HBG Cluster spam: Is it truly viable, or am I just bad?

[Xitenic]

So I've done some digging, and everyone seems to love HBG for Stickies, Spread, or Cluster. Now, I'm primarily a spread gunner, but wanted to try out the cluster play style, and feel like I'm either doing something incredibly wrong, or my load out is entirely wrong.
I've got the following:

Weapon: Dark Devourer (Augments: Attack increase x2)
Head: Xeno B (Peak performance x1)
Chest: Rath Soul B (Non-elemental boost x1)
Gloves: Xeno B (Flinch Free x1)
Coil: Xeno B (Attack gem x2)
Pants: Kirin B (Attack gem x2)
Attack Charm level 3
Rocksteady mantle, and a health booster.

This leaves me with the following skills:
Attack 7/7
Free elem/Ammo up 3/3
Flinch free 3/3
Blight resistance 2/3
Critical eye 1/3
Peak performance 1/3
Non-elemental boost 1/1
Set bonus: Spare shot from Xeno 3/5.

And I've got 3x ranged up modifications on the bow gun.
I'm doing anywhere between 86-96 per bomb from the clusters, multiplied by however more explosions come out of each bomb, and that's great, then my RNG is rather garbage, spare shot never procs, so the three rounds I come out of the tent with, are the three rounds I'd expend. Then I'd fire the 3 cluster bombs level 2 I have, then I'm down to stickies, and they do an okay amount of damage... Then, that's it? Do I just farcast, restock, rejoin the fight?
I feel like my potential damage output isn't quite there, or, if it doesn't quite stack up to the sheer DPS of spread.

Do I have this all wrong? Any help would be appreciated!

[Nine]

You need to bring the materials to craft more clusters and craft them with the radial menu as you are reloading.

[Rinto]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfFk4bbosLQ

[R.I.S]

1st of all, NEB doesnt work with Dark Devourer because it can shoot Dragon Ammo. And to play bowgun you need to bring its material so you can craft when you reload or repositioning. You also really need those peak performance boost.

[opethsland]

Like the above statement: customize your ammo radial menu to be able to craft more clusters 3 and 1. Customize a loadout with bomberry and gunpowder 3 and cluster bomb 1. The clusters 1 are only to craft the lvl 3 paired with gunpowder 3. While you are reloading, craft = profit.

[✟ Scarlet Weather Rhapsody ✟]

You gotta be quick, craft ammo when you're reloading.

I can kill nerg in 3 minutes with cluster spam build.

[Lakota]

Dark devourer doesn’t benefit from non elemental boost, you don’t need flinch free, and get peak maxed. Also you may find it beneficial to drop 3 attack and run health boost for harder hitting enemies. As mentioned above you need to set up for crafting on the radial. Open a fight with rocksteady and health booster. If you run out of ammo farcaster grab more and your temporal mantle then finish the monster off. Don’t use stickies or any of that nonsense.

[ciel]

strive on til you can get the styx variant of the lunastra HBG with its in-built spare shot skill, opens a lot more possibilities for cluster spam.

And remember: the only way to fail at this game is to not have fun. Don't let "muh peak performance 100% affinity" meta scrubs ever convince you that you're playing wrong.

[McMurphy]

Originally posted by I love Mima!:

You gotta be quick, craft ammo when you're reloading.

I can kill nerg in 3 minutes with cluster spam build.

i can do that with a hammer

[Katitoff]

Its all about correct pouch loudout and you need to keep in mind that you ALWAYS HAVE TO craft new cluster ammo while you reload.

Its most micromanagement heavy playstyle in game.

[Stationary Traveller]

For the build:
Dark Devourer can't use Non-Elemental Boost. Remove it.
Peak Performance 3 gives you a way higher boost than 3 levels of Attack Boost.
Replace the chest with Luna B, the head with Kulve B, the pants with Xeno B and the charm with Awakening charm.
Replace the attack augments with health augments for longer fights or if you don't want to depend on health booster.
Ranged attack up mods do absolutely jacksh*t for cluster. Replace them with whatever you like (like recoil or shield).
You obviously don't need neither Critical Eye nor Flinch Free.
Here's a build you could end up with:
http://honeyhunterworld.com/mhwb/?267,110,103,88,86,88,64,health,health,0,0,0,0,32,5,0,5,5,5,13,0,0,13,5,0,5,5,0,2,Recoil,Recoil,Close
(close range is just in case you want to sleepbomb and wake up with wyvern ammo)

For the hunt:
Bring stuff to craft ammo on the fly and bind crafting to the radial menu.
Use demondrug+seed+powder before the fight starts.
Give your palico Coral Orchestra to make him doot attack up.

[Rinto]

Originally posted by Junebug:

strive on til you can get the styx variant of the lunastra HBG with its in-built spare shot skill, opens a lot more possibilities for cluster spam.

And remember: the only way to fail at this game is to not have fun. Don't let "muh peak performance 100% affinity" meta scrubs ever convince you that you're playing wrong.

you re wrong, even with all available damaging skill slotted on armor instead of xeno razor sharp.
dark devourer win by far


i have friend who said the same thing to have fun, she usually kill tempered elder around 6-10 min with her fun build. now after embracing the meta she kill less that 5 min and said its more fun this way and for me too, because i dont feel like carrying dead weight anymore when i hunt with her

[Lakota]

Originally posted by Junebug:

strive on til you can get the styx variant of the lunastra HBG with its in-built spare shot skill, opens a lot more possibilities for cluster spam.

And remember: the only way to fail at this game is to not have fun. Don't let "muh peak performance 100% affinity" meta scrubs ever convince you that you're playing wrong.

Alright the Styx HBG is not good for clusters. The damage is too low, even running attack 7 and peak 3 you will be hitting for less that dark devourer naked. As in just the gun and ammo and nothing else. There are very few skills we actually need for cluster spam due to it being non crit based and when played correctly you shouldn’t be outside of the protection of mantles. Mantles that invalidate many defensive skill options.

If sure you successfully kill monsters with your Styx build, but there’s a difference between viable and optimal. When someone asked for advice I would assume they’re going for the former until the mention or imply otherwise.

[Misanthrop]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GYh8MEeKIs

They usin at xeno gear, but soon we get it too so just wait it out. Watch this video and learn from the best.

[Xitenic]

Thanks everyone for the response, I kind of slapped myself when I remembered about bringing crafting pieces for ammo. I do it for flash pods, forgot I can do the same for everything else.

Thanks, everyone! So I'll try and remove the non-elemental boost, and slap on peak performance, I appreciate it. :)