MHW: ICEBORNE | Recommended Iceborne Weapons For Beginners & Early Game

Read this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne guide to know the best weapons for beginners & early game. Including ease of use, which to craft first, weapon rankings!!!

Currently Updating ICEBORNE Info!

MHW: ICEBORNE Feature Articles
Staring MR - Tips	MR Break Guide
All Monster List	Recommended MR Build

Beginner Weapon Ranking Chart Summary

S Rank (Easy To Use)
Bow			Heavy BG			Long Sword
A Rank (Strong With Practice)
Dual Blades			Hammer			Great Sword
Lance			-			-
B Rank (Versatile)
Charge Blade			Gunlance			Insect Glaive
Sword & Shield			-			-
C Rank (Needs Mastery)
Switch Axe			Light BG			Hunting Horn

High Rank Weapons Are The Easiest To Use

Weapons such as the Bow, Long Sword, and Heavy Bowgun are the easiest to be picked up by beginners, without compromising damage or firepower. This places them high on the tier list.

Attack Damage Is Also A Factor

Weapons that are easy to use and have good enough firepower are placed higher in the tier list for beginner weapons. Those that are easy to use but have low firepower are placed lower in the ranking.

Low Rank Doesn't Mean Weapon Is Weak

Weapons in this ranking do not mean that they are weak or have low attack power. This just means they are more difficult to pick up by new Hunters and require more practice.

S Rank Beginner Weapons

Long Sword

Quick DPS With Long Reach & High Mobility

The Long Sword is easy to use, has long-wide reach, and every high mobility. It allows you to roll in between sword slashes and builds damage by increasing its Spirit Gauge.

Can Trip Allies In Multiplayer

The Long Sword has the highest capacity to trip allies due to its reach. If you plan to go on multiplayer mode, make sure to keep in mind where your teammates are to avoid breaking their combos.

Recommended Iceborne Early Game Long Sword

Bow

Easy To Use & Has Good Attack Power

The bow can deal very good damage and also has high mobility. Beginners can easily pick this weapon up as it can keep you safe via distance from monster attacks.

Can Sever Monster Tails With Dragon Piercer

The Bow can do a special move called the Dragon Pierce that deals very heavy damage. With this move, you can easily sever monster tails.

Recommended Iceborne Early Game Bow

Heavy Bowgun

Deal Heavy Damage From A Distance

The Heavy Bowgun can easily do extremely high damage at a safe distance, making it a highly recommended weapon for the early game or for beginners. It is also easy to use.

Best Used With Boosters

Heavy Bowguns have to deal with low mobility due to the sheer mass of the weapon. Usage of Health & Affinity Boosters will provide many advantages when you stay in a single area.

Recommended Iceborne Early Game Heavy Bowgun

A Rank Beginner Weapons

Dual Blades

Deals Fast Continuous Damage

The Dual Blades is characterized by fast high damage with very good mobility. It can amp up its damage with Demon Mode & Arch Demon Mode. It is also recommended to deal status effects with the number of hits it can do in a short period.

Uses Up A Lot Of Stamina

The Dual Blades can eat up your stamina bar if you're not careful so make sure to mind your stamina consumption. Managing your stamina well will keep you sustained and active in the hunt.

Recommended Iceborne Early Game Dual Blades

Hammer

Can Stun Monsters & Has High Damage

The Hammer is known for its capability to stun monsters, providing more opportunities to damage your target. The weapon is also simple & can be understood easily.

Recommended Early Game Hammer

Great Sword

Strong DPS Yet Lacks Mobility

The Great Sword is picked up by many beginners due to its high raw attack power. It is also a slow & heavy weapon but not complicated, making it a favorite for the early game.

Recommended Early Game Great Sword

Lance

Moderate Damage With High Defense

For the more defensive Hunter, the Lance can offer good guarding skills & moderate attack power. The weapon's counter ability has good attack power that can easily defeat monsters.

Recommended Early Game Lance

B Rank Beginner Weapons

Charge Blade

High Attack Power Via Combos

The Charge Blade has complicated controls that can dish out very heavy damage when done properly. This complication makes it harder to use but worth the effort in learning.

Recommended Early Game Charge Blade

Gunlance

Does Good Damage With Shelling Attacks

The main firepower of the Gunlance is its variety of shellings which can ignore monster armor & pierce through them. It has lower mobility than the Lance.

Recommended Early Game Gunlance

Insect Glaive

Only Weapon That Can Attack In Mid-Air

The Insect Glaive is unique that it can cause Hunters to jump & attack monsters while in mid-air. Mobility is high and if you use your Kinsect efficiently, you can maintain a high range of attack power.

Recommended Early Game Insect Glaive

Sword & Shield

Can Use Items When Weapon Is Unsheathed

The Sword & Shield is the only weapon that can use items when the weapon is unsheathed. This makes it a great support weapon for Hunters who prefer survivability & mobility.

Recommended Early Game Sword & Shield

C Rank Beginner Weapons

Switch Axe

Needs Proper Use Of Sword & Axe Mode

The Switch Axe can be a complicated weapon because it has two modes - Sword & Axe. However, if used properly, it can deal very big damage to target monsters.

Recommended Early Game Switch Axe

Light Bowgun

Wide Variety Of Ammo With Good Mobility

The Light Bowgun has a variety of special ammo you can use to deal all sorts of damage. It has lower damage capacity than the Heavy Bowgun but has higher survival rate due to its mobility.

Recommended Early Game Light Bowgun

Hunting Horn

Specializes In Support In Multiplayer Mode

The Hunting Horn specializes in producing buffs for both the user & the team via notes played on the weapon. It's best used for multiplayer mode to support the team.

Recommended Early Game Hunting Horn