Weapon Types

Sword and Shield
The Sword and Shield, also known as SnS's were first introduced in Monster Hunter. These weapons are small and are accompanied by a shield that allows you to block against most attacks. Although causing a small amount of damage compared to most weapons, they are very fast and easy to travel with. Also many SnS's are infused with status effects (poison, stun, sleep, fire, etc...) that make up for their low attack. When another blade is used in place of a shield, they are called Dual Swords.

Notable SnS's:


 * Thundertip


 * Shining Wyvern Blade


 * Expert Blade

List of all the Sword and Shield weapons



Dual Sword
Dual Swords, also known as DS's, are two swords that move with great speed in combo's. Dual Swords have the ability to go into a "demonization mode" which cause the blades to form a red aura around them and allow the user to strike them quickly. Demonizing also makes it so the user is not effected by wind pressure, and the duals will never bounce while in this state. They were first introduced in Monster Hunter.

Notable Dual Swords:


 * Eternal Schisms


 * Insectors +

List of all the Dual Swords

Great Sword
Great Swords, also known as GS's are large, slow weapons that were first introduced in Monster Hunter. They have 3 main attacks: the sideswipe, the upswing, and the downstrike. When hitting a monster with the middle of the blade causes a damage bonus. They have a new charge attack, first introduced in Monster Hunter 2, that takes a long while, but causes huge damage. They have a sub-category of weapons known as the Tachi's.

Notable GS's:


 * Barbaroi Blade

List of all the Great Swords



Tachi
Tachi's are long slender blades that move very quickly. In Monster Hunter, the Tachi's played the same as the Great Swords. Since Monster Hunter 2, they are now a completely new weapon. They are capable of dishing out quick combos. However they lack the guard ability of a GS. Tachis have great handling and allow you to maneuver comfortably.

List of all the Tachi's

Lance
Lances are long weapons that can pierce from a distance. The lance is accompanied by large shields that give great defense. Although difficult and slow to travel with, its damage output is impressive. Lances have different moves, such as the upstab, a pierce, and a jousting attack. Along with the SnS, lances are one of the only weapons that can attack and block at the same time. They have a sub-category of weapons known as the Gunlances.

Notable Lances:


 * Expert Lance


 * Black Dragon Spear


 * Valhalla

List of all the Lances



Gunlance
Gunlances are long piercing weapons with a mechanism inside of it that allows you to shoot a projectile. The use of the weapon is the same as the original Lance. Like ranged weapons, gunlances take ammo. They are able to charge up, as seen by the radiating energy at the tip of the lance, and dish out a strong projectile.

List of all the Gunlances

Hammer
Hammers are large, heavy weapons that deal the most damage with one hit. Their tremendous size cause you to move slowly, but youre still able to run with it, unlike the Great Sword. These fierce weapons have several moves, a simple pound, a revolving spin, and a charge up attack that allows you to crush anything it gets on top of. Since Monster Hunter 2, hammers now have the ability to dizzy opponents after hitting a monster on the head several times.

Notable Hammers:


 * Iron Devil


 * Dragon Demolisher


 * Expert Hammer

List of all the Hammers



Hunting Horn
Hunting Horns are weapons that are a mildly different from the Hammer in attacking and appearance. Hunting Horns have a hollowness inside and an opening at the end that allows you to play different musical notes. These musical notes have different benefits, such as increasing stats. A good weapon to have when hunting in a party

List of all the Hunting Horns

Light Bowgun
Light Bowguns are ranged weapons that allow you to run with the weapon out and attack quickly due to its light weight. Although you have the advantage of running around, light bowguns are usually lacking in attack power. They also have the disadvantage of carrying less ammo types to use. Light Bowguns are original weapons first seen in Monster Hunter.

List of all the Light Bowguns



Heavy Bowgun
Heavy Bowguns are ranged weapons that pack a powerful punch, but due to its size and weight, it does not allow you to run. Most commonly, heavy bowguns are able to use the majority of ammo types, especially the powerful ones. Heavy Bowguns are original weapons first seen in Monster Hunter. In Monster Hunter 2, you are now able to upgrade your heavy bowgun with a shield.

List of all the Heavy Bowguns



Bow
The Bow is another ranged weapon that uses arrows as ammo instead of bullets. Bow users are usually the most dexterous because of its lightweight material. Vials can be used to power up the arrows to do extra damage. A unique feature of the bow is that when aiming, an imaginary line is shown to show where the arrow will hit. This type of weapon was first seen in Monster Hunter 2.

List of all the Bows