Easiest weapon for beginners

[76561198053751265]

Suggestions ?

[Bobucles]

dual blades is very good at backloading the learning curve. Just mash buttons, get hit, and repeat until you're in Master rank and haven't learned a thing.

Monster hunter is largely a game of letting the monster attack, and knowing what options you have to counter that action. Every weapon is unique and will play into very different styles of what works and what doesn't. This also means some weapons can just brain dead own a fight while others have a lot more difficulty involved.

For example, if you try to spam great sword hunting edge against early monsters, it's incredibly hard. The skill has a narrow aim and the monsters are just too damn small to land the hit. But later on a firey bird has a huge feathered head, and the great sword can mario jump it all day.

Just try them all. The right weapon is the one that fits how you want to play. Regardless of choice, keep an eye out for evade extender skill. EE is a HUGE survival aid and a massive help for learning monsters. It dramatically increases your ability to move around and find good positions.

[FrozenFruit]

Suggestion 1: try out all 14 weapons in the training room.
Suggestion 2: sword and shield. It is because it is a jack-of-all-trades weapon. You can use it as a baseline to find out your playstyle
Suggestion 3: dual blade. It has the fastest attack speed so you are not locked into your attack. One exception is Blade Dance which will lock you.
Suggestion 4: Long sword. It has a long reach range and decent attack speed.
Suggestion 5: Insect Glaive. Collecting essence by using kinsect may be a little confusing at the beginning but it is not hard. It has the best aerial attacking, extreme mobility, and fast attack speed.
Suggestion 6: light bow gun: ok, you are playing a third-person shooting game with this weapon.
Suggestion 7: in end of the day, it is the weapon(s) that fit(s) your playstyle.

Generally speaking Great sword and the Charge blade are not good options.
The Great sword requires you to predict the monster's movement.
The Charge blade has one of the most complex moves set in the game.

[Pook and Pie]

I'd personally recommend toying around with weapons in the training room, as those above have said. Make sure you check Hunter's Notes for weapon controls and general info on how to start with a weapon. It's in your menu.

After playing around with one and going, "I think this is all right" I'd recommend looking up some tutorials. GaijinHunter, Arrekz, and quite a few others have generalist tutorials to get you off the ground with a specific weapon. There are some speed runners with way better in-depth tutorials (like Tidus69 for Bow, for example), but a generalist tutorial will give you a good idea of how to start off with one until you're comfortable.

As Bobucles said, a lot of MH is figuring out what your options are at any given point in time, and then learning to use those options to either make your turn to deal damage come faster, or to maximize the damage you can deal during those openings. Said options and openings are quite different for each weapon, so you've just gotta try them out. Some weapons are easier to pick up than others, as was mentioned with Dual Blades, Insect Glaive, etc., but if you don't click with Glaive but do click with Hammer, then you'll be way better off playing Hammer. So don't let us tell you what to use- spend a little time to figure out what best matches your play and learning style.

[Maiko]

if you really are a beginner in MH games, in terms of beginner accessibility, start with Sword and shield

[FrozenFruit]

Two things that I need to add.
Sometimes the switch skill will change the playstyle of the weapon.
For example, Demon Flight and Demon Flurry Rush offer a different playstyle for duel blades.
So when you try out the weapon, also try different combinations of switch skills.

You don't have main just one weapon. I have two main melee weapons: Dual Blades and Insect Glaive.
I also play the bow and the light bow gun from range weapons.

[🄽🄰🄼🄴🄻🄴🅂🅂]

Longsword is a good weapon to start.

[Ethan Hunt]

My vote goes for Dual Blades too. Started out as my newbie weapon in Monster Hunter World and still continued to be my favourite one. I'd also recommend getting used to a ranged weapon later. I went with Heavy & Light Bow gun.

Originally posted by FrozenFruit:

You don't have main just one weapon. I have two main melee weapons: Dual Blades and Insect Glaive.

Absolutely correct. I love this addition to Rise. It adds so much versatility to the Dual Blades playstyle. BTW, I remember in the demo you could change the Switch skills mid-hunt, but I haven't gotten that option yet and I could currently only change it in the camp. Do you unlock the on-the-fly switch between the 2 modes?

[Lightning]

Easiest? Definitely Lightbowgun. It's a gun, what more do I have to say ? You have mobility and you have a distance between yourself and a monster, that means it's easier to see (and learn) and dodge attacks.

No need to worry about utilizing wirebug moves either, since virtually all of them are useless. Well, the counter maybe useful, buy why bother countering when you have Evade Extender lv2+ and can fly across the field? Basically a leftclick gaming.

And don't let the "Light" part deceives you. Lightbowgun really packs a punch.

[Emerald Lance]

Lance because shield go brrrr and because nothing is easier than simple poke.

[Huillam]

Originally posted by Bobucles:

dual blades is very good at backloading the learning curve. Just mash buttons, get hit, and repeat until you're in Master rank and haven't learned a thing.

You couldn't be more wrong.
You do need to properly master a monster pattern in order to wirebug recovery right into their next attack! Can be done up to three times in a row if you're really skilled (and survived the first two).

But yeah aside from that Dual Blades are a lot more easier to handle in rise than world.


@Ethan Hunt: That's unlocked pretty early in MR.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Alucard (BR):

Easiest weapon for beginners
Suggestions ?

Many of the other posts are already expressing what I would think too, so here you have a different approach in form how I see each weapon for beginners.

Summary would be: pick what you feel as good for you, with Sword & Shield being technically easiest to handle for beginners.

Great Sword
Feels very slow and heavy, the damage output is amazing - if you actually manage to hit the monster. Being able to block is beginner friendly, but the sluggish handling in comparison to the rather fast starter monsters made me step back from them. Big damage numbers mean little when you need to learn proper movements first to actually hit with the strong attacks.

Interesting: with Surge Slash from Sunbreak the Great Sword becomes much more approachable for beginners, from my point of view.

Long Sword
Looks cool, but feels clunky? Poke, poke, slice. No block. Need to be sharpen a lot at the beginning. When meeting the monster it feels like one-winged-angel theme starts playing in the background. The long range is making attacking easy, but it still feels clunky. That is until you learn its actual power in form of counters. Scary! Learning counters as a beginner is not so easy, but it is definitely rewarding.

Sword & Shield
Fast hits, but very low range. Movements hardly restricted and you can block! It feels like playing a character which can do only low hits - kinda weak impression. But once you learn how to use the shield properly, the gameplay becomes more stunning. Easier movements allows easier dodging and shield enables blocking. A very forgiving weapon which feels weak at first. Great for first time explorations.

Make no mistake, in the right hands every weapon is strong.

Hammer
Slow combos, no block. Bonk. Big bonk. Bigger bonk. Straightforward combos, easy to learn, with straightforward effects. But if you get hit: ouch. Surprisingly the weapon feels so straightforward as the tool sounds. Charging hammer and status effects make it a great weapon later on with more versatility than you might expect from a bonk.

Hunting Horn
Fighting with an instrument? Are you crazy? Is it not just a different hammer? Is it even viable when playing solo? Self-buff is strong, and status attacks are easy applied with the correct combos. The handling is not as clunky as with the hammer, and the attack does not feel so strong. But it allows easier movement and once you learned how much stronger you get via buffs and how to use status effects, you are constantly looking for the perfect buff-set for every encounter.

Self-heal horns makes you feel very strong. But damn: sharpening an instrument???

Dual Blades
Maybe coolest movesets and "rage aura". Super fast - in and outside of battles. Not caring for low damage numbers, as long as you hit plenty. But... kinda a beginner trap when you are locked in certain movesets. The fast pace tempts you into charging fast into the enemy. Makes you feel like a glass cannon for a while, until you stop underestimating monsters. It feels awesome dancing on the top of the monsters while dealing out damage.
But does the monster X not feel too strong? Why is monster X so much easier when using a shield...?

Insect Glaive
Je suis monté ! Je suis monté ! Je suis monté !

Fast and cool. But you need to learn about Kinsects first. Once you understand the different Kinsects and how the self buffs via essence effects you, you will either start love to fly or ditch it. The hits feel strong, and the buff feels strong. The numbers of combos and possibilities are plenty. Very versatile, very cool. No blocking. And when getting hit while midair... big ouch! Do you like bugs? If you like bugs, the entry level is not that bad. And I feel like MHR has it easiest and most interesting for Insect Glaive users.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fyzqoQubCY

Lance
Poke. Poke. Poke. Okay, that is easy. But why do you feel like a stone when you draw your weapon? Can you actually fight like this when it is so hard to move? Evade Extender? Game Changer! Tell that sooner! Best weapon to hold your ground and learn the monsters' movements. If you manage the counters, it looks even cooler than Long Sword! Maybe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzkzMQbItuU
If offense players prefer to start with Long Sword, then defense players probably love to start with Lance.

Gunlance
Why is it called Gunlance when you cannot actually shoot at monsters like with a gun? Should it not be called "explosion/dynamite lance"?
What is the big deal with this one anyroads? Feels almost as slow as Lance, and the attacks feel weird. Oh? There is a trick to them? The shelling ignore monsters' defenses? That is much better than I thought.

Switch Axe
Great Sword or Axe? Just take both. Kinda ~
Very fast, very versatile. Has some movements which locks you into place easily, and you need to learn - like with others weapon too - how the charging bar works. But damn, the transformation looks cool and the explosions you can do with the weapon even cooler.
Is it really that hard to use this weapon? No? Ah, "difficulty is higher" because of the combos? Eh, I am not sure. I think the explosions are punishing for beginners with the limited weapon shaprness. But that was it. Reminds me of Dual Blades. But with less moving around.

Charge Blade
Power in your hands - check
Good shield - check
Transformation coolness - check

Kinda like the Switch Axe but instead a merger of Sword & Shield + Axe?
Oh, the discharge - an ultimate move! That is really cool!
Charged weapon and shield for extra effects? Bought!

I really cannot relate why the Charge Blade has the weird reputation of being the most complex of all weapons. But it sure is very versatile with the ranges and easy block moves. Defense is not as good as with the Lance, but you can move better. You can move less than with Sword & Shield --- nope --- not exactly true in MHR with silkbind moves.

It is actually easy to learn and to use... I personally recommend it to beginners.

Bow
Understanding effective range is key. Once you got that, learning dodging is next. Then it is about ammo types / Spread / Pierce / Rapid. Incredible strong if you take your time. It is not solemnly a range weapon. And having control of the draw gives the bow an overall good feeling and feedback. Surprising for a "ranged weapon". Though as a beginner still a tad scary to use. Why? You think of Bow and Bowguns as ranged weapons - but when you actually use them in Monster Hunter... there is hardly any distance between you and the monster!!!

You still need to learn the monsters' movements to make best use of it. But once you got it, you can deal big damage with easy to use combos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGg_gIKKyW4

Light Bowgun
I expected something else from a gun. But in fairness: I did not expect a gun to begin with in a fantasy setting. It is pretty straightforward, is it not? How do you use these mines? Is this actually fun? Should I not rather play a FPS if I want to use a gun? Is the Heavy Bowgun any better?

Heavy Bowgun
Damn, this one is heavy! But machine gun, I like! Yet it is too short and needs so long to charge. What is this weird sniping? Yeah, I better go for a FPS if I want to play gun.
Though, it is not unfun. You can use support ammo and effect ammo. Maybe they are more enjoyable in multiplayer? Definitely. Can I try the Light Bowgun again? This one is too heavy... Oh, I can use a strong shield with this too?

To be fair - gameplay feels weird when you start off with bowguns. But they are not difficult to use, and are fun too. I use them mainly when I am tired in multiplayer...
Killing Floor 2 is currently on sale by the way!

Those are my personal impressions I had as beginner.
Maybe you feel the same. Maybe not.

My advice: do not be afraid of the initial "entry level" to learn a weapon.
Every weapon is viable and fun to play if you allow it. And you might be surprised later on!

Every weapon feels much better in endgame when you have less to care about sharpness like in the beginning. And with Sunbreak additional skills you get an entire additional level to enjoy weapons in new ways - weapons you disliked before might be much more fun with the new skills. Give all of them a proper try for the full real experience ~

Cheers and Happy New Year!

[khitamazza]

try LBG, HBG or Bow you will unlock the easy mode ingame you literally gonna be immortal (if you die well LOL then)

if you want some challenge try Great sword, Charge blade, Insect glaive, Gunlance, Hammer

[MrLuckless]

The bowguns are by far the most new player friendly of the weapons by virtue of being guns. No fancy moves needed to learn, just point and shoot and be mindful of your ammo. Which you will learn can be made in bulk in the field and hotkey'd to make it even faster. You'll have access to every status effect (based on the gun) and can even stun monsters better then most other weapons.

Your builds will consist of picking a primary ammo type and some secondary ammos for support. Light bowguns have better mobility with trip mines that can be detonated by the monster or you. Heavy bowguns are....heavier, and slower but come with a counter move and real power behind each shot. Also you can turn it into a machine gun, who doesn't like machineguns?

Turn every hunt into a turkey shoot, and make the monster wish they hadn't got out of bed that morning.

[Remi]

Not HBG for sure, if there's anything in this game that can be called a glass cannon then it'd be HBG. You're shooting the monster in the hopes of it staggering and dying before it can hit you. In comparison, Bow constantly dodges attacks and LBG just doesn't get hit while doing about 80-90% of HBG's damage output, it's the easiest weapon in the game in terms of safety and consistently strong damage output for sure.
However, getting into ranged weapons might not be that easy initially, so learning the game with melee weapons isn't a bad idea either.

Lance seems extremely easy at first, just hold block and poke? Except you'll deal no damage with that playstyle, you need to incorporate counters, mobility attacks, change up moves and have near 100% damage uptime to compete with any other weapon.

Also, don't ever use Evade Extender because it's an unnecessary crutch which doesn't do anything for Lance if played correctly, same for every other melee weapon. The only weapon EE isn't a complete noob trap on is HBG because it can't even roll out of some attacks due to being so slow, hence on some matchups 1 point of EE can be considered.

Since I don't want to recommend weapons that teach bad habits like LS or DB, I'll say that Hammer is the best starting weapon. It teaches you to focus weakspots while also rewarding proper gameplay with openings via stun. Defensive options are very limited to having one difficult counter and a low iframe evasive move, so positioning plays a vital role in Hammer gameplay. You can just charge up a swing and snipe the monster's head, it's decently strong and fun while not being overreliant on counter spam like many other melee weapons.

[Omega prime clearance]

do no pick switch axe this thing is suicidal garbage in this game