Gunlance Builds and Best Equipment | Monster Hunter Rise | MHR (MH Rise)

This is a guide to the best builds and equipment for Gunlances in Monster Hunter Rise (MH Rise) for the Nintendo Switch. Learn about the best Gunlances for Update 3.0, and the best Skills and Armor pieces to use with the Gunlances for Low Rank, High Rank, and endgame.

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Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds

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Endgame Build (Update 3.0): HR40 +

3.0 Normal Shelling Build

Best Gunlance: Ortlinde

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Ortlinde	ーーー	200	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	26
Shelling Type	Normal 5

Ortlinde secures its throne in the current endgame as the best Normal Shelling Gunlance. This Gunlance's lance damage edges out its toughest competitor, Araknalance, once you improve its sharpness bar with Handicraft.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Kushala Glare	①ーー	Handicraft Lv. 2 Normal/Rapid Up Lv. 2
Almudron Mail S	①ーー	Power Prolonger Lv. 1 Razor Sharp Lv. 2
Sinister Gauntlets S	②ーー	Handicraft Lv. 2 Hellfire Cloak Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Coil	②②ー	Guard Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Greaves	③ーー	Artillery Lv. 2 Guard Lv. 1
Talisman Skill	Evade Extender Lv.2 with one ② slot or more
Decorations	Handicraft Jewel 3 x1 Artillery Jewel 2 x1 Magazine Jewel 2 x1 Razor Jewel 2 x1 Ironwall Jewel 2 x1 Brace Jewel 1 x2

Defense	346
Skills
Handicraft Lv. 5 | Razor Sharp Lv. 3 Guard Lv. 3 | Artillery Lv. 3 Load Shells Lv. 2 | Normal/Rapid Up Lv. 2 Evade Extender Lv. 2 | Flinch Free Lv. 2 Power Prolonger Lv. 1 | Hellfire Cloak Lv. 1

Recommended Switch Skills

Recommendations
1	Blast Dash
2	Ground Splitter
3	Quick Reload

Built around Ortlinde. White sharpness is achieved via Handicraft and managed through Razor Sharp, ensuring that your Gunlance damage while Burst Firing is optimal against any monster — Apex or otherwise.

Shelling damage is improved through Artillery and Guard while survivability is bolstered through Guard and Evade Extender.

3.0 Long / Wide Shelling Build

Best Gunlance (Long Shelling): Howlitzer

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Howlitzer	①ーー	180	10
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Long 5

Howlitzer's attack rating, shelling level, and sharpness bar hold strong against the new long-shelled Gunlances of Update 3.0.

Best Gunlance (Wide Shelling): Doombringer Gunlance

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Doombringer Gunlance	②①ー	170	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	46
Shelling Type	Wide 5

Doombringer Gunlance retains its place at the top of wide-shelled Gunlances in Update 3.0.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Bazelgeuse Helm	②ーー	Artillery Lv. 1 Guard Lv. 1
Almudron Mail S	①ーー	Power Prolonger Lv. 1 Razor Sharp Lv. 2
Bazelgeuse Braces	②②ー	Guard Up Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Coil	②②ー	Guard Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Greaves	③ーー	Artillery Lv. 2 Guard Lv. 1
Talisman Skill	Evade Extender Lv.2 with 1 ② slot or more.
Decorations	Destroyer Jewel 2 x3 Shield Jewel 2 x2 Ironwall Jewel 2 x1 (Can fit two with Doombringer) x1 Brace Jewel 1 x1 (Can fit two with Doombringer)

Defense	352
Skills
Guard Lv. 4 / 5 | Razor Sharp Lv. 3 Guard Up Lv. 3 | Artillery Lv. 3 Partbreaker Lv. 3 | Load Shells Lv. 2 Evade Extender Lv. 2 | Flinch Free Lv. 1 / 2 Power Prolonger Lv. 1

Recommended Switch Skills

Recommendations
1	Charged Shelling
2	Ground Splitter
3	Guard Reload

Revolving around the Howlitzer and Doombringer Gunlance, this build maximizes shell damage through Artillery and Partbreaker. Razor Sharp is once again added to help manage the Gunlance's rapid sharpness loss when shelling — Especially useful for poke-shelling.

Defensive capabilities are greatly improved through Guard and Guard Up, allowing you to stand your ground against any monster as you bombard it with shells!

High Rank Build (Update 2.0): HR 8 to 40

All-Rounded Climber

Best Gunlance (Normal Shelling): Ortlinde

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Ortlinde	ーーー	200	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	26
Shelling Type	Normal 5

Ortlinde's great stats and high shelling level ensure a nice and steady climb from HR 8 to 40.

Best Gunlance (Long Shelling): Howlitzer

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Howlitzer	①ーー	180	10
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Long 5

Similar to Ortlinde, Howlitzer is a perfect long-shelled choice for climbing to the endgame with its great stats.

While the weapon itself has inferior ramp up skills, it is possible to rollback to Canyne Cannon II and activate its Wyrmstake Boost ramp up skill instead before upgrading back to Howlitzer!

Best Gunlance (Wide Shelling): Mighty Cornpopper

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Mighty Cornpopper	①ーー	180	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Wide 5

Mighty Cornpopper maintains its spot at the top of Wide Gunlances by virtue of being the only Gunlance with level 5 wide shelling until HR 40.

Similar to Howlitzer, this particular Gunlance's ramp up skills aren't that great. Feel free to rollback to Cornpopper II to acquire its Wyrmstake Boost ramp up skill, then upgrade back to Mighty Cornpopper.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Bazelgeuse Helm	②ーー	Artillery Lv. 1 Guard Lv. 1
Diablos Mail S	①ーー	Guard Lv. 2 Offensive Guard Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Braces	②②ー	Guard Up Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Coil	②②ー	Guard Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1
Bazelgeuse Greaves	③ーー	Artillery Lv. 2 Guard Lv. 1
Talisman Skill	Evade Extender Lv.2
Decorations	Guardian Jewel 3 x1 Razor Jewel 2 x3 Shield Jewel 2 x2 Brace Jewel 1 x1

Defense	352
Skills
Guard Lv. 5 | Razor Sharp Lv. 3 Guard Up Lv. 3 | Artillery Lv. 3 Offensive Guard Lv. 2 | Load Shells Lv. 2 Evade Extender Lv. 2 | Flinch Free Lv. 1

Made for a comfortable and efficient climb to HR 40, this build covers all of the Gunlance's needs regardless of shelling type. Shell damage and capacity are improved through Artillery and Load Shells respectively.

As for the Lance itself, Razor Sharp helps you maintain sharpness while Offensive Guard increases your attack whenever it is active.

Lastly, defensive capabilities are greatly improved through Guard, Guard Up, and Evade Extender.

High Rank Build: Hub HR 6 and 7

Evasive Gunlance

Best Gunlance (Normal Shelling): Ortlinde

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Ortlinde	ーーー	200	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	26
Shelling Type	Normal 5

Those who prefer Normal Shelling may opt for Ortlinde. This particular Gunlance has Normal 5 shelling and boasts high attack, allowing you to reach the end of Hub 7★ Quests with ease.

Best Gunlance (Long Shelling): Howlitzer

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Howlitzer	①ーー	180	10
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Long 5

Howlitzer is a straight upgrade from Canyne Cannon II, maintaining the Canyne Tree's superiority over Long-Shelled Gunlances.

It is important to note that you can bring Canyne Cannon II's Wyrmstake Boost ramp up skill over to Howlitzer!

Best Gunlance (Wide Shelling): Mighty Cornpopper

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Mighty Cornpopper	①ーー	180	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Wide 5

Mighty Cornpopper is, currently, the final weapon along the Guild Tree. This particular Gunlance earns its title as the best Wide Gunlance because it is the only one that reaches level 5 wide shelling until HR 40.

Just like the Howlitzer, you can bring the Wyrmstake Boost ramp up skill over to Mighty Cornpopper by activating the skill from the previous Gunlance along the Guild tree, Cornpopper II.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Jyuratodus Helm	②①ー	Evade Extender Lv. 1 Offensive Guard Lv. 1
Basarios Mail S	①①ー	Guard Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1
Basarios Vambraces S	①①ー	Guard Lv. 2 Speed Sharpening Lv. 1
Nargacuga Coil S	②ーー	Critical Eye Lv. 1 Evade Extender Lv. 2
Basarios Greaves S	③ーー	Defense Boost Lv. 1 Load Shells Lv. 1

Defense	264
Skills
Guard Lv. 3 | Evade Extender Lv. 3 Load Shells Lv. 2 | Critical Eye Lv. 1 Offensive Guard Lv. 1 | Defense Boost Lv. 1 Speed Sharpening Lv. 1

Best Talisman Skills

Recommended Talisman Skills
Razor Sharp	Speed Sharpening	Quick Sheathe

No Artillery skills but Evade Extender and Guard makes this build pretty easy to use. You also get a bonus ammo capacity from Load Shells which is great for Burst Fire. Works best with Normal Type Shelling Gunlances.

High Rank Build: Hub HR 4 and 5

High-Rank Artillery Starter

Best Gunlance (Normal Shelling): Imperial Guardlance

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Imperial Guardlance	①ーー	190	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Normal 4

Imperial Guardlance offers great stats across the board for relatively cheap materials, making it the best normal-shelled starter for your high rank adventures!

Best Gunlance (Long Shelling): Sinister Shadowshot

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Sinister Shadowshot	②①ー	200	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	33
Shelling Type	Long 4

Sinister Shadowshot's stats and shelling level makes it the best long-shelled Gunlance at the start of Monster Hunter Rise's High Rank.

Best Gunlance (Wide Shelling): Cornpopper I

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Cornpopper I	①ーー	160	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Wide 4

Cornpopper I is the best wide-shelled Gunlance at this stage of the game due to its high attack, generous green sharpness bar, and shelling level.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Barroth Helm S	②①ー	Attack Boost Lv. 1 Defense Boost Lv. 1 Offensive Guard Lv. 1
Rhenoplos Mail S	③①ー	Artillery Lv. 1 Stun Resistance Lv. 2
Rhenoplos Braces S	②①ー	Artillery Lv. 2
Barroth Coil S	①ーー	Defense Boost Lv. 1 Guard Lv. 2
Barroth Greaves S	②①ー	Defense Boost Lv. 1 Guard Lv. 1 Offensive Guard Lv. 1

Defense	234
Skills
Guard Lv. 3 | Artillery Lv. 3 Defense Boost Lv. 3 | Offensive Guard Lv. 2 Stun Resistance Lv. 2 | Attack Boost Lv. 1

This is a straightforward build that covers all of the Gunlance's needs as you begin your climb in High Rank!

Low Rank Build: Village Quest ★4 to ★6

Mid-Game Artillery Build

Best Gunlance (Normal Shelling): Fiore Nulo White II

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Fiore Nulo White II	ーーー	130	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	17
Shelling Type	Normal 3

Fiore Nulo White II's offers good stats for relatively cheap materials, making it a great choice for those who prefer normal-shelled Gunlances.

Best Gunlance (Long Shelling): Sinister Shadowshot

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Sinister Shadowshot	②①ー	200	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	33
Shelling Type	Long 4

Sinister Shadowshot's great stats and high shelling level makes the climb to High Rank easy!

Best Gunlance (Wide Shelling): Cornpopper I

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Cornpopper I	①ーー	160	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Wide 4

Those who prefer Wide Shelling may go for Cornpopper I. This particular Gunlance has great stats across the board and a high shelling level.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Diablos Helm	ーーー	Guard Lv. 1 Stamina Surge Lv. 1
Rhenoplos Mail	ーーー	Artillery Lv. 1 Stun Resistance Lv. 1
Rhenoplos Braces	ーーー	Artillery Lv. 1
Barroth Coil	ーーー	Guard Lv. 1
Diablos Greaves	ーーー	Guard Lv. 1 Offensive Guard Lv. 1

Defense	106
Skills
Guard Lv. 3 | Artillery Lv. 2 Stamina Surge Lv. 1 | Offensive Guard Lv. 1 Stun Resistance Lv. 1

This build increases your shell's damage through the use of the Artillery skill while bolstering block prowess with 3 points in Guard.

Low Rank Build: Village Quest ★1 to ★4

Built Around Artillery

Best Weapon: Eizenlitter

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Eizenlitter	ーーー	120	-
	Affinity	Element/Status
	0%	-
Shelling Type	Normal 2

Eizenlitter hosts great stats for the early game and is very cheap to craft, making it the best weapon to start your journey into Monster Hunter Rise!

Alternative Weapon: Barroth Loader I

Weapon	Slots	ATK	DEF
Barroth Loader I	ーーー	130	15
	Affinity	Element/Status
	-20%	-
Shelling Type	Long 2

Those who prefer a bit more range with their shelling may go for the Barroth Loader I instead. While this particular Gunlance falls short in the sharpness department, its Long Shelling Type allows you to unload shells at a farther distance than Normal or Wide shells would.

Best Armor

Armor	Slots	Skills
Barroth Helm	ーーー	Attack Boost Lv. 1
Rhenoplos Mail	ーーー	Artillery Lv. 1 Stun Resistance Lv. 1
Rhenoplos Braces	ーーー	Artillery Lv. 1
Barroth Coil	ーーー	Guard Lv. 1
Barroth Greaves	ーーー	Guard Lv. 1

Defense	82
Skills
Guard Lv. 2 | Artillery Lv. 2 Attack Boost Lv. 1 | Stun Resistance Lv. 1

This build revolves around the Artillery skill which increases your gunlance's shell and Wyvern's Fire damage by 20% at level 2. This skill also reduce's the cooldown of Wyvern's Fire by 30% at level 2.

Best Skills for Gunlance

Best Gunlance Skills
Guard ★★★	Improved guard ability.
Artillery ★★★	More shelling damage.
Evade Extender ★★★	Easy repositioning which can allow you to hit weakspots more easily or get out of harms way.
Load Shells ★★★	Increased ammo capacity means more firepower for Gunlance.
Razor Sharp ★★★	The Chance to reduce sharpness loss is massive for Gunlances — Especially those who prefer Burst Firing with Normal Shelling.
Attack Boost ★★	Increasing a Gunlance's attack rating is one of the most efficient ways to bolster its damage with the lance.
Speed Sharpening ★	For those quick moments where you need to bring your sharpness up during the middle of a fight.
Guard Up ★	For monsters that have normally unblockable attacks.
Flinch Free ★	Prevents ally from flinching you. Useful in multiplayer.

Monster Hunter Rise Related Links

Weapon Type Guides
Weapons and Weapon Types	Weapon Type Tier List	Builds for Each Weapon Type

Melee Weapon Guides

Melee Weapons
Great Sword	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Long Sword	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Sword and Shield	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Dual Blades	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Lance	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Gunlance	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Hammer	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Hunting Horn	Trees & Full List	How to Use (Melodies and Effects)	Best Builds
Switch Axe	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Charge Blade	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Insect Glaive	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Kinsects	Kinsect Tree and Complete Kinsect List

Ranged Weapon Guides

Ranged Weapons
Light Bowguns	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Heavy Bowguns	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds
Bows	Trees & Full List	How to Use	Best Builds