Check out this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne guide & walkthrough on how to use the weapon - Gunlance! Learn recommended combos, skills, play tips, and more!!!
All Weapon Types & CategoriesHow To Use Gunlance
Related Article On Gunlance
| How To Use | Best Builds |
| Best Skills | Endgame Tier List |
Gunlance - Overview & Strengths
Explosive Firepower With Good Range & Excellent Guarding
The Gunlance is a unique weapon that is quite different from its brother, the Lance. Instead of dash attacks, it shoots explosive shells that can deal massive damage to any part of the monster.
Unique Explosive Feature Called Shelling
The Gunlance has an extraordinary feature that allows it to shoot shells towards a monster, causing it to explode & inflict heavy damage.
Can Guard Against Monster Attacks
Like the Lance, the Gunlance is capable of protecting the Hunter from incoming monster attacks. It has high guarding power that is one of the most notable in Monster Hunter World.
Ignores Monster Tough Spots With Shelling
The unique feature of the Gunlance is its capability to shoot explosive shells onto monsters. These ignore monster tough spots, allowing it to damage monster parts that are normally impervious to damage.
3 Types Of Gunlance Shelling
| Type | Feature | Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Higher Burst Fire damage | 5 |
| Long | Higher Charged Shelling damage | 3 |
| Wide | Higher Wyvern's Fire & Wyrmstake Cannon damage | 2 |
Choosing the type of Gunlance Shell can change how you play the weapon. Each Shell has a different capacity and affinity to certain attacks.
Cannot Launch Shell When Sharpness Is Red
When your Gunlance's weapon sharpness is in the red, be sure to sharpen immediately. This means you won't be able to shoot any shells, lowering your DPS greatly in the fight.
Has Special Moves When Launching Shells
Burst Fire Unleashes All Shells In Explosive Fire
The Gunlance's Burst Fire (Full Burst) attack unloads all of its shells in one explosive shot. This ignores the monster's tough spots, making it easy to break horns or damage monster parts.
Charged Shelling Does Bigger Damage With One Shell
For Gunlances that don't have a lot of shells in their arsenal, Charged Shelling provides higher damage with a single shot. After a thrust, press & hold the Shelling button to charge then release to shoot.
Wyrmstake Cannons Stick To Monsters Then Explodes
The Wyrmstake Cannon is a projectile that Another unique feature the Gunlance has is that it can shoot a projectile onto a monster that will explode after a few seconds. This is called a Wyrmstake Cannon and is great in breaking or severing monster parts.
Wyvern's Fire Has Heavy Damage But Overheats Gunlance
Wyvern's Fire also shoots out all of the Gunlance's shells but takes longer to reload and essentially overheats your weapon. However, it has exponentially higher damage potential than Burst Fire and is great when monsters are toppled, trapped, or stationary.
Dodging Is Slow & Shelling Loses Sharpness Fast
The Gunlance is not known for mobility. Due to it guarding capability, dodging with this weapon can be slow and draggy. It also loses sharpness fast, with each shell shot, thus reloading and firing intervals are needed to maintain the weapon's attack integrity.
Gunlance - Recommended Combo List
Basic Gunlance Attack Combo
- 1. Lunging Upthrust
- 2. Overhead Smash
- 3. Wide Sweep
- 4. Wyrmstake Cannon
| +▶+ ▶ ▶ |
This is a basic attack combo with the Wyrmstake Cannon move at the end. It also closes in on the monster, doing both vertical and horizontal attacks to keep hitting the target.
Burst Fire + Wyrmstake Cannon Attack Combo
- 1. Rising Slash
- 2. Overhead Smash
- 3. Burstfire
- 4. Wide Sweep
- 5. Wyrmstake Cannon
| +▶▶▶▶ |
With this move, you can smoothly transition from Burst Fire to Wyrmstake Cannon, allowing you to deal heavy explosive damage on the target monster.
Continuous Shelling Attack Combo
- 1. Lateral Thrust I
- 2. Shelling
- 3. Lateral Thrust I
- 4. Shelling
- 5. Lateral Thrust I
- 6. Quick Reload
- 7. Rising Slash
- 8. Shelling
| +▶▶▶▶+▶+▶ |
This combo is a basic loop of you shooting Shells and then reloading in between shots. This is great when the monster is not moving or if your target is fixed.
Gunlance - Recommended Skill List
Loadout For Higher Attack & Shelling Power + Reinforce Guarding
When you're keen on using the Gunlance, it's important to increase your weapon's attack power while countering its tendency to lose sharpness quickly over the course of the hunt.
Recommended Skills For More Explosive Firepower
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| RECOMMENDED! Attack Boost | Increases raw attack power plus affinity rate after a certain level |
| RECOMMENDED! Weakness Exploit | Increases affinity rate of attacks that land on monster weak spots |
| RECOMMENDED! Handicraft | Increases weapon's sharpness gauge |
| Artillery | Strengthen's explosive attacks of gunlance shells |
| Capacity Boost | Increases a weapon's loading capacity |
| Critical Boost | Increases the damage of critical hits |
| Critical Eye | Increases your affinity rate |
| Maximum Might | Raises affinity when stamina bar is full |
The recommended skill loadout above emphasizes boosting the Gunlance's attack power, especially with its shelling. It also gives you increased Crit and sharpness.
Skills To Reinforce Guarding & Improve Gameplay
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| RECOMMENDED! Guard | While guarding, knockback and stamina consumption is decreased |
| RECOMMENDED! Guard Up | Can block normally unguardable monster attacks |
| RECOMMENDED! Protective Polish | Weapon does not dull for a time after sharpening |
| Speed Sharpening | Lessens time needed to sharpen weapon |
| Evade Window | Increases time of invulnerabilty when you dodge |
| Mind's Eye/Ballistics | Prevents your attacks from being deflected |
| Flinch Free | Prevents knockbacks and trippings, depending on skill level |
The Gunlance excels in guarding against monster attacks and these skills will further reinforce its guarding capabilities. It also provides a solution to the weapon's quick loss of sharpness due to shelling and reloading.
Gunlance - Gameplay Tips & Tricks
Use & Abuse Gunlance's Guard Ability
Since the Gunlance has the 2nd highest guarding ability in Monster Hunter World, it's always best to use and abuse it. This ability will protect you from monster attacks, allowing you to get close and deal shotgun damage to the monster.
Target Breakable Parts With Wyrmstake Cannon
The Wyrmstake Cannon deals high explosive damage to the monster part that it hits. If you're looking to break a monster horn or tail, sic the Wyrmstake Cannon onto that part and watch it break in the explosion.
Sharpen Often To Maintain Weapon Attack Power
Using your shells will cause your weapon to lose sharpness fast. Sharpen every so often to maintain the Gunlance's weapon power so you can inflict as heavy damage as you can.
Dragon Gunlances Can Send Teammates Flying
Most of the Gunlances shelling or explosive firepower don't send teammates reeling back or flying. But take note of dragon-based Gunlances as these have the ability to knock your fellow Hunters off their feet when caught in your shell's explosions.
Gunlance - Damage Per Move
Motion values are still being confirmed in-game and damage per move written below is based on the Training Area.
| Weapon Move | Damage |
|---|---|
| Wyvern's Fire | 168 |
| Wyrmstake Cannon | 130 |
| Wide Sweep | 57 |
| Overhead Smash | 42 |
| Jumping Smash | 38 |
| Jumping Reload Smash | 37 |
| Charged Shelling | 28 |
| Lunging Upthrust | 26 |
| Rising Slash | 26 |
| Lateral Thrust | III: 21 II: 21 I: 20 |
| Jumping Thrust | 21 |
| Burst Fire | 20 x No. of Shells |
| Aerial Burst | 20 x No. of Shells |
| Shelling | 18 |
| Guard Thrust | III: 16 II: 15 I: 15 |
Gunlance - Basic Move List
Basic Move List
| Button | Move |
|---|---|
| | Thrust |
| | Shelling |
| + | Rising Slash |
| ++ | Wyvern's Fire |
| | Guard |
| + | Guard Slash |
| + | Reload |
