This is a guide on how to use the high-explosive melee gun hybrid of Monster Hunter World (MHW), the Gunlance. Read on more to learn about their controls and how to effectively use them.

Gunlance Basic Controls

Base Game Controls

Normal Stance

	Lateral Thrust I
	Shelling
+	Upward Thrust
+	Quick Reload
	Block
	Aim Slinger (unsheathed)
+	Fire Slinger

While Blocking (holding R2)

	Guard Thrust
	Full Reload
+	Wyvern Fire
	Block
	Align Facing to Camera Direction

Iceborne Exclusive Controls

+	Fire Clutch Claw

Shelling

Shelling is the firing of the gunlance like an actual gun. The bullet does not travel, but it causes an explosion at the tip of the lance. What's unique about this is that it ignores monster armor, although each shot takes double the sharpness of a normal hit. These rounds also need to be reloaded if they run out, though at the cost of no items.

Wyvern Fire

Wyvern Fire is a massive explosion that causes overheating of the gunlance. Once doing this, you'll notice your weapon physically open up and expose a hot-red portion. As long as this shows up on your weapon, your Wyvern Fire is on cooldown.

Wyrmstake Cannon

The Wyrmstake Cannon is a sharp blade that can get stuck in monsters, causing damage over time for a few seconds and culminating after. It's usually the last strike of a combo and it cannot reload via quick reloads, only full reloads when blocking. Take note however that these are easy to miss as there's a few second delay between the thrust and ejection of the Wyrmstake.

Blocking

Second to the Lance, the Gunlance's blocking is best in-game. As long as you have stamina, you can block most of the attacks monsters can throw at you. Be aware, however, that some attacks can break through your block, and these attacks often deal massive damage.

Best Gunlance Combos

Closing Distance Combo

> > >

This basic combo is a good way to close distance against enemies, ending up with a strong shot. This combo attacks mostly frontwards.

High Damage Combo

+ > > >

This is one of the stronger combos. The first two attacks hit overhead, followed by a third wide slash, then a final hit that's a Wyrmstake Cannon hit.

Double Shot to Wyrmstake Cannon

> >

This is a simple combo that shoots two shots and ends with a Wyrmstake Cannon strike. Very useful and should often be followed by a full reload.

Upward Shots to Wyrmstake

+ > > > >

To shoot upwards, which is especially useful if you're underneath a monster, start with an upward strike, then proceed to shoot while the lance is up. The shots and the Wyrmstake will go upwards instead of forwards, allowing you to deal damage directly above you.

Related Links

Melee Weapons
Great Swords	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Great Sword for Each Element
	Best Great Sword for Iceborne
Long Swords	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Long Sword for Each Element
	Best Long Sword for Iceborne
Swords and Shields	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Sword and Shield for Each Element
	Best Sword and Shield for Iceborne
Dual Blades	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Dual Blades for Each Element
	Best Dual Blades for Iceborne
Hammers	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Hammer for Each Element
	Best Hammers for Iceborne
Hunting Horns	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Hunting Horn for Each Element
	Best Hunting Horn for Iceborne
	Hunting Horn Notes and Effects
Lances	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Lance for Each Element
	Best Lance for Iceborne
Gunlances	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Gunlance for Each Element
	Best Gunlance for Iceborne
Switch Axe	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Switch Axe for Each Element
	Best Switch Axe for Iceborne
Charge Blade	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Charge Blade for Each Element
	Best Charge Blades for Iceborne
Insect Glaive	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Insect Glaive for Each Element
	Best Insect Glaive for Iceborne

Kinsects
Kinsects	Kinsect Tree and Complete Kinsect List	Best and Recommended Kinsects

Ranged Weapons
Bows	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Bow for Each Element
Light Bowguns	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Light Bowgun for Each Element
Heavy Bowguns	Trees & Full List	How to Use
	Overall Best List	Best Skills
	Layered Weapon Augments
	Best Heavy Bowgun for Each Element