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Monster Hunter Nowis everything a fan of the Monster Hunter series could have hoped for. When you jump into the game, you will take on the role of a Monster Hunter, hunting monsters of all shapes and sizes and yielding different weapons equipped with their special skills, effects, and uses.
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A hunter’s greatest strength is their weapon, and Monster Hunter Now has plenty to go around (with more to come in future updates). Today, the game has six weapon types: Sword and Shield, Great Sword, Bow, Hammer, Light Bowgun, and Long Sword.
Sword And Shield
The Sword and Shield are your bread and butter for the start of your journey. You will have this weapon typefrom the moment you download the game, wielding it as you learn to hunt monsters, level up weapons, and forge new weapons.
A great advantage to take note of is this weapon’sability to block an attackby holding down on the screen. When it comes to the sword and shield, you want to be able toattack quickly and block as much damage as possible.
The two primary ways to use this weapon effectively are byeither blocking attacks or attacking the monster from behind. This, combined with the high speed at which you attack,makes it a greatly balanced weapon.
Weapon Skill
Unlocked Immediately.
Special Skill:Perfect Rush Combo- Attacks the enemy with a multitude of slashes and swings.
Best Sword And Shields
If you are more interested in attacking boldly and blocking what you’re able to, theCarapace Edgeis your pick, as leveling and over-grading it will eventually earn youa defensive boost that will help you tank more damage.
However, if you see yourself playing more defensively, upgrade yourGirros KnifeorBlooming Knifeinstead. Not only will both options come with an extra type of damage, but you will also gain the Sneak Attackequipment skill,increasing damage dealt from behind a monster.
Great Sword
Larger and heavier than your starting weapons, theGreat Swordwill require a bit of patiencewhen you are swinging it away. The patience will pay off, however, as the Great Sword is not just great in size, but alsogreat at dealing massive damage.
When it comes to the Great Sword weapon type, you will want to dealas much damage as you’re able to in asfew hitsas possible. Holding down on the screen willcharge up an incredibly deadly attackthat’ll likely Break a partduring your hunt if it connects.
Unlocked as a reward forcompleting Chapter 2: Shimmering Swamp 1.
Special Skill: True Charged Slash- A powerful swing of the sword that deals a massive blow to the enemy.
Best Great Swords
The Great Sword takes a while to come around, soboosting your damagewill be key.For this, you will want totake advantage of the damage boost that the Sneak Attack skill addswhen you attack the monster from behind.
Both theBlooming Bladeand theGirros Bladewill come with Sneak Attack, sofocus your decision on the type-weakness of the monsters you face.
Bow
Care to steer clear of a thrashing monster? TheBowmight be your weapon of choice. With the Bow, yourdamage range will increase, and you will be able tokeep your distance with medium-range attacks.
If you hold down on the screen,your charged attack will increase the damageyou deal as well asnarrow down your shot to one centralized locationrather than splitting your damage across the monster.
Unlocked after reachingHunter Rank 15and completing Chapter 2.
Special Skill: Dragon Piercer- Attacks with a powerful, piercing arrow that can pierce anything and deal great damage.
Best Bows
Of your three starting bows, theKudu Arrowis your best bet. This bow comes with theFortifyskill, gaining anattack boost if you feintduring a hunt. The downside of the Kudu Arrow is that itdoes not have an arrow coating.
If you would rather attack with the chance for a type weakness, work with theBlooming Arch. This will give you apoison coatingand theSneak Attackskill.
Hammer
If you are looking to get in close and attack quickly and efficiently,the Hammer may not be a weapon type for you. However, if you just wantto swing hard and deal massive damage, then pick up a Hammer and start swinging.
The Hammermay missthe monster at timesdue to its sheer size and weight, but when it connects, the damage you deal will severely outclass weapons like a Sword and Shield.
When performing yourcharge attack, your hunter willrun at the monsterbefore taking several intense swingsat your enemy.If you time your hits correctlyand take advantage of the hold attack, your patience will pay off.
Unlocked after reachingHunter Rank 15 and completing Chapter 2.
Special Skill: Spinning Bludgeon- Uses momentum to swing the hammer around several times, connecting with the enemy on each rotation, and dealing a strong uppercut to end the combination.
Best Hammers
Right off the bat, the two hammers with a type advantage are theBlooming Hammerand theGirros Hammer. Either choicewill gain the Sneak Attack skill, so your decision will come down to sheer power and type advantage.
The Girros Hammerhas a higher starting attack, making it more appealing in combination with its slow attack speed. It’s also worth noting that its elemental damage almost doubles that of the Blooming Hammer.
Light Bowgun
TheLight Bowgunis a crossbow turned sideways. Yourbolt type will vary depending on the specific Bowgun you wield, offering a variety of exciting strategies based on the monsters you are hunting.
Similar to the classic Bow, the Bowgunwill allow you tokeep your distance more than a sword or hammer.Even better, the Light Bowguncan achieve long-range attacks, allowing greater distance than the Bow.
While holding down on the screen does not offer a charged attack like the other weapon types, your weaponwill shoot automatically until you need to reload.
Special Skill: Wyvernblast Counter- Shoots a larger, more powerful bolt that deals high damage in one blow.
Best Light Bowguns
The first Light Bowgun to take advantage of is theJagras Blitz, as this powerhouse comes withwater ammo andslicing water ammo, making it deadly against monsters with a type disadvantage.
Youwill also gain ahealth boostonce you have over-graded it to Grade 4.
Long Sword
TheLong Swordis similar to the Sword and Shielddue to its speed. However, you will dealgreater damage at a higher speed,and you’ll have a special attack meter to fill, offering even greater damage when unleashed.
Holding down on your screen will sheath your sword and charge up astrong lunge that dealsextra damageon connection. Be careful, however, asmonsters that charge at the same time as your lunge will deal greater damage to you.
Unlocked after reachingHunter Rank 15and completingChapter 2.
Special Skill: Spirit Helm Breaker- A jumping attack that brings the sword crashing down on the enemy, causing massive damage.
Best Long Swords
You will only have two long swords to start with, theIron Katanaand theFirst Dance. While neither has a type advantage, the First Dance has a higher base attack and it also comes with theFortifyskill, which will come in handyif you are using your charge attack a lot.
