depending on the bow, various types of phials(for various elements) can be used.
  • has an small AoE move(arc shot).
  • Ranged, which allows for easier damage even while the monster is in the air.
  • gives a boost to elemental resistance(common with ranged weapons).

Cons –

  • lacks the ability to block.
  • does not boost defence(common with ranged weapons).
  • requires you to manage stamina drain.

Light Bowgun –


A long range projectile weapon. Utilizes a variety of ammo to do everything from rapidly shooting targets to providing support with status-changing ammo.

in-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • great for damage per second(DPS) with its rapid fire mode.
  • offers some mobility and good dodges.
  • ability to set up mines.

Cons –

  • sheathing time is slightly slower than other fast weapons..
  • cannot block.

Heavy Bowgun –


A powerful, long range projectile weapon. The heavy weight makes mobility a chore, but firepower makes up for it. Use Crouching Fire to rapidly chain together shots.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • offers wyversnipe and wyvernfire.
  • larger ammo capacity and damage than light bowguns.

Cons –

  • sheathing, reload and movement is quite slow.
  • also cannot block unless a shield mod is equipped on the bowgun.

Bladed/Close-Range Weapons –

Sword and Shield –


A mobile weapon with fast recovery time between attacks. You can even use items or attack while blocking.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Excellent mobility.
  • offers the ability to use the slinger without sheathing the weapon.
  • fast sheathe time.
  • can slice as well as do K.Os.

Cons –

  • shield is somewhat weaker than gunlances or lances.
  • lack of specialised dodges.

Dual blades –


A weapon that blitzes a target with a flurry of attacks. Activate Demon Mode, continue the offensive to go into Archdemon Mode, which raises your attack speed and power.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Extremely fast attacks.
  • great for applying status ailments(ie. poison, blast, stun, sleep etc.).
  • Great evasive capabilities.

Cons –

  • Stamina Management is crucial.
  • Can’t block, and the demon dance may stunlock temmates.
  • Demon meter management is crucial as well.
  • sharpness deterioration is the highest.

Long sword –


A nimble weapon capable of extended combos.Charge up energy with each attack to use your powerful Spirit Blade.

In-game tutorial description
A drawn longsword, ready to strike

o Pros –

  • Well rounded with decent to good damage, speed, and mobility.
  • Spirit Blade and Spirit Gauge make you stronger as the fight wears on.
  • Long range for a melee weapon .

Cons –

  • Cannot block.
  • Wide sweeping nature of its attacks frequently trip teammates .

Great sword –


A mighty sword that makes up for its lack of mobility with huge, punishing attacks. The Great Sword can also block attacks, making it a good all-around weapon.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Highest damage per hit in the game.
  • Can be used to Block, and can be drawn for “Instant Guard” to shield (at the cost of sharpness).
  • It has good range or a melee weapon.
  • Can be used in Charge Attacks, that deal massive damage and make monsters lose balance.
  • Sharpness deterioration is the lowest of all weapons .

Cons –

  • Not very mobile.
  • Attacks take quite some time to carry out
  • Positioning is extremely crucial for this weapon in particular.

Hunting horn –

A hunter playing/”dooting” the Hunting Horn


A blunt weapon used to smash monsters with powerful attacks. It can stun monsters with repeated blows to the head.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Superb team support
  • Solid damage output
  • Blunt damage allows for easy stunning

Cons –

  • Somewhat slow attack speed
  • Limited move set

Hammer –


A blunt weapon used to smash monsters with powerful attacks. It can stun monsters with repeated blows to the head.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Very High Raw Attack Power
  • Players can run even with the weapon unsheathed
  • Charged attacks are extremely powerful
  • Attacks with the hammer are all blunt, so it can KO monsters with ease, and apply exhaust.

Cons –

  • Heavy and Slow attacks require practice to get right
  • Very low sharpness and Elemental Damage
  • Extremely short reach for such a heavy melee weapon

Lance –


A weapon coupled with a highly defensive shield. Lance users can block while moving and also counter-attack. You can also charge forward with this weapon and perform a Jumping Attack,except in Striker Style

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Ability to block and counter-attack quickly
  • High Attack Power and Range
  • Best Guard / Block of melee weapons
  • Allows for consistent offensive play with incredible safety
  • Precise attacks minimizes risk of bouncing on several notable monsters

Cons –

  • Slow and heavy
  • Dodging may be difficult
  • Requires precise strikes on monster weak zones to achieve optimal damage

Gunlance –


A Lance equipped with the ability to fire shells. Has high attack potential thanks to Wyvern’s Fire and Burst Fire, which uses all of your shells at once.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Great reach and considerable defense
  • Shells are useful for wounding stronger monster parts
  • Shell damage is unblockable and is fixed, making it more reliable than other attacks in breaking harder monster parts.
  • Shelling allows hunters to chain multiple combo attacks
  • 2nd best guarding capabilities.Different shelling types facilitates multiple playstyle

Cons –

  • Sharpness deterioration is fast when using fullburst shelling
  • Dodging is slow and mobility is limited

Insect glaive –


The Insect Glaive pairs a powerful glaive with Kinsects, insects that harvest extract from monsters to power you up. The Insect Glaive provides the hunter with great mobility and the ability to perform Jumping Attacks even on flat terrain.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Extreme mobility
  • Good at mounting monsters
  • Fast attacks
  • Powerful self buffs
  • Great reach; both vertical and horizontal
  • Fluid combos can be chained indefinitely or stopped to an evasive maneuver; performs admirably at cutting tails
  • Strong finishers
  • Kinsect can deal constant (albeit relatively low) damage once a monster is tagged
  • Kinsect clouds/ mist from tagged monsters allows for versatile support role; paralysis, poison, blast, and healing

Cons –

  • Relatively low attack power
  • Must rely on dodging for defensive measures
  • High stamina cost (in air)
  • Absurd sharpness loss tempo
  • Relies on kinsect’s extract to perform notably

Charge blade –


A powerful weapon that morphs between a sword / shield combo and an axe. Accumulate energy with the nimble sword, and then switch to axe mode to unleash a thunderous, energy-filled attack.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Sword & Shield form is versatile; has excellent guarding and extremely rewarding counters
  • Axe form is capable of massive damage
  • Phial effects can be accessed in both forms and provide anything from extra damage to stunning power 

Cons –

  • Complex moveset takes time to learn
  • Concentration is required
  • Long windups on axe mode (Super-) Amped Elemental Discharge can be punished by nearly all monsters’ attacks.

Switch Axe –


Use the mobility and attack power of the Axe, and when you see a chance, switch to the powerful Sword. While in Sword Mode, aim to unleash a powerful Element Discharge.

In-game tutorial description

Pros –

  • Long combos which are relatively easy to chain and allow for switching mid-way
  • Good reach and mobility in Axe form, and great damage in sword form
  • Phials can be used to add bonus effects to a weapon

Cons –

  • No Guarding
  • Limited mobility when using the sword
  • Fast sharpness deterioration when using the phial’s explosive moves

That brings us to the end of part 1 of this post. I hope you found this guide helpful, and thanks for reading this!

Until next time!