Best Weapons Tier List for Iceborne

Ever wonder what the strongest weapons are for solo and multiplayer hunts in Monster Hunter World (MHW) Iceborne? Read on to find out where your favorite weapon ranks at!

Best Weapons Tier List for Solo

Best Solo Weapons Tier List

Tier	Weapons
S Tier	Heavy Bowgun Great Sword Dual Blades Light Bowgun
A Tier	Bow Sword and Shield Long Sword Charge Blade
B Tier	Switch Axe Hammer Insect Glaive Gunlance
C Tier	Lance Hunting Horn

Heavy Bowgun

Heavy Bowgun users have low mobility, but its simple controls, high damage, and capability to block more than make up for it.

Because of its low mobility, Heavy Bowgun users should be aware of how to restrain monsters easily, whether through inflicting abnormal statuses, setting traps, or other ways, in order to deal the most damage. Heavy Bowgun users should also be knowledgeable of the different ranges it is most effective at.

Heavy Bowgun Weapon Guides
How To Use Heavy Bowgun	Best Skills for Heavy Bowguns	Best Heavy Bowguns
Best Heavy Bowgun of Each Element	Heavy Bowgun Tree	Layered Weapons for Heavy Bowguns

Great Sword

The Great Sword is probably one of the slowest weapons in the game, but also one of the most hard-hitting. It is also relatively easy to learn; most of what Great Sword users have to learn is a monster's moveset rather than their own.

Its True Charge Slash, while hard to setup because it takes a long time to charge, deals a huge amount of damage when done right. Great Sword users can also use the Tackle move during charging their attacks to mitigate monster attacks.

Great Sword Weapon Guides
How to Use Great Swords	Best Skills for Great Swords	Best Great Swords
Best Great Sword of Each Element	Great Sword Tree	Layered Weapons for Great Swords

Dual Blades

The Dual Blades have the fastest attack speed out of all the weapons in Monster Hunter World. The Dual Blades offer its users the stamina-heavy Demon and Archdemon modes, which have a different moveset that is stronger and faster.

Like the other weapons with different modes, it can be a bit more difficult to learn than others. Its short reach can also make taller monsters harder to hit. But it can be a lot of fun to use, and it definitely has a lot of damage potential hidden within its quick moveset.

Dual Blades Weapon Guides
How to Use Dual Blades	Best Skills for Dual Blades	Best Dual Blades
Best Dual Blades of Each Element	Dual Blades Tree	Layered Weapons for Dual Blades

Light Bowgun

The Light Bowgun, like the Heavy Bowgun, can deal damage from a distance. But unlike the Heavy Bowgun, it allows its users a ton of mobility at the cost of dealing lesser damage.

While dealing lesser damage does not sound good at first, sheathing your weapon quicker, reloading faster, and being able to reload while evading is the big advantage of the Light Bowgun. In the right hands, this weapon can deal a lot of damage.

Light Bowgun Weapon Guides
How To Use Light Bowgun	Best Skills for Light Bowguns	Best Light Bowguns
Best Light Bowgun of Each Element	Light Bowgun Tree	Layered Weapons for Light Bowguns

Bow

The Bow is capable of dealing extremely high damage; however, it has a high mastery ceiling as you'd constatly need to aim at a monster's weak spots while being in range. On top of that, the Bow requires good stamina management for both offensive and defensive purposes.

Because it is so aim-intensive, Bows can be a good weapon for players that come from an FPS background.

Bow Weapon Guides
How To Use Bow	Best Skills for Bows	Best Bows
Best Bow for Each Element	Bow Tree	Layered Weapons for Bows

Sword and Shield

The Sword and Shield is perhaps the most well-rounded weapon in the game, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities to its user. However, its highest damage dealing move, the Perfect Rush, can be hard to execute.

The Sword and Shield is also the only weapon in the game that doesn't need its users to sheath it to use items like Potions, Nulberries, or Bombs.

Sword and Shield Weapon Guides
How To Use Sword and Shield	Best Skills for Swords and Shields	Best Swords and Shields
Best Sword and Shield of Each Element	Sword and Shield Tree	Layered Weapons for Sword and Shields

Long Sword

Long Sword users have the ability to be mobile, output high damage, and have a long reach (hence the name). It sets itself apart from other weapons with its Spirit Meter mechanic.

The Spirit Meter can be filled up and leveled up through executing combos that opens up the Long Sword for more moves that deal even more damage. One of these moves is the Spirit Helm Breaker, an incredibly flashy and powerful move that can slice through monsters.

Long Sword Weapon Guides
How To Use Long Swords	Best Skills for Long Swords	Best Long Swords
Best Long Sword of Each Element	Long Sword Tree	Layered Weapons for Long Swords

Charge Blade

The Charge Blade, while being incredibly powerful, can be difficult to use, especially for beginners. There is a lot of prep work that goes into the Charge Blade to allow it to perform its strongest moves: the Super Amped Elemental Discharge or the Axe combo.

But in the right (and persistent) hands, the Charge Blade hits like a truck. Its users can also protect themselves with a perfectly-timed Guard Point.

Charge Blade Weapon Guides
How To Use Charge Blade	Best Skills for Charge Blades	Best Charge Blades
Best Charge Blade of Each Element	Charge Blade Tree	Layered Weapons for Charge Blades

Switch Axe

The Switch Axe got its name from its ability to switch weapon forms, from the high mobility and long reach Axe form to the big damage-dealing Sword form. The Switch Axe also has Phials at its disposal, useful for applying status effects to the monster while in Sword form, or just increasing the attack power of the Switch Axe.

Even though it is a bit complicated to learn because of the two different forms it offers, Switch Axe users can easily adjust to any monster thrown their way with the weapon's great versatility.

Switch Axe Weapon Guides
How To Use Switch Axe	Best Skills for Switch Axes	Best Switch Axes
Best Switch Axe of Each Element	Switch Axe Tree	Layered Weapons for Switch Axes

Hammer

The Hammer, like the Great Sword, is another hard-hitting weapon that is relatively easy to learn. Not only does it have high base damage, but it is also effective at knocking out monsters, which can lead to its highest damaging combo, the Big Bang.

While it has a shorter reach than the other S Tier weapons, this can be easy to bypass with moves like the Swinging Flying Smash, which allows you to roll around on the monster, dealing continuous damage.

Hammer Weapon Guides
How to Use Hammer	Best Skills for Hammers	Best Hammers
Best Hammer of Each Element	Hammer Tree	Layered Weapons for Hammers

Insect Glaive

The Insect Glaive is a great weapon for mounting monsters and just being an annoying fly around the monster. Which is in character, because the Insect Glaive also has a Kinsect that gathers essences from monsters. Each essence gathered serve as a buff to the hunter, further enhancing their ability to deal damage.

Of course, with everything that the Insect Glaive offers, it can be a bit hard to learn. But with its incredible vertical mobility and its capability of mounting a monster, it has the potential to deal big damage while staying safe.

Insect Glaive Weapon Guides
How to Use Insect Glaives	Best Skills for Insect Glaives	Best Insect Glaives
Best Insect Glaive for Each Element	Insect Glaive Tree	Layered Weapons for Insect Glaives

Gunlance

The Gunlance is the second best defensive weapon in the game after the Lance. While it doesn't offer much in terms of mobility, it compensates for it in terms its damage output. Its shelling, specifically, are great for breaking stronger monster parts as it ignores monster armor.

Gunlances also have different shelling types that can lead to different playstyles. This can be an advantage for advanced players, and difficult to learn for newer players.

Gunlance Weapon Guides
How to Use Gunlance	Best Skills for Gunlances	Best Gunlances
Best Gunlance of Each Element	Gunlance Tree	List of Layered Weapons for Gunlances

Lance

To be fully effective, the Lance requires knowledge of its own moveset as well as the monster's. Well-timed blocks and counter thrusts will protect a Lance user from a lot of damage.

However, its incredible defensive capabilities and long reach is balanced with its lack of big burst damage. More than any other hunter, Lance users also have to invest in skills like Guard to make the weapon easier to use.

Lance Weapon Guides
How To Use Lance	Best Skills for Lances	Best Lances
Best Lance of Each Element	Lance Tree	Layered Weapons for Lances

Hunting Horn

With all the buffs it can provide, the Hunting Horn is excellent in a team environment. However, in solo hunts, it can be difficult to play.

Its main strength is in its buffing songs, but those run out after some time—it might even run out in the middle of a battle. Using the Hunting Horn is like a dancing, where you'd have to find the right rhythm to play. (literally!)

Hunting Horn Weapon Guides
How to Use Hunting Horn	Best Skills for Hunting Horn	Best Hunting Horns
Best Hunting Horn of Each Element	Hunting Horn Tree	Layered Weapons for Hunting Horns

Best Weapons Tier List for Multiplayer

Best Multiplayer Weapons Tier List

Tier	Weapons
S Tier	Hunting Horn Heavy Bowgun Light Bowgun Sword and Shield
A Tier	Bow Great Sword Insect Glaive Dual Blades Switch Axe
B Tier	Long Sword Gunlance Hammer Charge Blade
C Tier	Lance

The only weapon that made a complete 180 and shined the most is the Hunting Horn. This weapon deserves to be on the top tier due to the powerful buffs it can provide. As a matter of fact, the weapons found at the top of the tier list can easily crowd control monsters and provide support for other players.

On the other hand, weapons that require optimal positioning, countering, or just with innately slow movement are placed down the tier list as monsters behave unreliably during multiplayer hunts, making these weapons a bit harder to utilize.

Monster Hunter World (MHW) Related Guides

MHW Iceborne Tierlists

MHW Iceborne Tier Lists

MHW Iceborne Tierlist Articles

Tierlist Articles
Best Solo Weapons	Weapon Popularity Tier List
Skill Tier List For Combat	Monster Difficulty Tier List for Iceborne